Heavy tank TOG. Heavy tank TOG II*. History Combat installation of the Germans tog 2

Year of development: 1939
Production year: 1941
Combat weight: 81.2 tons
Length: 10075 mm
Width: 3100 mm
Height: 3050 mm
Speed: 12 km/h
Power reserve: 75 km
Radio: no data
Armor
a. Forehead: 25 – 50 mm mm
b. Board:: 25 – 50 mm mm
c. Stern: 25 – 50 mm mm
d. Cutting: 25 – 50 mm mm
e. Body: (top) 25 – 50 mm mm
f. Body: (bottom) 25 – 50 mm mm
g. Roof/Bottom: 25 – 50 mm mm
Crew: 6-8 people
Weapons: 76 mm gun
Manufacturers: England

In July 1939, a discussion took place between the British Minister of Supply, who was responsible for munitions production, and Sir Albert Stern, who headed the Tank Supply Department during the First World War, about the requirements for tanks for combat in Europe. As a result, on September 5, 1939, Sir Albert was asked to work with specialists to develop requirements for the tank. In addition to him, Sir U. Tennyson D'Encourt, General Swinton, Mr. Ricardo and Major Wilson were invited to the committee - they all played an outstanding role in the creation and production of tanks in the First world war. The committee decided to ask the General Staff to issue a technical specification for a heavy tank, and Stern invited Sir William Tritton from Foster's company in Lincoln (the main manufacturer of tanks in 1916-18) to cooperate with the committee in these studies.

The General Staff invited committee members to visit France to get acquainted with the new French tanks, and also to meet with officers from the headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force. In the meantime, tactical and technical requirements were issued, and in October 1939 the committee received the official name “Committee for the Development of a Special Vehicle of the Ministry of Supply.” The requirements were similar to those issued to Harland & Wollf for the A20 infantry tank. They envisioned a vehicle with tracks that covered the hull to overcome crater-filled terrain, with armor protecting against fire from 47mm and 37mm anti-tank guns and 105mm howitzers at a range of 100 yards. It was supposed to carry a field gun in the front hull plate to destroy fortifications, it was required to install 40 mm cannons in the sponsons, 7.7 mm BESA machine guns with all-round fire, have a range of up to 50 miles, a speed of 5 mph and a diesel engine. The crew was supposed to be 8 people. The tank had to be transported by railway.

The preliminary design was prepared by the Foster company in December 1939. However, by that time there was no suitable diesel engine, so they intended to use a Pacsman-Ricardo V-shaped 12-cylinder diesel engine with a power of 450 hp, which was planned to be boosted to 600 hp. Taking into account the weight of the car, an electric transmission was provided, the development of which was proposed by the English Electric Company. The vehicle is known as TOG I ("The Old Gang"), and its development began in February 1940. It appeared in October 1940. It had a speed of 8.5 mph and weighed about 50 tons without weapons or sponsons. By this time, the project was changed, the sponsons were eliminated, but a turret for the 2-pounder gun from the A12 Matilda tank was introduced. A 75 mm howitzer was installed in the front hull plate in the same way as in the French Char B-1 tank. The chassis had a rigid suspension without elastic elements and was generally similar to that used on late British tanks from the First World War. Tests showed that the electric transmission did not live up to the designers' hopes, and the engine was burned during testing. On TOG 1, the engine turned an electric generator, which powered two onboard engines that turned the tracks. The control wheel was connected to a potentiometer that changed the voltage on the onboard electric motors and the difference in the rotation speed of the tracks led to the vehicle turning. This well-conceived system turned out to be too complex and led to deformations of the tracks and drive wheels. Therefore, TOG 1 was modified and a hydraulic transmission was installed, which also turned out to be unsuccessful due to the large inertia of the hydraulic pairs, which made control unreliable. In this new version the tank was designated TOG I A.

