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Mittlerer Panzer-48 Tank / Centurion Mk.IIH
In summer of 1945, the Swiss and Czechoslovakian governments formed an agreement to jointly develop a medium tank design for adoption by their respective militaries. According to the terms of the agreement, the Swiss would fund the development of the tank's primary armament and fire-control systems, while the Czechs would develop the rest of the vehicle. The K+W firm of Thun, Switzerland undertook design of an 88mm/L60 gun, based off design drawings of the CN-90 Mle.42 F1, purchased from the French firm of Schneider et Cie.

In September of 1946, the Swiss Army received the Czech-built prototype TVP vz.47 for a month of testing. For comparative purposes, the Swiss also obtained a British Centurion Mk.II. The Swiss trials outlined a number of design issues with the TVP vz.47 which concerned the Swiss military. Although the vz.47 had excellent top speed due to its high power-to-weight ratio, the Centurion exhibited better cross-country performance, as well as hill-climbing and obstacle-crossing capability. The frontal armour was not as thick nor was it as heavily-sloped as the Centurion's glacis, while the turret armour was only a third as thick as the Centurion. The vz.47 also had poor gun depression of -5° in the Czech-designed turret, and it lacked the Centurion's gun stabilization system (although a gun stabilizer was entering development).

Swiss Army officials requested changes to fix these perceived shortfalls with the TVP vz.47, but encountered conflicts with the Czechoslovakian Army, which demanded lower vehicle weight and cost. It quickly became clear that each army's needs were increasingly incompatible. A budgetary committee estimated that the Swiss Army could acquire a similar quantity of Centurions for a comparable price, yet would still take delivery fourteen to sixteen months before the TVP vz.47 would be ready. As a result, the Swiss withdrew their letter of intent to order ninety-six TVP vz.47 tanks. The Hungarian Army picked up the voided Swiss order.

The Centurions produced for the Swiss Army, designated Mittlerer Panzer-48 and Centurion Mk.IIH (Helvetica) in Britain, had a number of detail design differences from the standard British vehicle. The 88mm/L60 gun developed for the TVP vz.47 project, as well as the Swiss-designed fire-control systems, replaced the British 20-pounder (83.4mm) main gun, while the 700hp Skoda V-12 diesel engine replaced the petrol 650hp Orenda Ursa. The Swiss also substituted locally-made radios and machine guns, and welded a basket onto the rear of the turret. The Swiss made all of these modifications in-house at the K+W plant in Thun.

Five standard Centurions with the 20-pounder gun were delivered to Switzerland for training purposes in December of 1946, and the Swiss Army tested these vehicles and their 20-pounder guns against their own design. The testing indicated the British 20-pounder had better armour penetration figures than the Swiss 88mm, particularly at ranges in excess of 1,000 meters. However, the Swiss 88mm gun had nearly twice the barrel life and the high-explosive shell worked better against unarmoured or lightly-armoured targets. The accuracy of the two guns was comparable. The five 20-pounder Centurions were returned to Britain in May of 1947 and sold to the Irish Army.

The Swiss Army received a total of ninety-six Centurions over the course of 1946 and 1947, and received another forty-eight vehicles in 1952. A number of upgrades and modifications followed over the years until the tanks were finally retired in the 1970s.

Specifications (Mittlerer Panzer-48)
Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Dimensions:
-- Length: 7.6m (hull); 9.8m (includes gun)
-- Width: 3.38m
-- Height: 3.0m (to turret top)
Weight: 50 metric tons
Armament:
-- 88mm/L60 tank gun (K+W Thun)
-- 0.50 cal MG in turret (coaxial)
-- 0.7.5mm cupola MG
-- Smoke grenade launchers
Engine: Orenda Ursa V-12 petrol engine (650hp) or Skoda V-12 diesel engine (700hp)
Speed: 35 km/hr (road)
Range: 350 km (road)
Transmission: Merritt-Brown Z51R Manual
Suspension: Horstmann suspension; six road wheels
Protection:
-- Turret: 152mm
-- Glacis: 118mm
-- Sides: 51mm
-- Rear: 51mm
Power Weight Ratio: 14 hp / tonne
Equipment: Full main gun stabilization, Type 22 tactical radio, periscopes
Constructors: Britain

