Which branch of Swedish tanks is better? Swedish tanks. Swedish tank development tree

Updated

Important! The final characteristics of the Swedish equipment will become known with the release of version 9.17 and may differ from those presented in the article, since the equipment is currently in the testing stage.

Few Swedish heavy tanks were realized in metal. However, it cannot be denied that rational armor, which would theoretically allow these vehicles to finish battles without a scratch, as well as their firepower, could clearly turn the tide on the battlefield. Well, World of Tanks gives you the opportunity to test these theories!

Emil I, Emil II and Kranvagn are three new heavy tanks from the Swedish branch, which will appear in version 9.17. In this article we will look at their strengths and weaknesses, and also touch on the history of these machines.

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Emil I

The combination of strong armor and a gun with a magazine loading system makes Emil I a serious threat in close combat. In addition, the accuracy of the gun allows this tank to fire confidently from the second line.

brief information

Durability: strong frontal armor, low profile and small size allow this vehicle to be most effective in a frontal attack; It's difficult to aim and hit. Use the gun declination angles (−12°) wisely, and you won’t have to return to the Hangar ahead of time.
Mobility: smaller dimensions compared to the AMX 50 100 and the ability to reach speeds of up to 50 km/h (cruising speed 42-43 km/h) allow the Emil I to quickly find a protected position and shoot a magazine while remaining hidden behind uneven terrain.
Firepower: a 4-round magazine is enough to “disassemble” almost any Tier VIII vehicle, except for heavy and medium tanks with particularly strong armor. The Emil I discharges a full magazine faster than the AMX 50 100, allowing it to get out of the line of fire faster and making it more versatile overall. Good stabilization of the gun while moving allows you to shoot from the hip or immediately after a short stop.

Emil II and Kranvagn

Emil II gives a good idea of what awaits you at level X. This Tier IX ricochet master is designed specifically for sneak attacks and taking advantage of uneven terrain. Nevertheless, the full potential of Swedish heavy tanks is revealed at the last level represented by the vehicle Kranvagn with powerful armor and low profile.

brief information

Strength: Kranvagn's armor is stronger than that of the AMX 50 B and T57 Heavy: a hull with rational armor angles (90 mm), a strong turret (210 mm) with good angles, small hatches and a strong roof. The relatively small size, low profile and special placement of the gun in the turret significantly increase the survivability of this vehicle. The enemy must be a real sniper to penetrate your Kranvagn into the turret, which, combined with rational armor angles, makes this tank truly reliable.
Mobility: The tank surpasses the T57 Heavy in cruising speed and engine power. If we draw an analogy with sports, the American T57 Heavy would be a champion in race walking, the French AMX 50 B would be an excellent sprinter, and the Swede would be a stayer.
Firepower: The tank is equipped with a 120mm gun, the armor-piercing shells of which are excellent for sending moving targets into the Hangar. Despite the fact that the Kranvagn's reload speed is lower than that of the AMX 50 B and T57 Heavy, the excellent gun depression angle (−12°) more than compensates for this disadvantage. Thanks to this parameter, the Swede can effectively use uneven terrain and even reflect enemy shells (with proper use of angles).

Story

The Swedish Army did not use the "medium tank" classification for its vehicles during World War II. The tank brigade (yes, initially there was only one brigade) had only light and heavy tanks. Light tanks included the Strv m/37, m/38, m/39, m/40 and m/41; considered heavy Strv m/42, which, with a mass of 22.5 tons, was lighter than most medium tanks from other manufacturing countries. Despite the military's desire to get a tank with a more powerful gun and strong armor, the Swedish army was initially unable to approve the design of a vehicle that would have more mass than the Strv m/42.

The main reason was concerns about the deterioration of overall mobility. The Swedish army had no experience with heavy tracked vehicles. In addition, the country's less-than-ideal infrastructure could become a serious obstacle for heavy tanks: the Strv m/42 that was put into service was already more than twice as heavy as previous vehicles. A study of the condition and quality of the country's bridges showed that only half of them could support a 22-tonne vehicle without any damage. Of course, the enemy faced the same restrictions, so there was no particular need for a heavier tank.

After the war, the Swedish army came to the conclusion that heavy tanks had no problems with difficult terrain, and also realized that it was better to fight enemy equipment with their own tanks. Thus, the need arose for a vehicle that could fight a potential enemy on equal terms and would have protection against weapons of mass destruction.

