Fake American Vehicles

Author: Priory_of_Sion

The American Tech Tree is full of limited production vehicles, prototypes, and paper tanks. However there are 5 tank destroyers that push the limits of reality. They are the T25, T25/2, T28 Prototype, T28, and the T110E4.

The T25 tank destroyer comes from 1943 models of a T23 medium tank chassis mounting a modified version of a 90 mm AA gun which eventually became the M3 90 mm gun. The model shown might not look exactly like the T23 chassis(looks like an T1/M6) but it is according to the Bible of Americans: Hunnicutt's Pershing: A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series. For some reason or another WG decided not to call the T25 the T23 AT which would be a much more fitting name IMO.

The T25/2 is different. There is no documentation anywhere that I have looked that shows a T23 chassis mounting an M36 turret. This combination is possible however(69 inch turret ring is the same for the T23 and the Jackson) and the M36 turret was designed in the same time frame as the T20 series and variants were being proposed. The T25/2 is still hypothetical IMO. The actual T25 medium tank mounted the M3 90 mm gun in a fully enclosed turret and would obsolete the T23 w/ M36 turret immediately. This T25 medium led to the Pershing. In conclusion the T25/2 should be removed until/if further information surfaces.

To replace the T25/2 WG should look at the actual 90 mm armed T25, specifically the T25E1 #13 which was a modified T25 using a range finder system. The redesignation of the T25E1 from medium to TD won't be new (T30) and the T25E1 would be able to mount the 105 mm T5E1 gun.

This is the T25E1 #13 fitted with a new range finder system.

This is a proposal for mounting the T5E1 gun in a modified T25E1 #13. The T25E1 #13 could be an adequate tier 8 TD if given good enough mobility, turret armor, and better gun characteristics than the T32(the same tier heavy tank). 

Since I hinted at a tier 8 T25E1 #13 that leaves a gap at tier 7, well the T78 could fill that role. The T78 was a proposed TD based on the T24 light tank chassis using the M36 turret. If upgraded to a better 90 mm the T78 would be a fine tier 7 TD. The_Chieftain has informed me that WG is apparently aware of the T78 tank destroyer, I am not 100% sure what this means though. No pictures exist as far as I know but I am sure someone could model a T24 Light Tank with an M36 turret fairly easily.

The T28 Prototype is a tank called a complete fake by many but it does have some basis in the real world. The T28 Prototype was in reality a conceptual drawing for the T28 project in 1943. No real plans were ever made of this Concept T28 as far as I know. However recently a model of a vehicle was sold over the Internet might be related to the T28 Prototype, this model is extremely likely to be a model made for the T28 in the developmental stage in early 1943. This model seems to use the T5 105 mm gun which was originally planned and should have very thick(200 mm+) armor.

WG took this concept and ran with it.

I am not 100% sold on the validity of this model, but I am fairly sure it is not a fake. Looks cooler than the T28 Prototype IMO.

WG should consider removing the model we have in WoT and replacing it the more concrete model if we can find any specifications on it.

The T28 is not a fake tank, however WG screwed it up. You see the T28 and the T95 were the exact same vehicle. The model we have shows how a T28/T95 would look without the tracks.

Still the T28 is wrong...

Look at the frontal armor, that frontal glacis plate has been added for no reason. 

WG could do two things to make the T28 (more) accurate. First they could just remove that glacis plate, pretty easy change. Or they could however remove the T28 we have entirely, rename the T95 the T28/T95 and have the T28 Prototype (the model) become tier 8 since the T25E1 #13 is tier 8 in the other line. I would like the 2nd to happen, but that isn't likely to happen.

Now the T110E4 was a real design, however in WoT that design is called the T110E3. The T110E3 and T110E4 were almost identical and only slight changes were made for the T110E3 to become the T110E4. There has never been an attempt to mount a turret in any T110 vehicle besides the T110E5. The T110E4 in WoT and its turret is WG's creation. WG also forgot that all the T110 tanks used the 120 mm gun, there was never any proposed 155 mm armed T110s.

This is the T110E4, a turret would be impossible for this vehicle.

So what could be a tier X TD besides the fake T110E4? Well if you want a turreted TD you have a really good option with the H2. The H2 was a heavy tank project from one of the Question Mark Conferences. The H2 was to have similar armor to the M103 and the frontal armor was a negative slope. The gun was to be a modified 155 mm gun. So with the H2 you practically get an M103 with a T30 turret with tier X TD stats. A second choice would be the T58. The T58 was a 155 mm armed T57 in a new oscillating turret. I would think the H2 would be more practical to balance and implement. 

This is actually the H1, which is the same vehicle but mounts the 120 mm gun instead of the 155 mm.

This is the T58, I would advice against this vehicle for balance purposes.

The US TD line has some hypothetical and fake vehicles. Some are close to reality, some are perversions of what they were IRL. WG has the ability to create a historical accurate US TD line but so far no change is coming. 

This is my revised US TD tree from tier 6. I am planning a 3rd TD line but it isn't complete.

Sources:

Pershing

Stuart

Firepower

all by R. P. Hunnicutt

T28 Prototype Model Discussion