CHN - WZ-141

Chinese double-barreled tank destroyer WZ-141
In the late 1960s, there was a relative calm after the Sino-Soviet fighting in Ussuri, but Chinese People's Army (CLA) strategists feared the Soviet army's notorious tank wedges. Perhaps that is why in April 1975 they demanded the armament of the Chinese army with light tank destroyers, which was later specified on four basic design requirements:


- the smallest possible dimensions,
- high mobility (ability to drive in swampy, wooded and mountainous areas),
- ability to destroy T-55 and T-62 tanks,
- armor to protect against machine gun fire and shrapnel.


The project of the vehicle was created in 1976 and the first prototype was built at the end of 1977. The vehicle received the designation WZ-141.


Description of the first prototype
WZ-141 was a tracked armored vehicle with a fully enclosed fuselage with aluminum armor. The drive unit was located in the front of the vehicle on the right and the driver on the left. There was a commander and a charger in the battle area behind the driver. The commander was also a shooter from BzK weapons located in the rotating turret.


The main armament of the WZ-141 consisted of two 105 mm recoilless cannons marked Type 75 and 12.7 mm machine gun Type 77. In the fuselage was stored 18 pieces of BzK ammunition. Later, two launchers were added for PTŘS HJ-73 (licensed 9M14 Maljutka) and 4 of these missiles were carried.


The tests of the first prototype were disappointing. Only the front aluminum armor of the vehicle protected from 7.62 mm caliber ammunition from a distance of more than 100 m and the side armor only from smaller fragments. Driving characteristics were unsatisfactory due to the center of gravity on the right side of the vehicle. Shooting tests were also unsatisfactory, due to difficulties with charging, targeting, small range, ammunition penetration and not to mention the unmasking effect when firing a recoilless weapon.


Second prototype
In December 1978, a second piece of WZ-141 was prepared, which was improved based on the experience gained with the first prototype. Non-slip weapons were combined and placed on the right side of the tower, including two launch pads of Chinese Maljutek. Instead of a large-caliber machine gun was mounted machine gun caliber 7.62 mm Type 56. Unreliable and uneconomical engine TZ2120A was replaced by an imported West German diesel engine Deutz F6L143F. The imported power unit was slightly larger, heavier, but incomparably more reliable than the Chinese. The second prototype during the tests reached 80 km/h. The used hydro-pneumatic suspension of the chassis allowed to change the ground clearance of the vehicle in the range of 170-400 mm and helped to increase the angles of depression and elevation of the weapon. However, tests of the second prototype showed that it was not possible to rid the vehicle of all deficiencies and failed to increase the rate of fire. It took at least 12 seconds to reload the main weapon.


The fate of the project
On August 13, 1979, the WZ-141 project was removed from the register, but its development work continued. At the end of 1979, the second prototype took part in military tests in the province of Henan and allegedly practiced loading and unloading in the An-12 transport aircraft, without parachute drop tests. The program was not officially closed until 1985, and both prototypes ended up in landfills. The first prototype ended up at the junkyard in its original form, while the second was scrapped with a different octagonal tower.


ZTD of the second prototype WZ-141
- crew: 3 (commander, driver and charger),
- weight: around 6200 kg,
- length: 4660 mm,
- width: 2400 mm,
- height: 1560 mm,


- armor: aluminum.


Equipment
2x 105mm BzK Type 75 (18 shots)
- elevation: not specified (originally -5 ° to + 12 °)
- measurement: 360 °
2x PTŘS HJ-73C (4 pieces)
1x 7.62mm machine gun Type 56 (3000 cartridges)


Drive unit
- air-cooled diesel Deutz F6L143F,
- power: 137.5 kW (187 hp).


Riding performance
- maximum speed: up to 80 km/h,
- range: up to 500 km.


Source
www.mod.gov.cn
https://sinorecords.org/wz141/
tanks-encyclopedia.com
https://warspot.ru/17695-kitayskaya-dvustvolka
CHN - WZ-141  - Prví prototyp WZ-141.

Prví prototyp WZ-141.
CHN - WZ-141  - Vrak 1. prototypu.

Vrak 1. prototypu.
CHN - WZ-141  -


CHN - WZ-141  - Původní vzled druhého prototypu.

Původní vzled druhého prototypu.
CHN - WZ-141  -


CHN - WZ-141  - Druhý prototyp WZ-141 s věží vyvíjenou pro ZBD-03.

Druhý prototyp WZ-141 s věží vyvíjenou pro ZBD-03.
CHN - WZ-141  -


URL : https://www.valka.cz/CHN-WZ-141-t237787#657349 Version : 0
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