During the construction of TOG 1, an improved model was developed with the lowering of the upper branches of the tracks to reduce the height of the hull. The TOG 2 tank, built in a single copy in March 1941, was intended to install an enlarged turret with a 57 mm gun and sponsons, as originally designed. However, the sponsons were never installed, and the turret installed for the first tests was a wooden model with a dummy gun and was larger than what was envisaged in the project. The actual turret appeared for installation on the TOG 2R (Revised), a further development that was 6 feet shorter than its predecessor by eliminating the side sponsons and had torsion bar suspension for the road wheels. The TOG 2R was never built and the turret provided for it was made to replace the wooden mock-up of the TOG 2. The mechanical components and assemblies of this tank were similar to the TOG 1.

While TOG 2 was being tested, the heavy infantry tank A22 "Churchill" was adopted and put into production. Interest in the TOG waned, but at the beginning of 1942 a new turret with a 76 mm gun was installed on it for testing. TOG 2, now designated TOG 2*, thus became the first British tank with a 76 mm gun. After some modifications, the turret and the Metadyne electric traverse drive created for it were installed on the A30 "Challenger" tank.

Official designation: TOG\TOG 2
Alternate designation: "The Old Gang"
Start of design: 1939
Date of construction of the first prototype: 1940
Completion stage: two prototypes built

The long period of absence of heavy tanks in the Royal Tank Corps (RTC), caused by an acute financial crisis, ended only in the late 1930s. The presence of similar vehicles equipped with thick armor and powerful weapons, capable of literally breaking through enemy defenses, was caused by new fears of “trench warfare,” the specter of which had haunted the minds of British staff officers for more than 20 years. Considering these features, it is not difficult to guess what officials from the military department demanded from the designers.

Even before the start of World War 2, it became clear that the multi-turret scheme had lost its former relevance. Tanks like the A1E1 or T-35, with a huge number of barrels, had thin armor, and therefore were completely unsuitable for the role of “infantry”. I didn’t want to spend effort and money on developing fundamentally new machines. From this it was concluded that the RTC absolutely needed an analogue of the ancient Mk.VIII “Liberty”, but performed at a qualitatively new level. A discussion of the requirements for tanks for combat in Europe took place in July 1939. It is quite noteworthy that the discussion included the British Minister of Supply and Sir Albert Stern, who headed the Tank Supply Department during the First World War. Obviously, both honorable gentlemen believed that the Germans would certainly strike at the Maginot Line, the fortifications of which made it possible to withstand a long siege. And here you can’t do without the experience of your senior comrades. The result was quite logical - on September 5, Sir Albert Stern received a proposal to form a committee and work together with tank specialists to develop requirements for a heavy tank. The committee also included Sir W. Tennyson D'Encourt, General Swinton, Mr. Ricardo and Major Walter Wilson. In addition, Stern invited Sir William Triton from Foster to assist in the development of a new machine. All these people in 1914-1918. took a direct part in the design and construction of the famous “diamonds”, the chassis of which was perfectly suited for overcoming field obstacles.

The committee soon requested General base british army give them requirements for a heavy tank, for which an offer was received to visit France and get acquainted with the design of Allied tanks. At the same time, it was intended to find out the opinion of the officers of the headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force. Obviously, the desire of the military did not differ greatly from the committee’s opinion on what a heavy tank should be. As an example, “loomed” french tank B1bis, who had it all necessary qualities, but did not have sufficiently strong weapons. However, the layout of this machine repeated technical solutions later “diamonds”, in which it was once planned to install a gun in the front part of the hull. So it’s not surprising that the tank building orthodoxies decided to combine the old and the new, ahead of their allies.

In October 1939, the committee, which was given the official name “Committee for the Development of a Special Vehicle of the Ministry of Supply,” finally received a full-fledged technical assignment. The design of the tank included an elongated hull and a tracked propulsion unit that completely covered it in height and length. The hull armor was supposed to reliably protect against shells from 37 mm anti-tank guns and 105 mm field howitzers at a range of 100 yards (91 meters). The tank's own armament could be roughly divided into two types: a cannon in the front hull was intended to destroy field fortifications, and two 40-mm cannons and two 7.92-mm BESA machine guns in the side sponsons were supposed to be used to “clean up” enemy trenches. The speed was limited to 5 mph (8 km/h), and the range did not exceed 50 miles (82 km). Such low driving performance was a consequence of the “infantry tank” concept - it was believed that vehicles of this type should not “run away” from infantry. The tank would be delivered to the front edge of the front by rail.

