M60A1E1 as US TT tier X Medium

[upbeat gale]

For the amount of vehicles that the US has developed over the years, it's been a long standing opinion of mine that the US needs more vehicles in the tech tree.

Of the tanks we don't currently have in WWII, perhaps the most famous is the M60A2. The 152mm HE launcher MBT that was a bit of a failure. Big gun though, and we all love a big gun!
The M60A2 exists in CW as an Era 2 Tier 3 medium, and it has the potential to be very powerful, armed with HE and ATGMs. It does, however, have two rather concerning traits.

Firstly, missiles. For WWII, we absolutely cannot have ATGMs.
Secondly, armour thickness. It's a chunky tank.
The first one is fixable by making it HE/HEAT only, but the second is trickier.

Enter the prototype, the M60A1E1. Unlike the production variants with their thicker frontal hull armour, the prototype was based on the earlier M60(A0), the dome turreted first production variant. This means the same hull armour as our M60 premium.

The 152mm gun is, of course, a slight balance concern. The solution to it is, in my opinion, lowering the HE penetration and focusing on HEAT at a modest penetration. I've seen prior suggestions for an unguided rocket too, something I'm not against.

We also have another couple of tanks that could lead into the M60A1E1, providing a nice branch of vehicles.

At tier IX, we have the XM66. It is another prototype of the M60A2 family, and is instead based on the M48 hull.

It has two turrets, the T95E7 derived Type D turret and the Sheridan derived Type C turret. A and B are similar to the production M60A2.

Basically, a slower, weaker M60A1E1.

At tier VIII, and the start of this branch, is the Sheridan MBT.
The idea was to use the Sheridan as a basis for a new MBT, increasing weight and armour.

As another tier X option, maybe a premium, we have the competitor to the M60A1E1, the M60E3.
Using a shortened M60A1 turret with the 152mm, the vehicle lost.

Note, both the A1E1 and E3 had a 20mm coaxial autocannon. The production vehicle dropped it.

Somewhat related, the MBT-A to -D series of tanks, of which we have the MBT-B, was intended to use that same 152mm gun.

[vague oriole]

Speaking of 152mm heat slingers what about i belive the XM803? The mbt70 without an autocannon

The armor would be iffy but i feel like it has less armor than the m60 in some places

[upbeat gale]

XM803 I believe had some composite, and used the longer 152mm instead of this shorter one.

[snow plinth]

I see MBT-A as not very well armored heavy with a 152 mm gun that fires HEAT and HESH only with mediocre shell velocity but with excellent gun handling, stabilization and damage per minute

[vague oriole]

Isnt the heat and HE velocity the same? Or atleast close

Ik the composites would turn it into a no go but still

[stone lotus]

@hot walrus already has a stat-package for the M60A2 or M60A1E1

[upbeat gale]

Higher velocity, they have a APFSDS round too

[hot walrus]

contested but yes. The one I made was a little overly complicated because I wanted to mess with variable reloads

[vale stream]

It had the same armor as the MBT70.

[upbeat gale]

Then just give us the MBT-70

[vale stream]

The XM803 does have a much weaker engine than the MBT70

270 less HP and around 4 km less top speed.

[vague oriole]

Plus the lack of the 20mm was my true intention of mentioning it instead of the MBT-70

Heat and HE only aswell

[vale stream]

The XM803 did fire the exact same ammo as the MBT70

[snow plinth]

Okay, one thing, will the WW2 version of Kpfz or MBT 70 still have their crazy reverse speed? I don't see why it shouldn't

[serene python]

Those look too small to be 20mm
Where do you find info for that?

[vale stream]

A co-ax would be next to the gun.

[serene python]

Then where is it?

[upbeat gale]

The M60E3 absolutely had a 20mm autocannon.

As for the M60A1E1, there's a hole on the side of the turret that might've been used for it, although probably for vision devices.

Information on the pre,-A2 tanks is annoyingly difficult to find.

[vale stream]

That cutout on the left side of the turret is for the IR spotlight

[upbeat gale]

Thought at much

[vale stream]

There is 2 cutouts on the rifht side of the mantlet. Ive seen 1 picture with a barrel sticking out of one.

[upbeat gale]

I'd need to look into the M60 book for more details, which I don't own, but it's honestly a bit of a mess trying to figure out the M60A2 programme. Especially considering where it started from

[upbeat gale]

Probably worth mentioning three other 152mm vehicles.
T95E8, T95E8 and MBT(MR).

[glad shadow]

Do you mean T95E8 and T96E8?

[upbeat gale]

I mean T95E8 and T95E8.
The T96 was something different

[glad shadow]

There was 2 T95E8?

[upbeat gale]

Three, actually

[serene python]

T95E8s were used as test beds for th MBT (MR)

Like realizations of the blueprints project

[upbeat gale]

It's more of a catch-all designation for a testbed if memory serves, as there's one that looks just like a T95E2

[stone lotus]

I think Lesta has the bottom-right tank