Experimental Tanks

The Gear Krieg background features more then just cool walkers and some Infantry ideas. The setting is oozing with cool superscience ideas. One of the most interesting concept for me are the super science tanks.

Churchill 3” Gun Carrier A22D

In September 1941, the General Staff asked the Tank Board to investigate the possibility of producing cruiser and infantry tanks mounting large caliber high velocity guns specifically for engaging the largest German tanks.

Mid War Monster FoW 3” Gun Carriers, Tesla Gun by DP9, conversion parts by GZG

To fulfill the cruiser tank requirement the Challenger was subsequently developed with the 17pdr gun. For the infantry tank requirement it was proposed to fit a 3" AA gun in a limited traverse mount on a Churchill chassis. These weapons were available having been replaced in AA units by the 3.7" gun.

Out of the box Mid war Monster FoW 3” Gun Carriers

A hundred vehicles were originally planned, but in December 1941 it was decided that all Churchill production would be needed for gun tanks, fitted with the 6pdr. The order was reduced to 24. The first prototype was ready in February 1942.


Out of the box Mid War Monster FoW 3” Gun Carriers

Churchill Tesla Gun Carrier A22D-T

After encountering the German Tiger tanks in North Africa it was becoming obvious that additional measures had to be taken against these heavily armored giants.

Mid War Monster FoW 3” Gun Carriers, Tesla Gun by DP9, conversion parts by GZG

Churchill 3” Gun Carrier Platoons were issued one special tank per Platoon: the Tesla Gun Carrier A22D-T. It was planned to cripple German tanks with the haywire effect of the tesla gun while the other Gun Carriers moved in for the kill.

Mid War Monster FoW 3” Gun Carriers, Tesla Gun by DP9, conversion parts by GZG

The Tesla tank variant featured a fully insulated hull to protect the crew against the Tesla gun effects. That enabled British engineers also to mount a highly experimental Electric Close Area Defence System near the rear of the tank. The insulation however proved to be even more demanding in the hot desert climate on tank crews than normal tank hulls. In addition the air inside the A22D-T was highly electrostatic charged which resulted in a very stressful combat environment and also frequent equipment breakdown.

Mid War Monster FoW 3” Gun Carriers, Tesla Gun by DP9, conversion parts by GZG

A huge ventilation system was installed on the roof of the hull to counter the effects of the insulated hull and the static energy buildup. The commander’s cupola was moved to the front of the vehicle to make space for the ventilation system. The British Tesla Gun was designed after the French Tesla guns and was roughly the equivalent of the Soviet Tesla 43 gun.

Mid War Monster FoW 3” Gun Carriers, Tesla Gun by DP9, conversion parts by GZG

After all these changes the Tesla Churchill was in fact quite comfortable to ride. Churchill 3” Gun Carrier Platoons that worked together with their Tesla brethren were feared opponents for all German tanks.

 

E-Series

During late war the German military leadership realized that previous tank designs were often too complex and had resulted in poor production rates and mechanical unreliability.

Consequently the Germans were planning to standardize their AFV and tank production to as great a degree as possible. Therfore a series of tanks and tank destroyers – the so called Entwicklungs-Serie (Development Series), more commonly known as the E-Series - was proposed which would allow for maximum interchange of parts.

These AFV's were to replace all of the existing German vehicles making future tank production, maintenance and service easier and cheaper. The tanks were named by weight class. Therefore the E 10 was to be the German AFV in the 10 ton weight class. There were six weight classes planned, designated E-5, E-10, E-25, E-50, E-75, and E-100.

E-50

The E-50 Standardpanzer was intended as a standard medium tank, replacing the Panther and Tiger I and the conversions based on these tanks. The weight of these vehicles would fall between 50 and 75 tons.

The E-50 would use the same turret as the late Panther F and Panther II, the so called Schmalturm (narrow turret). The Schmalturm had been developed as a joint effort by Daimler-Benz and Skoda. It was to be armed with the new KwK 44/7.5 cm gun developed by Krupp and Skoda.

