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7TP
7TP


"T...That 7TP last season's Tankathlon Champion...Bonple High School led by Grandmaster Jajka!!"
―Random spectators after Jajka had interrupted the match between Anzio and the Centipede Team

The 7TP (Polish siedmiotonowy polski 7-tonne Polish) was a Polish light tank developed during the Interbellum from the British Vickers 6-ton.

History[]

Development[]

The 7TP was the Polish development of the British Vickers 6-ton Mark E tank licence. Comparing to Vickers, the main new features of 7TP were: a better, more reliable and powerful diesel engine, a 37 mm anti-tank gun, thicker armour (17 mm instead of 13 mm on the front), modified ventilation, the Gundlach tank periscope, and a radio. About 132 tanks were produced between 1935 and the outbreak of the war, plus four iron prototypes. The designation 7TP meant "7 Tonne, Polish" (in fact its weight increased to 9 tonnes after the initial prototype).

Like its British predecessor, the 7TP was initially produced in two variants: twin turret version armed with 2 Ckm wz.30 machine guns, and a single turret version, armed with 37 mm Bofors wz. 37 gun. After initial tests, it became clear that the twin-turret variant was obsolete and lacked firepower, so it was abandoned in favour of the more modern single turret design.

Prior to the outbreak of World War II most of the twin turret tanks were converted to single turret versions and only 24 twin-turret types remained in Polish service (as opposed to roughly 108 of the other type).

In 1938, as 10TP and 14TP medium tank projects were running behind schedule, decisions were made to improve the 7TP. The first planned modification was a more powerful engine (either a diesel PZInż 155 or a gasoline PZInż 725), as both of the engines were smaller and water-cooled more place was allowed for the battle compartment and additional armor, the armor had to be switched from a bolted to a welded armor and the the tracks widen. Two design teams were tasked to work on the project, PZInż and the Technical Research Bureau of Armoured Forces (BBTBP). The BBTBP design while considered superior using a PZInż 725 engine and adopted a lower profile was also considered too complicated on work and time for production, PZInż on their side produce an early version of the 9TP by putting a PZInż 155 engine in a 7TP and reinforced its rear armor. PZInż's design was accepted for production with 100 tanks to be delivered by June 1940 and two additional prototypes were built still for intensive testing, it was assumed that eleven production were delivered at the beginning of the war but this unclear.

Operational History[]

All 7TP tanks took part in combat in the defence of Poland during the German Invasion of Poland in 1939. Most of them were attached to two light tank battalions (the 1st and the 2nd). The remaining tanks, that is the ones used for training as well as tanks that were finished after the outbreak of the war and 9TP prototypes, were used in an improvised tank unit fighting in the defence of Warsaw. Although technically superior and better armed than it's opponents, the Panzer I and Panzer II, the 7TP was too scarce to change the outcome of the war as its production never exceed 150 vehicles.

The combat experience proved that the Bofors wz. 37 anti-tank gun used in the 7TP was able to penetrate the armour of any of the German tanks of the time, including the newest, the Panzer IV. On the other hand, the 7TP was too lightly armoured, especially against aerial bombardment.

Twenty 7TPjw were captured by Germany and used under designation Panzerkampfwagen 7TP 731(p). Soviet Union also captured one 7TPjw.

In Girls Und Panzer[]

Anime[]

The 7TPdw made a little appearance in Episode 6 showing the dramatic aftermath of the match Bonple vs. Pravda.

Gekkan Senshado Magazine[]

Bonple High School fielded three 7TPdw, four 7TPjw and one 9TP during the 63rd tournament first round match against Pravda Girls High School. Due to their limited firepower, Bonple's strategy was to sneak to Pravda tanks and rush them at point-blank range to be able to pierce Pravda's tanks. But the plan was foiled when Pravda unleashed a fire barrage and annihilated all 7TPs and the 9TP. They were no match to the superior firepower of Pravda's T-34s.

Ribbon Warrior[]

The 7TPs are first seen when one 7TPjw commanded by Jajka interrupted a Tankathlon match between Anzio and Centipede Team by shooting Anchovy's CV.33 that she considered as a "weak fight", three ambushed 7TP (one 7TPdw and two 7TPjw) also shot down Pepperoni's CV.33 during an attempt to attack Jajka's 7TP.

Bonple's 7TPjw are seen beating to the ground the beginner team of Tategoto High School in a Tankathlon match.

