MISSION STATEMENT

This website is to serve as a catalog of historical information for various tanks, across various stages of development, created for use by the United States from Pre-WWII through to the 1970s. However, the primary purpose for this website is to illustrate a proposal for what an "endgame" could look like for the US tech tree in the game, World Of Tanks, and to show that there's still plenty of life left to breathed into this game.

My aim is to see as many tanks in the game about tanks as possible, and I hope to show that in a way that respects both the historicity of the tanks shown and the balance of the game overall. As such, I will not be going into great detail on individual statistics. Rather, I will only be showing the possible modules for each tank, changes that could be made to make it more historically authentic, a historical overview, and how the tank's playstyle may be represented in-game. I will also attempt to future-proof this by including alternate hulls, half-tracks, and wheeled vehicles.

This is certainly not perfect and everything is subject to change. This is still a work in progress, and updates are frequent if not daily. This is a fan project and a labor of love. Do enjoy.

Monday, August 21, 2017

M22 Locust

Early concept drawing of the revised T9E1 light tank.

A letter from the British Purchasing Commission indicated a strong desire for an airborne light tank and a suitable aircraft to carry it. On 22 May 1941, characteristics were outlined for for such a vehicle and it was designated as the T9 light tank. It was estimated to weigh 7.5 tons and be armed with either a 37 mm or a 57 mm gun. The tank was then to be armed with as many additional machine guns as deemed practical.




In July 1941, J. Walter Christie was invited to present a proposal for the design. Unfortunately, his preliminary and secondary designs did not meet the specifications previously outlined. The Marmon-Herrington Company instead proposed to build a pilot tank, and the Douglas Aircraft Company would build the new C54 transport designed to carry the tank. Pontiac also proposed using two of their engines to power the tank.





The first T9 pilot was completed in April 1942. The tank was manned by a crew of three. As what tended to happen during US tank development programs, the weight of the tank had increased and now exceeded the original specifications. As a result, its performance was deemed somewhat sluggish. In order to reduce weight, numerous components were removed and the tank went through a significant redesign. Most notably the front hull, to provide greater ballistic protection.

The new vehicle was designated as the T9E1, and then standardized as the M22 in September 1944. Although it was never used by US troops, it did see action with the British and saw extensive use under the Lend-Lease program.




In order for the vehicle to work as a regular tank, it's going to need some new modules. While the 37 mm Gun M5 wasn't considered for this tank, as far as I can tell, it would make for a decent stock option. There was also an attempt to fit the 37 mm Gun M6 with the British Littlejohn adapter. This was a muzzle attachment with a tapered bore, which squeezed a tungsten-carbide projectile and increased its muzzle velocity. This should simply be an M6 with a higher muzzle velocity and greater penetration. A few German tanks like the VK 30.01 H can mount a similar weapon, the Waffe 0725.

Otherwise, there aren't any considerable changes to expect with making the M22 Locust into a regular vehicle, aside from giving it some stock options. Players who previously owned an M22 Locust could easily be compensated by receiving a full gold refund, along with having the tank be unlocked.

Guns: 37 mm Gun M5; 37 mm Gun M6; 37 mm Gun M6 w/ Littlejohn adapter

Engines: Twin Pontiac 239 (180 hp); Lycoming 0-435T (192 hp)

Turrets (Turret Armor (mm)): T9 (25/25/25); M22 (25/25/25)

Suspensions/Alternate Hulls, Total Weight (metric tons): T9 VVSS (6.8); T9E1 VVSS (7.43)

Hull Armor (mm): 25/13/13

Top Speed: 56 km/h

Crew: 3 (Driver; Gunner; Commander/Radio/Loader)




Parent: T1 Light
Children: T42 GMC
See Also: DHT-5

Sources:
Hunnicutt, R. P. Stuart. 1992. 

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