Conversion Note: The tank is based on a Flames of War Tiger II. The Tiger II box contains 3 tanks and is shock full of extra parts. Basically all is inside to start the project. Many drawings of the E-50 show a different wheel configuration, but since none was ever built, who knows. So for me the standard wheels of the Tiger II will do. The turret is from a Peter Pig (204.) Panther G schmalturm tank. The kit is a wonderful tank model by itself. Luckily for me Martin sold be 2 separate turrets.

Since the turret ring of the FoW hull is bigger I had to fill it up with milliput. Worked like a charm (see the pic above). To make the gun barrel a bit more in line with the huge 12.8cm KwK 44 L55 anti-tank gun of the E-75 Tiger III I used the same brass rod. PPs 206. Panther G infra Red features a IR MG gunner, very fitting for an E-50! All in all a simple but very effective conversion IMO.

E-75 Tiger III

The E-75 Standardpanzer was intended to be the standard heavy tank to be used as a replacement of the Tiger II and Jagdtiger. The design was similar to the E-50, but heavier, in the 75 to 85 tons weight class. The main armament was a slightly modified (a different gun barrel was used) 12.8cm KwK 44 L55 anti-tank gun of the Jagdtiger.

The hull of the E-75 was going to be almost identical to the E-50, except the armour would have been improved.

Conversion Note: The tank is again based on a Flames of War Tiger II. Basiclly I just removed the gun and replaced it with a suitable long brass rod. Done!

Tiger (P) EXS

The Tiger was the first vehicle equipped with guided missile systems. Two Tiger (P) prototypes were send to Africa in late 1942. One featured the R-104 Lenkrakete. The so called Tiger (P) EXS was deployed alongside a conventional (P) Tiger and a Panzer III L.

The Luftwaffe had been extensively involved in developing guided weapons to be used in precision bombing. Radio and later wire guided methods had be researched and deployed by the late 30's. With the encounters of heavy armour in Russia a desperate need for an effective and accurate anti-tank system was created. Coupling the advances in rocketry and guiding systems, it became feasible to mount a guided rocket system on a vehicle-sized platform.

The first to do this was the Tiger EXS, its spacious turret providing the necessary room to mount the bulky guidance equipment. From there, further refinement allowed a infantry portable system to be produced. The R-104 needed a crew of three to operate and could be either wire or radio controlled. Fired from emplaced positions, they proved highly effective against enemy armour. The first walker mounted guided rocket was the R-92 Lenkrakete.

The above conversion is based on the wonderful Flames of War Tiger (P) kit. I used some GZG SF pieces to mount the rocket. The crude Radar dish is also from GZG, while the rocket itself is from Old Crow. I also added a Peter Pig crewman and some jerrycans.

T-34 superscience tanks

The above tank platoon consists of superscience tanks and conventional T-34/85.

T34/85 Sn Sonic Tank

Sonic Projectors - Sonic weapons were developed by the Kriegsmarine for the Walrus amphibious Panzerkaempfer, though this weapon was also fitted to a number of Panzers and used in a land-based role.

Like their German counterparts, Russian scientists also became interested in the applications of sound as a weapon. Concentrated sound waves caused exposed vehicle crew and infantry to experience nausea, disorientation and unconsciousness within a wide area. However, troopers wearing heavy armour and vehicle crew inside their tanks were protected from this effect. The weapon was indiscriminate as well, and Russian troops were often caught in the effects of their own weapon. Nevertheless, the Russians, hard-pressed to find any weapon to combat the Germans, eagerly mounted these large rotating dishes on the tops of T-34 tanks and sent them into the field in considerable numbers.
Modeling Note: I used a Battlefront FoW T34 tank and fitted a small Satellite dish to the turret. The dish is from GZG 15mm SF building fittings.

