Stridsvagn m/42

Stridsvagn m/42
Stridsvagn m/42 (1943)
Type	Medium Tank
Place of origin	Sweden
Service history
Used by	Sweden
Production history
Designer	AB Landsverk
Manufacturer	AB Landsverk, Volvo
Produced	April 1943–January 1945
Number built	282
Variants	Strv m/42 TM (1943–44)^[1] Strv m/42 TH (1944)^[1] Strv m/42 EH (1944–45)^[1] Strv m/42 TV (1948)^[1] Ikv 73 (1957–60)^[1] Strv 74 (1957–60)^[1]
Specifications (Strv m/42)
Weight	22.5 t (24.8 short tons; 22.1 long tons)^[2]
Length	TH: 6.215 m (20 ft 4.7 in)^[1] EH: 6.22 m (20 ft 5 in)^[1]
Width	2.34 m (7 ft 8 in)^[1]
Height	2.585 m (8 ft 5.8 in)^[1]
Crew	4^[1]^[2]

Armor	9–55 mm (0.35–2.17 in)^[1]
Main armament	75 mm m/41 gun L/34^[1]
Secondary armament	4 x 8 mm m/39 machine guns ^[1]
Engine	TM, TH & TV: 2 x Scania-Vabis 603/1^[1] EH: 1 x Volvo A8B^[1] TM, TH & TV: 325 hp^[1] EH: 380 hp^[1]
Power/weight	TM & TH: 14,5 hp/ton EH: 16,9 hp/ton
Transmission	TM: ZF 6-speed electromagnetic^[1] TH: 2x Atlas-Diesel DF-1,0 Atlas-Diesel TER-1/1,81^[1] EH: Atlas-Diesel DF-1,15 S Atlas-Diesel TER-1/1,67^[1] TV: Landsverk S-8082 + Volvo VL 420^[1]
Suspension	Torsion-bar suspension
Speed	42 km/h (26 mph)^[1]^[2]

Stridsvagn m/42 (Strv m/42) was Swedish medium tank in service in the World War II period. Known by its manufacturer AB Landsverk as Lago II-III-IV, it fielded a 75 mm L/34 gun, the first of its size in a Swedish tank. It entered service with the Swedish army in November 1941. Modern in design it was also well protected and mobile. A total of 282 were produced.

As a neutral nation in World War II Sweden did not engage in combat; thus its tanks have no battlefield record.

Design history

The Strv m/42 had its origins on modifications in the Lago (the manufacturer designation) a 16 tons light tank armed with a 57 mm cannon and three machine guns produced for the Hungarian Army in late 1930s by the AB Landsverk, itself a development of the Stridsvagn L-60 light tank also made by the AB Landsverk. The Swedish Army specified for a bigger and better tank than the Lago resulting in the Strv m/42 (later known as Strv m/42 TM), a 22-ton tank armed with a 75mm L/34 gun, suited against armored and soft vehicles, it had similar performance as the German 7.5 cm StuK 37 L/24 gun. The gearbox of the m/42 TM wasn't working well and these tanks were built either as m/42 TH, or they got a new mechanical gearbox and became known m/42 TV.

Production history

In November 1941 100 Strv m/42s were ordered. All the vehicles had an electromagnetic gearbox. (Strv m/42 TM, the T meaning two engines and the M meaning electromagnetic gearbox). In January 1942 another 60 Strv m/42s were ordered. This batch were built under license by Volvo, the first 55 vehicles were fitted with twin Scania-Vabis 603 engines and the remaining five were equipped with a new engine, the Volvo A 8B. All the vehicles had the first batch electromagnetic gearbox replaced by a new hydraulic gearbox, with all these modifications, the single-engine vehicles were now designated as Strv m/42 EH, (the E meaning one engine and the H meaning hydraulic gearbox), the dual-engines tanks but with the new transmission were designated as Strv m/42 TH. In June 1942 another 80 were ordered from Landsverk, they were 70 m/42 TH and 10 m/42 EH.

