Yes, this is a re-creation of my old T-103 MBT

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[Description]

The T-103 Tank was a Main Battle Tank or a Medium Tank developed by Blin Industry and served the Nekoslavia tank divisions and the KDP joint armed force.
This tank is developed in the late 1950s to encounter the tanks from their opponent - United Power. The overall development already done in 1959, although the Blin Industry willing to improve the tank even better, but as the 2nd Continental War outbreaks and United Power begins their full scale offensive, T-103 was urgently begun it production. However, it still receiving improvements to matches some new tactics as war goes on.

[Specifications]

Size

Width: 15.2ft; 4.6m
Length with gun forward: 27.7ft; 8.44m
Length without gun: 28.7ft, 8.75m

Propulsion and speed

Maximum Forward Speed: 55km/h; <30knots
Maximum Backward Speed: 15km/h; 8knots
Engine power: 500hp
Engine type: Diesel Engine

Weapons

125mm Smoothbore Gun

Loading method

Manuel loading with assist from semi-automatic autoloader

Loading Speed

5 Seconds

Ammunition in game

APFSDS 30 rounds;
HE-FS 10 rounds

Ammunition in lore: APHE-FS, APFSDS, HEAT(-FS), BESH-FS (Smoothbore modified), ATGM

Muzzle velocity

1580m/s for APFSDS;
1000m/s for HESH-FS (B.E.S.H-FS)

Vertical Guidance

-4°/+25°

30mm Auto-cannon

Loading method: Magazined Autoloader
Loading speed: 0.2 Second
Ammunition in game: HE
Ammunition in lore: AP, HE
Muzzle velocity: 960m/s
Vertical Guidance: Same as main gun

Armour and protection

Hull

Armour type:

Composite Armour (Front)/ Regular Armour (Side and Rear)

Front Upper and Lower glacis

215mm

Side & Rear armor

108mm

Turret

Armour type

Composite Armour (Front)/Regular Armour (Side & Rear)

Front Upper

390mm

Side and Rear

108mm

[Controls]

Driving controls

Pitch: Forward and backward
Roll: Turn

Aiming control

Camera controlled (named gunner)

[Crew number]

3 dudes

[Design]

Hull and Turret

There are nothing special with the hull, and the turret just upscaled Sherman firefly but did a bit changes

Armour and protection

T-103 potential opponent is the United Power's tanks such as M48/M60 patton series, IS-4M, IS-7, M103. Especially the M103, the powerful gun can literally cook every KDP tanks at any range, while can stand numbers of rounds from the Anti-Tank Rockets or weapons.
As results, T-103 have the first generation of composite armour. Although some of the ingredients are unknown, but it's likely that they works like T-64 or T-72, able to withstand such heavy rounds from the UP tanks. And with the angle it got, basically the T-103 could works for a period until the U.P obtained XM-1, or M1 Abrams with 120mm gun with APFSDS.

Blowout panels

(Its how it called right?)
It will be better if crew have higher chance to survive the shots, and the developer understood this.
Turret blowout panel is common. However, there is also a blowout panel for the ammunition stored infront of the hull, which basically all ammunition storages in the tank are compartmented and once the tank got hit in this area, if the door is sealed it won't cook off, or at least have enough time for crews to get out before the whole tank eventually burn down.
However, the 30mm autocannon ammunition isn't compartmented. They are stored inside a box to protect them from fragments, but a direct hit will still leads to explosion or fire.

Propulsion

Normal diesel engine that can be found on many cold war era tanks. Overall the performance similar to Soviet T-10M heavy tanks, but have a bit more fuel efficiency.
However, it could make the tank able to climb on mountain area, which the heavy tanks unable or difficult to access. This is an advantage that T-103 had, but most U.P tanks doesn't have as they prefer heavier tanks.

Cons

The 30mm autocannon is sticked to the main gun, just like the BMP-3 and BMD-4. If the front of the turret gets damaged could results in both guns got disabled.
And furthermore, just as I said, 30mm ammunition is only protected in a ammo box. A direct hit could still leads to enormous damage to the tank results in crew death or the entire tank got bonked.

About the propulsion, can drive on most of the terrain environment is a advantage, but they had to sacrifices some speed for this. Although it still have speed of 55km/h, but still a disadvantage.

[Lore accurate variants]

T-103

The version that you're seeing

T-103B

ERA version, nothing special

T-103-GTE

Gas turbine engine testbed, 2 prototype were built

[Operators]

Kosvland Defense Pact (KDP, till 2009)

Had 14,000-19,000, it's unknown the actual numbers from each memeber countries had.

