“Turtle” – What is It?

As already noted, the “Turtle” was a tank and that is what was listed in the documents of the Royal Armored Corps. At the same time, it could be considered and a good anti-self-propelled. In this case, the “Turtle” falls under the jurisdiction of the Royal Artillery, and when in the summer of 1949, R1 was sent to the firing tests, he found himself in a Lakhill Selizberi Plain – heart of the country’s gunners. By the time it was clear that as a tank “Turtle” will not be accepted, and the gunners decided to try a tank to work out future requirements for anti-self-propelled guns. But try it there no chance. First polygon officer, responsible for setting the parameters of fire, calculated that the range even direct-fire is too great for security outside the polygon. Then the military office has decided to send a self-propelled anti-tank artillery Royal Armored Corps. As a result, “Turtle” was picked up in Lulvors at Bovington – in a tank artillery mission school, where there were enough space to fire (referred to as the Channel Tunnel) to ensure safety when the projectile radius outside the polygon. Tankers decided to check on the future features separate loading and simultaneously compare the methods loader guns taken in the artillery. For this crew was packaged as a tank, and from the gunners. For comparative tests in Lulvors was drove Centurion “-III. Since the 32-funtovku already managed to experience the accuracy and armor, there is time for sea trials, which gave the same results as previously held. Although the fate of the “Turtle” was actually solved by the end of the war, and arms were not going to accept it, two tanks were used for testing in Europe. In April 1948 it was decided to send to Germany, P4 and P5 to first check the possibility of transporting such large tanks within the British zone of occupation. Take into account the beginning of work on a new series of heavy tanks FV200, as was clear: where will be “Turtle”, where you can “shove” anything. It was obvious that the width of 3,9 m tank is not possible to transport by rail, and when the fighting weight of 80 tons of it flatten any carrier … Especially for those purposes to “Krenes office Derehem” designed pyatiosny conveyor. It was supposed to send to Germany two samples to test them in various road conditions, as well as to conduct firing tests on the “live” aims at Belsen. Despite the complexity of the problem, responsible for its conduct of Major Garnett was advised only for two weeks, as a result of which he was forced to recruit his team in a hurry. For towing conveyor with the tank – weighs about 120 tons – was decided to use two tractor Dayemond “-T tandem. Thus, the total weight of the train amounted to 155 tons, length – 28,5 m. Three years after the war ended the British occupation zone of Germany is still a ruin. Several bridges have been preserved in too bad shape to take a motorcade, and others that were destroyed during the war were replaced by temporary, so that not only the Bailey bridge could not take the weight of the tank. Moreover, all these bridges were too narrow. So when crossing the Bailey Bridge would remain only a few centimeters of free space. As a result, before leaving Britain, the crews were trained intensively in the unloaded conveyor, which was not easy. With the exception of motorways – the pride of Germany – the rest of the roads were poor, and most secondary roads were not even paved. Some roads have only a narrow strip of metal coating on both sides of which were wide dirt strip. In addition, many towns and villages of Germany were central streets with cobbles, which damaged when passing tracked vehicles. Fortunately, there was a lot of steep climbs, which were required to overcome to change the slope of the trailer, which had a set of wooden wedges. In this so-called tank test team of the British Army of the Rhine there were six officers and 55 privates, including the crews of tankers and artillerymen, suppliers and repairers. British Rhine Army provided along the route escort of military police in jeeps and on motorcycles. As elsewhere, card-playing was accompanied by five trucks “Dayemond”-T and a “fleet” of the carriers “B”. Training is provided by a test Institute of armored vehicles from Chertsey, including loading and unloading of tanks on the conveyor and transport. Given that the carrier was also manageable and, therefore, had a tendency to oversteer, two drivers “train” was required particularly synchronous operation. The driver of the tractor was responsible for managing and using the brakes the conveyor, and a second driver followed the engine, transmission belts and switched synchronously with the first. For communication between the drivers have the intercom, but, except for driving at night, they preferred the conventional hand signals.

