A tank (Swedish: Stridsvagn, abbreviated Strv)is an armored fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armor, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; usually, their main armament is mounted in a turret. Note, the British English spelling of the word armor is armour.The term "tank" is sometimes misused to refer to all armored vehicles. A tank is a specific class of vehicle and, like all other ground combat vehicles, is classified according to its intended role rather than design, which in turn means that the vehicle needs to meet certain firepower, protection, and mobility requirements. The modern definition of a tank is a heavy armored tracked vehicle with good mobility both on and off-road, with a large-caliber tank gun mounted in a rotating gun turret, supplemented by machine guns, capable of engaging both protected and unprotected moving or fixed targets on the ground. When Sweden first acquired tanks in the early 1920s, they were first called armored vehicles (Swe: Pansarvagn). However, when trials of armored cars (Swe: Pansarbil) began during the same period, the vehicle type was renamed “Stridsvagn” - tank. The word 'tank' is used in international contexts and is considered to be the original word for the vehicle type. The term tank is used mainly in English.Combat vehicle (Swe: Stridsfordon)is the collective term used for all types of ground vehicles intended for participation in combat. However, since the late 1970s, a type of vehicle has also been developed which is itself referred to as a combat vehicle. It is basically an armored personnel carrier equipped with sufficient armament to combat other armored vehicles. An example of such a combat vehicle is the Swedish Combat Vehicle 90, or CV90 for short. The vehicle has both combat and transport capabilities, as it is equipped with a 40 mm automatic cannon and can simultaneously transport up to seven combat-equipped soldiers.
The Armored Troops of Sweden - History
Already in 1922 experiments with tanks started at Svea Life Guards, I 1, in Stockholm. In 1928 a tank battalion was organized at Göta Life Guards, I 2. The battalion was divided in 1939 into two tank battalions, one at Skaraborg regiment, I 9, and one at Södermanland regiment, I 10.The Armored Troops (P) (Swe: Pansartrupperna) was formed as a separate branch of the Swedish Army on 1 October 1942 with four armored regiments (Göta Armored Life Guards (P 1), Skåne Armored Regiment (P 2), Södermanland Armored Regiment (P 3) and Skaraborg Armored Regiment (P 4)). •Göta Armored Life Guards was established on 1 April 1944 in Enköping under the name Royal Göta Armored Life Guards (P 1)and inherited the name and traditions of the infantry regiment Göta Life Guards (I 2), which was disbanded in 1939.•The Skåne Cavalry Regiment (K 2) was disbanded as a cavalry regiment on 30 September 1942, and from 1 October 1942, the regiment was organized as the Skåne Armored Regiment (P 2). •From 1 October 1942, the Södermanland Regiment (I 10) was organized as an armored regiment, under the name Södermanland Armored Regiment (P 3).•From 1 October 1942, the Skaraborg Regiment (I 9) was organized as an armored regiment, under the name Skaraborg Armored Regiment (P 4).As an armored regiment, Södermanland Regiment (I 10) was given the name Södermanland Armored Regiment, P 3. That Södermanland Regiment was given the designation P 3 and Skaraborg Regiment the designation P 4, was due to a request from Skaraborg Regiment (I 9), where they wanted to prevent confusion with the Life Regiment Hussars (K 3), which were also garrisoned in Skövde. In 1957, Södermanland's armored regiment (P 3) was reorganized and formed a regiment for armored infantry training and regained its old designation I 10. At that time, some 70 officers from Södermanland's regiment were transferred to other armored regiments, mainly Göta Life Guards (P 1) in Enköping on the other side of Lake Mälaren. At the same time, the same number of officers were transferred from the disbanded Uppland Regiment (I 8) to Södermanland Regiment. These extensive transfers came to be known as the Mälar Merry-go-round. Göta Life Guards thus became responsible for tank training and Södermanland Regiment for infantry training for the brigades for which both regiments were responsible. When the 1963 war organization came into force 1963, Södermanland Regiment became again an armored regiment, now with the designation P 10. The Armored Troops are a branch of the Army and its designation is "P", which stands for "Pansartrupperna" (The Armored Troops).Unit designation listing of the Swedish armored troops.