Kosvland Continent Pact (KCP, 2009-now)

Completely retired, but have 6,000+ tanks being in storage for reserve

[Operation History]

[2nd Continental War]

United Power launched massive Deep Operation, KDP forced to retreat very far away until they met some reliable positions that are benefits for defending.
Before KDP begins some small scale counter attack in 1964, most of the battle are in smaller scale. So during this period, not much documentation about T-103 performance can be found aside from captured U.P tank operator's memory, since T-103 only begun operating for a while with small amount of tanks available to combat.

A memory from a M103 tank operator, gunner; interviewed in the 1980s

"Our team were heading to a village that's still controlled by Nekoslavia. Our mission is simple, either bombard enemy defense position or destroy some enemy tanks if they come.
I usually felt safe inside a M103 heavy tank, it's modified with good optics and improved armour. One more M103, 2 M60 and 2 M48 were also along with my tank, so me and my crews didn't think too much. But the peaceful time ends while my tank commander spotted a small group of Nekoslavian Tanks more than 1000m away from us.
I didn't feel panic, I casually check my optics and identify the targets. However this time I saw a unidentified tank in the enemy group. I thought it was a modified Centurion MBT as they looks familiar, but I no longer think that's a Centurion once it fired onto our friendly M103. That M103 right next to us got completely obliterated after it got hit, the only thing it left is the hull, which barely identical to M103; it still have the turret, however that explosion took the turret to the sky, I did not see that until the turret dropped right next to my tank.
The next thing I heard is the panic yelling from my friends in our tank, as we have no idea what happened. We decided to prioritize that target and focus all guns onto it, we let the other Nekoslavian tanks shot at us because we know they can't do much damage to us. However, although all our rounds hit that tank, but it's clearly we still haven't damaged it. Even worse, that tank reloads pretty fast, and it shot at us. Luckily our driver reacts pretty fast and drive a bit to the left, although the rounds still hits us, but the damage isn't too bad with only some of my friends got injured by the spall that caused by the round. If the driver didn't react in time, the round will literally goes directly into the ammunition and I won't be alive anymore.
Later our whole team forced to popped smoke and fall back. Unfortunately one of our M48 got hit through the smoke and got popped the turret. I can even hear the explosion inside my tank. But thank god that I able to made it out alive "

With the combat data, it's confirmed that tank the gunner mentioned was a T-103.

Battle of Sumezliv Town, 1964

This is the first major battle that significant amount of T-103 were used, and also the first KDP counter offensive that T-103 were used.
As the KDP forces wanted to cross and breakthrough the plain area between their position and Sumezliv Town without too much losses, they launched a Panzerkeil with 16 T-103 at the front, covering the IFVs, APCs and SPAA behind them.
The KDP tank group got spotted at the distance of 2000m, the U.P forces immediately ordered 10 M103, 4 IS-7 and 6 M60 to move in and intercept. However, those U.P tanks were unable to damage those T-103 at the front or at least until the distance of less than 200m.
At the range of around 1200m, KDP T-103s fired, and successfully destroyed 4 M103, 3 IS-7 and 2 M60. U.P forces called for Air Support, however as the KDP have assistance from their own SPAA, U.P planes are unable to get too close to take a shot.
The remaining U.P tanks decided retreat behind the high rise building and use it as a cover, they begin to aim onto the T-103s tracks to achieve some Mobility-kill to slow down KDP advance. With hiding behind a cover, T-103 did have less hit rate and 3 T-103 got de-tracked and immobilized; however, there were still 2 M103 and a IS-7 got destroyed by those T-103.
U.P still have some tanks in the town, however as they took significant losses in the battle, they decided to change tactics and fight the KDP forces in the urban area.
Without the threats from the outskirts of the town, those 3 T-103 that were de-tracked got repaired as there are some engineers onboard the APCs.

Urban stage

As the T-103 entered the town, they begin recieving rounds by the U.P soiders with RPGs. But with side skirts armour, those RPG were unable to do anything to the T-103, and T-103 counter fire with its 30mm autocannon, killed serval U.P soiders in the process.