Work on the “heavy” tank project began in 1949. In the 1950s, 18 tank prototypes were created, all of which were designed to counter the Soviet IS-3. After discovering the main drawback of a potential enemy tank (large mass), the Swedes paid special attention to creating a heavy tank that would have less mass, choosing a lighter oscillating turret instead of the classic IS-3 layout. Taking the French AMX 50 B as a basis, the engineers provided for the possibility of installing two versions of the gun with a magazine loading system, which would allow the crew to save precious seconds. Despite the fact that this project looked good on paper, the excessive originality of the turret ultimately led to the cessation of work on the heavy tank project in 1954.

Thus, the future of the tank remained unclear. The military realized that the Strv m/42 was hopelessly outdated and was only suitable for firing high-explosive fragmentation shells at infantry. The Swedish army needed a modern tank, and the Centurion (and the ability to get one quickly) was the answer. The acquisition happened at lightning speed, with virtually no assessment of the advantages and disadvantages, and the priority of the internal heavy tank project was downgraded. Later the project was completely canceled.

Despite the fact that Swedish heavy tanks never roamed the battlefields, the project "Emil" contributed to the further development of tank building in Sweden thanks to some extremely interesting and original ideas.

2. Review of Swedish technology

Updated

What do you know about Sweden? Medieval architecture, furniture with outlandish names, a lot of rocks and snow. At the same time, for all World of Tanks players, the achievements of the Swedish tank industry are of much greater interest. Interesting engineering solutions and special attention to the local peculiarities of using armored vehicles made it possible for Swedish tank builders to create a number of versatile and interesting projects, which formed the basis of a new gaming nation.

In update 9.17, the Swedish nation will be represented by two branches of vehicles: a tank destroyer branch and a mixed branch with light, medium and heavy tanks. There is not much time left before the start of hostilities involving Swedish armored vehicles, so we invite you to get to know them better. So, off to the cars!

Mixed branch

“Buffet” is the ideal phrase to describe all the variety of techniques in this branch. There are light, medium and heavy tanks, as well as tank destroyers, so everyone can choose a vehicle to their liking.

Tier II is represented by the light tank Strv m/38. The car has balanced characteristics and will be an excellent start to getting to know the nation.
Next comes the Tier III light tank, Strv m/40L, which has an unusual hull and extremely comfortable gun elevation angles.
What is Lago? This is a high-quality Tier IV medium tank that has adopted the features of its predecessors.
Next on the list is Strv m/42, a Tier V medium tank. Its characteristics are comparable to such proven vehicles as the Sherman M4, T-34, and Pz.Kpfw. IV, however, not all peers can boast of such a gun declination angle: as much as 15 degrees!
Next is the Tier VI medium tank Strv 74, which has one of the best weapons at its tier.
You will probably remember Leo - the fastest Tier VII tank with huge one-time damage. This vehicle can clearly make a splash on the battlefield.
Let's move on to Tier VIII: the Emil I heavy tank with a magazine loading system similar to the loading system of the French AMX 50 100, which is nevertheless slightly inferior to the French: a slightly longer reload (3 seconds versus 2.75) and weaker penetration (217 mm against a 232 mm sub-caliber projectile). His armor copes well with shots from vehicles of his own or lower levels. And the relatively small size and excellent gun depression angles (12°) give the Emil I an undeniable advantage in many situations.
At level IX you will meet Emil II. Many players will notice its similarity to the AMX 50 120, but it has a more compact size and much more reliable frontal turret armor. Optimal gun depression angles will allow this hot Swedish guy to seek out and punish enemy vehicles without having to go into the thick of it.
Last on the list, but not least. Meet the Tier X heavy tank - Kranvagn. According to its characteristics, it is something between the AMX 50 B and T57 Heavy.

Tank destroyer branch

After researching the Strv fm/21 light tank, a branch of nine tank destroyers opens to you. Fast, well-armed, and also stealthy thanks to their low profile, these vehicles will no doubt be appreciated by many of you.