Designation System of tanks in the Swedish Armed Forces
During the interwar period and the Second World War, tanks in Sweden had a tank designation based on the year in which the decision to purchase/manufacture a tank type was made. The designation consists of a prefix, the lower case letter "m" followed by a slash "/" and the year of the decision. For example, Stridsvagn m/1931 or just Stridsvagn m/31. Stridsvagn means tank, so in English, the designation would be Tank m/1931. Stridsvagn is abbreviated "Strv" so the designation can also be written Strv m/31. Experimental variants (Swe: Försöksmodell) were given the designation "fm", for example, Stridsvagn fm/28.In the early 1950s (1953?), each new tank model was assigned a specific tank number. The very last digit is a serial number for the model in question while the first digit reflects the caliber of the tank gun in centimeters. For example, Stridsvagn 74 (Strv 74) - Tank 74-, where 7 means that the tank has a gun with a caliber of 7 cm (more precisely 7.5 cm). When the armament became more powerful with a caliber of 10 cm or more, the tank designation became three digits. For example, Stridsvagn 103 (Tank 103), where "10" stands for the caliber of the gun (10.5 cm) and where "3" is a serial number for the tank model.
Tank Classification
Historically, in international tank terminology, there have been several classes of tanks that represent the role or general design of the tank. These classes have often been named by weight but actually, refer to the role of the tank even if this is tied to a specific weight class. In other cases, classes have even been named after their role. In addition to this, different countries have had different numbers of tank classes. In Britain, for example, there were infantry support tanks (infantry tanks) and cavalry tanks (cruiser tanks).Sweden has not used more terms than just "tank" (Swe: Stridsvagn). This is primarily because Sweden has not used more than one role of a tank at a time for economic reasons. However, Sweden has closely followed tank developments around the world and therefore there are terms in Swedish for tank classes that Sweden has never used. Beyond this, Sweden has experimented with new designations over the course of history and in the 1950s anti-tank guns with gun turrets were called tank destroyers(pansarvärnsstridsvagn or pvstrv for short). In modern armies, there are really only light tanks and main battle tanks (MBT). Medium and heavy tanks were used during World War II, with famous tanks such as the American M4 Sherman and the German Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger. In addition to various types of tanks, there are also many other types of armored vehicles whose design and use can cross over into tanks such as tank destroyers, and infantry assault guns (Swe: infanterikanonvagn), and combat vehicles (Swe: stridsfordon).A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movements in and out of combat, to outmaneuver heavier tanks. It is smaller in size with thinner armor and a less powerful main gun. It is a tank that should not weigh very much to be easily transported and fight in terrain where heavier vehicles cannot drive. Because of these characteristics, light tanks are mainly used for reconnaissance missions and infantry support. Although the type is not obsolete, in modern times it has been effectively replaced by combat vehicles as these perform more or less the same role. Another name for this class is cavalry tank as these tanks replaced the horse-drawn cavalry in many armies.A medium tank is a classification of tanks, particularly prevalent during World War II which represented a compromise between the mobility-oriented light tanks and the armor and armament-oriented heavy tanks. A medium tank's classification is not actually based on weight, but off of tactical usage and intended purpose. It is a tank that is primarily intended to perform the role of infantry support but should also be able to combat enemy tanks. They, therefore, have moderate armor and a crude tank gun. Another name for this class is infantry tank because of its aforementioned roles. The type is currently very rare as almost all have been replaced by main battle tanks.Heavy tank is a term used to define a class of tanks produced from World War I through the end of the Cold War. These tanks generally sacrificed mobility and maneuverability for better armor protection and equal or greater firepower than tanks of lighter classes. It is a tank that must be able to fight effectively and be invulnerable to all types of ground targets. They, therefore, have a lot of armor, especially on the front, and a crude tank gun that allows them to easily fight other tanks and fortifications. They are often used as a type of breakthrough vehicle that drives straight through an enemy line, resisting enemy fire and returning it. Because of all the armor and the heavy tank gun, they are often very slow. This makes them more vulnerable to attacks from attackaircraft. They also tend to have trouble getting stuck as they easily sink into soft terrain. Today, the type is obsolete and is not used by any modern country. The main battle tank (MBT), is a tank that fulfills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver of many modern armies. It is today's modern tank and the type has replaced the medium and heavy tanks. They should fulfill all the roles that a tank should fulfill. They should have a coarse tank gun that should be able to effectively combat all types of ground targets and in some cases even helicopters. This is achieved by the tank gun being capable of firing several different types of ammunition. As a minimum, the armor should be able to withstand armor-piercing (AP) projectiles from the most common types of automatic tank guns, but in most cases, the armor on the main battle tank will also protect from dedicated anti-tank guns and anti-tank missiles. The main battle tank must also be fast, both forward and backward. The only thing the main battle tank can't do is go over extremely soft terrain as a light tank can. A turretless tank is based on a turretless chassis where the armament is fixed in the chassis and the aiming is done by maneuvering the whole vehicle. For raising and lowering the gun, the whole vehicle is tilted forwards and backward, which is achieved by an adjustable hydraulic suspension. An example of a turretless tank is the Swedish tank 103 (Stridsvagn 103).
