Turret Rotation Speeds

[JonnyW]

Hello,

I wondering if anybody has any technical data on the speed of the turret rotation for early war panzers like the Pz I, Pz II, Pz III, and Pz IV.

I've looked through a good amount of books and can't find anything really much about the turret speed - if anybody knows of them or knows where I could find out I would GREATLY appreciate it.

Thxs,

JW

[Patrice]

Hello Jonny W.
The speed of the turret rotation of a Pz IV was of;
If the turret was being traversed manually the gunner could produce 1.9° per turn of his wheel and the loader 2.6°.
If the power traverse was engaged the maximum speed was 14° per second( about the half that available in British tanks) and the minimum was of 0.14° per second.
This datas are from"The Panzerkampfwagen IV Osprey-Vanguard 18"
Just a other information a complete 360° in high ratio of a Tiger II with an engine speed of 2000 rtm took 19 seconds,who is the fasted time available, it require 700 turns of the gunner's traverse handweel for a 360° turret rotation,680 if this was made by the loader.
Patrice

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

The Tiger II had an emergency device which enabled it to trn its turret at about 40° per second, though.

Christian

[moses]

the Tiger I had a very low traverse speed, didn't it? was this ever a problem in combat? did crews ever ask for it to be redesigned, or was it not an issue?

[Patrice]

Hello.
The speed of rotation of a Tiger I was from 25 sec to 60 sec this, depending of the engine rpm, it need some 720 hand wheels turn for a complete 360° turn.
Patrice

[Ljunggren]

You can always help speed up the rotation of the barrel by turning the whole chassis around it´s own axle.

[JonnyW]

So I am to understand that in the Pz IV, both the loader and the gunner had rotational levers to turn the turret with?

And, by chance, was the loader able to assist with his lever while reloading? Obviously, I'm thinking no.

Does anybody have any data on French or Polish tanks by chance?

Thxs for your replies!!!

JW

[Patrice]

Hello JonnyW
The hand wheels are only a emergency solution,used when the main power was not avaible.
If the gunner must turn the hand wheel manualy the loader had widely the time to load the gun and them to assist the gunner.
Patrice

[David Lehmann]

Hello,

Since it has been asked, French tanks and turret rotation speed (time for 360°) :

• Hotchkiss H-35/38/39 (APX-R turret – hand – 27s)
• Renault R-35 and R-40 (APX-R turret – hand – 27s)
The turrets are hand-cranked in the H-35/38/39 and R-35/40 tanks and could also be unlocked from the training crank and moved with the rotation of the gunner's body for quick snap-turns.

• Renault B1 and B1bis (APX-1 turret – electric – 28s)

• Renault B1bis (APX-1 and later revised APX-4 turret – electric – 28s)

• Somua S-35 (APX-1CE turret – electric – 28s)

• FCM-36 (FCM turret – electric – 21s)

• Renault D2 (APX-1 turret – electric – 28s)

Regards,

David

[JonnyW]

Panzermeyer,

Danke! That is exactly what I was looking for!!!

Also, still looking for German tank equivalents as well



JW

[Patrice]

Hello.
Panther ;Fastest and slowest times available,hydraulic power traverse.

In high ratio of 2.500rpm,one complete turn to the right 17 seconds
In high ratio of 2.500rpm,one complete turn to the left 18 seconds
In low ratio at 1000 rpm,one complete turn to right 93 seconds
In low ratio at 1000 rpm,one complete turn to the left 92 seconds.
the final lay would be made by hand wheel,one turn produce only 0.36°.
Patrice

[David Lehmann]

Just back to the Somua S-35 ...
Turret rotation speed (electric + manual for final aiming) : 360° in 28 seconds on the first models but more powerful electrical engines were fitted to the later variants, making the Somua S35's turret to perform a 360° turn in about 20 seconds (from J.G. Jeudy "Chars de France").

David