Pvlvv fm/42, Ikv 72 and Sav m/43 (levels II-IV) are a group of universal tank destroyers for play at low levels. Take an advantageous position and stay close to your allies - only then will these daredevils be able to bring down a barrage of fire on the enemy. Don't rely on armor; your advantage is high speed and an accurate weapon, as well as a low profile that will allow you to remain undetected for as long as possible. Tier III and IV tank destroyers can brazenly use the feature of an excellent gun depression angle and take non-standard positions in order to unpleasantly surprise the enemy. The Sav m/43 has a choice of two guns: a more accurate 75mm with good penetration or a more powerful but less accurate 105mm gun.
At levels V-VII, three classic ambush vehicles await you: Ikv 103, Ikv 65 Alt II and Ikv 90 Typ B. Thanks to the gun depression angle, they perform well on maps with high hills and ridges. The Ikv 103 has a choice of two powerful 105mm guns, which fire HEAT rounds, although they are not very accurate. Tier VI-VII vehicles are equipped with an excellent 9cm Bofors cannon with impressive penetration. Don't rely on armor when playing these beauties - follow your allies and be alert!
At levels VIII-X, new opportunities await players. Here are vehicles with new game mechanics - tank destroyers with marching and siege modes. If you get to UDES 03, remember: try not to fire in traveling mode. Just take an advantageous position and enter siege mode: this is where you can unleash the full combat power of your vehicle. Only in this mode does it turn into one of the most dangerous Tier VIII tank destroyers in the game.
Playing the top tank destroyers Strv 103-0 and Strv 103B will require lightning-fast reactions. In marching mode, you will have to forget about shooting: just forward, looking for an advantageous position, where you can safely switch to siege mode and take advantage of the advantages of your weapon. Don't forget about the armor: if played correctly, large angles of inclination will help you deflect shots at your vehicle with impunity.

Mixed branch

Tier II is represented by a light tank Strv m/38. The car has balanced characteristics and will be an excellent start to getting to know the nation.
Next comes a Tier III light tank, Strv m/40L, the owner of an unusual body and extremely comfortable gun elevation angles.
What's happened Lago? This is a high-quality Tier IV medium tank that has adopted the features of its predecessors.
Next on the list is Strv m/42, Tier V medium tank. Its characteristics are comparable to such proven vehicles as the Sherman M4, T-34, and Pz.Kpfw. IV, however, not all peers can boast of such a gun declination angle: as much as 15 degrees!
Next - Tier VI medium tank Strv 74, who has one of the best weapons at his level.
You will surely remember Leo— the fastest Tier VII tank with huge one-time damage. This vehicle can clearly make a splash on the battlefield.
Let's move on to level VIII: heavy tank Emil I with a magazine loading system similar to the loading system of the French AMX 50 100, which is nevertheless slightly inferior to the French: a slightly longer reload (3 seconds versus 2.75) and weaker penetration (217 mm versus 232 mm with a sub-caliber projectile). His armor copes well with shots from vehicles of his own or lower levels. And the relatively small size and excellent gun depression angles (12°) give the Emil I an undeniable advantage in many situations.
At level IX you will get acquainted with Emil II. Many players will notice its similarity to the AMX 50 120, but it has a more compact size and much more reliable frontal turret armor. Optimal gun depression angles will allow this hot Swedish guy to seek out and punish enemy vehicles without having to go into the thick of it.
Last on the list, but not least. Meet the Tier X heavy tank - Kranvagn. In terms of its characteristics, it is something between the AMX 50 B and T57 Heavy.

Tank destroyer branch

After researching a light tank Strv fm/21 a branch of nine tank destroyers opens to you. Fast, well-armed, and also stealthy thanks to their low profile, these vehicles will no doubt be appreciated by many of you.

Pvlvv fm/42, Ikv 72 And Sav m/43 (levels II-IV) are a group of universal tank destroyers for play at low levels. Take an advantageous position and stay close to your allies - only then will these daredevils be able to bring down a barrage of fire on the enemy. Don't rely on armor; your advantage is high speed and an accurate weapon, as well as a low profile that will allow you to remain undetected for as long as possible. Tier III and IV tank destroyers can brazenly use the feature of an excellent gun depression angle and take non-standard positions in order to unpleasantly surprise the enemy. The Sav m/43 has a choice of two guns: a more accurate 75mm with good penetration or a more powerful but less accurate 105mm gun.
At levels V-VII, three classic ambush vehicles await you: Ikv 103, Ikv 65 Alt II And Ikv 90 Type B . Thanks to the gun depression angle, they perform well on maps with high hills and ridges. The Ikv 103 has a choice of two powerful 105mm guns, which fire HEAT rounds, although they are not very accurate. Tier VI-VII vehicles are equipped with an excellent 9cm Bofors cannon with impressive penetration. Don't rely on armor when playing these beauties - follow your allies and be alert!
At levels VIII-X, new opportunities await players. Here are vehicles with new game mechanics - tank destroyers with marching and siege modes. If you got to UDES 03, remember: try not to fire while traveling. Just take an advantageous position and enter siege mode: this is where you can unleash the full combat power of your vehicle. Only in this mode does it turn into one of the most dangerous Tier VIII tank destroyers in the game.
Playing on top tank destroyers Strv 103-0 And Strv 103B will require a lightning-fast reaction. In marching mode, you will have to forget about shooting: just forward, looking for an advantageous position, where you can safely switch to siege mode and take advantage of the advantages of your weapon. Don't forget about the armor: if played correctly, large angles of inclination will help you deflect shots at your vehicle with impunity.

