媲美苏系T-10重坦美系T43重型坦克曝光

　　yesterday,in the article about Object 777 Soviet heavy tank, an American tank wasmentioned, the T43. The Soviets feared it and considered it on par with theirbest mass-produced heavy tank at that point, the T-10. So, what was the T43actually?

　　大家好：

　　昨天关于777工程的文章里提到了一辆叫T43的美国坦克。这是一辆让苏联人感到恐惧，并认为是能与他们最好的量产型重坦T-10媲美的坦克。那么，T43到底是怎样的呢?

　　Well,as you might have guessed from the picture, it was the designation of the M103prototype. Its history is rather well-described: in 1946, the War DepartmentEquipment Review Board, led by Joseph W.Stilwell initiated a program with thegoal to re-arm the US Army with a new type of tank. New light, medium and heavytanks were proposed (on the other hand, the tank destroyer program wascancelled altogether). Especially the heavy tanks were under scrutiny, with theT34 120mm gun tank proving to be perhaps the most promising of them all aftersome extensive testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. It was however too heavy,10 tons heavier than what the board demanded.In 1948, the Ordnance CommitteeMinutes (OCM) 32530 defined new demands on the future heavy tank, giving thedesign a designation of T43. In this case, the crew was to consist of 4 peopleonly: commander, driver, gunner and loader.

　　你可能已经根据上面这张图猜出T43就是M103原型的代号。关于它的历史，记载相对还是很详细的：在1946年，由约瑟夫·W·史迪威(Joseph W. Stilwell)领导的美国陆军部装备审查委员会启动了一项计划，其目标是用新型坦克武装美国陆军。提案中包括有新型轻坦、中坦和重坦(另一方面，坦克歼击车项目则被彻底取消了)。对重型坦克项目的审核尤为详细，在阿伯丁试验场经过了大量测试之后，装120mm火炮的T34坦克被证明为可能是其中最符合要求的坦克。但这辆车超重了，超出委员会的设计要求10吨。1948年，军械委员会会议第32530号文件规定了新的未来重型坦克的设计要求，并指定了设计代号T43。在这种情况下，仅允许有四名乘员：车长、驾驶员、炮手和装填手。

　　Thevehicle was to be powered by the Continental AV-1790 engine, specifically itsturbocharged version, producing whopping 1041 horsepower. It was to be armedwith a 120mm cannon, inserted into the T140 mount along with a coaxial 12,7mmmachinegun. This mount included a three-cylinder recoil compensator. The aimingsystem was to consist of a rangefinder, panaromatic periscope, gunner telescopeand mechanical ballistic computer.The armor was to be the thickest at upperfront hull plate (127mm at 58 degrees), the turret front was to have a 60degree slope. During the development however, the shape of the tank graduallychanged, even though the T43 designation remained. Tests have shown that castarmor of elliptic shape reduces the vehicle weight while keeping the level ofprotection the same.

　　该车的发动机是大陆AV-1790的涡轮增压型号，输出功率达到了1041马力。同时，还装备了一门120mm主炮，该炮和一挺12.7mm同轴机枪一起装在T140型炮座上。此型炮座含有一个三缸的复进机。瞄准装置包括有测距仪、全景潜望镜、炮手潜望镜和机械式弹道计算机。该车装甲最厚的部位是车体的首上装甲(127mm，58度倾角)，炮塔前部有60度倾角。但是在研发过程中，虽然一直沿用T43这个设计代号，坦克的外形还是逐渐发生了改变。测试表明椭圆形的铸造装甲可以在保持原有防护水平的情况下降低车重。

　　Themockup was ready in December 1949, but it was not to last long – on 24.4.1950,the Ordnance Committee again changed some of the project parameters, includingthe size of the turret ring, which was increased to 2159mm. The crew count wasincreased to 5 as well and it was decided to rework the recoil compensatorsystem, while removing the ballistic computer, rangefinder and panoramaticperiscope from the project. After these changes, it was assumed that the weightof the tank would not cross the 55 ton threshold.On7.11.1950, the vehicle wasofficially designated as Tank, 120mm T43. The first prototype was trialed inDecember 1951 at Aberdeen. At that point, Chrysler took over the thirdprototype being built at Detroit Tank Arsenal and made some modifications tothe vehicle, resulting in the tank being renamed to 120mm T43E1. The firstprototype was armed with a 120mm T122 gun, the other prototypes were armed with120mm T123 gun (T123 had the pressure increased to 48000 psi, the later modelwith improved recoil compensators was called T123E1).

　　在1949年12月，完成了车辆模型，但不久之后就没用了。因为在1950年4月24日，军械委员会修改了项目指标，包括炮塔座圈，扩大到了2159mm。同时，乘员增加到五人，并决定重新设计反后座装置。另外还取消了弹道计算机、测距仪和全景潜望镜。认为经过这样的修改，该型坦克的车重应该不会超过55吨。1950年11月7日，该车被授予了官方代号：120mm T43坦克。第一辆原型车于1951年在阿伯丁开始进行测试。同时，克莱斯勒接手了第三辆原型车，在底特律坦克厂进行生产，做了一些修改，并重新命名为120mm T43E1。第一辆原型车装备的是120mm T122主炮，另一辆装备的是120mm T123火炮(T123的膛压增加到48000磅/平方英寸，装有改进过的复进机的后期型号被称为T123E1)。

　　Theseprototypes are recognizable from the mass-produced tanks by their commander’scupola with 5 viewports and one fixed periscope – the same cupolas, as weremounted on the M47 medium tanks (while the mass-produced tanks recieved M48medium tank cupolas).300 T43E1 tanks were produced between 1953 and 1954, butfurther trials uncovered some significant flaws and as a result, the tanks weretemporarily mothballed, until the issues got fixed (at that point, the vehiclerecieved its M103 designation).

　　这些原型车和量产型号有个可辨识的区别，它们的车长指挥塔有五个观察口和一具固定式潜望镜。M47中型坦克也装有同样的车长指挥塔(而量产型号则使用了M48中型坦克的车长指挥塔)。自1953年到1954年间，共生产了300辆T43E1。但进一步的测试表明该车有一些重大缺陷，于是在问题解决之前这些坦克被暂时封存了起来(与此同时，该型坦克得到了M103的代号)。

　　Characteristicsof the T43 prototype (in brackets, M103 for comparison)

　　以下是T43原型的技术参数(括号内为M103的参数)

　　重：54.431吨(56.699)

　　乘员：5(5)

　　长(火炮向前)：11394.4mm(11394.4mm)

　　长(车体)：6992.6mm(6992.6mm)

　　宽：3749mm(3749mm)

　　高(至车长指挥塔顶部)：3218.2mm(3558.5mm)

　　炮塔座圈：2159mm(2159mm)

　　地面压力：0.871kg/m2(0.906)

　　首上：127mm(127)

　　首下：102mm(114)