M27 Medium Tank (US071) includes one M27 Medium Tank. The M27 medium tank was born out of the T20 programme. After the M4 series of tanks went into production, consideration immediately turned to its successor. The US Army Ordnance Department was given the go-ahead to start work on an improved medium tank in May 1942. Check out the M27 Medium Tank in the online store here...

Mid-war Monsters In our research we have uncovered lots of really interesting experimental tanks. Some were just designs that were never completed. Others were completed as prototypes, and some even saw small-scale field testing! These tanks were weird and wonderful, ranging from a 100-ton monster and a First World War relic, to a tank with two side-by-side main guns, an armoured car weighing more than a tank, and a machine-gun armed light tank with the armour of a heavy tank! Learn more about Mid-war Monsters here... Download a PDF on fielding the M27 Medium in Flames Of War here... Download the Mid-war Monsters mission pack here...

Broad outlines called for a 32-ton tank armed with an automatic 75mm gun with HVSS suspension and capable of a speed of 25mph. The T20 was developed first, but transmission problems led to the tank being cancelled and the best ideas transferred to the T22. This was essentially a T20 with the five-speed transmission from the M4 Sherman. The solutions proved unsatisfactory and this led to the project being cancelled as well.

At the same time as the T22 was authorised, work began on the T23. It was essentially a T20 fitted with the tried and tested vertical volute suspension (VVSS) as used on the M4 Sherman, and an electric transmission from General Electric. It was initially to have 75mm automatic, 3-inch and 76mm gun versions, but the 75mm automatic and 3-inch versions were cancelled before prototypes were built. In its final form, the T23 has a turret fitted with an all-round vision cupola for the commander and a rotating hatch for the loader. The hull has a new single-piece, flat plate at a 47-degree angle.

Overloaded Super-heavy tanks and heavily-laden assault guns often overload their engines and suspensions, making them very poor at crossing obstacles. When required to take a Bogging Check to cross Difficult Going, an Overloaded vehicle becomes Bogged Down on a roll of 1 or 2, rather than the usual 1. An Overloaded vehicle must re-roll successful Skill Tests to cross Very Difficult Going.

Many of these design improvements were incorporated into late-production M4 Sherman tanks which had a 47-degree hull front and mounted the T23 turret with minor changes. A limited procurement order of 250 T23 medium tanks were ordered and were produced between November 1943 and December 1944 by Detroit Arsenal. These were to be standardised as the M27 medium tank when production started in earnest. Design by Evan Allen Painted by Jeremy Painter

M27 Medium Tank in Flames Of War

Armour     Name Mobility Front Side Top Equipment and Notes Weapon Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower   M27 medium tank Standard Tank 7 4 1 Co-ax MG, Hull MG, Overloaded, Unreliable. M1 76mm gun 32"/80cm 2 12 3+ Stabiliser.

Unreliable Whether poorly designed, unsuitable for the conditions, or requiring more maintenance than current supply considerations will allow, these vehicles have a significant chance of breakdown when pushed too hard. If an Unreliable vehicle attempts to move At the Double, roll a die. On a roll of 1 the vehicle becomes Bogged Down.

Stabilisers A stabiliser is a device fitted to the tank’s gun that keeps it level when the tank is moving. US tanks are the first in the world to be equipped with gyrostabilisers as standard. With the assistance of the gyrostabiliser, the gunner can stay on target while the tank is moving. A moving tank fitted with a Stabiliser can fire its main gun at its full ROF, but adds a penalty of +1 to the score needed to hit. Before shooting, a tank can choose not to use its Stabiliser and fire at the normal rate if that would give it a better chance.