Starting from Tier VIII, where UDES 03 is located, Swedish tank destroyers have access to siege mode. You can tell if a vehicle has this new mechanic by the icon next to the Mobility option, and when viewing modules, the engine information will indicate how long it takes to switch to siege mode.

These tank destroyers are equipped with a unique hydropneumatic suspension, which allows them to raise and lower the front part of the hull. Due to the fact that the gun is rigidly fixed to the body of these vehicles, they have small aiming angles and change the position of the gun using the entire body. Thus, in order to effectively participate in battle, they need to switch between siege and march modes in a timely manner.

hiking mode

This mode is primarily intended for moving around the map. When active, the vehicle is able to move at maximum speed, but cannot fire effectively. Marching mode is indicated by a green indicator with two chevrons, and it indicates how long it will take to switch to siege mode.

siege mode

If you have found a convenient position and are ready to open fire, go into siege mode. In this mode, mobility is reduced, but you can get the most out of the gun. In addition, if your vehicle is equipped with a Camouflage Net or Stereo Tube, they will continue to operate even during body turns.

Siege mode is indicated by a red indicator with a crosshair, which informs how long it takes to switch to marching mode.

To switch from one mode to another in battle, click on the “Siege Mode” button (similar to the body lock button; set in the control settings). Please note: while switching between modes, the vehicle cannot move or shoot.

Aiming System: First-person camera mode (sniper scope) works differently in travel mode. You don't control the gun, but the camera, like in a third-person view, and the gun is pointed in the same direction as the camera. When the camera moves in siege mode, the entire body rotates due to the hydropneumatic suspension, aiming the gun directly at the selected point.

New map: “Murovanka - Blizzard”

A real snowy winter has come to Murovanka! A strong wind is howling, a blizzard is blowing - now it will not be as easy to detect the enemy on this map as before.

Emil I

brief information

Strength: strong frontal armor, low profile and small size allow this vehicle to be most effective in a frontal attack; It's difficult to aim and hit. Use the gun declination angles (−12°) wisely, and you won’t have to return to the Hangar ahead of time.
Mobility: smaller dimensions compared to the AMX 50 100 and the ability to reach speeds of up to 50 km/h (cruising speed 42-43 km/h) allow the Emil I to quickly find a protected position and shoot the magazine, while remaining hidden behind uneven terrain.
Firepower: a magazine of 4 shells is enough to “disassemble” almost any Tier VIII vehicle, except for heavy and medium tanks with particularly strong armor. The Emil I discharges a full magazine faster than the AMX 50 100, allowing it to get out of the line of fire faster and making it more versatile overall. Good stabilization of the gun while moving allows you to shoot from the hip or immediately after a short stop.

Emil II and Kranvagn

brief information

Strength: The Kranvagn's armor is stronger than that of the AMX 50 B and T57 Heavy: a hull with rational armor angles (90 mm), a strong turret (210 mm) with good angles, small hatches and a strong roof. The relatively small size, low profile and special placement of the gun in the turret significantly increase the survivability of this vehicle. The enemy must be a real sniper to penetrate your Kranvagn into the turret, which, combined with rational armor angles, makes this tank truly reliable.
Mobility: The tank surpasses the T57 Heavy in cruising speed and engine power. If we draw an analogy with sports, the American T57 Heavy would be a champion in race walking, the French AMX 50 B would be an excellent sprinter, and the Swede would be a stayer.
Firepower: The tank is equipped with a 120 mm gun, the armor-piercing shells of which are excellent for sending moving targets into the Hangar. Despite the fact that the Kranvagn's reload speed is lower than that of the AMX 50 B and T57 Heavy, the excellent gun depression angle (− 12°) more than compensates for this disadvantage. Thanks to this parameter, the Swede can effectively use uneven terrain and even reflect enemy shells (with proper use of angles).