The military department, apparently wanting to play it safe, issued TTZ to two companies at once - Foster and Harland & Wollf. Working on the first side was the same Committee that used the abbreviation for itself TOG, which meant "The Old Gang"(old gang). The same name was applied to the tank, although the designation TOG 1 (TOG №1). In addition, the terms of reference provided for the installation of a diesel engine.

Thus, the TOG preliminary design, presented in December 1939, was a combination of advanced technical ideas and obvious anachronisms. The “old gang” did not deny itself the pleasure of developing a multi-roller chassis with a rigid suspension without elastic elements. This significantly simplified the design and reduced its weight. However, the design weight of the tank was estimated at 50 tons without sponsons, weapons and ammunition, and a powerful diesel engine had not yet appeared. Instead, it was proposed to use a V-shaped 12-cylinder Pacsman-Ricardo diesel engine with a power of 450 hp, which was planned to be boosted to 600 hp. The tank's crew consisted of 8 people: a commander, a driver, a front gun gunner, a loader and four tankmen in sponsons.

Already at this design stage, two miscalculations became immediately obvious. First of all, the weapon scheme clearly did not correspond to reality modern warfare. The side sponsons had to be removed, and a turret with circular rotation was now supposed to be installed on the roof of the hull. The second major problem was the transmission. Considering the mass of the tank, the scheme with a planetary mechanism, initially proposed by W. Wilson, was unacceptable and then the English Electric Company had to be involved in the work, which began developing an electric transmission of the original scheme, which consisted of the following. On the TOG tank, the engine rotated an electric generator, which powered two onboard engines that rotated the tracks. The control wheel was connected to a potentiometer that changed the voltage on the onboard electric motors and the difference in the rotation speed of the tracks led to the vehicle turning.

In its finalized form, the project was accepted for implementation in February 1940, and in October the Foster company completed the assembly of the first prototype. The developers managed to meet 50 “dry” tons, but the hull still retained cutouts for sponsons, and a turret from the Matilda II infantry tank was installed on the roof. All TOG armament consisted of a 75 mm in the front hull plate and a coaxial 40 mm cannon and one 7.92 mm machine gun in the turret. To compensate for the increased load on the ground, it was also necessary to introduce wide track tracks.

Testing of the prototype TOG tank continued long and difficult. The tank arrived for road tests on September 27, and on November 6 it was shown to representatives of the army and the Ministry of Supply (MoF). The weight of the tank with the Matilda II turret and without sponsons was 64,555 kg. During testing, the power plant was constantly plagued by overheating problems, which could not be eliminated. Not surprisingly, the engine and transmission eventually failed. Another problem was the low adaptability of the transmission design for installation on a tank, the operation of which led to deformation of the tracks and guide wheels.

At the same time, in terms of basic driving performance, the TOG was quite satisfactory for the ministry. The main test cycle was completed in June 1941, but the MoF insisted that work on TOG continue. To correct the identified deficiencies, a hydraulic transmission was installed on the prototype, after which the tank received the designation TOG 1A. This option also turned out to be unsuccessful due to the high inertia of the hydraulic pairs, which made control unreliable. Still, tests with hydraulic drive began in May 1943, and a month later the tank was returned to the factory for further modifications. The latest data on TOG 1A dates back to April-May 1944, when the upgraded prototype underwent an additional series of tests. After this, the tank was sent to Chobham, where its traces were lost.

