The TOG 2, officially known as the Heavy Tank, TOG II, was a British super-heavy tank design produced during the early stages of World War II for a scenario where the battlefields of northern France and Belgium devolved into a morass of mud, trenches, and craters as had happened during World War I. When this did not happen, the tank was deemed unnecessary, and the project terminated. A development of the TOG 1 design, only a single prototype was built before its termination.

The design included a 6-pounder gun and side sponsons. For "initial trials" it was fitted with a mockup turret with dummy guns — a 2-pdr gun, 3-inch howitzer, and a Besa machine gun — together with a 3-inch howitzer in the hull. The second turret fitted was simplified mounting a QF 3-inch 16 cwt anti-tank gun derived from the current anti-aircraft gun. The planned sponsons were never fitted. The tank is currently fitted with a 28 pounder gun derived from the QF 3.7-inch AA gun but with a Ordnance QF 17-pounder breech and muzzle brake.

Although equipped with the same electrical drive as originally fitted to the TOG 1, the TOG 2 used twin generators and no problems were reported. It was modified to include, among other things, a change from the unsprung tracks to a torsion bar suspension, and went through successful trials in May 1943. No further development occurred, although a revised version, the TOG 2 (R) was proposed. The 'R' would have been shorter, used torsion bar suspension, and had no sponsons. It was moved indoors towards the end of the 1980s and to its current position in the 2000s.

See also

  • Neubaufahrzeug
  • M6 heavy tank

References

Bibliography

  • Andrew Hills, The Tanks of TOG: The work, designs, and tanks of the Special Vehicle Development Committee in World War II, 2017, CreateSpace Publishing,
  • Chamberlain, P; Ellis, C; British and American Tanks of World War II, 1969, Arco Publishing
  • White BT, British Tanks 1915-1945, 1963, Ian Allan,
  • YouTube video – The Tank Museum: Why TOG II was BETTER Than You Think