Story

Stridsvagn m/42 (strv m/42)
Main tank of the Swedish army during World War II and Korean Wars

So, the Swedish branch is ready. Instead of the chatter of Russian-speaking gamblers, I will post a video in English, which raised certain questions for Belarusian developers, whom I do not really like for their passion for hypothetical projects. Still, I don’t understand why a game that claims to be somewhat historic needs tanks that not only never existed, but there weren’t even any projects for them. In the end, real tanks (even if built only in one copy or even in a mock-up) are one thing, but “ The boys and I were sitting, drinking beer and thinking, how cool it would be to put a 170 mm anti-aircraft gun on the Pz.II, and then Hans ruined everything for us, saying that such an anti-aircraft gun was not even in the project, and if it had been, it would have been stupidly crushed I wish I had such a tank after the first shot. “You’re lying, you despicable Lusatian,” our faithful Richard cried at that moment, “you don’t believe in the genius of our Fuhrer and his faithful devotees from the country of potato lovers"". I recently sold an English level 10 TT. Because it's nonsense! For those who don’t know, this “tank” was completely invented by Wargaming.

As for the current Swedish branch, I, in principle, agree with the first six levels of the LT-ST branch, but fundamentally disagree with premium VI, designated strv m/52, since this tank was not even in the projects. In this text, I want to briefly talk about the tanks included in this branch and explain the impossibility of the existence of this premium tank as such.

strv fm/21 on its first maneuvers

The first level was given to strv fm/21 and absolutely deservedly so. This was actually the first Swedish tank. Its history is well known. The Germans created this device (LK II) shortly before the end of the First World War and, according to the Treaty of Versailles, they were supposed to destroy all such equipment, but instead they sold 10 vehicle sets to Sweden under the guise of spare parts for tractors, where the Landsverk company was created to assemble them. Interestingly, funding for their purchase (18,000 crowns apiece) was knocked out of parliament with the motivation “to protect the royal family from a possible revolution.” They were assembled in 1920-21, and in 1923 five tanks took part in maneuvers in the south of Sweden, in Skåne, where they created a real sensation - the presence of tanks in the Swedish army in 1920-22 was a military secret. In 1927, work began on arming tanks with cannons instead of machine guns; the modification was named strv fm/29. These tanks served in the Swedish army until 1937.

In subsequent years, several interesting tank projects were created in Sweden, in some cases it even reached prototypes (L-5. L-10 and so on). The first Swedish-built serial tank was the strv m/37 wedge, developed at the Czechoslovak company CKD Praga, under the leadership of the Russian designer Alexei Surin, who had been working in Czechoslovakia since 1923. The tank, weighing 4.5 tons, was armed with 2 8mm machine guns, had 6-15 mm armor and was driven by an 85 hp engine. 48 tankettes were delivered directly from Czechoslovakia, and 16 were assembled at the Landsverk plant. The tanks entered service with the Swedish army in the spring of 1939.

At the second level they have strv m/38. And here I agree with them.

Strv m/39 during Swedish army exercises

Let me explain what we are talking about. In 1934, the Landsverk company developed the extremely successful L-60 light tank. It was formally adopted by the Swedish army, but only 5 were produced, four of which were exported. Hungary acquired one tank and a license for the L-60 and, based on it, an enterprise of the Manfred Weiss company, the largest machine-buildingenterprises of the country, developed the 38m Toldi I tank and the Nimrod tank destroyer. In Sweden, the original L-60 was only put into service, but in 1939 the production of light tanks based on it began - strv m/38, strv m/39 and strv m/40. In total, until 1944, the Swedish army received 216 such tanks (according to other sources - 220). The Strv m/38 was a fairly compact tank, weighing only 8.5 tons, with armor of about 15-10 mm and armament consisting of a 37 mm cannon and a pair of 8 mm machine guns in the frontal armor. The 142-horsepower carburetor engine allowed the tank to move on the highway at a maximum speed of 48 km/h. 16 of these tanks were produced. The Strv m/39's machine guns were moved to the turret. 20 of them were produced. The most widespread modification, strv m/40L, had an automatic transmission (100 units), tanks of this series entered service with the troops in 1942, and in 1944 the Swedish army received 80 (or 84) tanks of the latest modification - strv m/40K, which received 50 mm frontal armor. Tanks of this brand served in the Swedish army until the end of the 50s, they were used to produce self-propelled guns and self-propelled guns, a number of strv m/40K were sold to the Dominican Republic, where three of them took part in the only tank battle in history on the American continent, driving towards the American " Patton" during the 1960 intervention. The Americans, of course, quickly disabled them, but then they repaired the remaining devices and they protected the peaceful sleep of the Dominicansfrom the threat of invasion by hordes of Haitian zombies and Tonton Macoutes until 2003.

