U.S. super heavy Tank destroyer T-95

I saw one of these in the Patton museum collection, after reading about how it was discovered abandoned on the Ft. Knox reservation in Kentucky. It was originally designed with the thought of using them as the spearhead in breaking the siegfried line, and perhaps later in the invasion of the Japanese home islands. To my knowledge, this example is the only one remaining. This vehicle may not be well known, so i thought it would be fun to post it here. The T-95 had 300mm of armor, was 11m long,4.4 m wide, held 8 crew, and used a 105mm high velocity gun. and at 95 tons, the 400 h.p. engine gave it a speed of 12 kph and range of 160 km. (best conditions)

300px-T-28-1.jpg

Nice - Here’s more:

http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showpost.php?p=89328&postcount=13

http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showpost.php?p=89333&postcount=14

http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showpost.php?p=89349&postcount=15

http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showpost.php?p=89446&postcount=25

http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3398

http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showpost.php?p=89403&postcount=20

I see that its not so unknown, I should have guessed someone here would have done a piece on it already. I saw a picture of the museum’s example as it sat abandoned in a bunch of trees that had grown up around it after it was left there. Thanks for the links!

Ha! I live not too far from where they found one --in the middle of the woods of an abandoned engineering range!

But it wasn’t really a “tank-destroyer.” It was an ‘assault gun’ designed with the one-off purpose of attacking the overrated fortifications of the Siegfried Line. It wasn’t needed as Shermans did just fine in this role…

Well, T-95 was designated a "gun, motor carriage, " not Tank destroyer, but its just easier calling it that.
And that is the very one I wrote about, I think it was the only one left, I seem to remember there being two built, but I could be wrong, (It was a looong time ago,) .

There were indeed two built, I think the one that survives was found in the woods of FT. Belvoir, VA after it was inexplicably abandoned there and forgotten about.

I believe the US Army advanced too fast in Europe for even the trials to be completed! So, the T-95 was largely obsolete before it could even be shipped to Europe. I guess it strongly resembles something like a giant Jagdpanzer! So, I can see where the tank-destroyer idea comes from. But is was more of a bunker-destroyer than anything else…

Ft. Belvoir, didnt know about a range there, but I am glad they found it and brought it to the museum. has it been completely restored, or is it just a statue? would love to see it run through its paces, (I’d even chip in for the gas,:slight_smile: you are right about it being a breaching weapon more than a specific A.T. weapon, would have been something to see. I’ll have to take a ride down there this year, its been too long… thanks!

The range has been closed for over 30+years, but its 880 acres will now being converted to a new post office complex and housing in a few years.

The range closed because there was an embarrassing, massive gasoline spill of 100,000 gallons (which ignited and burned out a bring on I-95, the US east coast’s main highway), and the explosives they were playing with were getting annoying for the civilian housing areas sprouting up.

The engineers probably just parked the vehicle in the 1950s, initially used it as some sort of training prop, and forgot about it…

I’m glad they did, or there wouldnt have been the fun of discovering it again, and preserving it. I read about it in the monthly magazine published by the Association of the United States Army in 1974. They made some jokes about it’s flimsy side armor…

(scroll down)
http://thrillingwonder.blogspot.com/2007/03/strange-tanks.html

…a bit of fun?

http://thrillingwonder.blogspot.com/2007/04/tank-accidents.html