KDP forces continues pushing deep into the town, a T-103 were ambushed by a M103 when entering a intersection. That T-103 got hit at the side, and the M103 rounds went through its hull, results in critical damage to that T-103 and killed a gunner within; few seconds later, another T-103 came to the intersection to support the damaged T-103. As they knows there are a M103, T-103 fired first right at the moment it peaked; that M103 eventually got destroyed.
Another M60 tried to revenge for that M103, but T-103 have advantage on reload speed, it fired onto the M60 first and knocked it out.
As there are more U.P soldiers bring RPG into the area, the surviving T-103 use it autocannon to cover the wounded crew of the damaged T-103. Somehow the T-103 managed to repell the RPG attacks and forced the U.P soldiers to retreat.

After this incident, the KDP force becomes more careful. They eventually pushes the U.P force out of the city and liberated the Sumezliv Town. The T-103 did a important role in this battle to breakthrough the defense with it armor. In conclusion, total 6 T-103 were damaged and immobilized in the entire battle, all of those damaged tanks are later repaired and returned to the unit; and total of 3 T-103 were critically damage by the heavy rounds hitting from the side armor, killed total of 4 crews.

Later in the war

As KDP tactics keep improving, the losses of T-103 begins to reduce and more frequently used as a assault tank to breakthrough enemy fire line during the counter offensive.
There were still plenty of cases that T-103 got ammunition detonated by M103 or IS-7 firing at less than 50m. However, as T-103 have blowout panel on the front hull ammunition storage, they managed to survive the shot and the crews abandon the tank before it burn down.

T-103 VS T-64 (120mm) and XM-803

In the 1968, U.P got their own T-64 to rival the KDP T-103s, although their T-64 still using 120mm, but as they already have APFSDS, T-103 begins to lost its own advantage, since although it could block the shots from T-64, but the T-64 could also block the shots from T-103.
And for the XM-803, well if you know then you know it's a prototype of M1 Abrams with 152mm cannon. Although its APFSDS isn't a big threat, but the ATGM and HEAT is. The only good news is there weren't many XM-1 before U.P mass produce the M1 Abrams.

In the same year, when KDP joint forces attempting to breakthrough a U.P defense line, there were a battle that 14 T-103 vs 16 T-64 and 4 XM-803. First some of the T-103 spotted the U.P tanks at the range of 1000m and fired first, but the round didn't penetrate the T-64; but 2 XM-803 got hit and knocked out; serval U.P T-64 returns fire, but also did nothing on the T-103.
However, a XM-803 fired ATGM onto a T-103, it did hit the turret and penetrated it, killed both gunner and the commander, while the driver being the only survivor. As those XM-803 are threats to the KDP tank, the KDP tank group commander ordered serval T-103 focus fire on the remaining XM-803; as expected both XM-803 were either knocked out or completely blown up by its ammunition at the front of the hull.
Later, both sides end up in attempting to shot at the weak spots, mostly side armor. But both T-103 and T-64 tanks have no results as they keep evading and hiding their side until they almost run out of ammo.

Eventually, both KDP and U.P tanks popped smoke and retreat from the battlefield. But for the KDP sides, their counteroffensive went stalemate due to their T-103 were unable to push through the U.P tank wall, while the KDP also needs MBTs for assault missons. This last until the KDP tank group thought about another tactics, the T-103 recives ERA upgrades and they also available to fire ATGMs.

1969 Operation Big Leap

An operation that's about KDP launching a large scale counter offensive over almost the whole combat line, as they have huge amounts of equipments, including a thousands of T-103.
This time KDP changed tactics, they let T-103 equipped with ATGM-HE that explodes on top of the target, and have add-on ERA to protect itself from enemy ATGM.
To write in detail will require a lots of words, but overall, the top attack tactics did helped the T-103 to destroys the T-64, XM-803 and other U.P self-made MBT, while using it's armour to defend the tank group. The ERA also works against the ATGM from the XM-803, however as the enemy could also aim pretty good, total of 128 T-103 were crew knocked out or suffered unrepairable damage.

With such tactics, the KDP retook significant territory along with dozens of big cities back in their hand just in 3 months since the beginning of the operation, and they made U.P suffered significant amount of vehicles, including total of 300+ T-64, 71 XM-803 and another 300+ variable U.P MBTs were destroyed. In the middle of 1970, KDP had already retook around 80% of their lost territory, with T-103 MBT playing as a huge role during this counter offensive
Obviously, this speeds up the U.P process of getting an working Abrams tank and developing a new MBTs that could outgun the T-103.

