Hello WOTers!
Three years ago, on April 1st, the information about the first wheeled self-propelled howitzer in the game, the D-series VIII gold coin gun Sd.Kfz.1337(G), was released for the first time! Although the developers quickly "clarified" that this was just an April Fool's joke, and there are no relevant development plans for the time being, this leaves endless room for everyone to reverie: is there a wheeled gun in history that is suitable for the game's setting?
According to the assumption at the time, the Sd.Kfz.1337(G) would not only have the direct/Hawkeye dual mode of conventional artillery, but also the high mobility of a wheeled tank, and the agility of the IS-3A's 5-burst reverse drum!
- 弹种：HE/HEAT
- Wear depth: 39/240 mm
- Single damage: 690/420 points
- Reload time of a single shell (from empty drum): 12/13.37/14.74/16.25/18 seconds
- Short reload time: 4.4 seconds
- Pitch angle: -3/+75 degrees
- Turret armor: 245/120/80 mm
- Hull armor: 50/20/20 mm
- Maximum forward/reverse speed: 70/45 km/h
▲ In fact, it's just the 3D style of Hatch Chase EBR!
The above data are all from the April Fool's Day trick news at the time, and it can be seen from these key parameters that high mobility + drum cannon is the key feature of the so-called "wheeled artillery", isn't this an improved version of the "check gun"! As a balance of stronger maneuverability and output, we can consider reducing its unit power and steering ability (such as similar to F-series wheel battles, the body speed is slower, the turning radius is large, and it cannot turn in place) The turret is limited to a certain range of forward rotation, and gives the gun a lower trajectory, reducing its ability to hit anti-slope targets, forcing the commander to be more active in finding favorable firing positions.
As you may know, the concept of wheeled artillery, including truck guns, did not begin to gain full attention until the 90s, after which equipment such as the French "Caesar", the Swedish "Archer", the Continental PLL-09 and PCL-161/171/181 series were gradually developed, but they were still too advanced for gaming. So, are there any wheeled guns in history that fit the game's premise? Not to mention, there were really a lot of designs in the 40-90s that could be suitable candidates!
菲亚特634N(102/35)
Italy
In 1941, the Italian army in North Africa used Fiat 634A trucks and 102mm naval anti-aircraft guns to modify seven improvised truck guns, which could carry out indirect long-range fire support, direct anti-tank and anti-aircraft missions, and showed great efficiency in actual combat. The car uses 4 * 2 drive, the fastest speed can run 41 km / h, the unit power is 12.9 hp / ton, the equipped 102/35 gun can shoot in all directions, the maximum elevation angle of 90 degrees. In the game, it can consider sacrificing the omnidirectional fire range and replacing it with the 102/40 gun of the "Basotho" to make a V~VI single-shot self-propelled gun, which features low damage per shot but a fast rate of fire.
T19 105-mm self-propelled howitzer
United States
During the period from 1941 to 1942, the United States developed a self-propelled gun T19 equipped with a 105-mm M2A1 short-barreled howitzer based on the M3 half-track, which was produced as a transitional equipment before the M7 "Priest" entered service. The T19 HMC has a unit power of 14.7 hp/ton and a top speed of 72 km/h. The gun has a range of 20 degrees to the left and right, and can be pitched in the range of -5/+35 degrees. Similar to the Fiat 634N truck gun above, the caliber of the gun is close, and the T19 HMC, which also uses single-shot shots, is also a good seedling for V~VI class self-propelled guns.
▲ Half-track car can be regarded as half a wheeled car!
BK1990 (122)
China
BK1990 is the scientific research vehicle of Inner Mongolia Yiji Group at the end of the 90s, and BK is the abbreviation of Baotou + scientific research. Inheriting most of the characteristics of the BK1970, the number of axles was increased, and it became an 8*8 chassis, with a 105-line/high-pressure 120 slide, and a 122 mm PL96 howitzer, using a turret shape quite similar to the later PLL-09, also using manual loading. There is less information about the car, but it is reported that the maximum speed is 90 km/h and the unit power is around 17 hp/ton. According to the positioning of the game, it is possible to continue the historical single-shot shooting, or it can be "magically modified" to create an automatic loader as a self-propelled gun of level VII~VIII.
"Dana" 152-mm self-propelled howitzer
Czechoslovakia
Unveiled in 1977, the "Dana" is the world's first wheeled artillery in the true sense, in the middle of the 8*8 Taitora 815 truck chassis, an unmanned fighting compartment is installed, accommodating a 36.6 times the diameter of the 152 mm howitzer, a 36-round capacity automatic loader and the remaining 24 rounds of spare ammunition, with a burst rate of fire of 4 rounds per minute, an elevation angle of -4/+70 degrees, and a firing range of ± 45 degrees. Both HE can be used for fire support, and HEAT for anti-tank. The heavy truck chassis brings good maneuverability, and the "Dana" has a unit power of 15 hp/ton and a maximum speed of 80 km/h, which can be used as an excellent Tier IX gun in the game!
G6 "Rhino" 155-mm self-propelled howitzer
South Africa
The development of the G6 began in the late 70s to replace the outdated "Si Shi", and it officially entered service in 1988 with a total production of 134 units. Its design, which was directly influenced by the "Dana", used a 6 x 6 mine-resistant chassis with a power compartment in the middle and a fighting compartment in the rear, with a rotatable angle of ±40 degrees, accommodating a 155 mm L / 45 gun (later a modernized modification of the 155 L / 52 gun) and a crew of 4 guns. 41 rounds of spare ammunition are placed in the ammunition rack below. The G6 has a unit power of only 11.2 hp/t, but a maximum speed of 90 km/h!
The above is a collection of wheeled guns that meet the game time settings for you in this issue, but in all fairness, due to many factors such as tank balance and map design, it is unlikely that you will see this novel car type implemented in the short term. As a chariot chatting, it should be used as a brick to lead the way, and Bojun is happy. What do you think of wheeled artillery? Feel free to leave your views in the comment section!