Despite the fact that the trench war on the Western Front long ago ended with the surrender of France and the need for such a tank disappeared by itself, under the influence of Sir W. Churchill and some other officials who were eager to put the new “diamond” into action, work on the TOG continued. Order for a modified prototype TOG 2 (TOG №2) was received on May 6, 1940. To improve technical performance, more radical measures were required, aimed primarily at reducing weight. As a result, the updated model received a chassis of lower height, and the sponsons were left, but the gun in the front hull was still dismantled. Now the main armament, which consisted of a 57-mm gun, was to be placed in a new turret design. The cannons and machine guns in the sponsons were retained, but the sponsons themselves were never installed. However, it was also not possible to immediately get a new turret, so instead of it a wooden model of a simpler shape with a dummy gun was temporarily installed. The diesel-electric powertrain was retained despite the overheating problems that plagued the TOG 1. The changes were as follows.

The drive engine of the two main generators was a diesel engine, which was mechanically connected to the generators. Generators supplied current to the electric motors on each side. The speed of the vehicle was changed by the fuel pedal of the diesel engine. A manual lever for changing the resistance of the current feeding the electric motor and generator provided additional adjustment of the speed of the machine. By turning the steering wheel connected to a potentiometer, the current resistance in the excitation windings of two generators changed. As a result of turning the steering wheel in one direction or another, the output power electric motor of the opposite side (opposite rotation of the steering wheel) due to an increase in voltage in its windings. Another electric motor, powered by its generator, transmitted power to the drive wheel of the other side, helping to turn. This was one of the ways to independently reverse one of the electric motors and turn the tank on the spot (turn around its axis). To make a turn with a radius equal to the width of the tank, one of the tracks was slowed down using pneumatic brakes.

The prototype of the TOG 2 infantry tank made its first factory runs on March 16, 1941. Further tests did not reveal any special comments, but time was hopelessly lost. The tank had maximum speed 14 km/h and power reserve up to 112 km. Thanks to its chassis, TOG 2 could overcome vertical walls up to 2.1 meters high and ditches up to 6.4 meters wide, which was certainly an impressive result.

Six months later, they decided to make new changes to the design of the tank, and therefore its name changed to TOG 2* The most important modification was the use of torsion bar suspension, which provided better driving performance. In addition to this, a new turret and a 76.2 mm gun were finally installed on the tank. Testing, which began in April 1943, confirmed that the TOG 2* was the heaviest (more than 81 tons) and most powerful British tank, but the concept according to which it was built was long outdated. Even despite its strong armor, the TOG was inferior in dynamic qualities and armament not only to the German “Tiger”, but even to the weaker Pz.Kpfw.IV with a long-barreled 75-mm cannon. Maneuver warfare was disastrous for such vehicles.

However, in 1942, work began on designing a modification TOG 2R (R– revised, corrected), in which they intended to reduce the length of the chassis by completely eliminating the sponsons, while maintaining the torsion bar suspension, 76.2 mm turret gun and electric turret. Further development of the heavy infantry tank led to the emergence of the project TOG 3. However, none of them were ever implemented.

Unlike TOG 1A, the fate of TOG 2* turned out to be happier. After the war, the tank was sent to a warehouse, from where it was soon removed, repaired and transferred to the tank museum in Bovington. By the way, the Paxman engine on it remains “native”, although the tank is not running now.

Sources:
P. Chamberlain and K. Alice "British and American tanks of the Second World War." Moscow. AST\Astrel 2003-04-03
P.Chamberlain and C.Ellis "British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945", 1969
David Fletcher " The Great Tank Scandal - British Armor in the Second World War", Part 1, HMSO 1989

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAVY INFANTRY TANK

TOG and TOG 2* model 1941

The long period of absence of heavy tanks in the Royal Tank Corps (RTC), caused by an acute financial crisis, ended only in the late 1930s. The presence of such vehicles, equipped with thick armor and powerful weapons, capable of literally breaking through enemy defenses, was caused by new fears of “trench warfare,” the specter of which had haunted the minds of British staff officers for more than 20 years. Considering these features, it is not difficult to guess what officials from the military department demanded from the designers.
Even before the start of World War 2, it became clear that the multi-turret scheme had lost its former relevance. Tanks like the A1E1 or T-35, with a huge number of barrels, had thin armor, and therefore were completely unsuitable for the role of “infantry”. I didn’t want to spend effort and money on developing fundamentally new machines. From this it was concluded that the RTC absolutely needed an analogue of the ancient Mk.VIII “Liberty”, but performed at a qualitatively new level.

