The 105 mm cannon was arranged in the hull front with a limited traverse in a spherical mantle with 12 inch (305 mm) armor.Įach track was a twin unit consisting of two complete HVSS units, with the outer tracks on each side separable and removable to reduce the width and weight of the vehicle for transport by rail or on confined roads. The turtle-shaped superstructure (hence the name ‘turtle’) had a vision cupola for the commander, topped by an anti-aircraft machine gun on a ring mount.
There was a boom at the rear to load ammunition into the combat compartment. The hull was a cast construction with a length of two thirds of the track and oriented towards the rear of the tank. In a certain way it resembled the British Tortoise, but had some innovations. The T28/T95 was the heaviest American tank construction in World War II and also one of the most unusual. Nor were any production orders placed, although series production was temporarily planned in case the war against Japan had continued. Thus, the tests with the prototypes were not carried out until after the end of the war, with the second vehicle being destroyed by fire during its test drives.ĭue to the successful development of the T29 heavy battle tank, work on the T28/T95 project was discontinued in October 1947. With the cessation of hostilities against Japan, the order for the prototypes was reduced to only two, the first being completed in September 1945. While work was still going on the first vehicle, the designation was changed to 105 mm Gun Motor Carriage T95 in March 1945, as the gun was not in a turret but in the fuselage. The American Army Service Forces granted approval for the T28 in April 1944, but demanded that a mechanical drive be used instead of the electric transmission of the T23.įive prototypes of the final design were ordered by Pacific Car & Foundry. It was proposed to use the newly developed 105 mm gun T5E1, which had a high muzzle velocity. This heavy tank should have an armor plating of 8 inch (203 mm) and should be based on the chassis and the mechanical components of the medium tank T23.
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