T42

Wooden mock-up of the T42. Notice the large rangefinders.

By the summer of 1948 and in response to various tensions between powers, a program had been started to modernize the United States' inventory of M26 Pershings. However, their numbers were limited and out of date. Development of the T37 had already been underway at this time, and progress indicated that the basic design of the T37 could be applied to a new medium tank. This new tank would be designated as the T42.

The interior dimensions and power package of the T37 were to be retained, but with a 36 ton weight limit and a 90 mm gun. The vehicle's armor profile was also increased, offering better protection than even the M46 Patton. A provision was also made for an automatic loader. Like the T37, M26, and even the M4 Sherman, the turret ring diameter was 69 inches.

Approval for a wooden mock-up of the T42 was authorized in March 1949. Review of this mock-up enlarged the turret ring diameter to 73 inches. A British liaison officer also objected to the use of a 90 mm gun equivalent to that of the M46. A more powerful armament would be developed, designated as the 90 mm Gun T119. The Continental AOS-895 from the T37 was retained. However, the CD-500 transmission used by the power package was limited to use with engines ranging from 375 to 500 horsepower. This raised concerns the T42 was too underpowered. Comparisons with an M4A3 found they were equal in performance, only reinforcing these arguments.

T42 pilot.

As a result, the T42 was rejected for production. Nonetheless, six pilots were authorized for construction, the first arriving in Aberdeen by December 1950. It was hoped continued development of the tank would aid the development of a future medium tank. New features studied for application included a cast steel elliptical hull and a flat track suspension. It was recommended to designate this new vehicle as the T87. However, in May 1943, the T42 program was terminated completely.

In-game, the T42 is remarkably slow, but it carries some relatively powerful armaments for its class and tier. I've also given it a "T119M1" to indicate the original T119, just with an autoloader. This weapon was designed to fit inside the original T42 turret (although with limited space). The 90 mm M3A1 can also carry over as a stock option, as this would have been the weapon used before the development of the T119. The T139 can also be found here as it was considered.

Guns: 90 mm Gun M3A1; 90 mm Gun T119; 90 mm Gun T139; 90 mm Gun T119M1 (autoloader)

Engines: Continental AOS-895-1 (450 hp); Continental AOS-895-3 (500 hp)

Turrets (Turret Armor (mm)): T42 Early (102/89/25); T42 (102/89/25)

Suspensions/Alternate Hulls, Total Weight (metric tons): T42 TBS (33.79); T87 FTS (??)

Hull Armor (mm): 102/76/25

Top Speed: 51 km/h

Crew: 4 (Driver; Gunner; Loader; Commander/Radio)

Parent: T23
Children: TS-LMT
See Also: T69, M46 Patton

Sources:

Hunnicutt, R. P. Patton, 2015