A behemoth, but could it stand up above all the rest if manufactured? Maybe.

During World War 2 tank development advanced rapidly, from thinly armored boxes with machine guns that where overheated death traps, to giant steel beasts that flung projectiles and explosives across the battlefield at tremendous speeds.

After such advancements in tank design was made by Nazi Germany, the United States needed a new tank capable of going toe to toe with the giant fascist cats like the tiger, and panther, that the Shermans where struggling with.

The Sherman was a good tank, but wasn’t the most powerful, a easy meal for even Panzer IV’s never mind the beasts that came after it.

It was clear to many that a new tank with heavier armor and a higher caliber of gun was needed, now a big fuss over this for a few years and the Pershing wandered into play, but during the process a few other designs was considered, and a personal favorite of mine is the T29 Super Heavy tank, followed by its brothers T30 and T32.

But today we are focusing to see if the T29 would of actually benefited the U.S Army during 1944 (Prior to the Ardennes offensive)

Now we know what the T29 are up against, Hills, Forested area’s, Towns, and Fields with a nice hint of Axis armor. Lets have a look at the specifications of the T29 shall we.

SPECIFICATIONS – T29

Armour

Engine

1,649 cubic inch (27 liter) Ford GACV12 (22MPH)

Armament

1 x 105 mm T5E1 or T5E2 gun (140mm of Penetration)



3 x 7.62 mm Browning M1919

1 x 12.7 mm Browning M2HB

Crew

6

Weight

141,500 lb (64.2 t)

Dimensions

Transmission

General Motors CD-850-1 Crossdrive

Fuel/Operating Range

1,140 liters/100 miles

MOBILITY – Seems like a pretty good tank apart from speed and weight!

This will no doubt effect its ability to hunt down foes in hill like/Muddy terrain and needs to stick to roads or tracks to refrain it getting itself bogged down (although hull down stuck in the mud you would definitely be safe from any incoming Axis Anti tank rounds, telling 8.8cm shells to fuck off left and right)

100 Mile operating range is appauling compared to the Sherman’s 140km range!

now now! its a heavy tank! what do you expect!

*cough Tiger I has 120km / IS-2 150km *cough

So yeah I imagine that this tank would definitely burden supply lines as having to move resources closer behind the vehicles to keep them running and combat ready would of no doubt caused some supply losses

Combat Effectiveness – Fucking big gun, Fucking big slab of steel!

This tank would of made mince meat out of anything the Axis would of had, From Tigers, Ferdinands, Panthers, the whole lot. The 105mm gun on the T29 had 140mm of Pen that would of punched through the front of Tigers, and wouldn’t even shrug to the panthers 80mm plate.

Easily able to wipe 6 Targets in a minute with its rate of fire, and with over a quarter meter of Armour on the gun shielding it could easily bounce higher penetrating shells than a German 8.8, possibly even 12.8cm shells. This is all regarding if that you are hull down and being fired from the front, however if you are not hull down of which later in the war with war torn streets, You still have 102mm of sloped frontal Armour, no doubt the weakened Reich by 1945 the Urban combat it would be facing would no doubt mainly be coming from Panzer IV’s with the rare Royal Tiger.

The only way the T29 would be killed is either by air attack, OR flanked to the side and hit through the side Hull where the armor is at its weakest.

Production/Conclusion – Would cost a fucking lot, no seriously, and whats the point.

The T29 and its brother projects would of used 3 Shermans worth of steel to create 1, And with america’s production line already set and focused on the Sherman Tank and its still eye in society as a glorious tank (although maybe not by its crews)

So only a few thousand would of been produced, and with the war favoring the allies, i don’t think it would of made a difference in the war whether it was produced or not, however it would of saved lives in North Korea I believe but thats a story for another day

If you had other thoughts let me know in the comments!

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