A discussion of the requirements for tanks for combat in Europe took place in July 1939. It is quite noteworthy that the discussion included the British Minister of Supply and Sir Albert Stern, who headed the Tank Supply Department during the First World War. Obviously, both honorable gentlemen believed that the Germans would certainly strike at the Maginot Line, the fortifications of which made it possible to withstand a long siege. And here you can’t do without the experience of your senior comrades. The result was quite logical - on September 5, Sir Albert Stern received a proposal to form a committee and work together with tank specialists to develop requirements for a heavy tank. The committee also included Sir Y. Tennyson D'Encourt, General Swinton, Mr. Ricardo and Major Walter Wilson. In addition, Stern invited Sir William Triton from the Foster company to assist in the development of a new machine. All these people took part in 1914-1918 direct participation in the design and construction of the famous “diamonds”, the chassis of which was perfectly suited for overcoming field obstacles.

To improve technical performance, more radical measures were required, aimed primarily at reducing weight. As a result, the updated model received a chassis of lower height, and the sponsons were left, but the gun in the front hull was still dismantled. Now the main armament, which consisted of a 57-mm gun, was to be placed in a new turret design. The cannons and machine guns in the sponsons were retained, but the sponsons themselves were never installed. However, it was also not possible to immediately get a new turret, so instead of it a wooden model of a simpler shape with a dummy gun was temporarily installed. The diesel-electric powertrain was retained despite the overheating problems that plagued the TOG 1. The changes were as follows.
The drive engine of the two main generators was a diesel engine, which was mechanically connected to the generators.

Generators supplied current to the electric motors on each side. The speed of the vehicle was changed using the fuel pedal of the diesel engine. A manual lever for changing the resistance of the current supplying the electric motor and generator provided additional adjustment of the speed of the machine. By turning the steering wheel connected to a potentiometer, the current resistance in the field windings of two generators changed. As a result of turning the steering wheel in one direction or another, the output power of the electric motor on the opposite side (opposite rotation of the steering wheel) increased due to an increase in voltage in its windings. Another electric motor, powered by its generator, transmitted power to the drive wheel of the other side, helping to turn. This was one of the ways to independently reverse one of the electric motors and turn the tank on the spot (turn around its axis). To make a turn with a radius equal to the width of the tank, one of the tracks was slowed down using pneumatic brakes.

Testing, which began in April 1943, confirmed that the TOG 2* was the heaviest (more than 81 tons) and most powerful British tank, but the concept according to which it was built was long outdated. Even despite its strong armor, the TOG was inferior in dynamic qualities and armament not only to the German “Tiger”, but even to the weaker Pz.Kpfw.IV with a long-barreled 75-mm cannon. Maneuver warfare was disastrous for such vehicles.
However, in 1942, work began on the design of the modification TOG 2R (R - revised, corrected), on which they intended to reduce the length of the chassis by completely eliminating the sponsons, while maintaining the torsion bar suspension, 76.2 mm turret gun and turret with electric drive. Further development of the heavy infantry tank led to the emergence of the TOG 3 project. However, none of them were ever implemented.

Performance characteristics of HEAVY INFANTRY TANK TOG and TOG 2*

TOG 1 maneuvers in the yard of Foster's Lincoln plant. An inclinometer is installed on board to determine the angle of inclination.

In September 1939, the British General Staff initiated the development of a new promising tank, the A20. This event did not pass by Sir Albert Stern, a legend in British tank building. Previously, he was the secretary of the World's First Land Ship Committee, and largely thanks to his foresight and will, Britain began the world's first mass production of tanks in 1916. Sir Albert's authority was extremely great, but, unfortunately, his conceit was even greater. He believed that he and only he knew what a new successful tank should be like. 6 weeks after the start of work on the A20, Albert Stern took the initiative to lead the creation of his own, the only correct project. To this end, he gathered around him his eminent like-minded people, who participated with him in the creation of the first tank, which became his and their triumph. It was V.G. Wilson, Sir William Tritton, Harry Ricardo, Sir Ernest Swinton, Sir Eustace Tennyson D'Eincourt and others. Using his influence, he managed to gain the support of the Cabinet of Ministers and formed the Special Vehicle Development Committee (SVDC). Given its renowned roster of tank building veterans, this committee was informally nicknamed The Old Gang.

