44M Tas
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| 44M Tas | |
|---|---|
| Type | Medium / Heavy tank |
| Place of origin | Kingdom of Hungary |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Kingdom of Hungary |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Manfred Weiss Works |
| Designed | 1943 |
| Manufacturer | Manfred Weiss Works |
| Produced | 1943–1944 |
| No. built | 1 prototype |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 38 tonnes (37 long tons; 42 short tons) [1] |
| Length | 9.2 metres (30 ft 2 in) gun forward[1] |
| Width | 3.5 metres (11 ft 6 in)[1] |
| Height | 3 metres (9 ft 10 in)[1] |
| Crew | 5[1] |
| Armor | 50–120 mm (2.0–4.7 in) |
Main armament | 1 × 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 [1] |
Secondary armament | 2 × 34/40A M 8 mm machine gun |
| Engine | 2 x gasoline Manfred Weiss-Z[1] 520 hp (390 kW) 2 x 260 hp (2 x 195 kW)[1] |
| Power/weight | 13.68 hp/ton |
Operational range | 200 km (120 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 45 km/h (28 mph) |
The 44M Tas was a Hungarian medium/heavy tank design of World War II. The only prototype built was destroyed when the Manfred Weiss factory was bombed in 1944.
Design
Designed as a cheaper and home-made alternative to German-built Panthers in 1943, a sole mild steel prototype was built by the Manfred Weiss factory. When the factory was bombed by American aircraft on 27 July 1944, both the factory and the prototype were destroyed and no further production followed.
Like its German counterpart, the 44M Tas was to be armed with the powerful and modern 7.5 cm KwK 42 anti-tank gun. It also shared a similar layout and suspension, with six road wheels on semi-elliptical springs. As the Germans were unwilling to offer their Hungarian allies the powerful Maybach HL230 engine, the 44M Tas was powered by two 260 hp gasoline-powered "Manfred Weiss-Z" engines, identical to those already in production for the 40M Turán I tank.
Related development
In parallel to the 44M tank, development of the 44M Tas Rohamlöveg tank destroyer was started; this vehicle shared most of the new tank's elements.
See also
- Similar tanks
- PzKpfw V Panther
- Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf.E
- T-34/85
- IS-1 & IS-2
- M26 Pershing
- A41 Centurion Mk 1
References
Notes
Bibliography
- J C M Probst. "Hungarian armour during WW2". Airfix Magazine (September 1976).
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External links
- For The Record website - History & Specifications
- 44M. Tas - TANK ENCYCLOPEDIA website (accessed 2017-07-25)