Problems for the test team began back in England. Originally planned for the transport of equipment to use landing ship tank (LST), but it turned out that no ramp-ramp can not survive more than 65 so I had to choose the normal “merchant” – “Flight Fiche”, who had a large cargo door. The loading was carried out at the Royal Albert Dock with the 150-ton floating crane. But even that was a problem – trailer did not have lifting brackets, which are urgently had to weld in place. Tractor after removing from them all the equipment loaded with the grid. Escort night, arrived in London, where the early morning of Tuesday, May 25, 1948, Mr. “Flight Fiche” moved slowly down the Thames, bound for Hamburg, where he arrived on Thursday. This equipment has been unloaded, again with the help of a floating crane, and the convoy moved to its temporary camp. Officially, the test began on 1 June. Their description would take too much space, but in general we can say that in the main test is to transport the tanks from Germany. Since the beginning of the convoy arrived at the landfill under the Belsen concentration camp, then in Hanover, then in a Bad Oynhauzen at the landfill under Paderborn. From there, the two convoys on the highway tanks were transported to Hamm, and then back to Hanover through Minden and Neynburg, and then back into the Belsen concentration camp in Hamburg. Full Test Report “Turtle” was published by the British Rhine Army in October 1948 It describes in detail the transport tests, as well as a number of tests, which we will mention here. The report also living a great collection of 95 photos, unfortunately of very poor quality, that play could use a few. According to the report convoy covered 1040 km, of which 160 tanks were on track. Maximum speed reached 19 km / h, but the average was much lower, with the exception of motorways, as well as on other roads had to stop oncoming traffic. The delay also caused the overcoming of bridges. Another preliminary reconnaissance before the tests showed that only a few bridges on the route will be able to withstand the weight of the “train”. Therefore, the usual practice was unloading conveyor, tank their way slowly crossed the bridge, and then re-loaded on the conveyor. Ideally, it takes just 15 minutes. Sometimes, if the capacity of the bridge was inadequate, had to make a detour. In one such case under Shprotse had to cross the railway, which had put a special coating to prevent damage to railway tracks, but even such a complex operation took from unloading to loading the entire 35 minutes. The main problem was the narrow roads, mainly because of the roadside trees, ditches and too soft cover. So in Celle had to unload the tanks, and they proceeded under its own power for the carriers through the winding streets. In general, it is shown that the two heavy tank did not inflict much damage to city streets, but in the case of a regiment – a different matter. Already a sharp turn of the tank was enough to unscrew all the cobblestones pavement. The greatest deviation along the route to 7,5 ° was reached on the highway under Byukeburgom. In general, transportation was considered successful, particularly noted the work of carriers, with whom there were no problems at all. Both the tank during the tests were personal names, but due to poor quality of the photographs revealed only the name of P5 – Edvenche. It is this tank was used for firing tests at Belsen. The shooting was carried out on their shields at a distance of up to 2000 m, highlighted the good accuracy and a good impression of the new gun at the crew, who are accustomed to the capricious 17-funtovke. Then were firing on written-off “Sherman, whose frontal part was just torn to shreds. Finally, the shooting had on the “Panther” – judging by the photo, it was one of the vehicles assembled after the war under British control. Apparently, this model G from the frontal part of the type of tank, exhibited at Bovington. From 1230 m projectile with “Turtles” struck head-on sheet “Panther”, snatched a piece of roof over the driver’s seat and even tore off a part of the mask tools, found in 5 meters from goal. According to the results of tests by the representatives of armored forces and artillery very much appreciate the tank. The tank crews who fought in Europe, noted that such a gun would give them an advantage over any German tank in 1944, however, some observers were less optimistic, and test reports are full of such phrases as: “… the absence of a circular firing”, “. .. too heavy “,” … too slow “,” … astounding problems with transportation, “” … separate loading “- all with varying degrees of doubt! Fate of “Turtles” has been solved …