Pansarvärnskanonvagn m/43
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| Pansarvärnskanonvagn m/43 | |
|---|---|
 Pansarvärnskanonvagn m/43 in Hässleholms Museum | |
| Type | Self-propelled anti-tank gun |
| Place of origin | Sweden |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Landsverk |
| Designed | 1942 |
| Manufacturer | Landsverk |
| Produced | 1947-1948 |
| No. built | 87 |
| Specifications (initial open top configuration) | |
| Mass | 25.0 t (55,100 lb) |
| Length | 6.26 m (20 ft 6 in) |
| Width | 2.35 m (7 ft 9 in) |
| Height | 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in) |
| Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, driver, loader) |
| Armor | 9-70mm |
Main armament | 1 × 75mm Pvkan m/43 L/50.5 |
Secondary armament | 1 x Ksp m/39 machine gun |
| Engine | Volvo A8B (1947-63)
2 x Scania-Vabis L603 (1963-) |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Maximum speed | 45 km/h (28 mph) |
The Pansarvärnskanonvagn m/43 (Pvkv m/43) was a tank destroyer developed by Landsverk.
As the use of tanks became more and more important during the Second World War, fighting them became more and more urgent. The German Wehrmacht had success with StuG III and StuG IV in this area. Therefore, the Swedish Army decided to emulate the StuG III and StuG IV examples and create a similar vehicle.[1]
In 1942, Landsverk participated in this tank destroyer project and designed the new vehicle on the chassis of the Stridsvagn m/42.[2][1]
Description
The Pvkv m/43 was built on the chassis of the Stridsvagn m/42. It had a casemate design in place of a turret. The superstructure had an open top to reduce weight and a tarpaulin was used as protection against rain.[1][3][4] The superstructure is located at the front of the vehicle and was slight sloped. The vehicle was operated by a crew of 4.[1][2][5]
The primary armament of the Pvkv m/43 was a modified 75mm luftvärnskanon m/36 antiaircraft gun with a 50.5 caliber length barrel to increase the muzzle velocity for enhanced armour penetration.[1][3][4][5] The gun traverse was only 15 degrees in both directions. Ammunition consisted of 56 rounds. Secondary armament was a Ksp m/39 machine gun.[2]
The Pvkv m/43 was powered by a Volvo A8B engine that could output 380 hp.[2][6] However, the Volvo A8B engine had reliability issues. Speed of the vehicle was 45 km/h. The Pvkv m/43 was also equipped with a new gearbox. The two front drive wheels of the vehicle also had to be reinforced to handle the weight of the new gun.[1][3]
.JPG)
