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LizzyGibbs3D — T19E1 Custer
Published: 2011-10-07 06:39:15 +0000 UTC; Views: 15112; Favourites: 177; Downloads: 108
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Description
Update3rd Place Winner of the World of Tanks Design your American Vehicle contest. October 13, 2011
An updated revision of my T19 Custer design. [link] Following model numer designations, I present the T19E1.
The changes I made are a bit extensive and took cues from a number of people that added their critiques to the original design. Plus upgraded it to represent the alternate configuration in the original T19's description.
- Extended the hull
- lengthened the engine deck
- rebuilt the engine cover
- lengthened the wheel base, tread, and fenders
- added fuel caps
- added armored intakes
- added engine intakes
- removed the hull machine gun mount
- built and added a new tool box
- reworked the driver and co-driver hatches
- added periscope brush guards
- added exhaust deflector grill
- added .50 cal machine gun stowage
- added static range finder
- added a second whip antenna
- built and added a 105mm canon with flash suppressor
- reworked the textures
T19 Custer
Designed: 1942
Year built: 1943
Number built: 200
Weight: 24.8 short tons
Length: 17.15ft/5.23m (w/o gun); 18.53ft/5.65m (w/gun)
Width: 11.6ft/3.53m
Height: 9.15ft/2.79m
Crew: 5 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver, co-driver)
Armor: 50 mm front; 50mm side; 40mm rear; 60mm turret
Main Arm: 76mm M8L32
52 rounds
Alternate: 105mm SPH M4L23
22 rounds
Secondary Arm: 2x Caliber .50 Browning T27E6
550 rounds
Engine: Chrysler Series H3208 Hemi
Engine Top Speed: 40mph/64kmh road; 30mph/48kmh off-road
Engine HP: 320 hp at 2,400 rpm
Power/Weight: ~1:155 lbs.
Suspension: Torsion bar suspension
Operational Range: 100mi/161km
Notes:
This tank and its history are pure fiction.
7th U.S. Cavalry, 2nd Reconnaissance Troop
New Guinea Campaign, Pacific Theater - January 24, 1943 to December 31, 1944
Tank design based in part on the successes of the upgraded M4A3E8 Sherman and captured PzIII. Designed for the European theater, but instead sent to the Pacific where it's open field maneuver capabilities are hampered by island terrain and heavy jungle. The alternate config. replaces the 76mm main gun for a 105mm howitzer best used for bunker busting heavily entrenched enemy fortifications and used as infantry support.
Tank was quickly phased out of field testing with the adoption of the M24 Chaffee.
Overview:
Using captured German Panzer tanks and looking to improve upon the mobility of the United States Army's mechanized divisions, the War Department contrcted several firms to develop and produce the next generation of American Light Tanks. One of the manufcturing firms that bid for the contract was current wartime producer Chrysler. Best known for it's current engine systems that powered the M4, T1, and T29 front line tanks.
The T19 Light Reconnaisance Tank is a result of using tried-and-true manufacturing techniques, and incorporating innovations discovered from reverse-engineering captured vehicles from several engagements. Powering the vehicle, Chrysler developed the H3208 Hemi V8 drive system. Supporting the gun motor carriage is a simple, yet effective torsion bar suspension system.
Development of the model T19 started mid-1942 with initial production models coming off of the manufcturing lines in 1943.
Capabilities:
The Custer is a comparativly fast light tank, on par with the American M5 Stewart and the German's Leopard light tanks. The Chrysler H3208 engine produces a measured 320 horse power at 2,400 rpm, giving the vehicle a ratio of 1 to 155 pounds. The high ground clearance, light body construction and effective suspension combined with the engine power make this tank an effective and agile mobile gun platform.
Recognizing the need for fire power, the T19 is armed with a primary 76mm cannon, a common armament mounted on many American tanks and anti-tank vehicles. To continue the U.S. doctrine of infantry support, the hull carries one Caliber .50 Browning T27E6 model heavy machine gun, with another one mounted in the turret mantlet. An optional machine gun mount on top of the turret gives either the Commander or Loader a tertiary weapon system.
Battle History:
Since the T19 was originally a test platform, only 200 models were ever produced. While specifically designed for the European theater which required greater mobility, the T19 was assigned to the 7th U.S. Cavalry, 2nd Reconnaissance Troop during the New Guinea Campaign in the Pacific Theater. Remembering their fallen general from unit history and being the first to adopt the new war machine, the tank crews quickly nicknamed the T19 after General George Armstrong Custer.
First field tested during the Salmaua-Lae campaign in September 1943, 20 T19s were beached at Lae assigned with the 7th U.S. Cavalry along with the 7th Division's 25th Infantry Brigade and the U.S. 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment landing at Nadzab. While the island was shrouded in fog and rain, the weather quickly changed by early morning allowing a clear approach and landing.
While the T19 performed according to specs on the beaches, the design's original European Theater ideal of mobility was soon hampered by the rough terrain and thick jungles of the Pacific island. With it's thin armor, the tank was at risk for becoming crippled from anti-tank weapons used by Japanese forces. Changing roles from forward recon to infantry support, the T19 soon became a valuable asset to infantry forces in three other campaign operations. However, with the introduction of the M24 Chaffee later on, the T19 project was canceled.