T-103 vs M1A1 & "Vengeance" MBT

In around 1971, the U.P responded with their new M1A1 Abrams and their own "Vengeance" MBT... or more like "Vengeance" Super Heavy Tank; those tanks is aimed to repell every single KDP tactics that they could face, and destroy the T-103 entirely within one shot; especially the Vengeance MBT, it basically have an frontal amour of a Super Heavy Tank, and a 150mm Main Gun able to fire APDS. Although the APDS isn't fully 150mm, but it raw weight could still break the front hull armour of T-103.

Battle of Cherry Blossom City; Suburban field area

10 T-103 were assigned to push though the field along with some IFVs and APCs behind as secondary role. However this time they encountered U.P's 4 M1A1 and 4 "Vengeance" MBT at the distance of 900m. An T-103 fired ATGM-HE and aimed at the roof of an "Vengeance" MBT, however the Vengeance MBT roof armour is well protected that this top attack tactics doesn't work.
That Vengeance MBT returns fire with it APDS, and the round penetrated the T-103, went right through the tank and eventually stopped when hit the engine. All the crews inside that T-103 were killed by the fragments that caused by the APDS.
Some other T-103 attempted to use regular ATGM or HEAT on the Vengeance MBT but still no use and got counter fire from those M1A1 or other Vengeance MBT, resulting 3 other T-103 were destroyed.
The KDP eventually were forced to full back with the cover from the artillery, with some the smoke rounds from the artillery, the surviving crews were recovered from those destroyed T-103.

Later that, the battle went stalemate until the KDP recive new HEAT rounds for the T-103

Second attempt

This time, 3 T-103 went in and found a hiding spot. 2 Vengeance MBT and 2 M1A1 were in sight but haven't spotted those T-103 yet. 2 T-103 fired HEAT onto each Vengeance MBT, the latest HEAT works and caused those 2 Vengeance MBT results in ammunition cook off. The M1A1 aside quickly search for targets, but a T-103 fired a HEAT onto a M1A1, however as M1 have composite armour, the heat did minimal damage.
That M1 reacts quickly, however as the other T-103 reloaded first, the T-103 gain time advantages, fired a APFSDS onto that M1A1. The rounds did successfully penetrates the M1A1, wounded all the crew in the turret area.
The remaining M1A1 fired a round onto a T-103, it penetrated the turret and injured both gunner and commander. However despite being injured, that damaged T-103 returns fire, but hit the front turret armour, which the thickest place of an M1A1; the another T-103 fired onto it, and successfully penetrates the hull, knocked out the crews.
The KDP T-103 won this battle, but they also have to retreat as the U.P were sending serval Vengeance MBT and other tanks into the area.

3rd Attempt, 1972

In the 3rd attempt, KDP forces and the T-103 tanks in the area finally broke through the defense. However T-103 doesn't played a huge role here, since KDP air force gained more air superiority, U.P tanks isn't a big problem.

Post Battle of Cherry Blossom City

Although better APFSDS rounds exists and able to penetrates Vengeance MBT on the front at a pretty long range, T-103 are unavoidably getting old and lacking of protection against latest U.P weaponry. And most importantly, as KDP air forces able to provide more air support, usually the big threats are already destroyed by the planes before T-103 rolls in.
Although T-103 still have some engagements with U.P tanks, but the scale of the battles went smaller.

T-103 eventually got replaced by the T-104 MBT in 1987.

[3rd Continental War]

The 3rd Continental War is the last war that T-103 were used.

Grand Border Tank Battle

Although the T-103 wete deployed behind the T-104, but with the large amount of U.P tanks pushing into the KDP border, the U.P tanks broke through the T-104 defense line and the T-103 have to step in.
Although T-103 firepower is basically as same as the T-104 as they share the same, but without better protection those T-103 suffered significant losses with over 1000 T-103 were destroyed by the constant wave of U.P tanks.

Post Grand Tank Battle

After the grand border battle, the U.P had been greatly weakened, they basically lost most of the combat capabilities.
As T-103 have less operation costs, the KDP redeployed big numbers of T-103 into the less dangerous warzone to reduce the unnecessary costs from the latest vehicles. Still, often we can see T-103 fighting along with T-104, while the T-103 be fighting infantries or light armoured enemies, and the T-104 fighting heavily armoured vehicles or heavily defended position.

When the 3rd Continental War came to an end, all T-103 are retired and goes into the storage, become a reserved equipments. Most likely the remaining T-103 will come out from the storage when the KDP (KCP) is under attack and urgently needs huge number of combat vehicles.

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[Credit]

MisterT

His Stork Island for pictures