T14 Assault Tank (MM04)

T14 Assault Tank (MM04) Development When America entered the war in late 1941 they and the British immediately got together to consider tank designs. The Americans learned from the British tank combat experience, while the British examined American tank designs to see how they fit their requirements. In September 1941 the British had expressed interest in a heavier tank after their experiences in the desert and teething problems with their new Churchill tank.

At the same time the US Ordnance Department had been advocating the adoption of heavier tanks for the US Army. The T14 assault tank was seen as the solution for both these needs. The US Ordnance Department started design work on a tank that shared many features with the M6 heavy tank and incorporated the British requirements. With design work on the new M4 Sherman medium tank nearing completion, the design shared many features of this tank. The new tank had the transmission of the M4 Sherman and the standard Ford GAZ tank engine. However, due to its weight, the drive was geared down so its top speed was slower than the M4. The main armament was identical to that of the Sherman and tracks and suspension were those of the M6 heavy tank.

In March 1942 a new British Tank Mission signed an agreement for 8,500 T14 tanks, pending further design work. The first two prototype T14 assault tanks were completed in 1943. Hypothetical Combat Service During the fighting in Sicily in July 1943 a British infantry tank battalion fielded the new T14 assault tank. Its thick armour proved vital in heavy fighting against German Tiger and Panzer IV tanks and StuG assault guns. Impressed with the T14 assault tank’s staying power in Sicily, American ground commanders had the next shipment intended to form another British tank battalion diverted to the US independent tank battalions fighting in Italy.

T14 Specifications Designation  Tank, Assault, T14  Crew 5 (cdr, gnr, ldr, dvr, co-dvr) Weight 84,000lb/38,1024kg Length 20’4”/6.20m Height 9’1”/2.77m Width 10’3”/3.12m Armament 1 x M3 75mm tank gun; 2 x Browning .30 cal machine-guns Armour Thickness 19mm to 103mm Engine Ford GAZ V-8 petrol; 1100cu in/18 litre, 520 hp Suspension Horizontal volute double bogie Maximum Speed 22 mph/35km/h Road Radius 100 miles/160km Vertical Obstacle 2’1”/0.67m Trench Crossing 9’/2.7m

Design Features Designed as a British-style infantry support tank, the T14 assault tank is well armoured, adequately armed, and slow. This makes it ideal for its planned role of advancing ahead of infantry attacks to knock out machine-guns and pin down the enemy. In Flames Of War The T14 assault tank is as well armoured as a Tiger tank and mounts the reliable and effective M3 75mm gun of the M4 Sherman tank. ROF 2; Anti-tank 10; Firepower 3+ Front 9; Side 5; Top 2

Replacing Standard Equipment In US Service The US Army uses M4 Sherman-equipped independent tank battalions for infantry support. These units were very happy to have a more heavily-armoured tank, even in small quantities. Any US company may replace up to half of the M4 Sherman medium tanks in each Tank Platoon and any or all tanks in the Company HQ with T14 assault tanks armed with .50 cal AA MG for +25 points per tank.

Jumbos Lead the Way These T14 ‘Jumbo’ tanks (the name would later be used for the M4A3E2 assault tank as well) were used to lead advances, taking advantage of their greater survivability. When shooting at a US Tank Platoon with T14 assault tanks: Treat T14 assault tanks and M4 Sherman tanks as if they have the same armour ratings for the Hit Weakest Armour First rule (page 70 of the rulebook). This allows the US player to allocate hits to the T14 assault tanks before the M4 Sherman tanks. Treat T14 assault tanks and M4 Sherman tanks as having the same chassis, making them only distinguishable using the Gun Tanks rule (page 68 of the rulebook). The shooting player can attempt to choose which type of tank they hit using this rule. Design by Evan Allen Painted by Jeremy Painter