It was rumored that the General Staff was not delighted with Sir Arthur's creative impulse, and therefore had to put pressure on some people to join the newly created Committee. Most of the participants, by that time, were already in old age, and retired. However, Ricardo and Wilson still continued their engineering research.

The Old Gang, drawing on the experience of the First World War, was firmly convinced that the new tanks would eventually have to operate in the conditions of a developed enemy trench system. In their opinion, world tank building has clearly gone the wrong way, so their tank will return the lost to the right path. Naturally, the order was issued to the company William Foster and Co., in the city of Lincoln, which produced the first tanks in 1916. The enterprise belonged to Old Gang member William Tritton.

In December 1939, Fostrea engineers prepared a sketch of the future tank.

Arthur Stern insisted that new car must have an electromechanical transmission. Back in 1916, he unsuccessfully tried to implement this scheme on the first tanks, but only in 1940 did he have a chance for revenge. The prototype was equipped with a 12-cylinder V-shaped Paxman diesel engine producing 450 hp, which was planned to be boosted to 600 hp. The mechanical energy of the diesel engine was transmitted to an electric generator, which supplied current to two onboard electric motors that drove the drive wheels and tracks. There was no gearbox, but instead a rheostat changed the voltage on each electric motor, which made it possible to regulate the speed and direction of movement of the tank.

The development of the electric drive was entrusted to another veteran, Xi. H. Metz from the company Metz and McLillan, although the English Electric Company was responsible for production.

By May 1940, the order was increased to two prototypes, which received the corresponding names TOG 1 and TOG 2. Let us remember that TOG is an abbreviation for The Old Gang - Old Gang.

In February 1940, direct work on the TOG tank began - a wooden model was made and some components and assemblies were ordered. At first glance, the design struck me as archaic. It was a narrow, tall and long, unwieldy design that replicated the concept of the earliest tanks. Externally, the archaism was enhanced by the diamond-shaped hull, nickel steel tracks from the First World War and machine-gun sponsons on the sides. However, the machine gun sponsons were not transferred to the prototype, but more modern tank I didn't from this. A 75mm French howitzer was placed in the front plate, and on top was a turret from the Matilda tank. The armor was supposed to withstand hits from 47mm armor-piercing shells, but subsequently its thickness was constantly revised. On the prototype, the side armor was 65mm thick.

After the first factory tests in the factory yard, the vehicle was sent for field tests, which took place on September 27, 1940.

Having determined the weight of the right half of the future tank - 36 tons 711.2 kg, the designers estimated that the total weight of the vehicle at this stage of development would be more than 73 tons. The figure turned out to be impressive, and this is considering that it was obtained by calculation, on a structure that has not yet been fully embodied in metal, without the actual weight of the armor, without weapons, fuel, ammunition rack and crew. The speed reached 13.67 km/h.

On October 6, 1940, the first official demonstration of the project took place before members of the Special Vehicle Development Committee (SVDC). Willson did not come to the demonstration because he and Stern had a very strained professional relationship. The reason was that Stern had no technical education, but allowed himself categorical statements about the work of specialists.

After the lightning triumph of German tank forces in France, the archaic nature and practical uselessness of the TOG tank became more than obvious. The era of highly maneuverable and mobile tanks had arrived, and the TOG did not meet the new requirements of the time. Despite the fact that TOG was hopelessly outdated without even appearing, work on it continued. During the tests, it was revealed, although it was initially clear, that the tank was completely unmaneuverable, due to the fact that the hull was narrow and the supporting surface of the tracks was long, but nothing could be done about this due to the design of the vehicle itself. This was aggravated by the fact that, like the first British tanks, TOG I did not have a spring-loaded suspension at all - small-diameter road wheels were simply rigidly attached to the body. Electric motors constantly overheated. During tests until May 28, 1941, the vehicle was constantly forced to stop so that the electric motors did not burn out and could cool down.