Variants:
During the Pacific Theater engagements and the role of forward reconnaisance to infantry support, the T19A1's 76mm gun was replaced with a bunker-busting 105mm canon to dislodge heavily entrenched and fortified enemy positions. The heavier calliber weapon transformed the tank into a short ranged, mobile artillery carriage while the machine gun mounts maintained the Custer's infantry support mission.
Models and image © Liz Gibbs
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Comments: 16
Very interesting! I can see the Israelis getting their hands on this bad boy and having a field day with the Egyptians and Syrians.
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Israelis do have a thing for modifying tanks like their M50/ M51 Super Sherman. Though the Egyptians did put an AMX 13 FL-10 oscillating autoloader turret on a Sherman hull.
Now I wonder what they'd do to my T19 Custer.
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First of all, they'd probably dump the Chrysler engine in favor of a diesel, add angled skirting between the top of the hull and the outer edge of the fenders to have incoming rounds glance up and off. They'd also put on sand skirts to cover the tracks to take the brunt of anti-armor missiles and keep the dust down. Then they would up gun to the French 105mm cannon. And maybe put a .30 cal. machine gun by the gunner's hatch as well. Couldn't hurt to use wider tracks when dealing with sand and rocks in the desert there. At least that's what I would have done with this beast.
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Why name it the custer, do you want this thing to get scalped?
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From the description I wrote:
While specifically designed for the European theater which required greater mobility, the T19 was assigned to the 7th U.S. Cavalry, 2nd Reconnaissance Troop during the New Guinea Campaign in the Pacific Theater. Remembering their fallen general from unit history and being the first to adopt the new war machine, the tank crews quickly nicknamed the T19 after General George Armstrong Custer.
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Aww this is just the cutest tank EVER !! I love it. The body is reminiscent an old comic book "the Haunted Tank" ( not the original Stuart, the hodgepodge they built later on ) and the turret is like a dream-Sherman. very well done
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Can't say I'm all that familiar with that series. I just know it had a ghost of a Civil War era general. My idea in building this was to combine elements of both German and American tanks to make a fast-attack striker and recon vehicle. It'd have more armor than the Stewart series with a lot better firepower, but a similar mission profile. My Custer design had been compared to the Walker Bulldog in a lot of ways (even though at the time I was unaware of that tank's existence). Naturally I based the look of the turret on the Sherman series of tanks. Few things say "WWII U.S. tank" like the M4 Sherman!
Thanks for posting! I'm quite satisfied with this design. I've been planning to make a lower polygon model to release to the public. The meshwork is done, but I haven't gotten around to unwrapping and texturing it. Perhaps some day...
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Throw a Hellcat, Chaffee and Sherman in a blender and what do you get? Pure awesome, that's what.
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LOL! Thanks! I'm glad you like the design. It's hard to believe I made this nearly 2 years ago.
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Now that's an American tank I would like to try.
I didn't go too far in the American main line in WOT (I did however love the TDs with their fast reload times, even though they're a bit undergunned), because I had little interest for Sherman derivatives and it would have been a long hard grind to the T29 but this little thing is something else. I imagine it's quite speedy and the 105 mini-derp should pack some punch (probably not a lot of penetration with that short barrel, though). All in all I'd compare it with my new love, the AMX 13-75, but a bit more resilient than the French glass cannon.
Congratulations on winning by the way!
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Hey, thanks!
Yeah, I thought of a fun tank I'd like to play. I loved the M5 Stewart and this was designed before they added the Chaffee. Playing either tank is vastly different however.
As for this, I suppose in game mechanics that the 105 wouldn't have too much penetration. It's similar to the gun you'd see on the M4 Sherman Jumbo. BIG punch, using just HE rounds. I haven't gotten up the French line yet. I'm still stuck on the AMX 40 as of this post.
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Ah, so the gun is a 105mm SPH M4L23 then. That means penetration of 53 with 410 damage in WOT mechanics, which is quite comparable to the 64/350 of the Hetzer 105mm mini-derp I had in mind. Since this tank would be pretty fast, and it has a turret, unlike the Hetzer, I guess a viable tactic would be to slip past an engaged enemy heavy and hammer his back plate at point-blank range while he is busy.
Yeah, I remember I played the M3 and M5 Stuart during the Open Beta and I liked them to a degree, but back then I was a lot less experienced (and my aim was poorer)and thus suffered from a tactical disadvantage when playing lights. Nowadays, while I do have a BT2 I keep for fun (I love the fluidity of tier II games), for the most part I'm a dedicated TD fanatic.
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It's really too bad this tank isn't in world of tanks. My little bro would probably be all over it ^_^
Honestly, though. This is a really convincing WWII tank design.
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Hey, thanks! I did do a bit of research (thank you Internet!) on actual WWII tanks from both U.S. and Germany and took elements that I liked from a variety of sources. The key to me was actually maintaining the look of an American vehicle while making it appear different than anything that existed.
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