SPG203 Venator
| SPG203 Venator | |
|---|---|
| File:EAS-76.png | |
| Type | Self-propelled gun |
| Place of origin |  Tarsas |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1981 - 2005 |
| Used by | sea usersusers |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Alderia Armaments |
| Designed | 1981 -1983 |
| Manufacturer | Alderia Armaments |
| Produced | 1976-1999 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 41 tonnes |
| Length | 11.2 6m |
| Barrel length | 7.32 m (hull) |
| Width | 3.72 m |
| Height | 2.85 m |
| Crew | 8 |
| Caliber | 203 mm |
| Rate of fire | 1-2 rounds per 5 minutes |
| Effective firing range | ~40-60 km |
| Maximum firing range | 60 km (RAP) |
| Armor | Steel and Composite armour |
Main armament | 203/L55 mm Smoothbore gun |
| Engine | Pantra DL-214 Diesel Engine 1500 hp |
| Transmission | Hydrostatic |
Operational range | 500 km |
| Speed | 40 km/h |
The SPG203 Venator is a 203mm self-propelled gun designed as a divisional level artillery piece to replace the earlier SPG 170 Velator. It was at it's time the longest reaching gun of the Imperial Legion. It has a heavy caliber, requires a big logistical chain and has a low rate of fire. It was primarily intended to conduct counter-battery and strikes on high level targets.
Design
The SPG203 Venator is mounted on the T80125 chassis and thus shares lot of parts with it. A notable feature is the open turret, which is necessary to use rounds and charges for the 203mm gun. However, it also makes the gun more vulnerable due to the crew exposure to fragmentation. Because of this, guns were often placed at a good distance away from hostile artillery pieces that might counter fire. The piece is operated by a total crew of 8, a driver, a commander, gunner, assistant gunner, radio operator, two loaders and one driving the supply vehicle (often a 6x6 truck is used).
Armament
The SPG203 Venator is equipped with a 203 mm smoothbore gun that can fire several types of shells. The gun has a long range, with a max range of 40 km (60 km with RAP). Shells and charges are carried mostly on a separate vehicle. A single munition piece is combined with a varying amount of charge depending on target distance which comes stored in non-combustable cases and are loaded after the shells in the breech. To load rounds, the gun is equipped with a special hydraulic arm system that can lift rounds to the breech slide where it can be pushed in the barrel using a ramrod followed by the appropriate amount of propellant charge. The angle of the gun can be adjusted accordingly but is incapable of changing its position or azimuth on its own, requiring the chassis change it's direction. This is due to the recoil created, making the gun reliant on a external shock-absorbers located on the back of the vehicle that have to be deployed prior to firing.
Rounds for the 203 mm gun
Most shells used by the 203 mm gun have an optional timed fuse allowing them to airburst
- HE203A: - The standard High explosive shell used by the 203 mm gun. It has a good load of explosive but has notably poor fragmentation, producing large pieces of shrappled instead, making it ideal for hard targets and counter battery operations.
- HE2035B: - An alternative High explosive shell with improved fragmentation making it more suited for softer targets. Is used less commonly but available.
- CM203A: - A cluster munition shell that deploys dual purpose bomblets (fragmentation-incendiary and hollow charge). Used against concentrations of soft skin targets and armour.
- TB203: - A thermobaric shell carrying a High explosive and fine aluminum powder and ethylene oxide mix.
- NS203 -A nuclear round created for destruction of individual cities and targets.