Tankspot 10: M3 Grant

Yep its time for the British brother of everyone favorite M3 Lee. The M3 Grant was an uparmoured, up gunned version of the M3 Lee. This tanks only downside over the M3 Lee was its speed.The grant served in North Africa until the end of that campaign. A regiment of M3 Mediums was also used by the U.S. 1st Armored Division in North Africa. In the North African campaign, the M3 was generally appreciated for its mechanical reliability, good armor and heavy firepower. In world of tanks this would probably fall as a premium or part of a tech tree along with the Sherman II and the Sherman Firefly. 

Known Stats:

Tier: 4

Classification: Medium

Tech Tree: (Unconfirmed) 2nd Britsh Medium Tree

Gun Type: 75mm Canon

This tank appeared for a brief moment in a video that also showcased the French super-heavies.

Wikipedia Information: The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called by two names based on the turret configuration. Tanks employing US pattern turrets were called the "General Lee", named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Variants using British pattern turrets were known as "General Grant", named after U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant.

Design commenced in July 1940, and the first M3s were operational in late 1941.[1] The U.S. Army needed a good tank and coupled with United Kingdom's demand for 3,650 medium tanks immediately,[2] the Lee began production by late 1940. The M3 was well armed and armored for the period, but due to design flaws (high silhouette, archaic sponson mounting of the main gun, below-average off-road performance) it was not satisfactory and was withdrawn from front line duty as soon as the M4 Sherman became available in large numbers.

Tankspot 9: Sentinel AC I & Sentinel AC IV

Sentinel Mk. I

The Sentinel 1 was designed in Australia in WW2 in response to the war in Europe, and to the threat of Japan expanding the war to the Pacific or even a feared Japanese invasion of Australia. It was the first tank to be built with a hull cast as a single piece, and the only tank to be produced in quantity in Australia. The few Sentinels that were built never saw action as the armoured had been equipped by that time with British and American tanks.

In world of tanks this tank would probably be a tier 3-4 premium medium for the British tech tree.

Known Stats:

Tier: 3-4

Classification: Medium

Tech Tree: Premium

Gun Type: 2pndr Canon

Wikipedia Information: The AC1 began as a 2 pounder gun-equipped design in November 1940, and was initially intended to be a true Cruiser tank. Like the Canadian Ram the Australian Cruiser was to be based on the engine, drive train, and lower hull of the American M3 Medium tank, mated to an upper hull and turret built closely along the lines of a British Crusader. By 1942, trying to keep pace with German tanks, the design specification had become more like an American medium tank.

Due to a lack of home grown experience in tank design a mission was sent to the US to examine the M3 design and Colonel W.D. Watson MC, an artillery officer with many years tank design experience was provided by the UK. He arrived in December 1940.

The Australian Cruiser tank Mark 1 (AC1) was designated "Sentinel" in February 1942. Fabrication was by Sydney's Chullora Tank Assembly Shops with serial production vehicles emerging in August 1942, the premises also being used as a testing ground. The design used existing parts where available from other tank designs, simplified where necessary to match the machining capacity present in Australia. The hull was cast as a single piece, as was the turret; a technique not used on the hull of any other tanks of the era.

The original vehicle was designed to mount a QF 2 pounder this was later changed to a QF 6 pdr (57 mm, 2.25 in). However none of these were available and the first 65 tanks were built with the 2 pounder. Two Vickers machine guns were carried as secondary armament, one in the hull and a second mounted coaxially beside the main gun. The preferred engines suitable to power a 28 tonne tank, a Pratt & Whitney Wasp single row petrol radial, or a Guiberson diesel radial, were not available within Australia, so the Sentinel was powered by the combined output of three Cadillac 346 in³ (5.7 L) V8 petrol car engines installed in clover-leaf configuration (two engines side-by-side to the front and a single to the rear: all three feeding a common gearbox). Sixty-five production vehicles had been completed by June 1943.


The Sentinel AC IV
The AC IV was an upgunned version of the Mk. 1. It was experimented with a 17pnder and 25pndr gun. This tank would be around the same tier as the TOG II* or higher because of its slightly similar characteristics of low armour / great gun.

Known Stats:

Tier: 6-7 

Classification: Medium

Tech Tree: Premium

Gun Type: 17pndr Canon / 25pndr Canon

Crew: 4

Weight: 30 tonnes

Engine: Perrier-Cadillac (397 bhp)

Maximum speeds:

1st 6km/h (3.5 mph)

2nd 12km/h (7.3 mph)

3rd 23km/h (14.3 mph)

4th 42km/h (26.3 mph)

5th 56km/h (35 mph), 

Reverse 6km/h (4 mph)

Status: Intended for production. Design incomplete. 400 ordered.

8.9 Supertest Collection

Here they are folks, all compiled into one gallery, the leaked vehicles of the 8.9 Supertest.

T7 Combat Car

Marder 38t - Tier 4

Nashorn - Tier 6

Pz. Sfl V (Sturer Emil) - Tier 7

Rheinmetall Waffenträger - Tier 8

Mk.VIc - Tier 2

Sources:
- http://world-of-ru.livejournal.com/2474766.html
- http://ftr.wot-news.com/2013/09/05/straight-outta-supertest-3/

Tankspot 8: T1 M1921

The T1 M1921 was a strange tank to find information on. The tank itself did exist, and models of it do exist in the game files but no one quite knows what it is or when it will be released.

Known Stats:

Tier: 3

Classification: Medium

Tech Tree: Unknown

Gun Type: 6pndr (57mm) Canon

Wikipedia Info: Designed in 1921 at the Rock Island Arsenal plant, it was tested at Aberdeen in February 1922. It had a British cable and suspension track design and used several engines (from 220hp Murray-Tregurtha to 338hp V12 Liberty), allowing it to go as fast as 26 km/h (16 km/h with weaker engine). It weighted 18,6 tons and was armed with a contemporary British 6pdr (57mm), along with a 30cal MG. The armor values I haven't found, but they most likely are very thin. This vehicle never got to be manufactured.

Tankspot 7: T54E2

Tankspot is back everybody! This time we are diving deep into the interwebs to find info and stats on unreleased American tanks! First up is the T54E2.

Known Stats:

Tier: 9

Classification: Medium

Tech Tree: Premium Tank

Gun Type: 105mm Canon (Non-Autoloader)

Wikipedia Information: "The T54 was a series of prototype American tanks of the 1950s with three different turrets, all armed with a 105mm gun, mounted on the M48 Patton chassis. The original T54 had a conventional turret with an autoloader, while the turret on T54E1 was of an oscillating design with an autoloader and the one on T54E2 was conventional with a human loader. The turret on T54E1 was similar to that of the T69 in its oscillating design and in that it held a crew of three and a nine-round drum autoloader under the gun. The T54E1 was abandoned in 1956 and in 1957 the entire project was cancelled in favor of the T95."

My guess is that this tank was supposed to be released a patch before, or in the same patch as the US auto-loader line as a tier 9 medium or teaser / crew trainer (much like the Matilda BP). The tank was most likely scrapped due to WGs policy of having no premiums over tier 8 purchasable for gold or the superiority of the T54E1.