Armament
On modern tanks, the armament usually consists of a large-caliber high-pressure tank gun without rifling, i.e. smoothbore (usually with a caliber of around 120 mm). The gun is gyro-stabilized to allow accurate firing while moving (i.e. you can fire while driving). The muzzle velocity is very high, often over 1500 m/s. The gun can be loaded either by hand (manual) or by machine (auto-loader). In the case of manually loaded guns, there is normally a human loader in the turret. The gun is primarily handled by the gunner. However, the tank commander may, if he wishes, fire the gun himself through his own aiming devices. In addition to the gun (the main weapon), tanks are usually equipped with a machine gun that follows the gun (paralleled) and is operated by the gunner. The tank commander has his own machine gun on the turret roof.
1.Svensk PansarHistorisk Förening2.Pansar av Rickard O. Lindström3.Arsenalen, militärt fordonsmuseum, Tank Museum, Strängnäs, Sweden4.Wikipedia5.DigitaltMuseumTop of page
A tank (Swedish: Stridsvagn, abbreviated Strv)is an armored fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armor, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; usually, their main armament is mounted in a turret. Note, the British English spelling of the word armor is armour.The term "tank" is sometimes misused to refer to all armored vehicles. A tank is a specific class of vehicle and, like all other ground combat vehicles, is classified according to its intended role rather than design, which in turn means that the vehicle needs to meet certain firepower, protection, and mobility requirements. The modern definition of a tank is a heavy armored tracked vehicle with good mobility both on and off-road, with a large-caliber tank gun mounted in a rotating gun turret, supplemented by machine guns, capable of engaging both protected and unprotected moving or fixed targets on the ground. When Sweden first acquired tanks in the early 1920s, they were first called armored vehicles(Swe: Pansarvagn). However, when trials of armored cars (Swe: Pansarbil) began during the same period, the vehicle type was renamed “Stridsvagn” - tank. The word 'tank' is used in international contexts and is considered to be the original word for the vehicle type. The term tank is used mainly in English.Combat vehicle (Swe: Stridsfordon)is the collective term used for all types of ground vehicles intended for participation in combat. However, since the late 1970s, a type of vehicle has also been developed which is itself referred to as a combat vehicle. It is basically an armored personnel carrier equipped with sufficient armament to combat other armored vehicles. An example of such a combat vehicle is the Swedish Combat Vehicle 90, or CV90 for short. The vehicle has both combat and transport capabilities, as it is equipped with a 40 mm automatic cannon and can simultaneously transport up to seven combat-equipped soldiers.
