WW2 Belgian Armour in 15mm: the T-13 Tank Destroyer
/More excellent 15mm 3D printed models from bayonetsandbrushes.co.uk: this time it’s the range of T-13 tank destroyers, the mainstay of the Belgian anti-tank arsenal.
These are lovely little models that I cannot wait to get onto the battlefield. They were painted by a sprayed undercoat of Vallejo English Uniform, washed with GW Agrax Earthshade, then drybrushed and highlighted with Vallejo Khaki Grey.
The T-13 B1
The first variant of the T-13, the B1, mounted a FRC Herstal built 47 mm Model 1931 anti-tank gun and a FN-built M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (a Belgian license-built Browning BAR machine gun in 7.65x53mm "Belgian Mauser" calibre instead of the American .30) in a turret on a Vickers Carden Loyd 1934 artillery tractor.
T-13 B1
Because of the general lay-out of the Vickers artillery tractor, the decision was taken to simply install the gun and its man-powered turret backwards on the vehicle so as to keep enough space for its three crew and ammunition. Armour was light, and would have protected the crew only from shell splinters and indirect blast, and the vehicle had no radio fitted.
About 32 B1s were delivered, and were used with the Frontier and covering forces; units in the Ardennes sector; and with early divisional anti-tank detachments.
The T-13 B2
The T-13 B2 really differed from the B1 only in the fact that it had a lower-profile turret arrangement with an improved gun mounting.
All 21 (23 according to some sources) T-13 B2s were apparently converted from the VCL artillery tractors of the Chasseurs Ardennais mountain troops and were mainly used to support them in the Ardennes sector.
T-13 B2
The T-13 B3
Despite the fact that the only change in designation was B2 to B3, the T-13 B3 was a significant re-design, with the base vehicle changed to the Vickers-Carden-Lloyd Light Dragon Mk. IIB that also formed the basis of the Belgian T-15 light tank. Also, rather than being imported, the basic chassis were produced under license by the Belgian Familleheureux company.
The larger, more powerful chassis meant that the turret could be pointed forward and had full traverse, and the four-man crew benefited from slightly better armour (13mm at the front, 7mm at the sides, rear was open). No radios were fitted.
T-13 B3
About 250 B3 had been built by May 1940, but up to about 50 were still at the factory or had no trained crew by the time the Germans invaded. They were issued to Infantry Division anti-tank companies; Cavalry Division reconnaissance and screening forces; and Fortified sector mobile reserves.
Operational History
A total of around sixteen T-13 companies with 12 vehicles each were fielded, together with a number of single vehicles and squads, making the T-13 the most numerous Belgian tracked vehicle of the war.
These T-13 companies were mostly added to some of the existing infantry divisions: the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 18th infantry division all had a single T-13 company on 10 May 1940. Only the 'Chasseurs Ardennais' 1st mountain division and the two cavalry divisions had two or three companies each.
In combat, they proved underpowered, prone to breakdown (especially the B1 and B2) and underarmoured. Lack of radios didn’t help. Their 47mm gun did, however, pack a significant punch, knocking out several German tanks in the various actions they fought in.
T-13 B3
