Author: sp15 (US server)

Part I: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/03/07/swedish-tanks-part-i-strv-m21-29/

Part II: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/03/12/swedish-tanks-part-ii-strv-m31-strv-fm31/

Part III: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/03/15/swedish-tanks-part-iii-landsverk-l-100-and-l-120/

Part IV: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/03/21/swedish-tanks-part-iv-landsverk-l-60/

Part V: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/03/27/swedish-tanks-part-v-strv-m37-and-strv-m41/

Part VI: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/04/08/swedish-tanks-part-vi-sav-m43/

Part VII: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/04/18/swedish-tanks-part-vii-strv-m42/

During the first years of WW2, the Swedish army had seen the success of German assault guns and tank destroyers – it was decided that these types of vehicles were to be introduced to the Swedish armed forces as well. TNew tank destroyers would be under direct command of the brigade commander and were meant to support tank companies with mobile and powerful anti-tank guns

In 1942, 87 tank destroyers were ordered from Landsverk. The new design was to be based on the Strv m/42 medium tank, but would feature an open-topped superstructure instead of a turret. The vehicle was to be propelled by a newly developed 380hp engine from Volvo and equipped with a new mechanical gearbox. The front would be 70mm thick and house a high power 75mm gun. The layout was fairly conventional, with transmission at the front, open topped crew compartment in the middle and the engine in the rear. The weight of the vehicle was not to exceed 23 tons. Perhaps the vehicle’s most impressive feature was the gun traverse, which reached 15 dg to each side, as well as the depression of 15dg and elevation of 25dg.

Early prototype

Late prototype (note the rounded front)

In Winter 1943, the first prototype was finished. It was based on the Strv m/42 chassis with a mild steel superstructure, mounting a 75mm L/50 Lvkan m/30 anti-aircraft gun. Rhe production version was however fitted with a more powerful 75mm L/54 Pvkan m/43. However, by 1944, when production was supposed to begin, only a few prototypes were ready. This was caused by major problems with the new gearbox. The suspension of the vehicle also had to be changed to accommodate the added weight to the front of the vehicle. What this meant was that the 4 front road wheels were replaced by strengthened ones. Problems with the gearbox continued and the first vehicles were only delivered with the designation Pvkv m/43 in 1946. By this time, the war was over and the vehicle had become the most delayed Swedish vehicle of the war, with 4 years between it being ordered and the delivery of the first units.

Production vehicle

In 1944, Sweden had nothing to combat enemy heavy tanks, and it was thought that the Pvkv m/43 would not be able to fill this role either. Therefore, a proposal was made to build a “heavy” tank destroyer on the Strv m/42 chassis. The vehicle would share the same type of gun mount as the Pvkv m/43, but it would have the superstructure located in the rear of the vehicle. This was proposed to allow the mounting of a massive 105mm L/50 Lvkan m/42 anti-aircraft gun, that would have been able to knock out any tank of its day. The project was however never realized. Instead, a development of a new TD started with the same gun on a new chassis, but that would ultimately be canceled as well.

My estimation of how the 10,5cm armed Motorlavett m/42 would have looked

During the years after the war, the Pvkv m/43 was the only Swedish vehicle capable of fighting modern tanks and it would stay that way until 1953, when Sweden bought the Centurion Mk.3. Because of this, there was a series of proposals to either upgun the Strv m/42, or to rebuild them to Pvkv m/43 vehicles with a more powerful Lvkan 75mm L/60 m/36. And before that, there were plans to rebuild the vehicle to have better armor sloping under the designation Pvkv fm/48, but this never did lead anywhere, as the 23 ton weight limit didn’t allow the use of heavier armor. Instead, the front armor thickness ended up being around 47mm and the project was cancelled.

Pvkv fm/48

In mid 1950′s, the Pvkv m/43 was rebuilt with a fully enclosed superstructure, the gun was also fitted with a bore evacuator. The modifications increased the weight of the vehicle to 25 tons. The biggest problem with the Pvkv m/43 was the Volvo engine, which had proven to be very unreliable, therefore in the early 60′s, when older engines became available, the engine was swapped for a dual configuration of the Scania Vabis L603, which provided 324hp. In this configuration, the Pvkv m/43 would continue its service until 1970, when it was finally phased out.

Pvkv m/43 rebuilt with roof and bore evacuator

In World of Tanks

In the game, these vehicles would make perfect candidates for tiers 5 and 6. The Pvkv m/43 would function well at tier 5 with decent armor and good gun depression and the Motorlavett m/42 would fit perfectly into the evolution of Swedish TDs at tier 6, even if it would have to pay a price for having such a big gun. The Pvkv fm/48 could make for an interesting hull option for the Pvkv m/43, or possibly a tier 4-5 premium TD.

Pvkv m/43

Combat weight:(early) 23t (late) 25t

Length: 6.220 mm (excluding gun)

Width: 2.350 mm

Height: 2.565 mm (excluding AAmg)

Armament: 75mm L/50 Lvkan m/30, 75mm L/54 Pvkan m/43, 75mm L/60 Lvkan m/36

Maximum speed forward: 45 km/h

Gun traverse: +-15dg

Depression/elevation: -15/+25dg

Armour: (70/30/25)

Crew: 4

Pvkv fm/48

Weight: 23t

Length: 6,27m (with gun 7,37m)

Width: 3m

Height: 2,5m

Armor: (47/20/15)

Top speed: 55kph

Engine: Volvo A8B (410hp)

Motorlavett m/42

Special note: Keep in mind that most of this info is estimated from what we know from the Pvkv m/43 and the Strv m/42.

weight: 27t

Armour (hull): (55/30/20)

Armour (Casement): (70/30/0)

Lenght: 6,075m

Width: 2,34m

Crew: 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)

Ground clerance: 0,4m

Track width: 0,38m

Armament: 10,5cm Kan m/34, 10,5cm L/50 Lvkan m/42

Gun traverse: +-15dg

Speed 45 km/h

Engine: x2 Scania-Vabis L-603 (324hp) Volvo A8B (380hp)

Radio: 25W Sv/1, 70W Sv m/43

Armament: 75mm L/54 Pvkan m/43, 75mm L/60 Lvkan m/36, 105mm L/50 Lvkan m/42

Crew: 4

Source(s):

http://tanks.mod16.org/2013/11/23/alter … -strv-m42/

http://tanks.mod16.org/2014/01/11/memo- … ment-1944/

http://www.ointres.se/pansar.htm

http://tanks.mod16.org/2014/02/01/list- … pril-1949/