Alternative History Armoured Fighting Vehicles Part 3
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Phar Lap Update:
Still catching up on the backlog! Here is the completed A23, Tank, Infantry, Mk V, - known to the Australian Army as the 'Phar Lap' (Also the backstory again for those who have forgotten or recently joined...)
When Japan entered the war on 7 December 1941, Australia found itself with a powerful aggressor much closer to home that had been the case for the first two years of warfare. The Australian Army was renowned for its fighting spirit but was primarily an infantry-based force with next to nothing in the way of armoured assets and little in the way of home-based heavy industry to take up the slack. So it was that when the British started to withdraw the A12 Matilda from front-line service in late 1941 and replace them with the lighter and less costly Valentine tank, the Australian government was only too happy to take what it could get.
With no comparable opposition to the panzers they had faced in North Africa, the Matildas served the Australian Army well with their heavy armour being able to withstand just about anything the Japanese could throw at them. However, the Matilda was far from perfect. The heavily armoured side skirts made the vehicle heavier than it needed to be and any sort of track maintenance in the close terrain the Australians found themselves in was all but impossible. Indeed, breakdowns and unserviceability accounted for the vast majority of Matilda losses. To make matters worse, the long-standing problem with the 2pdr main gun and its lack of HE ammunition severely limited the Matilda’s effectiveness in prosecuting its primary infantry support role.
Meanwhile back in Britain, the Vulcan Foundry – primary makers of the A12 Matilda – found themselves with dwindling orders but with the capacity and eagerness to do more for the war effort. Fortuitously, it was about then that a delegation from Vickers (designers of the Valentine) and the Royal Arsenal (designers of the Matilda) met over a particularly strong cup of tea. Both teams had been mulling over the reports coming back from the Australians and their experiences with the venerable Matilda. While Vickers would have preferred the Australians to adopt their Valentine tank (as New Zealand had done), they accepted some of the advantages highlighted of the more heavily armoured Matilda design. In turn, the Royal Armoury team praised its own creation but acknowledged the limitations, and cost, of its complex design and poor maintenance record. In a rare case of compromise through necessity, common sense prevailed and a new design, designated A23, Tank, Infantry, Mk V was proposed for Commonwealth use in SE Asia that would effectively meld the running gear of the Valentine to the upper hull of the Matilda. Noting the Australian Army’s preference for the few 3” howitzer armed Close Support Matildas they had in service the decision was also taken to produce the bulk of the A23s with the 3” gun.
By early 1943, the Vulcan Foundry was back in full production. In recognition that the new vehicle was to be used primarily in the SE Asian theatre (a few A23s were supplied to the USSR under the lease-lend programme), the Australian Army were given the honour of selecting a name. Called after the race horse of the same name, the ‘Phar Lap’, proved a great success and was well liked by both the tankers who operated them and the infantry they supported. Although no mention was made at the time, it is now generally accepted that the selection of the name Phar Lap was more than just a little tongue in cheek as the A23 was still no racing snake! Nevertheless, A23, Phar Laps remained in service with the Australian Citizens Military Force until finally retired in 1960.
The model is made from parts of a Tamiya Matilda Mk III/IV, a Bronco Valentine Mk XI and the ubiquitous plastic card and depicts vehicle 19021 (Brassiere), a Phar Lap of 9 Troop, B Squadron, 2/4 Armoured Regiment as she appeared early in the fighting for Bougainville in 1945.
Still catching up on the backlog! Here is the completed A23, Tank, Infantry, Mk V, - known to the Australian Army as the 'Phar Lap' (Also the backstory again for those who have forgotten or recently joined...)
When Japan entered the war on 7 December 1941, Australia found itself with a powerful aggressor much closer to home that had been the case for the first two years of warfare. The Australian Army was renowned for its fighting spirit but was primarily an infantry-based force with next to nothing in the way of armoured assets and little in the way of home-based heavy industry to take up the slack. So it was that when the British started to withdraw the A12 Matilda from front-line service in late 1941 and replace them with the lighter and less costly Valentine tank, the Australian government was only too happy to take what it could get.
With no comparable opposition to the panzers they had faced in North Africa, the Matildas served the Australian Army well with their heavy armour being able to withstand just about anything the Japanese could throw at them. However, the Matilda was far from perfect. The heavily armoured side skirts made the vehicle heavier than it needed to be and any sort of track maintenance in the close terrain the Australians found themselves in was all but impossible. Indeed, breakdowns and unserviceability accounted for the vast majority of Matilda losses. To make matters worse, the long-standing problem with the 2pdr main gun and its lack of HE ammunition severely limited the Matilda’s effectiveness in prosecuting its primary infantry support role.
