The 20/25TP (dwudziestotonowy polski/dwudziestopięciotonowy polski; "20-tonne Polish/25-tonne Polish") was a Polish medium tank concept that was never built. There were three projects designed by KSUS and BBTBr.Panc. and PZInż which even managed to build a wooden model of it. The name 20/25TP is not official; it was created by the author Janusz Magnuski analogously to nomenclature used for other Polish tanks of that period. According to different classification it could be medium tank or heavy tank.

20/25TP
TypeMedium tank/Heavy tank
Place of originPoland
Specifications (design values)
Mass22 tonnes KSUS version
23 tonnes BBTBr.Panc.
25 tonnes PZInż version
Length7.3 m (23 ft 11 in)
Width2.6 m (8 ft 6 in)
Height2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Crew5 or 6

Armor35–80 mm (1.4–3.1 in)
Main
armament
1 × 70 mm KSUS version
1 × Bofors 75 mm BBTBr.Panc. version
1 × 75 mm wz. 1922/1924 PZInż version
Secondary
armament
3 × 7.92 mm Ckm wz.30 KSUS and BBTBr.Panc. version
1 × 7.92 mm Ckm wz.30 PZInż version
Enginegasoline engine
2 × 300 hp (220 kW) KSUS version
1 x 500 hp BBTBr.Panc. version
1 x 400 hp PZInż. version
Power/weight27 hp/tonne KSUS version
22 hp/tonne BBTBr.Panc. version
16 hp/tonne PZInż. version
SuspensionQuarter-elliptical leaf spring suspension
Maximum speed 45 km/h (28 mph) KSUS version
40 km/h PZInż. version

Design

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KSUS project was in two variants, assuming the usage of 75 mm anti-aircraft gun and 35 mm armor. As well as the main turret, there were two turrets at the front of the vehicle equipped with heavy machine guns. There was another heavy machine gun in the main turret. Weight of the tank was 22 tonnes. The drive consisted of two petrol engines of 300 hp each. The ability to cross the ditches reached 2.5 meters, wading depth reached up to 1.2 m. The tank would have a length of 7.3 m, width 2.6 m, height 2.8 m Assumed speed of travel on the road was 45 km/h (28 mph). The crew was six people.

The tank designed by BBTBr.Panc. was armed with a 75 mm Bofors gun coupled to a 40 mm Bofors L/60 cannon. The remainder of the armament was three heavy machine guns. It would have 50 mm armor with a total weight of 23 tons. The project had a 500 hp engine for a planned top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) with the crew of five people. As the only one turret.

PZInż project was equipped with a 75 mm anti-aircraft gun wz.22/24, one heavy machine gun and 60 mm armor. It was also the heaviest - the weight would be 25 tons.

See also

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Bibliography

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  • (in Polish) Mała Encyklopedia Wojskowa, Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, wyd. I, W-wa 1967, T. I, str. 152
  • (in Polish) Nowa Technika Wojskowa 9/2006