M42A3 Jackson Support Tank


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Weight : 48 short tons (44 long tons)
Length : Gun forward: 26 feet (7.9m)
Hull length: 21 ft (6.4m)
Width: 10 ft (3.04 m)
Height: 9.5 ft (2.9 m)
Crew: 4 (commander, driver, gunner, gunner)
Armor: Sloped hardened Armor Steel
Primary armament: 1 x 90mm M3 (48 rounds ready, 40-80 rounds stored)

Secondary armament: 2 x .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2HB heavy machine gun, 4000 rounds (1100 pounds), 1 coaxial, 1 hull
2 x .30 Caliber machine gun, 6000 rounds (420 pounds)

1 x 60mm Mortar, 45 rounds, external

Engine: 2x Ford GAA V8 gasoline engine; 800 hp (336 kW) at 2,600 rpm
Power/weight: 17.5 hp/metric ton
Transmission: Spicer manual synchromesh transmission, 5 forward and 1 reverse gears

Suspension Torsion bar: Vertical volute spring suspension (VVSS) or horizontal volute spring suspension (HVSS)
Ground clearance : 0.48 m (1 ft 7 in) (M1, M1A1) 0.43 m (1 ft 5 in)
Fuel capacity: 230 US gallons (875 liters)
Operational range: 150 miles
Speed Road: 22–30 mph (35–48 km/h)
Off-road: 22–30 mph (35–48 km/h)


Description: The vehicle is designed to closely mimic the armor thickness of the M4A3E2 Sherman, but makes extensive use of sloped and spaced armor, and has a completely different hull and body than the Sherman, despite the tracks, engine, and aiming system being based on the vehicle. The vehicle also sports an automated, auto-loading 90mm turret designed both for light infantry support and anti-aircraft work, as well as for use against vehicles. The frontal arc of the tank is 4 inches thick, and sloped at a 20 degree angle, giving a relative thickness that is 2.92 times thicker, or approximately equivalent to 12 inches thick when struck at a 90 degree angle. The high degree of sloping increases the relative thickness of the armor when hit with a round fired straight at it, and at longer ranges where a round will be at higher angles, the drop in velocity from the cartridge weakens it's power inherently, not requiring an angled surface. The vehicle has approximately the same dimensions in thickness as an M4A3 Jumbo Sherman, but offers a much greater slope, which increases the relative armor thickness and increases the chance of deflection. The side armor has a 30 degree slope, and most of the armor makes extensive use of raised spaced armor slats, designed to prematurely detonate SQUASH or Shaped charge warheads, for protection against explosive anti-tank rounds, or to cause hardened armor piercing rounds to tumble and fragment before entering in the armor below. The armor slats are also easier to replace over time when damage is incurred, and protect the primary armor from sustained damage from small arms, such as .50 caliber or .30 caliber rounds, being around .5 an inch to 1 inch thick depending on location. It also protects against the effects of spalling to a lesser degree, particularly against smaller caliber cartridges (such as the 8mm anti-tank round). The vehicle has ceramic tiles on the surface of the main armor, under the armor slats, which helps to deform and fragment the incoming rounds, and behaves in a similiar manner to sandbag protection, but is much smaller. Against repeated impacts the tiles are easily cracked or destroyed, but are protected against small arms and fragmentation with the outer slat armor, allowing them to be avoid being damaged until facing off against more powerful cartridges.

The interior crew area of the vehicle has a slightly smaller space than the Sherman, but given it's larger main gun, heavier armor and use of two engines, the vehicle itself is substantially larger and bigger. The vehicle uses two, twin turbocharged GAA V8 gasoline engines, which combined produce up to 800 horsepower, and is similiar to the engine used in the M4 Sherman Jumbo tank or M36 Tank destroyer. An additional 100 horsepower engine is used to help power the external accessories of the vehicle, such as the autoloading and aiming feature of the main gun and provide extra torque to the wheels when trying to clear obstacles, utilizing the same cooling, air intake and other systems of the vehicle. The engines are placed in the front behind the thickest armor, providing as much protection to the crew as possible. Despite it's large size and power, the vehicle is rather slow given it's weight, like the M4 Jumbo, and it is primarily designed as a support tank for infantry despite the large gun; it is surprisingly fast at accelerating up to 20 mph, and makes a good flanking vehicle, but it consumes a large amount of fuel to do so. The vehicle possesses the same basic wheels and tracks as the Sherman, which makes it easy to repair and maintain in the field. The large 90mm gun, while more powerful than either than 75mm or 76mm, is only marginally better at piercing armor when not using the more powerful armor piercing discarding sabot rounds. While capable of penetrating the majority of German tanks, the rarity of the rounds and their price makes their use uncommon, and the small number of german tanks which require these rounds makes it largely unnecessary. While better for anti-tank purposes, the 90mm gun provides substantially better infantry support, and has limited anti-aircraft capabilities, which makes it far better as a support weapon, with marginally better anti-tank capabilities most of the time. While it has a longer range than the 75mm or 76mm, this is rarely utilized, given the lack of optical tracking devices which allow for the accuracy needed to take advantage of this. The vehicle does have infrared optical devices however, and a large scope, which makes it better than many other vehicles for long range engagement. Given the high angle of fire and large size of the cartridge, it can easily serve as light artillery to support infantry, being more powerful than the 75mm howitzer and almost as powerful as the 105mm, while around the same power as the 88mm 25 pounder used by the British.

The 90mm gun is automated, featuring an autoloader and automatic aiming system, being controlled by electronics like the Quad .50 Caliber Maxson machine gun mount. This allows it to be aimed up at the sky, and it has a maximum elevation of 85 degrees, with a minimum elevation of -15 degrees, aiming down. The gun is more versatile than comparative tank guns, and can be more easily aimed at targets at long range or at odd angles, such as inside of buildings or low to the ground. However it is also less reliable, and frequently requires repairs and maintenance, in addition to an entirely separate, second engine to operate. Approximately 48 rounds are stored in the turret, with the option for another 40-80 rounds stored internally. Typically 40 rounds are stored, as with 80 rounds soldiers can only enter or exit the vehicle through the turret hatch, which is harder to get in to, or after removing the rounds first. A .50 caliber machine gun with 2000 rounds is also stored co-axially to the main gun, which increases it's anti-aircraft capabilities, and is useful against lightly armored vehicles, infantry, and buildings. Another .50 caliber and .30 caliber machine gun are mounted in the vehicle, for use internally by the crew. With the need for a manual loader removed, the crew is reduced only to 4, with two gunners, a driver, and a commander. Soldiers do not need to expose themselves to use the machine gun, which is based internally and can be operated remotely. Soldiers can look through periscopes in order to operate the machine guns, which are also electronically actuated like in the Maxson machine gun. The gunner can be used to reload the turret, but reloads an automatic conveyor belt instead.