Still fearing that a potential war enveloping Europe would turn into the trench-based slogfests that were World War 1, a group of experienced British Great War engineers and specialists making up the "Special Vehicle Development Committee" met in July of 1939 to draw up plans for a special breed of tank designed for such specific combat. The new tank system would be heavily armed and armored for the role, weighing in at 90 tons and capable of traversing long spaces of trenches.
The design, billed formally as "Tank, Heavy, TOG 1, measured in at over 33 feet long with a 10 foot width and well over 9 feet high. Power was supplied from a single Paxman brand diesel-fueled engine developing 600 horsepower. Its projected speed was approximately 9 miles per hour in ideal conditions - perhaps somewhat optimistic. Suspension was unsprung and the drive was electro-mechanical in nature. Primary armament was a single QF 2-pdr field gun held in a traversing turret along with 4 x 7.7mm general purpose machine guns held in side sponsons. The operating crew consisted of eight personnel to include the driver, the vehicle commander, a dedicated gunner and ammunition loader and four machine gunners. All told, the project was undoubtedly ambitious but its design approach lagged behind the times of contemporary tank designs.
The pilot vehicle was officially constructed throughout 1939 and in 1940 to which it was then presented in October for formal evaluation by authorities. However, it was during this short period that problems soon arose with the drive system, forcing a redesign of the entire unit to operate as a hydraulically-based system. This conversion delayed the TOG 1 project for a substantial time to which the system was once again made ready for testing in May of 1943 - the war now being fully spread throughout Europe and the world. The revised TOG 1 design was now redesignated as the TOG 1A and never proceeded beyond the single prototype. Somewhere down the line, the program was cancelled by authorities and fell to the pages of history for much more important matters erupted for British authorities and improved combat tanks such as the American M4 Sherman (and all its storied variants) had become available in increasingly larger numbers to Allies.
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Tank, Heavy, TOG 1 Heavy Tank Project.
1 x Paxman diesel TP generator developing 600 horsepower. Installed Power
9 mph 14 kph Road Speed
Structure The physical qualities of the Tank, Heavy, TOG 1 Heavy Tank Project.
8 (MANNED) Crew
33.1 ft 10.1 meters O/A Length
10.2 ft 3.1 meters O/A Width
9.8 ft 3 meters O/A Height
176,370 lb 80,000 kg | 88.2 tons Weight
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Tank, Heavy, TOG 1 Heavy Tank Project.
1 x QF 2-pdr (40mm) main gun
4 x 7.7mm Vickers machine guns
Variants Notable series variants as part of the Tank, Heavy, TOG 1 family line.
TOG 1 - Base Series Designation; electro-mechanical drive; appearing in 1940.
TOG 1A - Hydraulic drive installed; appearing in 1943.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Tank, Heavy, TOG 1. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 1 Units Contractor(s): State Factory - UK
[ United Kingdom ]
1 / 1
Front left side view of the TOG 1 heavy tank
Design Qualities Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to battlefield requirements.
FIRE SUPPORT / ASSAULT / BREACHING
TANK-vs-TANK
Recognition Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.
Going Further... The Tank, Heavy, TOG 1 Heavy Tank Project appears in the following collections:
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.
