WesWorld

Quoted from "Brockpaine"

If the specs are historical, then I shan't protest... but... I'm still really curious as to *why* the weight is so much lower than I'd expected. I'd totally see this as correct for a recoilless rifle, but it's apparently... not?

*Scratches head*

Most of the Cockerill/Mecar guns are marketed as main caliber armament for light armored vehicles, and the specs often refer to the gun alone. When I went hunting for data I could find a weight reference to the Cockerill Mk.8 gun of 750kg - but that was for the gun exclusive of its turret. As only 117 towed guns appear to have been made, and some of those mounted by the Israelis on M3 halftracks, there does not seem to be much demand for data on that particular configuration. It's probably in a paper resource somewhere, but might not have made it on line.

Edit: The postwar Swiss 90mm PaK 50/57 might be useful for guidance purposes.

Ok, I'll go with 716kg based off the Swiss guns.
I guess Bruce's logic is correct, I've seen the same figure in a book but its obvious someone a long time ago was deceived by the marketing materials or made a simple mistake.

New stuff for 1949 comprises:

The Cockerill C 90 / L32 90mm Anti-Tank Gun under development since 1947 will enter production.

A new vehicle entering service next year is the T-22, also known as the CATI 90 (Canon antitank d'infanterie automoteur 90mm), a self-propelled gun based on the VUC-2 armed with a Cockerill C 90 / L32 90mm anti-tank gun. 100 were ordered in March 1947.
Weight: 9.84 tons laden
Length: 14 ft 9 in (4.49 m)
Width: 7 ft 7 in (2.28 m)
Height: 5 ft 7 inch (1.70 m)
Engine: 110hp Bedford V-8 petrol, Hortsmann suspension
Speed: 31 mph (50 km/h)
Operational range: 125 miles (200 km)
Armament: 1x 90 Cockerill C 90 / L32 and provision for 1x pintle-mounted 1x 7.65mm FM-30 FN-Browning
Armour: 25-8mm
Crew: 4

A new weapon entering development next year is a new project from Fabrique Nationale for a new general purpose light machine gun.

7.65mm FN MAG
Development of this new machine gun began in 1949 and prototypes will begin testing in 1950. It is an entirely new design and will be offered in 7.65mm and 7.62mm calibres.
Calibre: 7.65x53 Mauser
Action: automatic, selective fire, gas-operated
Length: 1,232 mm
Weight: 10.9 kg
Magazine: belt feed
ROF: 750-1,000rpm
Effective range: 1,200m (max range 1,800m)

In 1950 there will some changes to the Army organisation. A third of the current divisional force will be disbanded (split between first-line and reserve forces) and the coastal defence units will be slimmed back to Regimental formations (the current division status is rather bloated!).
But there will also be a new 3rd mechanised brigade.

For that - and to replace the current T-20 Chiliean-acquired Carro de Combate Modelo 1941 tanks; Belgium is issuing a requirement for 340 new medium tanks for delivery from 1950 (potentially another 170 may follow later in the early 1950s to replace the T-21 (Cromwell).
Specs are loose but it should not be too heavy and possess good cross-country performance. Good armour against the latest tank-guns is required.
The current armament of the 75mm L/54 FRC is getting a bit long in the tooth so the 90mm L/60 Cockerill (as used in the Dutch T-44) is specified but given the size of the order and the chance to standardise on a new gun, again options are open if manufacturers can provide a better weapon and provide good arguments to use it.

Quoted from "Hood"

For that - and to replace the current T-20 Chiliean-acquired Carro de Combate Modelo 1941 tanks; Belgium is issuing a requirement for 340 new medium tanks for delivery from 1950 (potentially another 170 may follow later in the early 1950s to replace the T-21 (Cromwell).
Specs are loose but it should not be too heavy and possess good cross-country performance. Good armour against the latest tank-guns is required.
The current armament of the 75mm L/54 FRC is getting a bit long in the tooth so the 90mm L/60 Cockerill (as used in the Dutch T-44) is specified but given the size of the order and the chance to standardise on a new gun, again options are open if manufacturers can provide a better weapon and provide good arguments to use it.

