Official designation: AMX 40
Alternative designation: Char Moyen AMX40
Start of design: 1939
Date of construction of the first prototype:
Completion stage: the project was canceled after the surrender of France.
Command French army Only at the beginning of the Second World War did it come to the conclusion that tanks should not only have powerful armor, but also have good speed characteristics. Experience combat use even less protected combat vehicles, such as the BT-5, T-26, Pz.II and Pz.III, clearly proved that without them, waging a modern war would be extremely difficult. However, until 1939, the army insisted on creating infantry escort tanks, since French military doctrine only provided for positional battles. The realization that it would not be possible to win the war with such technology came too late. And yet, in 1939-1940. several specifications were issued for the creation of light, medium and heavy tanks, which led to the emergence of very promising projects.
One of these developments was medium tank AMX 40, the design of which began in March 1940 by engineers from the Issy-les-Moulineaux workshops. This tank was intended for quick breakthroughs and, according to old specifications, was more consistent with a “cavalry” tank. It was planned that in 1941-1942. it will be able to replace the SOMUA S-35 and S-40 medium tanks. During its creation, several technological innovations were used that had not previously been used on French tanks. The armor plates of the hull were placed at rational angles of inclination, the hull of which had practically no right angles. The frontal armor reached 60 mm, the side armor - 30-50 mm, the rear armor plates had a thickness of 40 mm.
Chassis was strikingly different from standard multi-wheeled chassis with open suspension units, for a long time used by the French in tank building. For one side, the undercarriage, covered with an armored shield, consisted of four road wheels with a diameter of 82 cm, a front guide wheel and a rear drive wheel. The engineers envisaged the use of a wheeled-tracked propulsion system, similar to that used on Soviet BT and American tanks Christy, that’s why the drive was made on two rear wheels. The fuel tanks were located above the chassis, and since the tank had to be equipped diesel engine power 160 hp its fuel was difficult to ignite.
The AMX-40 crew consisted of three people: commander, driver and loader. The main armament of the AMX-40 was placed in an egg-shaped turret, which the crew could only enter through a single hatch with a diameter of only 60 cm in its rear part. In order not to disturb the purity of external forms, a periscope was provided to observe the surrounding environment.
As you can see, the French engineers who worked on the AMX-40 came as close as possible to creating a tank similar to the Soviet T-34, but here the gunsmiths let them down. The fact is that throughout the interwar period, medium tanks were armed with 25-mm or 47-mm cannons, which were not suitable for fighting the German Pz.III and Pz.IV tanks, which became more and more numerous every month. French engineers failed to create a reliable weapon with a caliber of more than 50 mm until June 1940, so the AMX-40 had to be equipped with a 47 mm SA 35 cannon and two 7.5 mm machine guns. It is noteworthy that the second machine gun was located in the housing behind the turret and was intended for air defense. The ammunition load was 156 rounds and 30 magazines for machine guns.
Of course, the French did not know that they had only two months to build and test the prototype, and during this time it was impossible to complete such a volume of work. Before the truce it was possible to prepare preliminary design, however, in July 1940 the design was stopped.
Sources:
Chars Francais: 1940 CHAR MOYEN AMX 40
Color profile: Laurent Lecocq
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEDIUM TANK
AMX 40 model 1940
| COMBAT WEIGHT | ~20000 kg |
| CREW, people | 3 |
| DIMENSIONS | |
| Length, mm | 5300 |
| Width, mm | ~2000 |
| Height, mm | 2450 |
| Ground clearance, mm | |
| WEAPONS | one 47 mm SA35 cannon and two 7.5 mm MAC1931 machine guns |
| AMMUNITION | 165 rounds and 30 magazines for machine guns |
| AIMING DEVICES | |
| RESERVATION | body forehead – 60 mm body side – 30-50 mm hull rear – 40 mm tower – 60 mm roof - ? bottom - ? |
| ENGINE | diesel, 160 hp |
| TRANSMISSION | mechanical type |
| CHASSIS | (on one side) 4 road wheels, rear drive and front idler wheels |
| SPEED | ~40 km/h |
| HIGHWAY RANGE | ~200 km |
| OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME | |
| Elevation angle, degrees. | |
| Wall height, m | |
| Fording depth, m | |
| Ditch width, m | |
| MEANS OF COMMUNICATION | |
Review of video guide tank AMX 40 World of Tanks
The AMX 40 tank is a representative of level 4 and has. For the AMX 40, the guide, which will be described below, is of an informative nature; in battle it is recommended to act depending on the current situation in battle. The tank did not take part in real combat, since the project was stopped during design. This model will not take much time to upgrade, and further development will be represented by a single variant in the form of .