TOG 1 with a tower from Matilda

After testing ended in June 1941, the TOG underwent a number of changes. After a failure with the electromechanical transmission, it was replaced with a hydraulic one, work on which lasted two years. In May 1943, the vehicle, renamed TOG 1A, made its first trip. The new equipment was manufactured by Hydraulic Coupling and Engineering Company. After a month of intensive testing in the Lincoln area, the vehicle returned to the factory for further development. In July, orders for new components and assemblies were issued. Since then tank TOG 1A remained at the plant, where minor changes were made to it in the spring of 1944. Once the modified TOG 1A was ready, it was sent to Chobham on a huge 100 ton Pickfords transporter. They heard nothing more about him, but this miracle did not appear among the troops.

The order for TOG 2 was issued on May 6, 1940. It is not known exactly why another TOG design was needed early in development, but it most likely had something to do with the weapons. The mechanics of TOG 2 were identical to TOG 1, but a clear difference was visible in the tracks. The tracks from the First World War remained unchanged, the spring-loaded suspension also did not appear, but the body was altered so that the upper branch of the caterpillar, having passed the rear drive wheel, fell into a tunnel through which it went forward and, at the exit from the tunnel, rose to get onto the front sloth. It was necessary to lower the caterpillar into the tunnel in order to expand the body for the shoulder straps larger tower. On wooden layout fighting compartment there was a 3-inch howitzer in the front plate, to the right of the driver, and along the sides there were sponsons for a pair of Besa machine guns on each side. The TOG 2's box-shaped turret resembled a larger version of the turret from the Churchill Mark III tank. The turret's armament consisted of a 3-inch howitzer and a 2-pounder anti-tank gun on the right and a Besa machine gun on the left. According to surviving records, the armor was also impressive by those standards. 63mm cast iron side sheets were placed on the model.

When the tank made its first trip on March 16, 1941, it still had a howitzer in the hull, the side sponsons and the turret were made of wood, but even then the weight of the vehicle exceeded 48 tons. The usual minor problems quickly emerged, but overheating of the electric motors was not noted, as on TOG 1. By the end of March, cast iron ballast was installed instead of the wooden tower and the weight of the tank reached 62 tons. In May 1941 wooden tower returned and sent TOG 2 for testing at Farnborough. When the car returned to Lincoln in June, new tracks were ordered. They now had protrusions with a mesh pattern for better traction and were made of manganese steel. After this, the tank was photographed with a steel turret bigger size and a 3-inch anti-aircraft gun (QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft). The car was painted in three-color camouflage.

TOG 1*

In September 1941, changes were made to the tank design significant changes and therefore the car was renamed TOG 2*. The gun in the front plate and side sponsons have already been abandoned, and the armor has been revised. The main gear underwent further modifications, but most importantly, they decided to install a torsion bar suspension on the tank, although this was not implemented until April 1943. Work on the TOG 2* was clearly delayed, and the requirements of combat in the war were rapidly changing. Therefore, the designers decided to arm the tank with a 17-pounder gun in a turret designed by Messrs Stothert and Pit from the city of Bess. In 1944, this turret was installed on the A30 Challenger tank.

A full-size mockup of the front of a TOG 2 tank. There is a 3-inch howitzer in the front plate, a 3-inch howitzer and a 2-pounder in the turret. anti-tank gun, in the side sponsons there are 2 Bes machine guns.

In 1942, the designers suddenly decided to turn the tracks from back to front, like on the A20 tank, and now the protruding part on each link was at the back.

