M103

The M103 was a forgettable heavy tank design of the Cold War.

Designation: M103
Classification Type: Heavy Tank
Contractor: Chrysler Detroit Tank Plant - USA
Country of Origin: United States
Initial Year of Service: 1954

With the Cold War in full bloom, design of heavy tanks for the United States
Army increased in an effort to mimic the success of the World War Two /
Korean War-era M26 Pershing Heavy Tank (detailed elsewhere on this site).
The resulting M103 would become a limited and somewhat forgettable attempt
at building a likely successor, with the system being phased out of service
by the 1960's.

The M103 was a mammoth tank design delivering armor protection and firepower
at the expense of sheer size and speed. Stemming from the T43 trial version,
the system evolved into the T43E1 which became the standardized M103. Main
armament consisted of the heavy caliber rifled 120mm main gun mounted
alongside a conventional 7.62mm coaxial mount in the turret. The commander
was afforded a heavy caliber 12.7mm machine gun at his cupola, but this was
externally mounted and classified as an air defense weapon. Ammunition
supply for all guns was ample and five crew were required for optimal
operation. Along with the driver and commander, there was the standard
gunner along with two loaders.

Despite the formidable array of arms, the system was dogged by reliability
problems, a short road range and its sheer size. In the temperate and hilly
terrain of Europe, the M103 faired below expectations. It's size alone made
the system very difficult to conceal along the Cold War fronts throughout
Europe. A new engine, bringing the road range from the measly 80 miles to
over 300 miles was implemented in what would become the M103A2 but it was
not meant to be. The M103 was dissolved from service with the United States
Army in a few short years, bringing an end to the new generation of M103
Heavy Tank.

Variants:
T43 - Prototype Model Designation
M103 - Standardized Designation for Production Models.
M103A2 - Engine refit increasing maximum road range from 80 miles to 300
miles.

Specifications:
Dimensions:
Length: 37.14ft (11.32m)
Width:12.34ft (3.76m)
Height: 9.45ft (2.88m)
Performance:
Speed: 21mph (34km/h)
Range: 81miles (130km)

Structure:
Accommodation: 5
Weight: 62.5 US Short Tons (56,699kg)
Systems:
NBC Protection: None
Nightvision: None
Power:
Engine(s): 1 x Continental AV-1790-5B OR AV-1790-7C V-12 petrol engine
generating 810hp.

Armament & Ammunition:

1 x 120mm main gun
1 x 7.62mm coaxial machine gun
1 x 12.7mm air-defense machine gun

Ammunition:
38 x 120mm projectiles
5,250 x 7.62mm ammunition
1,000 x 12.7mm ammunition