Strv m/39

By the middle of the war, it became clear that the combat capabilities of these tanks were extremely limited even in battle with modern Soviet or German ones (in 1943 there was a direct threat of invasion by German troops, which forced the Hansen government to announce partial mobilization. When the number of the Swedish army increased by 300 in three days thousand people, the Germans changed their minds about invading, while the “aggressive” encroachments of the USSR were limited to the bombing of the airfield in Solna, a suburb of Stockholm, but that’s a completely different story) with tanks, but by this time they were no longer the most popular Swedish tanks.

In the Swedish branch proposed by Wargaming, strv m/38 became LT II level, and strv m/40K LT III. So far I almost agree with this. Although there are also questions about which are mentioned above.

Even when the Landsverk L-60 was being developed, in 1936, Hungary asked the company to design a heavier tank weighing 15-16 tons, with more powerful weapons and thicker armor. Two years later, a prototype was built, called Landsverk m/38 Lago (all other prototypes, and there were six of them in total, also received their own name Lago with the prototype number indicated). The tank had a mass of 15 tons, was armed with a 47 mm Bofors cannon, and was driven by a pair of 142 strong engines, like those installed on the strv m/28-40. In terms of performance characteristics, therefore, this tank was an analogue of the German Pz.III, the French Somua S.35 and the experienced Czech CKD T22. Well, and perhaps the Soviet T-46, which never went into large production.

Landsverk Lago I

The Hungarian customers, who were shown the tank, were delighted, but..... the Swedish authorities, after the occupation of part of Czechoslovakia by Germany and Hungary, imposed an embargo on the export of military technology and the prototype remained in Sweden. For the next 2-3 years, the Lago prototype was not in demand, the Hungarians also did not take advantage of the developments, and the Turan medium tank created by Manfred Weiss in 1939 was a scaling of the L-60, rather archaic and completely uncompetitive in relation to tanks of the same age.

If you believe the above video, Lago will become a level IV CT, which is also logical and does not raise the slightest questions. The development of at least the main battery gun is immediately visible - first 47 mm, then 57 mm. What else needs to be changed is not entirely clear.

On June 22, 1941, the Great Patriotic War began. The Swedes, who always breathed unevenly about everything that was happening in Russia, received information about the new Soviet tanks almost instantly, and already in June a commission was created in the Ministry of Defense, the agenda of which was to solve the problem of equipping Sweden with modern competitive tanks. The members of the commission made a fair conclusion that the strv m/37 wedges and light tanks strv m/38 (strv m/41, as well as the improved strv m/39-40, which were in service with the mechanized units of the Swedish army, began to enter service only in 1942) numbering approximately 80 in the event of a foreign invasion, they will not constitute the slightest obstacle to the aggressor (by the aggressor everyone understood the Germans, with whom Sweden seemed to be friends) and the country needs more powerful tanks.

Delegations were sent to Germany and Bohemia, but there they explained to the Swedes that “this is real. Guys, it’s not up to you. We are at war.” Then the warriors turned to Landsverk, where they were dumbfounded by the message that they had a promising tank already ready, but it would be better to remake it, improving the armor and replacing the long-barreled 57 mm gun with a much shorter (only 28 calibers) 75 mm, the shells of which had much better high-explosive effect; in addition, the shorter gun noticeably reduced the overall dimensions of the tank.

In November 1941, the first contract was signed for a batch of 100 new tanks, named strv m/42.

To understand what it was like, it is worth comparing the strv m/42 with the T-34 of the 1939-40 models.

The length of the Swede was 6.22 m (T-34 - 5.92 m.)
Width - 2.34 m (3 m). The width was limited by the parameters of the railway platforms used by SJ. This became a serious problem, as it led to a decrease in the maneuverability of the tank.
Height - 2.59 m (2.41 m)
Weight - 22.5 t (25 t.)

Reservations:
Front/side/stern of the hull - 55/30/20 mm (45/45/40 mm)
Front/side/rear of the turret - 55/30/20 mm (45/45/45 mm)
Gun mantlet - 80 mm (40 mm)

Weapons:
Gun - 75 mm / 28 cal. (76 mm / 30.5 cal)
Machine guns - 4 x 8 mm (2 x 7.62 mm)

Propulsion system:
In 1942-48, four modifications of the strv m/42 were produced, differing in the type of transmission (electric, mechanical, hydraulic) and the type of engine (either a Scania-Vabis 603 twin, 160 hp or one Volvo A8B - 380 hp. ). The T-34 of the first releases, as is known, was equipped with a V-2 engine with a power of 500 hp.

