British tanks from World War II. British heavy tank TOG (I-II). British tanks from World War II TOG II gun

British heavy tank TOG
After numerous discussions in the British Ministry of Supply after Hitler's attack on Poland (September 1939) regarding a future war using tanks, it was decided to commission William Tritton to develop the latest heavy tank. Tritton had extensive experience creating tanks in the First world war(1916-1918). Later the General Staff announced its requirements for new car: tank with tracks covering the entire hull to overcome crater-filled terrain, with armor protecting against 37mm and 45mm fire anti-tank guns and 105 mm howitzers at a range of 100 yards. The tank was supposed to be armed with a 40-mm cannon and Beza machine guns with all-round fire. The tank's range should be up to 50 miles and average speed 5 mph. The crew consisted of 8 people. And without fail the tank had to be transported by railway.
By the end of 1939, when the war was already raging in Europe, the preliminary design of the Foster company was ready. But by that time, a lot of difficulties had arisen with spare parts for the engine of the new tank. The new tank was named “TOG” (the old gang). Due to the high weight of the TOG tank, it was proposed to install an electric transmission on it. First tank TOG appeared in October 1940. The tank turned out to be very heavy - 50 tons of weight and its average speed was 8.5 miles/hour. In appearance, the tank resembled tanks of the First World War.

During the development of the TOG tank, the project was changed and a 2-pound cannon was installed in its turret and a 75-mm howitzer was installed in the front plate of the tank hull. Chassis The tank had a rigid suspension without shock absorbers and its layout was reminiscent of the suspension that was used on tanks of the First World War.
The first tests showed that the electric suspension would not withstand the load of the tank and the propulsion system overheated and broke. The fact is that on the TOG 1 tank, the diesel engine itself did not rotate the tracks, it rotated an electric generator that powered two onboard engines that rotated the tracks. This innovative idea turned out to be too complex for British designers and led to deformation of the tracks and wheels. Later, a hydraulic transmission was installed on the TOG1 tank, which also turned out to be unreliable.

During the construction of the TOG 1 tank, a modified model was created with the lowering of the upper branches of the tracks to reduce the height of the tank's silhouette. The TOG 2 tank was created in March 1941 in a single copy and a 57-mm cannon was installed in its turret, although further down the model with wooden tower and the gun didn’t reach.
A little later, the TOG 2 R tank appeared - a modified version of the tank with torsion bar suspension of the road wheels. While the TOG2 tank was undergoing field testing, the . And interest in the TOG tank disappeared, but in January 1942, a 76-mm gun was installed on this tank for testing. It was the first British tank with a 76 mm gun. After some modifications, the tank's turret and the Metadyne electric rotation drive created for it were installed on the tank.

Performance characteristics:
Designation……………….. British heavy tank TOG;
Tank crew………………….. 6-8 people (tank commander, driver, gunner, two loaders, assistant driver);
Tank weight……………………………. 179,200-142,320 pounds;
Length………………………. 33 feet inches;
Height………………….. 10 feet;
Width………………… 10 feet 3 inches;
Tank armament………………… one 17-pounder cannon (76-mm cannon for TOG2*), one 6-pounder cannon (57-mm cannon for TOG2)
Range………………………… 50 miles;
The depth of the ford………………….
Maximum speed……………………….. 8.5 mph;
Suspension type………………….. hard;
Propulsion system……………………… Puckerman-Ricardo diesel.;
Armor……………… 50 mm + 25 mm lining.

TOG II* was created by the British during the Second World War, work on which was stopped in 1944. TOG is short for the old gang, which literally translates as “old gang.”

The vehicle weighing more than 80 tons was armed with a 76-mm QF 17-pounder cannon with 144 rounds and a 7.92-mm BESA machine gun. A huge body more than 10 meters long, slightly more than 3 meters wide and high. Engine 600 hp. With. provided seven and a half horses per ton.

TOG II* in World of Tanks Blitz

The game features a Tier 6 premium tank. Moreover, it is a heavy tank. Compared to fictional tanks, Tog 2 is the most unusual and noticeable. Everyone knows him, he attracts attention and causes a stir. And in random, Tog can be found very rarely - much less often than Helsings, Draculas, Vendicators, and so on. But what kind of beast is this and is it worth buying?

There are a lot of disadvantages to sausages. Firstly, this is his mobility. This is one of the slowest tanks in the game. It’s very difficult to maintain the general formation on it even with TT, not to mention easier teammates. And if the team rushes across the entire map, they will have to fight alone.

Tog 2 is a heavy tank, but it has no armor. Something of course ricochets from him, but this is in rare cases.