The Armored Troops of Sweden - History
Already in 1922 experiments with tanks started at Svea Life Guards, I 1, in Stockholm. In 1928 a tank battalion was organized at Göta Life Guards, I 2. The battalion was divided in 1939 into two tank battalions, one at Skaraborg regiment, I 9, and one at Södermanland regiment, I 10.The Armored Troops (P) (Swe: Pansartrupperna) was formed as a separate branch of the Swedish Army on 1 October 1942 with four armored regiments (Göta Armored Life Guards (P 1), Skåne Armored Regiment (P 2), Södermanland Armored Regiment (P 3) and Skaraborg Armored Regiment (P 4)). •Göta Armored Life Guards was established on 1 April 1944 in Enköping under the name Royal Göta Armored Life Guards (P 1) and inherited the name and traditions of the infantry regiment Göta Life Guards (I 2), which was disbanded in 1939.•The Skåne Cavalry Regiment (K 2) was disbanded as a cavalry regiment on 30 September 1942, and from 1 October 1942, the regiment was organized as the Skåne Armored Regiment (P 2). •From 1 October 1942, the Södermanland Regiment (I 10) was organized as an armored regiment, under the name Södermanland Armored Regiment (P 3).•From 1 October 1942, the Skaraborg Regiment (I 9) was organized as an armored regiment, under the name Skaraborg Armored Regiment (P 4).As an armored regiment, Södermanland Regiment (I 10) was given the name Södermanland Armored Regiment, P 3. That Södermanland Regiment was given the designation P 3 and Skaraborg Regiment the designation P 4, was due to a request from Skaraborg Regiment (I 9), where they wanted to prevent confusion with the Life Regiment Hussars (K 3), which were also garrisoned in Skövde. In 1957, Södermanland's armored regiment (P 3) was reorganized and formed a regiment for armored infantry training and regained its old designation I 10. At that time, some 70 officers from Södermanland's regiment were transferred to other armored regiments, mainly Göta Life Guards (P 1) in Enköping on the other side of Lake Mälaren. At the same time, the same number of officers were transferred from the disbanded Uppland Regiment (I 8) to Södermanland Regiment. These extensive transfers came to be known as the Mälar Merry-go-round. Göta Life Guards thus became responsible for tank training and Södermanland Regiment for infantry training for the brigades for which both regiments were responsible. When the 1963 war organization came into force 1963, Södermanland Regiment became again an armored regiment, now with the designation P 10. The Armored Troops are a branch of the Army and its designation is "P", which stands for "Pansartrupperna" (The Armored Troops).Unit designation listing of the Swedish armored troops.
Designation System of tanks in the Swedish
Armed Forces
During the interwar period and the Second World War, tanks in Sweden had a tank designationbased on the year in which the decision to purchase/manufacture a tank type was made. The designation consists of a prefix, the lower case letter "m" followed by a slash "/" and the year of the decision. For example, Stridsvagn m/1931 or just Stridsvagn m/31. Stridsvagn means tank, so in English, the designation would be Tank m/1931. Stridsvagn is abbreviated "Strv" so the designation can also be written Strv m/31. Experimental variants (Swe: Försöksmodell) were given the designation "fm", for example, Stridsvagn fm/28.In the early 1950s (1953?), each new tank model was assigned a specific tank number. The very last digit is a serial number for the model in question while the first digit reflects the caliber of the tank gun in centimeters. For example, Stridsvagn 74 (Strv 74) - Tank 74 -, where 7 means that the tank has a gun with a caliber of 7 cm (more precisely 7.5 cm). When the armament became more powerful with a caliber of 10 cm or more, the tank designation became three digits. For example, Stridsvagn 103(Tank 103), where "10" stands for the caliber of the gun (10.5 cm) and where "3" is a serial number for the tank model.
