T29 Heavy Tank

The Heavy Tank T29 and Heavy Tank T34 were an American heavy tank project started in March 1944 to counter the new German heavy tanks. The T26E3 Medium Tank (that entered service as the M26 Pershing), weighing around 45 tonnes, was not considered heavily enough armed or armored to counter the Tiger II, which weighed closer to 70 tonnes. The T29 was not ready in time for the war in Europe, but it did provide post-war engineers with opportunities for testing the engineering concepts in artillery and automotive components.

Development

The T29 was based upon a lengthened version of the T26E3 hull and featured heavier armor, an upgraded Ford GAC engine providing about 770 bhp (570 kW) gross, 650 bhp (480 kW) net, more comfortable controls for the driver, and a massive new turret incorporating the high velocity 105 mm gun T5. It weighed approximately 132,000 lb (60 t) unstowed and 141,000 lb (64 t) combat loaded. Its maximum armour thickness was 279 mm compared to 180 mm on the German Tiger II while its 105 mm gun was 7.06 m long compared to the 6.29 m of the Tiger II's 88 mm.Other trial models had Allison V1710 V12 engines.

Heavy tank

A heavy tank was a subset of tank that provided equal or greater firepower as well as armor than tanks of lighter classes, at the cost of mobility and maneuverability and, particularly, expense.

The origins of the class date to World War I and the very first tanks; designed to operate in close concert with the infantry and facing both artillery and the first dedicated anti-tank guns, early tanks had to have enough armor to allow them to survive on no man's land. As lighter tanks were introduced, the larger designs became known as heavies. The same basic role remained into World War II, with the British referring to them as infantry tank indicating this close support role.

As tank combat became more common, especially tank-vs-tank, the heavies also became platforms to mount very powerful anti-tank guns, and the role of the heavies began to change. By the end of the war they were a primary class, used both for dealing with heavy fortifications as well as forcing its way through enemy tank formations. They were also known as breakthrough tanks, indicating their purpose of spearheading the attack. In spite of this, in practice they have been more useful in the defensive role than in the attack.