France
The French can offer the current-production AMX-40B3 Tigre, and it should meet or exceed pretty much everything the Belgians might demand of it. The current French Army ideal is for very fluid fire-and-maneuver warfare, and the -40 is designed to fit that role: a high level of attention has been paid to crew awareness and comfort / fatigue reduction, main gun stabilization, light (well, for a tank) overall weight, and good mobility. Most of the mechanical quirks have been worked out of the design by the AMX-40B3 variant, and the French have over a thousand currently in service, so definitely no risk to long-term technical support or limited spare parts.

The version currently manufactured for the Armee de Terre has the French CN-90 Mle.42 m.46 F2 gun (90mm/L64), so the Cockerill 90mm/L60 should drop in quite nicely.

Russia
The Russian Federation, in turn, can offer the T-47 Tsiklon, which does all of those same things for the Motherland. Obviously, it is stronk Russian tenk, although the T-47 does, of course, make a few minor tradeoffs for its various strengths. That said... the D10T 100mm/L55 gun is one of the largest and most powerful tank guns in service at the moment. Did I mention the price is excellent? The Russians are always great with economies of scale, and by the end of 1949, the Russian Ground Forces will have... hm, let's see, add these, carry the five... yes, seventy-five hundred of them in service. Na Rodina!

If the Belgian politicians are looking for the lowest bidder, then the Russians can also offer the T-45 Grom, which is the ultimate development of the earlier T-44 medium tank. It also has the D10T 100mm gun, but manages it on a 36-tonne chassis. Only used by the Russian Naval Infantry (and sold to the Philippines), but it's even cheaper than the Tsiklon. There are, ahem, a few less creature comforts.

NPCs
Skoda (Czechoslovakia) can offer the Skoda TVP vz.47 Tank for General Use (scroll down to the second half of the post). A Cockerill 90mm gun should be able to drop in without much trouble.

As a side note, I'd intended for the Czechs to develop a follow-on vehicle to the vz.47 which would enter production in mid to late 1950. I've never written down any specs for this vehicle, but it would be a heavily-improved variant of the vz.47. The original vz.47 has rather mediocre frontal armour sloping, and the new vehicle will fix this. Designation will probably be something like Skoda TVP vz.50. If you're interested, I'll do a writeup and polish out the rest of the specs. Just keep in mind that the first deliveries to the Czechs will probably be July 1950, so if the Belgians want most of the order delivered in 1950, this might not be an ideal choice.

The Polish 32TP is, of course, always an option; but the 90mm Cockerill gun will probably stress the turret, and the armour's not really best-in-class for 1950. The Polish have a new design in the works, but I'd intended to leave that for post-1950.

The Italian M37/45 Princeps should probably be regarded as a contender as well, even if Italy is NPC.

The greeks can offer a three wheels truck in which you can mount any recoilless rifle. May not be the fastest or the better armored but the surprise effect would for sure have your enemies confused.

The British will be submitting the latest diesel-powered Mk.3 version of the Centurion.
The Dutch will likely offer the T-44 as a big 300+ order would make it worthwhile to reopen the production line again.

Not keen on buying from myself for this contest (I did that last time) and Belgium has a track record of ordering from a diverse range of tank producers. But I will number crunch when all the submissions are in and be prepared to send a tank or two for evaluation at some stage in late 1949.

Quoted from "Hood"

The British will be submitting the latest diesel-powered Mk.3 version of the Centurion.
The Dutch will likely offer the T-44 as a big 300+ order would make it worthwhile to reopen the production line again.

Not keen on buying from myself for this contest (I did that last time) and Belgium has a track record of ordering from a diverse range of tank producers. But I will number crunch when all the submissions are in and be prepared to send a tank or two for evaluation at some stage in late 1949.