The sausage is enormous in size and it will be difficult to hide it behind cover, but it will be easy for opponents to hit. And almost every hit means a penetration.

But TOG II also has its advantages. The first is its strength. Namely - 1500 units of strength. This is an order of magnitude greater than that of tanks at the level.

The second plus is his gun. With an AP hit of 170 mm and damage of 150, the gun has a rate of fire of 12 rounds per minute. And this gives approximately 1800 potential damage per minute (DPM).

Another plus is the turret rotation speed (more than 30 deg/sec). For any ST who wants to twist the sausage, this will be an unpleasant surprise.

Plus the accuracy and speed of mixing. There are many enemies whose armor will be a serious obstacle to TOG II*. But the accuracy of the gun allows you to target vulnerable spots. Aiming speed - 2.3 sec. But this tank has interesting feature— the slow speed of movement leaves the weapon in constant half-sight. This affects the speed of aiming when stopping and accuracy when moving.

Tog 2 is not an easy opponent for any tank. In a one-on-one firefight, high DPM (potential damage per minute) and enormous survivability provide great advantages.

Game tactics

TOG II is a team player. He can shoot any enemy, but without team support he easily gets caught in the crossfire. When played well, the sausage becomes an effective battering ram and moving shield. But in a random environment, very often you are left without support.

Or the tank can turn into a bunker - in narrow directions it can become an insurmountable obstacle. For example, on city maps, where it will be difficult for the enemy to get around it.

Playing on this machine is very situational. The result depends on many factors. The main tactics of playing this tank is to choose the right direction of movement. It is difficult to create a moment on this machine - often we find ourselves far from the main battlefield. But if there is a firefight at a short distance, then we can safely roll out first, breaking through the enemy’s defenses.

Is it worth buying Tog 2

IMHO reasons why it is worth buying. The first is the creation of a collection in the World of Tanks Blitz. Top 2 is historical tank, the project of which existed in reality. And if various Helsings and Draculas are a figment of the imagination of the developers, then the sausage is close to historical reality. And what is important for collectors is that this is the most recognizable and most unusual tank (and this is compared to the Vendicators).

Is it effective? At team game- Yes. But it’s too ambiguous for random. For example, when you are exchanging fire with two or three opponents, the rest of the team is in no hurry to help.

Is it possible to farm silver with it? Quite, but it takes a lot of effort to get the oil on it.

In addition, at level 6 there are cars that deserve attention. For example, Dicker Max or, having already saved up some gold, look at cars of a higher level.

You should not buy Tog 2, considering it as a premium for active farming or increasing statistics. In most cases, the reason for purchasing is for fun, collection and nothing more.

Tog 2 is probably one of the most non-standard premium (and not only) tanks that players have ever seen. Why? A level 6 tank has 1400(!) HP. I already had a chance to meet him, the cardboard tank itself, but if he is on the 1st line in general list the enemy team, it will be quite difficult (although it greatly depends on the team).

In the full post you will find the history of the creation of the tank, performance characteristics and screenshots.

History of the tank

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 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 heavy infantry tank led to the emergence of the TOG 3 project. 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.

Specifications

Crew

Commander
Mechanical drive
Radio operator
Gunner
Charger x2
Speed 14 forward, 7 reverse
turning speed 22, turning on the spot

Hull armor

Lob 76.2
board 76.2
feed 50.8

Tower armor

Lob 114.3
Board 76.2
rear 53.3
Review 360m

gun

Gun OQF_17pdr_Gun_Mk_VII_A
Ammo size 70 shells
Spread 0.4
Recharge 4.5
Mixing 2.3
Breakthrough 171/227/38

Paxman Ricardo engine, 600 hp.
Walkie-talkie British Wireless set N19, 570m

Tog 2 will appear in game World Of Tanks in

Screenshots

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 Y. 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 TTT for a heavy tank, and Stern suggested Sir William Tritton of Foster's firm 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 claims were similar to those issued to Harland & Wollf on infantry tank A20. 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 rail.

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 frontal plate of the hull in the same way as in French tank Char B-1. 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. TOG 2R was never built and the turret provided for it was made for replacement wooden model on TOG 2. The mechanical components and assemblies of this tank were similar to TOG 1.

While TOG 2 was being tested, the heavy infantry tank A22 "Churchill" was adopted and put into production. Interest in the TOG faded, 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.

In this article we will talk about probably the most extraordinary tank in the game World of Tanks, which occupies not the last place in the list of unusual heavy armored vehicles ever created, as well as about its creation history. 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 the efficiency exactly as much as its combat mass. 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.