Maximum highway speed:
42-45 km/h (52 km/h), but where then, in Sweden or in the USSR, can we take so many highways.

Thus, strv m/42, as a level V ST, is the only logical solution. And with the sixth level, to which the developers put strv 74, everything is also logical. But the very history of the appearance of this tank requires some explanation.

In 1948, production of the strv m/42 was discontinued with the release of the 282nd tank of the Strv m/42 TV modification. By that time, the Swedish army had about 800 tanks in service, quite a lot, but the military understood that in a modern war this rather impressive fleet was uncompetitive.

Strv m/42 with an experimental turret and a 75mm/37 cal gun.

Several ways to solve the problem were considered.

Firstly, in 1944-47 Landsverk carried out promising developments of a medium 25-30-ton tank and a tank destroyer with a 105mm gun based on it, known under the general name Leo. However, in 1947 the army ordered all development to be stopped, since the proposed performance characteristics no longer satisfied it. The development of these devices has not even reached the mock-up stage. Looking ahead, I’ll say that the guys from Wargaming placed Leo at level 7.

Secondly, in 1947-48, the option of purchasing American M4 Sherman tanks was considered. The United States planed almost 55,000 of them during the war and, after the end of hostilities, offered them to almost anyone at prices not much different from the price of scrap metal. But after analyzing the performance characteristics of the Shermans, the Swedes came to the conclusion that this tank is no better than the strv m/42 (well, if you don’t take into account the M4A3E8).

Thirdly, the option of installing a new turret with a more powerful 75 mm gun with a barrel length of 37 cal. on the strv m/42 was considered. The idea of a new turret was implemented later, at a different quality level.

Fourth and fifth - the purchase of imported tanks. First, in 1950, Sweden approached Great Britain with a request for the possibility of acquiring a Centurion Mark III tank with an 83 mm gun. The British did not refuse, but reported that due to the fact that they themselves were undergoing a massive rearmament of tank units, deliveries could begin only in 1958. The Swedes, of course, were not happy with this option. Therefore, at the beginning of 1952, in deep secrecy, a deal was made to purchase the light French tank AMX 13 (this tank had just entered service with the French army and the post-war French tank industry desperately needed foreign contracts), testing of which continued for two years. The Swedish military was delighted with the new product. The small tank carried weapons similar to those carried by the best medium tanks of the time, carried significantly better armor than similar weights, was very mobile and had a range of 400 km - about 2 times more than any other tank, then in service around the world.

Strv 81
Aka Centuriom Mk 3. A total of 350 “centurions” were delivered from Great Britain to Sweden in 1953-60, the last of which were withdrawn from service in the early 2000s. Also, for use as moving targets in the mid-1990s, 16 decommissioned Centurion Mk 7 tanks were purchased in Switzerland

Everything was heading towards signing a contract for the supply of 300-400 tanks, but then the British suddenly woke up and in December 1952 offered the Swedes to purchase Centurions from them (perhaps this was due to the fact that England did not intend to fight with anyone in the coming years - the war in Korea was over and there was no need to rush into massive deliveries of these tanks to the troops). At this time, another introduction arose - protection from the damaging effects of a nuclear explosion. The results of testing French and British tanks showed that the AMX-13 cannot operate in a nuclear war, while the Centurion can withstand a shock wave and its armor protects the crew well from radiation. But then a financial problem arose. With funds allocated by the Swedish government, the army could only afford 80 “centurions” (the contract was signed on December 31, 1952, and the first tanks were received on May 2, 1953). But this was too little, so other options for solving the problem began to be considered. One of them was the installation of a turret from the AMX 13 on the strv m/42. However, this option was rejected from the very beginning for the most trivial reason - the linear diameter of the "French" turret was significantly larger than that of the strv m/42, which itself was a narrow tank. Accordingly, no mock-ups or prototypes were made - the Swedish engineers were already clear about the impossibility of this solution.

AMX 13 testing in Sweden

At this time, the star of the Swedish tank engineer Sven Berge (1919-2004) was rising, who, since 1951, had been developing a promising medium tank under the code name EMIL, but in 1953 the direct question of the military “How long will it take to create a new tank?” Breguet answered honestly that at least 7 years. He was a little mistaken, but for the better: in 1959, these developments would result in a project for the most unusual post-war tank, next to which even the Armata looks archaic. I am of course referring to the famous "Swedish tank" - str 103. Therefore, Berge proposed to develop a new turret for the strv m/42 based on the experience gained during testing of the Centurion. It turned out that the total modernization of the strv m/42 would cost three times less than the purchase of an AMX 13, despite the fact that the combat qualities of the “new product” would not be inferior to the “French”.

