[WWII] Stridsvagn m/42 medium tank [Sweden]

[copeab]

Stridsvagn m/42 medium tank
Copyright 2009 by Brandon Cope

The Swedish m/42 was a development of the lighter m/39. The chassis was lengthened with the addition of a roadwheel on each side, a new three-man turret with a short 75mm gun was added, and armor was improved. While the tank was generally effective by 1942 standards, it quickly became obsolete, but continued to serve with the Swedish army (with major upgrades) until 1984 as the Stridsvagn 74. Some 280 were built.

The Stridsvagn m/42 has a crew of four. The commander sits in the turret. Also in the turret is the gunner, who fires the cannon and MGs, and the loader. The driver sits in the body and also fires the hull MG. The commander manually traverses the turret at 3 degrees per second. The m/42 uses 10.8 gallons per hour at routine usage.

Subassemblies: Medium Tank chassis with mild slope +3, full rotation Small AFV turret [Body:T] +2, tracks +3.
Powertrain: 2x119-kW gas engines w/238-kW tracked drive train and 99 gallons fuel in standard fuel tank [body]; 8,000-kWs batteries.
Occupancy: 1 CS Body, 3 CS both Cargo: 6.5 Body, 2 Turret.

Armor
Body: F 5/300m RL 4/150, B 4/75, TU 4/40
Tracks: 4/40
Turret: F 4/300, RL 4/200, B 4/75, T 4/40, U 0/0

Weaponry
75mm Medium TG/75mm m/41 [Tur:F] (59).
2¥Ground LMG/Ksp m/39 [Tur:F] (2,500).
Ground LMG/Ksp m/39 [Body:F] (1,000).

Statistics
Size: 19’¥7’¥8’
Payload: 1.16 tons
Lwt: 22.1 tons
Volume: 103
Maint.: 46 hours
Price: $18,500

HT: 10
HP: 1,500 [Body], 150 [Turret], 540 [Each Track]

gSpeed: 25
gAccel: 3
gDecel: 20
gMR: 0.25
gSR: 6
GP: Low (2/3)

Design Notes
gSpeed was reduced from the 32 mph design speed. Turret armor is Expensive.

Variants
Some had a single 283-kW engine.

The Pvkv m/43 (1945) was a tank destroyer armed with a 75mm m/43 (75mm Long TG) and 56 rounds in a fixed superstructure replacing the turret. One 8mm m/39 MG was carried. 87 built.

The Lvkv fm/43 (1947) was a flak vehicle armed with two 40mm Bofors (40mm Medium Ground AC) with 326 rounds. Hull DR us 175 front and 75 sides. The open topped turret is DR 75 front and 40 sides. 17 built.

The Stridsvagn m/74 (1958) fitted a new turret with a higher velocity 75mm gun (75mm Medium TG). The hull MG was deleted. It was re-engined with two 127-kW motors, but gSpeed was unchanged. Weight increased to 28.7 tons.