Straussler V4 Light Tank

[Milocat 4,857]

The Straussler V4 was a Hungarian light tank prototype built in great secrecy in Hungary in 1936 as part of their rearmament program.  It was a direct modification of the very first native Hungarian-designed tank, the V3.  The V3 suffered from problems with the suspension, which the V4 was meant to remedy, although the V4 also added a dedicated commander to the crew and replaced the 37mm cannon of the V3 with a 40mm 37M cannon (a licensed Bofors 40mm tank cannon).  The V4 had a crew of four, a driver, gunner, loader, and the commander.  In addition to the 40mm cannon it mounted two twin-barrel Gebauer machine guns, one coaxially and one in the hull.  Armor was light on the vehicle, with a maximum thickness of just 23mm.  The vehicle could be driven with or without treads and had a good speed, but was top-heavy, and therefore vulnerable to flipping, and was also criticized for providing a bumpy ride when at speed.  By 1937 the V4 was ready for production, but the 38M and Turán tank projects were already far along and so the V4 was deemed obsolete, with the project later being cancelled.  

 

The tank's designer, Nicholas Straussler, experimented with making the V4 an amphibious tank with the addition of collapsable pontoons and external propellers.  He would later immigrate to Britain before WWII and continue his amphibious tank experiments there.  Here he would perfect the Duplex Drive system made famous when it was used by many Sherman tanks to support the Normandy landings in 1944.  The V4, therefore, could be seen as the first Duplex Drive tank, which is an interesting historical footnote at least.  Unfortunately, the tank is not amphibious without these modifications, and since no tanks in the game have Duplex Drive modifications, I doubt this one would either.  

 

I think that the Straussler V4 would make for an excellent tier 1 premium vehicle for the Italian ground tree (where Gaijin has said future minor axis nations' equipment will be placed).  Let me know what you think of this tank and, if you want it, where you would implement it.

 

Specifications:  

Length:  3.64m

Width:  2.31m

Height:  2.01m

Weight:  9 tons

Engine:  Weiss-Mannfréd V-OHC 6-cylinder gasoline engine, 178 hp

Speed:  32 kmh (20 mph) on tracks, 45 kmh (28 mph) on wheels

Crew:  4 (Driver, Gunner, Loader, Commander)

Armor:  9-23mm

Armament:  One 40mm 37M cannon, two twin-barrel 7.92mm Gebauer 34/37M machine guns, one coaxial, one in the hull (6,000 rounds)

Number Built:  1-4 prototypes

 

Images:  

Spoiler

 

Sources:  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_Tank_V4 

https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straussler_V–4 

http://www.wardrawings.be/WW2/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/4-Others/02-Hungary/01-Tanks/01-LightTanks/V4.htm 

http://firearmcentral.wikia.com/wiki/Straussler_V-4 

http://www.hungariae.com/Gebauer.htm 

http://www.hadmernok.hu/182_05_nemeth.pdf 

(If anyone can read Hungarian I'd appreciate a translation of the text in this picture and a checking of my work from the pdf above.  I can't plug the picture into a translation program [I know using those isn't ideal but it's the best I have to work with].  Thank you.)

Spoiler

 

Edited May 10, 2019 by Milocat

[SAUBER_KH7 3,326]

Open for Discussion.

[Milocat 4,857]

3 minutes ago, SAUBER_KH7 said:

Open for Discussion.

 

Thank you!  

[onemax9000 1,243]

+1 I’m going to use this to kill m1’s and xm1’s.

[Milocat 4,857]

41 minutes ago, onemax9000 said:

+1 I’m going to use this to kill m1’s and xm1’s.

 

Good luck.  

 

Why this tank?

[onemax9000 1,243]

Just now, Milocat said:

Why this tank?

to taunt abrams players and the size of tank plus turret makes it perfect.

 

here found something that you may like

Carro protetto trasporto truppa su autotelaio FIAT 626

[DarthGergely 464]

+1 of course  , this will be the reserve of the Minor Axis tree 

[DarthGergely 464]

https://live.warthunder.com/post/768658/en/ here are some penetration data (read the description )

[Milocat 4,857]

On 18/01/2019 at 16:37, DarthGergely said:

https://live.warthunder.com/post/768658/en/ here are some penetration data (read the description )

 

Thank you very much, Gergely!  I was unable to find any penetration information on the gun myself, and didn't want to guess.  The most pertinent image is this one:  

Spoiler

 

This data is for a 41M 40mm cannon but I will assume that this weapon will have a similar performance to the 37M cannon on this tank.  

 

Just looking at some of the other tier 1 tanks with similar weapons in War Thunder, this performance is close to to slightly worse than the M5 37mm cannon, QF 2-pounder 40mm cannon, 20-K 45mm cannon, or 47/32 mod.35 47mm cannon; it is very similar to the KwK36 37mm cannon.  It outperforms the Type 94 37mm cannon, the Type 100 37mm cannon, the SA18 L/21 37mm cannon, and the SA38 L/33 37mm cannon.  