TOG 2 with 57mm cannon

Finally, in May 1943, testing of the TOG 2* tank continued. There were no particular problems and it was decided that, in general, the machine was ready, although its weight reached almost 80 tons. By May 27, 1943, the TOG 2* had already performed completely flawlessly in tests, however, the War Office showed no desire to order the tank. According to the rules, the car still had to undergo official tests in Chobham, but it was already quite clear that TOG 2* was very late with its appearance.

TOG 2 with 57mm cannon

Trying to somehow adapt their archaic brainchild, the designers planned to make a version of the tank shortened by 1.82 cm, called TOG 2R (Revised) and even discussed the idea of ​​TOG 3. However, none of this was realized. TOG was originally created for a war that ended over 20 years ago. The Old Gang, trying to repeat their triumph in TOG, essentially created a tank for the First World War. The fact that the epic with Stern’s anachronism dragged on right up to 1944 speaks not only of the personal collapse of Arthur Stern and his Old Gang, but also of the fact that instead of creating the tanks that Britain really needed, many of its engineers spent almost the entire war working on the original nonsense. The TOG tank demonstrates well why and how a disastrous situation arose in British tank production during the war.

TOG 1 with a tower from Matilda. An inclinometer is visible on the back of the board.

tank TOG 2* with 17-pounder gun

sources

David Fletcher -- The Great Tank Scandal--HMSO, 1989

Peter Chamberlen and Chris Ellis -- British and American Tanks of World War Two--Silverdale Books, 2004

In this article we will talk about probably the most extraordinary tank in game World of Tanks, which is far from the last place in the list of unusual heavy armored vehicles ever created, as well as about its history of creation. Of course it's TOG II*!

The British, like the Soviets, Germans and Americans, were actively involved in the arms race. Based on the experience of the First World War, the designers assumed that the Second World War would be the same positional, with extensive use of trenches and fortifications, which means that tanks capable of overcoming them would be needed.

By 1940, the TOG 1 and TOG 2 tanks were developed - two vehicles created entirely based on outdated views of war. These were heavy tanks designed to break through defenses, trench warfare, overcome rough terrain and enemy trenches, support infantry and deal with enemy defensive structures. And already at the beginning of 1941 a prototype was ready.

Introduced in our game, TOG II* is a 90-ton monster, served by a crew of 6 people. In addition to the vehicle commander, the crew also included a driver, a navigator, a gunner and two loaders.

TOG II was also distinguished from its predecessor by the presence of side protection for the tracks, now open only at the front and rear, which significantly reduced the chances of damage to the tracks. Well, the armament was impressive for its time - a main gun with a caliber of 76.2 mm, using 17-pound QF shells, as well as a BESA anti-personnel coaxial machine gun with a caliber of 7.92 mm.

This tank was simply an elephant even by the standards of heavy armored vehicles of that time. Being 10 meters long and 3 meters wide, this tank was simply huge compared to any other. The turret of the A30 Challenger tank used in this tank was also about 3 meters high, and it was driven by two electric motors. With such a huge hull, the tank had to be provided with decent armor. Hardened steel was used as armor, which increased its effectiveness just as much as its combat weight. Well, the need for such high level armor arose from an old-fashioned approach to armor - instead of using inclined plates, which increased the chance of ricochet and non-penetration, the hull was completely straight and the designers relied only on strong armor, thereby only aggravating the situation.

The driving force was a diesel-electric 12-cylinder Paxman-Ricardo engine, developing power up to 600 horsepower, transmitting rotation to the drive rollers through an electro-mechanical transmission. Initially, TOG II used an unsprung suspension, but in the TOG II* modification some design aspects were revised and a torsion bar suspension was installed. Despite this, the tank was not capable of speeds exceeding 14 kilometers per hour, and could travel no further than 80 kilometers without refueling.

Testing lasted from 1941 to 1943, when the British Army was already provided with a sufficient number of American-made tanks and no longer needed such heavy tanks. In addition, combat tactics had changed by this time and medium tanks, widely designed by British developers, were needed. American Shermans and their English modifications like the Sherman Firefly showed themselves in this war much better than the bulky monsters of the past.

The only prototype of this tank surviving today is on display at the Bovington Tank Museum.