T34/85 H Thermal Tank

Thermal Ray - Russian scientists were also fascinated by the immense defensive potential of Russia's harsh temperatures, and started to work on technological means to control heat for defensive purposes. The result was a series of special "thermal rays," capable of generating localized heat and cold zones.

 

 

Modeling Note: Again a Battlefront FoW T34 tank was used. The Thermal gun is from one of the GZG 15mm SF building fittings.

 

T34/85 T Tesla Tank

Modeling Note: I used a Battlefront FoW T34 tank and fitted the DP9 Tesla gun to the turret. The Tesla gun is from the Allied weapon pack of DP9. To make it look more fitting to the tank I shortened it to 3 “dishes”.

 


 

PzKpfw VIII Schwebepanzer “Mantikor”

The Mantikor (or Manticore) is a jet powered Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) design that enabled a tank to attain an altitude of a couple of meters during flight trials. It used an ingenious design of liquid oxygen, superheated and fed directly into the jet engine intakes, to create additional thrust. By use of carefully placed thrusters and hull design, they were able to lift a sizeable platform into the air.

The full background will be featured in a future book. I liked the concept right from the start and always wanted a suitable model. There is only one picture of the Mantikor in all DP9 GK books, it looks like a Panther without the tracks with a laser as main armament and two big jet engines.

The conversion is based on a FoW Panther hull and crewman, two jet engine of a 1/100 Me 262 plane, a laser from DP9s Axis weapon pack, Miliput and lots of imagination! See for yourself:

PzKpf VII Uller Ausführung M “Rhino”

This Uller variant is mentioned in DP9s book “Fighting Vehicles of the Modern Age.

This Uller variant, based on a similar Donner model, was armed with a powerful 88mm gun. The cannon was mounted in a fixed position in the main hull, with aiming being taken care of by the suspension. The model was never officially released, the conversion proposed is pictured above.

Since DP9 is currently starting to make some additional walkers and weapons, it may be possible to get them into producing some additional guns. I scratch build the above shown side mounted 88mm gun. Maybe it will be the base for future designs.

Iosef Stalin 2 Tesla

The Soviets had the advantage in electrokinetic and Tesla guns in the GK background. According to the Gear Krieg books they experimented with many tank hulls, one of the successful ones was a tank based on the IS-2.

The conversion is again based on a FoW tank, the Tesla gun is from the Allied weapon pack of DP9, the additional heat sink on the engine deck is from the GZG 15 mm building fittings and the plastic heat sink might be GW Tau parts (I am not sure - they came out of my “bits” box)...

Su-85 EKC

Gear Krieg Background:
One application of Tesla technology was the EKC "electrokinetic cannon," a combined energy projectile weapon of great destructive potential. The Soviets based this weapon on schematics from reverse-engineered German "Thor's Hammer" artillery guns, applying the same principles they had used to shrink the Tesla ray.
The result was a rudimentary combat railgun small enough for common battlefield deployment. Firing large armour-piercing rounds at velocities far faster than normal cannon rounds, the electrokinetic cannon became the primary weapon of the Russians' new SU-series tank killers.

The conversion is based on some Gear Krieg artwork. I used a cheap Armourfast Su-85 1/72 kit to start, the EKC is made of plastic-rod with additional plastic pieces to represent the outside magnetic projectors. Crewmen by AB, engine deck superscience stuff by GZG.

KV-2 T - Heavy Tesla tank

As said above, the Soviets had the advantage in Tesla guns in the GK background. According to the Gear Krieg books they experimented with many tank hulls, one of the first ones was a tank based on the KV-2 since the turret was big enough to hold a full sized Tesla gun.

The mini is a simple conversion based on a (Trumpeter repaint - see before conversion here) 1/72 KV-2 with AB crewman. The gun is straight from the DP-9 Allied weapon pack, the turret side mounted Tesla Coil is made from wire, a washer and the 1st dish of a DP-9 Tesla gun. Works for me.

KV-2 with some 20mm THQ Casting and Italeri 1:72 Russian Infantry.

 

 

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