X-U Super heavy tank

X-U Super heavy tank
X-U Super heavy tank
Type	Super-heavy tank
Place of origin	Empire of Quenmin
Service history
In service	1942-1944
Wars	Second Europan War
Production history
No. built	150 (45 incomplete models)
Specifications
Weight	150+ tons
Length	9.50 m
Width	4.2 m
Height	2.5 m
Crew	7
Armor	maximum of 200 mm
Main armament	120 mm gun
Secondary armament	47mm gun 3x 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun
Engine	Four V-12 gasoline engines 550hp x4
Suspension	coil springs
Speed	25 km/h

The X-U Super heavy tank was a design for a Quenminese super heavy tank that was to be used in all theatres of war during the Second Europan War. It was designed to be a breakthrough assault tank and a defensive tank. It replaced the XT-TD Heavy tank destroyer as the main breakthrough tank for the Quenminese Army. At 150 tons, it was the heaviest indigenous Quenminese tank that ever existed. Majority saw action during the Asianna and the Pacific Campaign, in the Bethausian Campaign and in the 1944 Winter Invasion of Quenmin, where the last of the tanks were destroyed.

The tank was very heavy at 150 tons, armed with a 120mm gun, had a thickness of 200mm, and was powered by V12 diesel engines. Designed personally by Quenminese Marshal Count Thạch Hung Sõn Chiến, it was immediately developed and Chiến had ordered all Quenminese factories in Bethausia to cease production of the XT Heavy tanks and to construct his dream of a tank. It was clandestinely approved by Prime Minister Lý Học Thao Viên and Emperor Hiep Mang to avoid investigation by Quenminese Minister of Armaments Phan Ðức Quảng, who had cancelled Chiến's two other super heavy tank projects, the X-O Super heavy tank and the 250 ton X-I Super heavy tank. The X-U was the result of the Quenminese Army being unable to purchase Mauschen tanks due to its expensive cost (the cost ratio to make 2 X-U tanks is 1 Mauschen).

To avoid overengineering, the design was simplified such that the ammunition had a simple storage, the crew compartment was reduced which reduced crew comfort, and the engine had a basic four engine layout in the rear. A total of 150 were built but the production had stopped when the assembling factories were bombed during the Bethausian campaign and all were destroyed in Bethausia due to Allied air attacks and tank-on-tank encounters, where it faced the seemingly inferior Centurion tank.

Overall, it was classified as a last-ditch defence project by the Allies. At the same time, it was redundant, given that Bethausia's terrain had little room to maneuver and that materials that could have been used to make more tanks were wasted. The harsh lessons of X-U Super heavy tank ensured that no tank that was as heavy as the X-U or the Imperial Mauschen would never again be built.

Combat service

First seeing action in 1942 during the stages of the Elyagan Valley Campaign along with its heavier cousin, the Panzer VIII Mauschen, the X-U was fielded as soon as the first units began to arrive. The X-U was designated by the Imperials as both a Super-heavy tank and a self-propelled gun. The tanks were placed in certain ambush positions where Allied forces would find it difficult to expel the tank. It inflicted casualties on the Allies, claiming at least 20 tanks in the span of a 1 hour engagement. However, things started to go poorly for the Imperials when AT infantry attacks, despite heavy countermeasures by both the East Europans and Quenminese, managed to locate the positions of each X-U tanks. A shot from the Allies newest anti-tank measures, both the Lucian-Erebonian made PIATR and the Gallian-Erebonian made M10 Super Bazooka (both of which were developed to destroy Tiger I and Tiger IIs) began to inflict losses on both the Mauschens and the X-Us. Some were lost by APCBC shots from A46 Tachibana tanks.

In addition, many were abandoned by their crews because of either the tank itself breaking down or fuel loss. Unlike most Imperial tanks of that time, the Mauschen and X-U consumed a lion's share of fuel, being able to consume 940 litres of fuel in less than 12 hours. In addition, its slow mobility hampered the tank so much that it often needed an XT-43 to tow it towards heights. This was also the same case with the Mauschen. There was no bridge that was also capable of carrying the 150 ton tank and as such, East Europan snorkels from Mauschen tanks were used to transport the X-Us across rivers. These experiences made it extremely prone to ambushes and Allied air attacks. To remedy this, Imperial planners often included anti-air units to counter allied strafing runs. But Allied aircraft often strafed both Mauschens and X-Us in swarms that made it difficult for anti-air units to counter them.

During the Pakistania Offensive, Quenminese Marshal Mạc Hiếu Quang ordered the X-Us in their possession to act as mobile artillery. As such, General Phó Minh Duyên placed X-Us in support of his massive armoured thrusts against the Allies. Although the Imperials were largely successful during the offensive that prevented the Allies from getting into Pakistania, the Allies destroyed 12 X-Us and 13 Mauschen tanks due to rocket strafing runs. The X-Us were again fielded in Bhutania and Nepali, of which only 8 X-Us and 7 Mauschen tanks remained in Quenminese service (Marshal Chien still had most of the X-Us and Mauschen units under his command). Though effective, the mountainous terrain made it difficult for Quang and Duyen to transport their only remaining super heavy tanks that by the time the Nepali-Bhutania Campaign began, only a mixed total of 7 X-Us and Mauschen tanks were fielded as the high terrain proved to severely deplete the fuel of the two tanks. All of the 7 super heavy tanks that Quang had were subsequently destroyed in Infantry raids and Allied air attacks during the Battle of Punakha, which was an Imperial victory at the cost of blowing the fuel and supplies of the Imperial forces near to its breaking point.

When it encountered the Lucian Centurion in 1943, the X-U and the Mauschen were wholly outclassed despite thick armour as the Centurions were now armed with the powerful 105mm Royal Ordnance.