Str 74 on the march.
The apparent absurdity of the proportions is not in fact evidence of distortion of the proportions of the image - strv m/42 and Str 74, as mentioned above, were very narrow. "Centurions" were a meter wider.

Str 74 is truly a beautiful device.

So it was created in 1955, and in 1957 Str 74 went into service with the troops. In addition to the tower, radio equipment, transmissions, and optics were modernized. The tank received a new 75 mm gun with a length of 56.5 cal. - twice as long as it was on strv m/42. This weapon made it possible to hit enemy tanks at a direct fire distance of up to 1000 meters. A total of 225 tanks were converted and served in the Swedish army until 1984. The old towers were installed on the coast of Sweden, and after 1984 new towers joined them.

Thus, the strv m/42-52, INVENTED by the “developers” from Wargaming, never existed even in projects. Those who are developing the tanks themselves wanted to cheat specifically, which is what they did AGAIN.

In fact, if they wanted to kill the Prem, they would have to use another tank, produced in Sweden in the 1940s, which has not yet been mentioned above.

strv m/41 first series

We are talking about Strv m/41. In 1939, Sweden ordered 200 of the latest CKD LT vz.38 light tanks from Czechoslovakia. However, the Germans who occupied the Czech Republic did not allow the order to be completed - they themselves needed these tanks for the outbreak of war, but the Swedes, after long negotiations (even the king took part in them), persuaded the Germans to allow them to buy a license, with which the chief designer of CKD Alexey Surin was sincerely happy ( he had been collaborating with the Swedes for a long time.The first Swedish production tank, strv m/37, was designed by a Russian engineer). However, the Germans prevented the transfer of a complete set of documentation (there were interesting technological know-how), then Surin sent a courier to Sweden with a part of the documentation classified by the Germans under the guise of a tourist.

Ice

Production of the strv m/41 was carried out at the Svania-Vabis factories, from where the Swedish army received the first strv m/41 at the end of 1942. These tanks had the same weapons as the m/38-40, but were larger (weight reached 11 tons) and slightly better armored - 25 mm front hull and turret, 15 mm sides and rear. Despite the fact that the engine was the same as that of the strv m/38-40, and the suspension was more archaic, the speed on the highway was still the same 48 km/h. In October 1943, deliveries of the strv m/41 of the second series began. The tank was slightly lengthened (literally by 6.5 cm), its gas tank capacity increased, but the main differences were the 50mm thick frontal armor and a more powerful Scania-Vabis 603 engine (160 hp). A total of 220 of these tanks were delivered to Swedish mechanized units, all of which served safely until 1962, when they were rebuilt into Pbv 301 armored personnel carriers, which served for another 8 years. But that's a completely different story. It should also be noted that on the basis of the strv m/41, Scania developed the Sav m/43 assault self-propelled gun, armed with a 105 mm howitzer. A total of 36 self-propelled guns were built, despite numerous problems, which were more than kindly received by the troops. But about them in a separate post.

Why does strv m/41 qualify for Tier III premium? Because with exactly the same performance characteristics as the strv m/40K, by definition it will have slightly higher HP and because it will be quite difficult to put it directly into the branch of Swedish tanks.

Strv 103
My photo

As for levels 7-10, here I have the feeling that the Wargaming developers simply went into the astral plane, putting the Strv 103 in the tank destroyer branch and placing completely hypothetical tanks on 4 steps, only some of which reached the mock-up stage. The point is that the “secret” history of the Swedish post-war tank industry is very interesting, but in reality only the “Swedish tank” Strv 103 and the licensed German “Leopard II” were brought to mass production. Everything else is self-propelled guns, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. However, there were many projects, it’s true. In my mind, the Centurion (or something from the developments of the 1950s - for example, Lancer) should have been placed on the 7th level, this too on the 8th, the Strv 103 on the 9th, and the promising Swedish tank developed in the 70s on the 10th and known as Strv 2000

This is one of the images of this device, there were others, completely different.

Instead, the developers stuffed tanks into levels 7-10, which at best reached the prototyping level, completely forgot about the Centurion, and dragged the Strv 103 into the self-propelled guns branch. But we'll figure this out later.

Summary - if I start downloading the Swedish branch of light-medium tanks, I will stop at Strv 74. Because I’m not a big fan of fairy tales, especially poorly written ones.