Tank Classification
Historically, in international tank terminology, there have been several classes of tanks that represent the role or general design of the tank. These classes have often been named by weight but actually, refer to the role of the tank even if this is tied to a specific weight class. In other cases, classes have even been named after their role. In addition to this, different countries have had different numbers of tank classes. In Britain, for example, there were infantry support tanks (infantry tanks) and cavalry tanks (cruiser tanks).Sweden has not used more terms than just "tank" (Swe: Stridsvagn). This is primarily because Sweden has not used more than one role of a tank at a time for economic reasons. However, Sweden has closely followed tank developments around the world and therefore there are terms in Swedish for tank classes that Sweden has never used. Beyond this, Sweden has experimented with new designations over the course of history and in the 1950s anti-tank guns with gun turrets were called tank destroyers (pansarvärnsstridsvagn or pvstrv for short). In modern armies, there are really only light tanks and main battle tanks (MBT). Medium and heavy tanks were used during World War II, with famous tanks such as the American M4 Sherman and the German Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger. In addition to various types of tanks, there are also many other types of armored vehicles whose design and use can cross over into tanks such as tank destroyers, and infantry assault guns (Swe: infanterikanonvagn), and combat vehicles (Swe: stridsfordon).A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movements in and out of combat, to outmaneuver heavier tanks. It is smaller in size with thinner armor and a less powerful main gun. It is a tank that should not weigh very much to be easily transported and fight in terrain where heavier vehicles cannot drive. Because of these characteristics, light tanks are mainly used for reconnaissance missions and infantry support. Although the type is not obsolete, in modern times it has been effectively replaced by combat vehicles as these perform more or less the same role. Another name for this class is cavalry tank as these tanks replaced the horse-drawn cavalry in many armies.A medium tank is a classification of tanks, particularly prevalent during World War II which represented a compromise between the mobility-oriented light tanks and the armor and armament-oriented heavy tanks. A medium tank's classification is not actually based on weight, but off of tactical usage and intended purpose. It is a tank that is primarily intended to perform the role of infantry support but should also be able to combat enemy tanks. They, therefore, have moderate armor and a crude tank gun. Another name for this class is infantry tank because of its aforementioned roles. The type is currently very rare as almost all have been replaced by main battle tanks.Heavy tank is a term used to define a class of tanks produced from World War I through the end of the Cold War. These tanks generally sacrificed mobility and maneuverability for better armor protection and equal or greater firepower than tanks of lighter classes. It is a tank that must be able to fight effectively and be invulnerable to all types of ground targets. They, therefore, have a lot of armor, especially on the front, and a crude tank gun that allows them to easily fight other tanks and fortifications. They are often used as a type of breakthrough vehicle that drives straight through an enemy line, resisting enemy fire and returning it. Because of all the armor and the heavy tank gun, they are often very slow. This makes them more vulnerable to attacks from attackaircraft. They also tend to have trouble getting stuck as they easily sink into soft terrain. Today, the type is obsolete and is not used by any modern country. The main battle tank (MBT), is a tank that fulfills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver of many modern armies. It is today's modern tank and the type has replaced the medium and heavy tanks. They should fulfill all the roles that a tank should fulfill. They should have a coarse tank gun that should be able to effectively combat all types of ground targets and in some cases even helicopters. This is achieved by the tank gun being capable of firing several different types of ammunition. As a minimum, the armor should be able to withstand armor-piercing (AP) projectiles from the most common types of automatic tank guns, but in most cases, the armor on the main battle tank will also protect from dedicated anti-tank guns and anti-tank missiles. The main battle tank must also be fast, both forward and backward. The only thing the main battle tank can't do is go over extremely soft terrain as a light tank can. A turretless tank is based on a turretless chassis where the armament is fixed in the chassis and the aiming is done by maneuvering the whole vehicle. For raising and lowering the gun, the whole vehicle is tilted forwards and backward, which is achieved by an adjustable hydraulic suspension. An example of a turretless tank is the Swedish tank 103(Stridsvagn 103).
Armament
On modern tanks, the armament usually consists of a large-caliber high-pressure tank gun without rifling, i.e. smoothbore (usually with a caliber of around 120 mm). The gun is gyro-stabilized to allow accurate firing while moving (i.e. you can fire while driving). The muzzle velocity is very high, often over 1500 m/s. The gun can be loaded either by hand (manual) or by machine (auto-loader). In the case of manually loaded guns, there is normally a human loader in the turret. The gun is primarily handled by the gunner. However, the tank commander may, if he wishes, fire the gun himself through his own aiming devices. In addition to the gun (the main weapon), tanks are usually equipped with a machine gun that follows the gun (paralleled) and is operated by the gunner. The tank commander has his own machine gun on the turret roof.
1.Svensk PansarHistorisk Förening2.Pansar av Rickard O. Lindström3.Arsenalen, militärt fordonsmuseum, Tank Museum, Strängnäs, Sweden4.Wikipedia5.DigitaltMuseumTop of page