Between April 1943 to January 1945, 282 Strv m/42s were delivered, of which 180 tanks were made in Landsverk, 102 at Volvo. Most of the vehicles, 225 pieces, were fitted with Scania engines. The other 57 tanks got Volvo engines.^[2] All of the 225 Strv m/42 TH and m/42 TV produced (all strv m/42 with twin Scania-Vabis 603 engines), were rebuilt between 1957 and 1960 to Stridsvagn 74 tank and the EH vehicles (strv m/42 with single Volvo engine A 8B engines) to Infanterikanonvagn 73 infantry support vehicles. The turrets were reused as static gun pillboxes, along the major coastlines, but mostly defending harbours and more seldom airfields.^[2]

Variants

Strv m/42 was originally ordered in four versions in three configurations:^[2]

Strv m/42 TM (Lago II) had two engines and electromagnetic gearbox. Made in 1943-44.
Strv m/42 TH (Lago III), had two engines, each with a hydraulic gearbox. Made in 1944.
Strv m/42 EH (Lago IV) had an engine and hydraulic gearbox. Made in 1944-45.
Strv m/42 TV had two engines, each with a hydraulic gearbox. Made in 1948.

Service

The Strv m/42 was issued to the following armored regiments:^[2]

P 1/Enköping - Gotland stridsvagnskompani (English: Gotland tank company),
P 2/Helsingborg,
P 3/Strängnäs,
P 4/Skövde: where the tanks were included in the newly formed tank companies.

The Strv m/42s were employed in the heavy tank companies of the armored brigades. They were phased out of active service in the 1950s and replaced by the Stridsvagn 81.

Stridsvagen m/42 in perfect condition

Stridsvagn m/42 på Försvarsfordonsmuseet Arsenalen i Strängnäs

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "Stridsvagn Lago II/III/IV m/42". Landsverk. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Stridsvagn m/42". Beredskapsmuseet. Retrieved 2012-05-16.

References

Chamberlain, Peter and Ellis, Chris. Tanks of the World 1915-1945 (1972/2002), p. 161.
Swedish armor
Beredskapsmuseet (Swedish language)
Landsverk (Swedish language)

External links

Swedish armor – Web page dedicated to the Swedish armor.
Beredskapsmuseet - Swedish museum.
Landsverk - Site about AB Landsverk between 1850 and 1992.
Inside the Chieftain's Hatch. Snapshots: Strv m/42 (video)

Swedish armoured fighting vehicles of World War II

Light tanks	Strv m/21-29 Strv m/30-31 Strv m/37 Strv m/38-39-40

Medium tanks	Strv m/41 Strv m/42

Armoured cars	Pbil m/39-40 Pbil m/41

SP guns	Sav m/43

APCs	Tgbil m/42

Weapons and military equipment designed in Sweden 1914–1945

Firearms

Rifles	Carl Gustaf Model 1942

Submachine guns	Carl Gustaf Model 1945

Machine guns	Svenska Automatvapen Model 1940 Carl Gustaf Model 1942

Artillery

Tank and Anti-tank guns	Bofors 37 mm Gun Model 1934

Mountain guns	Bofors 75 mm Model 1934

Field, Medium and Heavy guns	Bofors 105 mm Howitzer Model 1924 Bofors 105 mm Howitzer Model 1935 Bofors 105 mm Howitzer Model 1937 Bofors 105 mm Gun Model 1927 Bofors 105 mm Gun Model 1931 Bofors 105 mm Gun Model 1934 Bofors 120 mm Howitzer Model 1914 Bofors 150 mm Howitzer Model 1931

Anti-aircraft guns	Bofors 20 mm Automatic Gun Model 40 Bofors 25 mm Automatic Gun Model 1932 Bofors 40 mm Gun Model 1936 Bofors 75 mm Gun Model 1929

Coastal guns	Bofors 105 mm Gun Model 1927 Bofors 105 mm Gun Model 1934

Naval guns	Bofors 120 mm Gun Bofors 152 mm Gun Bofors 283 mm Gun

Armored
Fighting
Vehicles

Light tanks	Strv m/21-29 Landsverk L-10 Landsverk L-60 Landsverk L-120

Medium tanks	Landsverk Lago

Self-propelled guns	Stormartillerivagn m/43

Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns	Landsverk L-62

Armoured cars	Pansarbil M/31 Landsverk Lynx Landsverk L-180/L-181/L-182 Landsverk L-185

Armoured personnel carrier	Tgbil m/42

Artillery tractors	Landsverk L-131 Landsverk L-132 Landsverk L-135

Prototypes	Landsverk L-5 Landsverk L-100 Landsverk L-101

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