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Vânător de tancuri V46 “Mareșal II”

Development History

In 1937 Romania ordered its first batch of TNH (LT-38) tanks from the Czechoslovakian firm Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk, which were delivered under the designation R-7. While additional vehicles were acquired from Czechoslovakia, the Romanian firm Uzina Mecanică Malaxa acquired a manufacturing license for the Czech vehicle and with Czech technical assistance undertook the local manufacture of additional vehicles from 1940 onward.

The Malaxa Works, at the request of the Romanian Ministry of War, undertook the development of a mobile anti-tank gun on the LT-38 chassis, which emerged in 1944 as the Vânătorul de Care Mareșal; testing disclosed several flaws in the original design – the crew and fighting compartment was cramped, the Praga engine of the LT-38 left the Mareșal underpowered, and the offset position of the main armament was considered less than optimal. At the same time the Ministry saw the long-term benefit of obtaining a domestic source for armored vehicles and contracted for the development of an improved chassis upon which to base future designs.

The technical cooperation of CKD (chassis) and the Tatra Works (engine) were obtained and Malaxa in 1945 tested the first example of the new chassis, which showed considerable promise. It was adapted to the mobile antitank role as the Vânător de tancuri V46 “Mareșal II” – featuring a lengthened and strengthened chassis of greater width, and the new Tatra V-12 diesel engine which offered much greater horsepower. The revised design was found acceptable by the Romanian military and was ordered into production in 1947.

Specifications

Crew: 4
Combat weight: 18,500 kg
Length: 6.76 meters
Width: 2.81 meters
Height: 1.85 meters
Ground clearance: 0.47 meters

Armor – Hull front: 80 mm
Armor – Hull side: 40 mm
Armor – Hull rear: 30 mm
Armor – Hull top: 30 mm

Engine: Tatra V-12 air-cooled diesel of 14.5 litres displacement, rated at 220 bhp at 2,500 rpm

Transmission: Praga-Wilson TN-100 epicyclic pre-selector transmission with five forward and one reverse gear. Praga Wilson epicyclic clutch and brake steering.

Suspension: Four rubber-tyred wheels per side, each mounted on a cranked stub axle and each pair of wheels being controlled by a semi-epicyclic spring freely pivoted.

Road speed: 54 kph
Cross country speed: 25 kph
Road radius: 220 kilometers

Gradient: 35 degrees
Trench Crossing: 1.5 meters
Vertical Obstacle: 0.64 meters
Fording Depth: 1.1 meters

Armament – Main: 75mm UDR-Resita M43 L/48 with 36 rounds

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Tanc Mediu Românesc T47

Development History

By mid-1944 the R-7/LT-38 series of Czech-designed light tanks – which had long formed the backbone of the Romanian Army’s armored force – were decidedly outclassed by the vehicles fielded by its neighbors and potential opponents. Fiscal constraints precluded the immediate adoption of a foreign design. Moreover the development work then being undertaken by the Malaxa Works on a new vehicle chassis offered the possibility of a domestically-produced replacement, even if its arrival might be delayed. As a stopgap a small number of refurbished Standardpanzer Panther medium tanks were acquired from Germany while work on the new design – tentatively known as the Tanc Mediu Românesc (Romanian Medium Tank) was pursed with increased vigor.

A prototype constructed on the chassis of the V46 tank destroyer was tested in early 1947, with satisfactory results. The Uzina de Produse Speciale Dragomirești – a new factory dedicated to armored vehicle production – was assigned responsibility for constructing the initial quantity of three hundred examples, designated the T47. The first of these emerged early in 1948. The design shares many elements with the earlier V46 but features a turret designed with the assistance of the German Krupp works but manufactured by the Uzina Mecanica Mârșa.

Specifications

Crew: 5
Combat weight: 19,500 kg
Length: 5.03 meters (6.52 meters over gun)
Width: 2.81 meters
Height: 2.68 meters
Ground clearance: 0.47 meters

Armor – Hull front: 50 mm
Armor – Hull side: 25 mm
Armor – Hull rear: 20 mm
Armor – Hull top: 15 mm

Armor – Turret front: 50 mm
Armor – Turret side: 25 mm
Armor – Turret rear: 25 mm
Armor – Turret top: 15 mm

Engine: V-12 air-cooled diesel of 14.5 litres displacement, rated at 220 bhp at 2,500 rpm

Transmission: Praga-Wilson TN-100 epicyclic pre-selector transmission with five forward and one reverse gear. Praga Wilson epicyclic clutch and brake steering.

Suspension: Four rubber-tyred wheels per side, each mounted on a cranked stub axle and each pair of wheels being controlled by a semi-epicyclic spring freely pivoted.

Road speed: 54 kph
Cross country speed: 25 kph
Road radius: 220 kilometers

Gradient: 35 degrees
Trench Crossing: 1.5 meters
Vertical Obstacle: 0.64 meters
Fording Depth: 1.1 meters

Armament – Main: 75mm UDR-Resita M43 L/46 with 48 rounds
Armament – Coaxial: 7.92mm machinegun with 3,000 rounds

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Obuzier autopropulsat Oa48

Development History

The successful development of the Vânător de tancuri V46 and Tanc Mediu Românesc T47 encouraged the Romanian Ministry of War to utilize the same chassis as the basis of a self-propelled howitzer in order to provide mobile fire support to the mechanized formations of the Romanian Army. The Uzina de Produse Speciale Dragomirești modified a V46 chassis – moving the engine compartment to the front of the vehicle and constructing an open-topped fighting compartment at the rear, mounting the Skoda m40/43 howitzer. With assistance of from CKD engineers these modifications were completed without undue delay, with a prototype available for initial testing in December 1947. Field trials disclosed that the internal ammunition stowage in the vehicle was less than desired but otherwise the design met requirements and it was adopted as the Obuzier autopropulsat Oa48.

The first production vehicles left the factory in November 1948. To address the question of limited ammunition stowage a towing pintle was provided for an external limber carrying an additional thirty-six rounds of ammunition as well as stores and spares.

Specifications

Crew: 5
Combat weight: 16,000 kg
Length: 5.45 meters
Width: 2.81 meters
Height: 2.6 meters
Ground clearance: 0.47 meters

Armor – Hull front: 30 mm
Armor – Hull side: 20 mm
Armor – Hull rear: 20 mm
Armor – Hull top: none

Engine: V-12 air-cooled diesel of 14.5 liters displacement, rated at 220 bhp at 2,500 rpm

Transmission: Praga-Wilson TN-100 epicyclic pre-selector transmission with five forward and one reverse gear. Praga Wilson epicyclic clutch and brake steering.

Suspension: Four rubber-tyred wheels per side, each mounted on a cranked stub axle and each pair of wheels being controlled by a semi-epicyclic spring freely pivoted.

Road speed: 54 kph
Cross country speed: 25 kph
Road radius: 220 kilometers

Gradient: 35 degrees
Trench Crossing: 1.5 meters
Vertical Obstacle: 0.64 meters
Fording Depth: 1.1 meters

Armament – Main: 105mm Skoda m40/43 howitzer with 40 rounds