Meanwhile back in Britain, the Vulcan Foundry – primary makers of the A12 Matilda – found themselves with dwindling orders but with the capacity and eagerness to do more for the war effort. Fortuitously, it was about then that a delegation from Vickers (designers of the Valentine) and the Royal Arsenal (designers of the Matilda) met over a particularly strong cup of tea. Both teams had been mulling over the reports coming back from the Australians and their experiences with the venerable Matilda. While Vickers would have preferred the Australians to adopt their Valentine tank (as New Zealand had done), they accepted some of the advantages highlighted of the more heavily armoured Matilda design. In turn, the Royal Armoury team praised its own creation but acknowledged the limitations, and cost, of its complex design and poor maintenance record. In a rare case of compromise through necessity, common sense prevailed and a new design, designated A23, Tank, Infantry, Mk V was proposed for Commonwealth use in SE Asia that would effectively meld the running gear of the Valentine to the upper hull of the Matilda. Noting the Australian Army’s preference for the few 3” howitzer armed Close Support Matildas they had in service the decision was also taken to produce the bulk of the A23s with the 3” gun.
By early 1943, the Vulcan Foundry was back in full production. In recognition that the new vehicle was to be used primarily in the SE Asian theatre (a few A23s were supplied to the USSR under the lease-lend programme), the Australian Army were given the honour of selecting a name. Called after the race horse of the same name, the ‘Phar Lap’, proved a great success and was well liked by both the tankers who operated them and the infantry they supported. Although no mention was made at the time, it is now generally accepted that the selection of the name Phar Lap was more than just a little tongue in cheek as the A23 was still no racing snake! Nevertheless, A23, Phar Laps remained in service with the Australian Citizens Military Force until finally retired in 1960.
The model is made from parts of a Tamiya Matilda Mk III/IV, a Bronco Valentine Mk XI and the ubiquitous plastic card and depicts vehicle 19021 (Brassiere), a Phar Lap of 9 Troop, B Squadron, 2/4 Armoured Regiment as she appeared early in the fighting for Bougainville in 1945.
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Very cool. I think this is my favorite British Alt-tank you've done, everything about looks just right.
Garrison
Donor
Well of course I have a soft spot for the Wolverine.Very cool. I think this is my favorite British Alt-tank you've done, everything about looks just right.
But of course.Well of course I have a soft spot for the Wolverine.
It's a cool tank too.
Driftless
Donor
I could bet the Japanese armor and even fortified positions wouldn't care for encountering that horse one bit! A field add-on might be more MG's to keep Banzai infantry at a distance, or better yet, some supporting Aussie infantry.
I could also imagine the Soviets lining up their Phar Laps against the Italians lighter armor. A 3" gun would be can-opener against their armor, no?
Well of course I have a soft spot for the Wolverine.
Your Wolverine will be finished off soon enough! 😉👍
Nice. I'm a fan of a well armoured mobile box with a big gun as an infantry support vehicle.The logic makes sense and the model looks very good.
OTL the New Zealand tankies liked the 3" CS gun and took them off the Matildas for use on their Vals before the Matildas were sent on to Australia with the 2 pounders that had been replaced. I sometimes wonder if the Australians knew about this in advance or were simply faced with a very homogenous gun line when the tanks arrived.
OTL the New Zealand tankies liked the 3" CS gun and took them off the Matildas for use on their Vals before the Matildas were sent on to Australia with the 2 pounders that had been replaced. I sometimes wonder if the Australians knew about this in advance or were simply faced with a very homogenous gun line when the tanks arrived.
How is the Valentine's running gear going to take nearly 10 tons extra weight with the Matilda's parts?
What is the weight difference between the Matilda's runing gear and side skirt armour and that of the Valentine. I suspect the weight difference between the 'Phar Lap' and the Valentine is nearer five than ten tons.
If we go by the Vickers Vanguard, the Valentine's suspension was not retained for a design of comparable weight to a Matilda II and beyond the 17 tons of the heaviest Valentine.
I wouldn't rule out the running gear being much lighter owing to the reduced number of suspension units, wheels and skirt armor, but no matter what a Matilda II hull and turret will be much heavier than a Valentine due to thicker armor and bigger turret and hull (and heavier powertrain), with a chance to overload a Valentine-type suspension that had been first used on the 10 ton A9 and might reach the end of its growth capacity without a complete rework.
I wouldn't rule out the running gear being much lighter owing to the reduced number of suspension units, wheels and skirt armor, but no matter what a Matilda II hull and turret will be much heavier than a Valentine due to thicker armor and bigger turret and hull (and heavier powertrain), with a chance to overload a Valentine-type suspension that had been first used on the 10 ton A9 and might reach the end of its growth capacity without a complete rework.
Well that is the thing with AH designs, no one is suggesting they are perfect - after all very few, if any, AFVs are. I would see the Phar Lap being in the 20 ton range, and yes that might well require a bit of a beefing up of the suspension but, even if not, perhaps that was its Achilles heal. Read into it what you wish as I have purposely not listed all of its technical specifications. What I have presented is a proposition within the bounds of plausibility and which could, possibly, have been produced. Make of it what you will… 😉
Well said. After all we're not in the pursuit of perfection but of plausibility, I have on a few occasions deliberately drawn AFV's with flaws, two AFV's with a hell of a lot of flaws because they served the TL they were intended for.
It's wonderful to see this model finally completed in it's full livery. A very striking beast and would have come in handy during the Pacific campaign. I'm still surprised that the vehicles didn't have an unofficial name of 'Clag' since any race horse that was equally as slow would have ended up in the glue factory.
My condolences on your cat too.
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