T8 90mm AT

History

The 90mm T8 gun is a rifled anti-tank (AT) gun system intended for the United States Army. Its development began during World War II, during which U.S. troops strengthened protective contacts with German armor. Ultimately, throughout the conflict, a variety of weapons were developed to deal with the growing and ever-present threat on the battlefield - now in the form of the Tiger I and Tiger II heavy tanks in addition to the rugged Panther line.

The T8 developmental gun was intended to serve the U.S. Army for ten years after its introduction, although the end of the war in September 1946 completely limited the range of the T8 program.

The T8 did not enter the testing phase until February 1946, and was eventually eliminated with only two prototype guns produced.

The T8 has a traditional towed gun form with a two-wheel frame system, split rear legs and a full mantlet for the gunner. The wheels are synthetic rubber with steel rims, the mantlet is angled for basic ballistic protection, and the 90mm barrel is attached to its recoil mechanism to withstand heavy firing action. Projectile loading is expected to take place through the breech end. The breech is a vertical block, and the projectile weighs 39 pounds and is in the armor-piercing (AP) category. The gun deploys effectively to a distance of approximately 1,000 yards, with mounting hardware allowing limited traverse and elevation capabilities.

The finished system weighs about 8 tons. As a towed anti-tank gun, the T8 should have been pulled into place by a moving vehicle. The rifle group can then move the weapon system to fine-tune the angle and position.

If the T8 had ever been in front-line service with the U.S. military, it would likely have fought Soviet armored vehicles during the Cold Warmostly in South Korea and Vietnam.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on the ammunition carrier.

Changes