For AMX 40, World of Tanks became the only gaming arena where this tank was implemented. It has the best armor at its level, however, it has weak weapons and very low speed and dynamics. Main firepower is provided by a 75 mm gun with a penetration of 74 mm and damage of 110 HP. The rate of fire is 10 rounds per minute. Despite this good indicator, the weapon is wildly inaccurate. Therefore, it is quite difficult to hit the enemy.
The maximum speed is 20 mph, and the reverse reserve is 8 mph. The weight reaches 25 tons, and the visibility is 340 meters.
The armor of the tank is:
- Body: forehead - 70 mm, sides - 65 mm, pocket - 40 mm.
- Turret: front - 80 mm, side - 60 mm, rear of the turret - 60 mm.
- Rammer - reduces reload time;
- Vertical aiming stabilizer - allows you to improve the accuracy and alignment of the sight;
- Improved ventilation - improves crew skills.
- repair kit;
- Lend-Lease oil;
- first aid kit
Crew.
- Commander: light bulb, eagle eye, military brotherhood, radio interception, repeater;
- Gunner: desperate, sniper, brotherhood, smooth turret rotation, intuition;
- Driver mechanic: off-road king, virtuoso, military brotherhood, smooth running, master of the ram;
Weak spots.
The AMX 40 is a heavily armored vehicle, so it is quite difficult to determine the weak points for the AMX 40, but they still exist. First weak point is the driver's observation window, which is located strictly under the tower. The second weak point is the so-called “bump”, which is located on the tower. Well, the third place, respectively, is the hull, aft projection. That is, punching this model into the stern is not so difficult.
Comparison of equipment
If we take into account the comparison of technology, the AMX 40 occupies the very last position among similar models. The first line belongs to the Chinese, the second position went to the German. The fourth position has two contenders: Soviet and German.
Battle tactics.
In terms of tactical use, the AMX 40 is characterized by a defensive style of play. You can also use the style of supporting allies, but now you need to be in the first row of attackers, since the armor allows you to take on enemy fire. It is highly not recommended to fire at the enemy at long range, since it is very difficult to hit with the existing gun.
In accordance with the NATO single tank program, it was planned to build prototypes of French and West German designs, conduct their comparative tests and put them into service best car. Ultimately, this plan also failed: different tanks entered service with the armies of the two countries: in West Germany - Leopard-1, in France - AMX-30.
The characteristics of both cars are similar, they are even similar in appearance. However, if the Leopard-1 was considered as a defense tank, the AMX-30 was planned to be used primarily as an offensive tank. By the end of the 1960s ground troops France was supposed to have only mechanized units equipped exclusively with armored vehicles - infantry fighting vehicles, cannon armored vehicles and main battle tanks. The command of the armed forces professed a purely offensive military doctrine.
Supplement to the magazine "MODEL CONSTRUCTION"
The AMX-32 tank received a new turret, while the chassis was inherited from the AMX-30. The next logical step seemed to be the modification of the hull, power plant and chassis. This step was the first prototype of the AMX-40 tank, first demonstrated in 1983 at the Satori exhibition.
Like the AMX-32, the AMX-40 tank was developed by GIAT on its own initiative at its own expense. The hull's armor was greatly enhanced through the use of multi-layer armor. The chassis had six, and not five, as on the AMX-30 and AMX-32, road wheels per side; hydraulic shock absorbers are mounted on the first, second and sixth suspension units of the road wheels. The power plant included a turbocharged 12-cylinder Poyot V12X diesel engine with an output of 1,100 hp. and a West German ZF automatic transmission. At the rear of the hull there were attachment points for two external drop-down fuel tanks (external tanks were included in the tank’s fuel system) or two containers for ammunition (seven 120-mm rounds in each).
