The T30's basic design
The T30 Super Heavy Tank was a heavy tank design developed by the United States during World War II.
Description[]
The T30 was developed in close relation to the T29 Super Heavy Tank. It featured the same chassis and turret, but with a slightly different engine deck for a more powerful engine. It was initially intended for use against newly fielded German heavy tanks, such as the Tiger II, as well against fortifications in 1945. Development started around April 1945, however, this turned out to be towards the end of the war in Europe, so the whole heavy tank project was suspended in favor of Main Battle Tanks (MBTs). The T30 and the rest of the project (The T29 and T34 Heavy Tanks) never saw action in the war, however, they proved to be helpful in future developments.
Firepower[]
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The 155mm T7 cannon. From page 95 of "Firepower, a history of American Heavy Tanks" by R.P Hunnicutt.
The T30 was to be fitted with the 155 mm T7 gun as the main weapon - the largest gun put on a vehicle by the United States. The gun had a relatively low velocity of 701.04 meters/second (2300 feet/second), but the heavy weight of the shells provided high penetration and force values. The heavy HE shells were particularly effective at complete demolition of fortifications. Problems were found with the loading of the main gun however, as the two-piece shell weighed around 61.235 kilograms (135lbs). To solve this problem, the T30 made use of a spring shell rammer to assist in the loading of the shells. A later version of the T30, the T30E1, was to use an experimental automatic shell ramming equipment for loading and returning the breach to a loading position. Also, a power lifting device was used in both versions, again, to aid in handling the heavy ammunition.
A coaxial 12.7mm (.50cal) machine gun was mounted to the left of the gun mount as well as one 7.62mm (.30cal) machine gun mounted in the bow.
The vehicle carried an assortment of 34 High Explosive and Armor Piercing shells.
Sources[]
Military Factory: http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=353
"Firepower, a History of the American Heavy Tank," by R.P Hunnicutt
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