Germany would willingly submit its latest variant of the Standardpanzer Panther for test and evaluation. Options include the standard vehicle with the 8.8cm KWK or a modified variant the 9cm Cockerill gun. As to the latter, there is the higher cost alternative (new production with the Cockerill gun) or the lower cost option (refurbished Heer vehicles brought up to the latest standards). With the Panther still in production, deliveries can commence relatively quickly.

Not going to offer the Kurjak, Bruce?

Quoted from "Brockpaine"

Not going to offer the Kurjak, Bruce?

Uh, no. I'll explain.

Yugoslavia has two factories capable of manufacturing/assembling tanks - at the moment, their combined output is at 30 units a month. By the end of the year I might conceivably push that up to 40 units a month - 20 from each factory. Given Yugoslavia's limited industrial base, that about all I can do, realistically. Now if the Belgians want to pony up the money to invest in new factories and plant (like the British and French did in the US aero industry before WW2) well then we might be able to strike a deal. Thus far, only 119 Kurjaks have been produced, and the RYA really wants them for itself.

Germany, on the other hand, has five factories that have - at one time or another - manufactured Panthers, and production peaked in 1945 with an output in excess of 200 units a month. Presently only two are continuing production - at a relatively low rate - with a combined output of 40 units a month - but that could be ramped up far more easily than anything Yugoslavia could do. Moreover, total Panther production exceeds 6,500 units. Now, not all of them remain in service, but that level of production explains the willingness of the Heer to part with refurbished tanks or allow export of new vehicles.

Ah, well, fair enough!

Unsurprisingly I had lots of spare time on my hands so I have done the number crunching for the tank contest.

The scoring is in 4 major groups with sub-groups.
Physical: weight, size (internal space and external for transportation), the engine (max points overall would be 30)
Performance: power-to-weight ratio, road speed, cross-country performance, range (max points overall would be 40)
Firepower: the main armament (both in terms of ability to fit the 90mm L/60 gun and in terms of the original armament options), the secondary armament - lack of coaxial gun was the main way to loose points here (max points overall would be 20)
Armour: front, side, rear and turret armour protection; note that frontal armour is the only one to have negative points if a bow machine gun position is fitted due to weakening of the glacis (max points overall would be 40)

For the baseline the current T-21 Cromwell is used as the benchmark, the scores are: Phy 22, Perf 34, F 6, A 20 = 82

Now for the contenders:
AMX-40B3 Tigre: Phy 26, Perf 38, F 20, A 30 = 114
T-44: Phy 20, Perf 30, F 20, A 38 = 108
T-47 Tskilon: Phy 22, Perf 34, F 16, A 34 = 106
Standardpanzer I Panther: Phy 24, Perf 36, F 16, A 28 = 104
32TP Wzor.46 Lwica: Phy 20, Perf 36, F 10, A 34 = 100
Centurion Mk.4: Phy 22, Perf 22, F 18, A 38 = 100
M.37/45 Princeps: Phy 22, Perf 32, F 14, A 32 = 100
Skoda TVP vz.47: Phy 24, Perf 32, F 20, A 22 = 98

The technical assessment:
AMX-40B3 Tigre: seems on paper to be the best all-round choice with a nice blend of all the attributes
T-44: perhaps over-armoured for its size but still a capable tank despite its age
T-47 Tskilon: a good design overall, politically not a likely choice to buy from Russia but its a good design
Standardpanzer I Panther: has firepower but let down by its sheer bulk and weight, although the performance is good due to its powerful engine but the armour is lagging behind rivals in thickness if not in quality, the bow MG doesn't help here
32TP Wzor.46 Lwica: the chassis is good but the turret is cramped and it can't fit the 90mm gun
Centurion Mk.4: suitable for the gun and well armoured but too heavy and slow
M.37/45 Princeps: good performance despite being under-powered but the bow MG affects the already thin frontal armour although other aspects of the hull are well armoured
Skoda TVP vz.47: good performance despite being under-powered but the armour leaves a lot to be desired.

So examples of the following will be requested for proving trials during October 1949:
AMX-40B3 Tigre
T-44
Standardpanzer I Panther