Tortoise heavy assault tank
The Tortoise heavy assault tank (A39) was a British heavy assault gun design developed during the Second World War, but never put into mass production. It was developed for the task of clearing heavily fortified areas such as the Siegfried Line and as a result favoured armour protection over mobility.
| Tank, Heavy Assault, Tortoise (A39) | |
|---|---|
The Assault Tank A39 Tortoise | |
| Type | Assault gun |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1944 |
| Manufacturer | Nuffield Mechanizations & Aero |
| Produced | 1945-1947 |
| No. built | 6 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 78 long tons (79 t) |
| Length | 32 ft 10 in (10 m) Hull: 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m) |
| Width | 12 ft 10 in (3.9 m) |
| Height | 9 ft 10 in (3 m) |
| Crew | 7 (Commander, gunner, 2 machine gunners, 2 loaders, driver) |
| Armour | 178–228 mm (7–9 in) 33 mm (1.3 in) top |
Main armament | Ordnance QF 32 pounder (94 mm gun) |
Secondary armament | 3 × 7.92 mm Besa machine guns |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce Meteor V12 petrol 650 bhp (480 kW) |
| Power/weight | 7.7 hp/tonne |
| Transmission | 6 speeds forward and reverse |
| Suspension | torsion bar box bogie |
Operational range | Road: 87 mi (140 km) |
| Maximum speed | Road: 12 mph (19 km/h) Off-road: 4 mph (6 km/h) |
| References | Chamberlain & Ellis |
Although heavy, at 78 tons, and not readily transported, it was considered reliable and a good gun platform.
Only a few prototypes of the Tortoise had been produced by the end of the war. After testing was complete, one was retained for preservation and the others disposed of.
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