tanks/vehicles Yugoslavian M3A3 «Stuart-PaK»

[Admiral_Aruon 2,264]

so I've been trying to get enough info on this thing to make a suggestion work, and I think I have enough now.

 

this is a Yugoslavian field modification to the British Stuart V (the M3A3) done in November 1944.

 

backstory:

in 1943 and 1944 in occupied Yugoslavia, there were two main partisan factions fighting to retake yugoslavia (and kill each other) from the axis: the pro-royalist Chetniks and the communist Partisan movement led by Josif Broz Tito.

as the Chetniks had ceased to do anything as far as the allies could tell, Tito and his communist partisans received a large amount of military aid, from guns to tanks to planes. this would result in the raising of the Yugoslav 1st Tank Brigade at Bari. among other things this unit was given dozens of Stuart Vs, which landed on the Yugoslav coast in the autumn of 1944 In support of Tito's partisans.

 

In November 1944 the unit captured a German arsenal at Sibenki and used the captured weapons to modify some tanks. A number were given the 2cm FlaK 38 anti-aircraft guns... (i'll make another suggestion on THAT one)

and some got the 7.5cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun (seen below and at the top)...

In each case of the modifications being made the turret had to be removed to make space for the new guns, turning the light tanks into SPAAs and SPGs respectively. 

 

while information on this ad hoc TD is sparse, this DID see combat in WWII.

 

The secondary armament consisted of one original hull mounted Browning 7.62mm (.30 cal) machinegun. On some photographs, a second Browning machine gun can be seen placed on top of the gun shield or behind it, but the photographs are not clear enough.

Due to the removal of the turret and installation of the new 7.5cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun, it was necessary to do some modifications on the two roof hatch doors (used by the driver and hull machine gunner) so that they could be opened forwards only. Except for the change in the upper structure of the tank, the rest of the vehicle was the same as the original (hull, running gear, armor, and engine).

The dimensions of this vehicle were similar to the original tank configuration. Due to the length of the 7.5cm Pak 40 gun, it was certainly a bit longer than the original but the exact details are unknown. The weight of this vehicle was probably around some 15 to 17 tons (just replace the weight of the turret with the weight of the PaK 40). It had four crew members: commander, driver, gunner, and a loader. The gun crew had a very limited working space to effectively operate the main weapon.

 

 

now for WT and what with Yugoslavia not likely to be seen in any official capacity outside an international tree, I believe the "M3A3 «Stuart-PaK»" as a Pinterest article fittingly calls it, would be suitable either as a premium or event vehicle for the americans (as its an M3A3) or the british (as the source tanks were british Stuart Vs) in addition to if an international tech tree ever comes.

 

basic stat lineup (take in mind the M3A3 is already in WT on the chinese client):

 

Dimensions: 4.33 x 2.47 x 2.29 m (14.2×8.1×7.51 ft)

Total weight: battle ready 15-17 tons

Crew: 4 or 5 (Gunner, one-two loaders, driver and commander).

Propulsion: Continental 7 cylinder petrol, 250 hp – air cooled

Speed 58 km/h (36 mph) road
29 km/h (18 mph) off-road

Range: 120 km at medium speed (74.5 mi)

Armament: 7.5cm Pak 40 Anti-Tank Gun

secondary armament: one to two browning .30 caliber machine guns.

Armor: From 13 to 51 mm (0.52-2 in)

 

 

image dump:

Spoiler

 Illustration of the Light Tank M3A3 With 7.5 cm PaK 40 by tank encyclopedia’s own David Bocquelet

A column of Partisan M3A3s. A PaK armed one can be seen just behind the leading vehicle

hobby link japan 1/35 scale kits https://hlj.com/product/DIH96001/Mil

 

sources:

http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/Yugoslavia/light-tank-m3a3-with-7-5-cm-pak-40

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_stuart_light_tank.html (Other Users section)
tanks encyclopedia sources spoilered:

Spoiler

Artillery From WWI to the present day, Michael E. Haskew, Amber Books 2010.

Waffentechnik im Zweiten Weltkrieg, Alexander Ludeke.

Fighting men of WWII Axis Forces, David Miler, Chartwell Books.

German Artillery of World War Two, Ian V.Hogg

Oklopne jedinice na Jugoslovenskom ratištu, Bojan B. Dumitrijević i Dragan Savić, Institut za savremenu istoriju, Beograd 2011.

Armored units and vehicles in Croatia during WW II, Part I Allied armored vehicles, Dinko Predoević, Rijeka 2002.

Modernizacija i intervencija, Jugoslovenske oklopne jedinice 1945-2006, Institut za savremenu istoriju, Beograd 2010.
http://www.srpskioklop.paluba.info/m3/opis.htm

 

[CokeSpray 7,272]

Open for discussion.

[Admiral_Aruon 2,264]

53 minutes ago, CokeSpray said:

Open for discussion.

salut! 

 

[ivica70 910]

[Nell_Lucifer 927]

It is included in the Minor Axis-Warsaw Pact tech tree. 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14fdJYzjVli_IZ_tRdWeQr8prk_JqeVnozv88C7Ph9d0/edit#gid=583820207

[___OverLord___ 60]

+ 1

[Jermster_91@psn 1,081]

Another Pak Waggon! 

[PanzerDrag00n 63]

Yes please, I support this idea. Along with SO-122 M4 and T-34-90 (yugoslav T-34)

[Solarmod 1,203]

I really want this, as a fun meme vehicle.

[Wesoras21 8]

Face it. We all need it.

 

Also Yugoslavian vehicles are very interesting and this is not just because i have a bias towards them (so you can take it with a grain of salt). Also would like to see the S-49A/C and even the S-49C serie I can be a premium.

 

o7

[Arne7 72]

+1

[eleks12 1,079]

+1

[финский 1,710]

+1 Cant say which nation. Tho personally, either USA or Germany should get this.

[Solarmod 1,203]

 

On 20/09/2020 at 03:15, ProPatriaFinland said:

+1 Cant say which nation. Tho personally, either USA or Germany should get this.

Personally, a full Yugoslavian tree would be preferable.

[Wolf_89 2,524]

Someone is making a model of this.

https://live.warthunder.com/post/930163/en/

[modern_primat 182]

+1 for

 

USA, event, 3.3-3.7 BR(puma 75mm is 4.0) and future yugoslovia tree(or kind of international tree)

 

because, we have two open top 75mm pak event vehicles. also there is zis-5 gun on LVT tank. so, this tank is similar with it. also this is looking fun vehicle. ALSO, it seems this vehicle has history.

 

future merkava mk.4 event's bonus vehicle should be this. 'L_'

Edited August 15, 2021 by modern_primat

[Milocat 4,849]

+1 for some future Yugoslavian/Eastern European tree.

[_YugoSlav_ 199]