A total of four prototypes were assembled: two at the pilot plant and two at the serial plant in Roanne. The fourth prototype was shown at Satori-85. The latest vehicles were equipped with an improved turret with 120-mm French smoothbore guns with 38 rounds of ammunition (14 “first shots” are in the turret). Auxiliary weapons remained the same, but remote control A 7.62 mm machine gun was not installed. Optical instruments and the fire control devices are completely identical to those installed on the AMX-32 tank. In addition, the latest vehicles received French ESM-500 automatic transmissions, and in the front of the fourth prototype there was equipment for mounting a bulldozer blade.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the AMX-40 tank
| Crew, people | 4 |
| Length with gun forward, m | 10,04 |
| Hull length, m | 6,80 |
| Width, m | 3,28 |
| Tower roof height, m | 2,38 |
| Ground clearance, m | 0,45 |
| Combat weight, t | 43 |
| Maximum speed on the highway, km/h | 70 |
| Cruising range on the highway, km | 600 |
| Obstacles to be overcome: | |
| slope | 60% |
| wall height, m | 0,93 |
| trench width, m | 2.89 |
| ford depth, m: | |
| without preparation | 1,30 |
| With preparation | 2,20 |
| with OPVT | 4,00 |
Economic calculations showed that it makes sense to start serial production of new tanks if the number of vehicles ordered is at least 50. An order of this volume was not received. The company did not count on a “national” order; the most likely possibility was that Spain would purchase AMX-40 tanks. In 1987, the AMX-40 was driven at training grounds for advertising purposes. Saudi Arabia, where its competitors in the tender for the main battle tank were the American M1A1 Abrams, the British Challenger and the Brazilian Osorio. The “demonstration” tank has undergone modernization. A second turbocharger was installed on it.
The AMX-40 tank was developed by the French tank industry specifically for export. It was first demonstrated at the arms exhibition in Satori in 1983. In 1986, AMX-40 tanks underwent field testing in Abu Dhabi, and in 1987 they participated in a competition for the supply of tanks to Saudi Arabia. There is no information about the start of mass production of the tank.
Despite the use of many components and assemblies of the AMX-32 tank in the design of the AMX-40 tank, in general it is a new combat vehicle.
The tank is made according to the classic layout scheme. The hull and turret have a welded structure using combined multilayer armor in the frontal projections, capable of withstanding hits from armor-piercing shells of up to 100 mm caliber.
The control compartment located in the front part of the hull is equipped with three periscope observation devices. To the right of the control compartment is part of the ammunition load. There is an emergency hatch behind the driver's seat in the bottom of the hull.
A welded turret is installed in the middle part of the hull, which houses three crew members: the gunner and tank commander are on the right side, and the loader is on the left. The commander has at his disposal a turret with seven periscopes, and above the loader there is a hatch with three periscopes. In the left wall of the turret there is a hatch for loading ammunition and ejecting spent cartridges.
The basis of the armament is a smooth-bore 120-mm GIAT cannon with a semi-automatic bolt. The cannon can fire French rounds with armor-piercing sub-caliber sabot rounds and armor-piercing shaped charge rounds, as well as standard 120mm NATO ammunition. The gun's ammunition consists of 40 rounds.
To control fire on the tank, the SOTAS system is used, similar to that installed on the AMX-32. It includes a Castor TRT thermal imager, the image of which is displayed on the monitors of the commander and gunner. It is believed that the tank's control system provides a 90 percent probability of the first projectile hitting a stationary target located at a distance of up to 2000 m. The processing time for a shot is less than eight seconds.
Part of the tank's armament is a 20-mm M-693 automatic cannon. Its ammunition load consists of 578 shells. A 7.62 mm machine gun is mounted on the roof of the commander's cupola, which can be fired from inside the tower.
To set up smoke screens, six grenade launchers are installed on the sides of the turret. Instead of grenade launchers, the Galix grenade launcher can be used, which is also installed on the Leclerc tank.
The AMX-40 tank is characterized by very high mobility, provided primarily by a twelve-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine Poyand V12X. At 2500 rpm it develops maximum power 1100 hp The engine can be mated to a German ZF automatic transmission or a roughly similar French ESM-500 transmission, also used in the Leclerc tank.
The chassis uses a torsion bar suspension with six rubber-coated road wheels and four support rollers on each side. Placing two mounted tanks at the stern allows you to increase the cruising range to 850 km. An disassembled bulldozer blade is attached to the front armor plate. Its assembly and installation on the tank is carried out by one of the crew members.
The AMX-40 tank can overcome a vertical wall up to 1 m high, a ditch 3.2 m wide and a ford 1.3 m deep. Installing an OPVT allows you to cross water obstacles up to 4 m deep.