Advantages:
- Good anti-armour penetration and accuracy
- Heavily-armoured turret and glacis
- Workable main gun stabilization system
- Good cross-country speed on rough ground
- Comfortable and functional fighting compartment

Disadvantages:
- Large size and heavy weight limits transport options
- Mediocre high-maintenance transmission
- Low top road speed
- Weight exceeds limits on many bridges and some roads
- Lower power-to-weight ratio with Ursa petrol engine

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Skoda TVP vz.47 Tank for General Use
This vehicle was designed by Skoda as part of a joint project to build a modern and competitive tank for the Czechoslovak and Swiss armoured forces. According to the terms of the technological cooperation agreement between the Swiss and Czechoslovak governments, the Swiss would develop the tank's primary armament, as well as the optics and aiming systems, while Czechoslovakia would develop the hull, turret, engine, and all other systems.

Skoda undertook the majority of vehicle development under the TVP ("Tank for General Use") Project. The firm had design studies under this designation since mid 1943, and was able to move relatively swiftly towards producing a prototype, which appeared in July of 1946 with a mockup gun. A V-12 diesel engine and torsion-bar suspensions were specified, as well as a gun "of 8.5 - 9.0 cm bore". K+W of Thun, Switzerland produced an 88mm/L60 gun to meet these specifications.

At thirty-nine metric tons, the vz.47 was significantly larger than the LT vz.42, the previous tank produced in Czechoslovakia. The vehicle's size was driven by a desire to incorporate a significantly larger gun and more armour, matching developments elsewhere in Europe, primarily Poland and Germany. The Czechoslovakian military was particularly concerned about Poland's 35TP, which had an 85mm gun and good armour on a chassis of only thirty-five metric tons. By 1945, the Polish had sold a significant number of 35TPs on the export market while still retaining several hundred for their own armoured divisions. Under pressure to produce a competitive design, Skoda aimed for a maximum combat weight of forty metric tons. The final design came in just slightly under this limit.

In September of 1946, the Swiss Army reviewed the vz.47 prototype against a British Mk.II Centurion tank. As a result of the trials, the Swiss government withdrew their Letter of Intent to buy ninety-six TVP vz.47s, and instead bought Centurions from Great Britain. (See Panzer-48.) The Swiss left the manufacturing agreements in place and still provided the main gun and fire controls for the TVP vz.47 project. The expected Swiss orders were instead assumed by the Hungarian government.

After extended testing and refinement of various prototypes, the TVP vz.47 entered service with the Czechoslovakian Army in January of 1948, and remained in production until August of 1950.

Specifications (TVP vz.47 Medium Tank)
Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Dimensions:
-- Length:6.4m (hull), 8m (o/a)
-- Width: 3.3m
-- Height: 2.6m
Weight: 39 metric tons
Armament:
-- 88mm/L60 tank gun (K+W Thun)
-- 0.50 cal MG in turret (coaxial)
-- 0.7.5mm cupola MG
-- Smoke grenade launchers
Engine: Skoda V-12 diesel engine (700hp)
Speed: 58kph (road), 25kph (offroad)
Range: 260 km (road)
Transmission: Manual
Suspension: Torsion bar suspension; six road wheels with two return rollers
Protection:
-- Turret: 70mm
-- Glacis: 65mm sloped at 20-45°
-- Sides: 40mm
-- Rear: 30mm
Power Weight Ratio: 17.9 hp / tonne
Constructors: Skoda

Advantages:
- Excellent gun with relatively high penetration and outstanding accuracy
- Good power-to-weight ratio of nearly 18 hp/tonne
- High road speed
- Good vision for commander and gunner
- Low maintenance diesel engine and transmission

Disadvantages:
- Poor gun depression of -5°
- Frontal armour was not as heavily-sloped as comparable designs, providing less actual protection
- Fighting compartment is somewhat cramped for driver