It would fire solid 36.M AP shells without HE filler, and the 43.M values could be extrapolated from the data, allowing that shell as an upgrade (what would a cored armor-piercing shell be in the game?  APC?  APCBC?  APCR?)  It would also have HE shells (unless Gaijin removes them, which they've done with other tanks at that rank).  

Edited June 30, 2020 by Milocat

[DarthGergely 464]

I'm glad I could help! 

[onemax9000 1,243]

good news they fit the Italian tree because there were tested by them maybe also used.

[DarthGergely 464]

It would be pointless to separate the V4 from the other Hungarian stuff.

20 hours ago, onemax9000 said:

ood news they fit the Italian tree because there were tested by them maybe also used.

And its not so good news 

[BrentD15@psn 1,117]

+1 from me.

[Eriksk 13]

I want this tank in Axis tech tree (Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, post-war Czechoslovakia, Independent state od Croatia, post-war Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Finland).

Edited July 8, 2019 by Eriksk

[Zsebi5 3]

I think the Hungarian vechicles should be in the game but in the Swedish Tech Tree

[TerikG2014 1,389]

10 hours ago, Zsebi5 said:

I think the Hungarian vechicles should be in the game but in the Swedish Tech Tree

That makes littleraly no sense.

[Thurny 179]

I'd love to see this in a minor axis tree together with Romanian and other minor axis nations' vehicles

[Stridswombat 1,089]

42 minutes ago, TerikG2014 said:

That makes littleraly no sense.

It kind of does. Unless Hungary gets its own tree or a tree for Hungarian vehicles to be in is made, the Toldi used the Swedish L-60 as a base and in fact purchased the license for it to build the Toldi. They also used the Landsverk Anti SPAAG as a basis for the 38M Nimrod which as I understand it was to be used as a combined SPAAG/tank destroyer. 

[Eriksk 13]

16 hours ago, Stridswombat said:

It kind of does. Unless Hungary gets its own tree or a tree for Hungarian vehicles to be in is made, the Toldi used the Swedish L-60 as a base and in fact purchased the license for it to build the Toldi. They also used the Landsverk Anti SPAAG as a basis for the 38M Nimrod which as I understand it was to be used as a combined SPAAG/tank destroyer. 

It wasn't 38M Nimród but 40M Nimród. Yes Hungary bought the license on these vehicles but Toldi and Nimród were upgraded and Sweden never used them. And what about Turán, Zrínyi, Rába Vr, 39M Csaba or 44M Tas? It is horrible idea give these vehicles to Swedish Tech Tree. As TerikG2014 said that makes litteraly no sense.

Edited July 7, 2019 by Eriksk

[Stridswombat 1,089]

3 hours ago, Eriksk said:

It wasn't 38M Nimród but 40M Nimród. Yes Hungary bought the license on these vehicles but Toldi and Nimród were upgraded and Sweden never used them. And what about Turán, Zrínyi, Rába Vr, 39M Csaba or 44M Tas? It is horrible idea give these vehicles to Swedish Tech Tree. As TerikG2014 said that makes litteraly no sense.

I'm only in favour of putting the vehicles actually based on Swedish tanks in the Swedish tree. The rest should get represented elsewhere.

 

The Sho'T Kal and Strv 81 was never used by the British, yet are in the British tree. There's numerous instances of this in the game. The vehicles are heavily based on Swedish designs and that's enough for me to tie them to the Swedish tree as premium vehicles. Atleast until they have a better place to be.

[PrussianOwl 442]

+1

[MadMax_ITA_ 789]

+1 for standalone Hungary

[PacketlossRedux 595]

On 07/07/2019 at 15:13, Eriksk said:

It wasn't 38M Nimród but 40M Nimród. Yes Hungary bought the license on these vehicles but Toldi and Nimród were upgraded and Sweden never used them. And what about Turán, Zrínyi, Rába Vr, 39M Csaba or 44M Tas? It is horrible idea give these vehicles to Swedish Tech Tree. As TerikG2014 said that makes litteraly no sense.

i know this is an old comment but other than the Nimrod and the Toldi's the Swedish Bofors factory also helped to develop the short 75mm gun conversion on the turan II. not saying Hungary should be in the Swedish tech tree, but development/connection wise it does make sense to a certain degree.

[Solarmod 1,204]

I'd like to see a romanian/hungarian tree. +1

[TheKatyusHATman 1,265]

+1 but should be in a (mostly) hungarian only TT or a visegrád group TT, now italian TT is filled with shermans and it broke the axis filled TT idea of italy, not to mention hungary has nothing to do with italy exept we bought some planes and re.2000 licence to make MÁVAG Héja, a completly different plane