The tank is equipped with automatic fire protection system, means of protection against weapons of mass destruction and the necessary radio communication equipment.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the main battle tank AMX-40
Crew, people ................................ 4 Combat weight, t................ ................. 43.7 Dimensions, mm: body length................................... ....... 6800 length with gun forward........................ 10050 width............ ........................... 3280 height......... .................. 2380 Armament (caliber), mm: cannon................................. ................. 1x120; 1x20 machine gun................................... 1x7.62 Ammunition, pcs.: rounds. ................................... 40x120 mm; 578x20 mm cartridges.................................... 2160x7.62 mm Engine power, l .With. .................... 1100 Maximum speed, km/h.................. 70 Cruising range fuel, km................... 850French designers developed this tank as an export version of the AMX-30. The tank is named AMX-40. The new solution, developed on the basis of the AMX-30, retained a significant part of the aggregate components and equipment. In 1983, the first sample of the export version was presented at the arms show in Satori. By the end of 1986, prototypes were tested at testing sites in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. In mid-1987, two samples were sent for comparative joint tests. The Osorio, Challenger and Ambrams tanks took part in them. But the tank did not interest potential buyers either during the tests or after them. There were no orders for the supply of AMX-40 tanks, so in 1990 the AMX-40 export tank project was abandoned.
AMX-40 device
The layout of the tank is classic with the compartment for controlling the tank located in the front part of the tank, and the MTO is located in the rear part of the tank. The fighting compartment was located in the center of the hull. The driver was located on the left side of the control compartment. Directly above it there is a hatch on which three periscopes are located, one of them is made integral with the hatch cover. The loader also received the same hatch with 3 periscopes. Ammunition and fuel tanks were placed on the right side of the compartment. Full tanks provide the tank with a range of 600 kilometers. With the additional use of 2 mounted tanks, the cruising range increases by another 250 kilometers. Behind the location of the driver-mechanic, there is an emergency hatch in the floor of the hull.
Combined armor was used in the frontal design of the tank and its turret. On the left, on the side of the turret, a hatch was made into which ammunition is supplied and through which spent cartridges are removed. A bulldozer-type blade is attached to the front armor plate. It is in disassembled condition. It can be assembled and mounted quite quickly and this is carried out by one person from the machine team. The tank received a 120 mm smoothbore gun and a coaxial 20 mm M693 cannon. The gun can conduct targeted fire at air targets and has good vertical angles guidance - 40/-8 degrees. The commander's cupola received a 7.62 mm anti-aircraft machine gun. The sides of the turret are equipped with 6 smoke grenade launchers. The ammunition capacity of the 20 mm gun is 578 rounds of ammunition, and that of the 7.62 mm machine gun is 2,170 rounds of ammunition.
The export version was equipped with a system for controlling fire capabilities “Conduite de Tir Automatique pour Char”. The gunner was provided with an M581 sight and an M550 laser rangefinder. The commander's cupola was equipped with an M527 gyro-stabilized panoramic sight for all-round visibility and observation, clarifying target designations and adjusting the introduction of fire. A television camera was mounted on the main tower on the right. To carry out observation and firing in the dark, a TVT “Castor” thermal imaging camera was mounted on the right side of the turret, near the gun. The tank's fire control system allows it to hit a stationary object located 2 kilometers away from the tank with a high probability of hitting a stationary object with one shot.
The MTO of the machine uses a V12X diesel engine and a ZF automatic transmission. It is possible to replace the installed ZF transmission with an ESM500 transmission. The tank uses a torsion bar suspension with 6 support-type rollers, rubber-coated on the working surfaces and 4 support-type rollers, a rear drive wheel, and a guide wheel located in the front of the chassis on each side. The tank could overcome vertical obstacles up to 100 centimeters, holes and ditches up to 320 centimeters wide. Without additional funds, the AMX-40 could overcome a water obstacle up to 130 centimeters deep, and when installing an OPVT on it, it was possible to overcome a water obstacle up to four meters deep.
Main characteristics:
- total weight - 43700 kilograms;
- team - 4 people;
- length - 10.05 meters;
- width - 3.3 meters;
- height - 2.4 meters;
- clearance - 45 centimeters;
- anti-shell type armor;
- main gun ammunition capacity is 40 rounds;
- DU – diesel “Poyot” with a power of 1300 hp. and 2.5 thousand rpm;
- specific pressure - 0.85 kg/sq.cm;
- travel speed - up to 70 km/h;