They are then seen during a Tankathlon match against Katyusha Volunteer's Army, during this match some 7TP manage to take down two T-70, but three 7TP are taken down by the T-70 first wave. After sixteen more T-70 were fielded by Katyusha, Jajka's ask Uszka to act as a bait for luring T-70s away from the flag tank, Jajka's and three others 7TP cloaked in snow to remain undetected while the T-70 main force passes to shot down Uszka's 7TP and then charge to KVA flag tank. During the charge one 7TP is shot down taking a hit destined to Jajka that permits her to make the final hit.

Bonple used their 7TP during a training match against Tategoto, where they crush them once again but this time not without suffering some losses.

During the Cauldron tournament in the second match of the first round against St.Gloriana's Chindits, Bonple High School fielded three 7TP. At first they seems in difficulty but they ultimately destroy their opponent misused Yojimbo Rukuriri, crushed down all three Tetrarch (including Rosehip and Orange Pekoe's ones).

During the Cauldron tournament second round Red Team fielded three 7TPjw (commanded by Jajka, Uszka and Pierogi). They first stayed in retreat when Shizuka wanted to fight in 1v1 with Maho, but when the duel lasted too long Jajka destroyed Maho's tank. At a moment of the match Red Team tried support Anchovy and Green Team to wipe out Tategoto's tanks for eliminating Blue Team but their plan was foiled by Duck Team and Erika. During the Team Oni onslaught Pierogi's tank was destroyed by one of the Type 94 tankettes, Jajka alongside Shizuka then charged and attacked the grannies where it was ultimately destroyed once the fight and Oni Team annihilated. Uszka's tank was still operational seen fighting Green Team until the match ends. Before the tournament final match was suspended only one 7TP was still operational.

Bonple High School fielded nine 7TPs, two 7TPdw, seven 7TPjw (Jajka's one as flag tank) during a challenge Sensha-dō match against Centipede Alliance for the rights to fight Miho in a official match. After some firefight, they cross a bridge focused on their opponent's flag tank, while charging a 7TPdw was destroyed by the R35, the LT vz.38 and the Strv m/40 storming their back, while on the other side one 7TPjw was disposed by the Te-Ke. Trapped on the bridge Jajka force her way by violently ramming Centipede Team wrapping their right track, while Maiko destroyed Viggen's tank who was pursuing Jajka. After their retreat in the urban area, Pierogi's platoon was ambushed by Gregor, Tategoto and Kebab losing two 7TPs (each model), then the five remaining 7TPs separates one stays with Jajka's tank, while the the rest comes with Uszka. After another one was destroyed by Aung, Uszka take pursuit with Maiko and were ambushed by Bosphorus and Kafka destroying them, infuriated Jajka destroyed Gregor's tank, while soon after the last 7TP and the R35 destroyed each other. Shizuka acting as the last rempart of the flag tank engage Jajka and was destroyed while Jajka's tank right track finally snapped and send her crashing into a building letting her at the mercy of Aung who deliver the final blow.

Bonple High School (as part of the Tankathlon Alliance) fielded three 7TPjw, upgraded with engines destined to the 9TP (commanded by Uszka, Pierogi and Maiko) during a challenge Sensha-dō match against Oarai Girls' Academy. Their first move in the match was Maiko charging Oarai's most powerful tank, the Tiger(P), and dispose of it with a Stielgranate 41 HEAT warhead mounted on the tank's gun. However the 7TPs, initially guarding the Archer, seeing an opportunity of ending the match were baited by the Type 89 and two of them were destroyed by the StuG and the Hetzer, leaving only Maiko's tank standing. Near the end of the match, Maiko was waiting for the Panzer IV at a junction with a HEAT warhead but missed and during an ultimate standoff the last 7TP was destroyed by Duck Team.

Saga of Pravda[]

Bonple High School fielded seven 7TPs (six 7TPjw and one 7TPdw), during the 62nd tournament first round match against Pravda Girls High School. At the beginning of the match they were seen exchanging fire with Pravda tanks, at least two single-turreted were destroyed and the four remaining were forced to retreat in an abandoned building (one having its engine badly damaged) and since Bonple commander surrender they didn't saw combat again in this match.

Das Finale[]

Bonple High School fielded four 7TPjw, two 7TPdw and one 9TP during the Winter Continuous Track Cup first round match against Anzio Girls High School. Two of them were seen exchanging fire with Anzio's Semoventes managing to destroy two of them but their role earlier in the battle is unknown as the role of all others 7TPs.

Trivia[]

  • Along with the CV.33, the 7TPdw is probably amongst the least effective vehicles used in sensha-dō as it's only armed with machine-guns.
  • During WW2 the twin and single turret variants had no specific designations, its only in modern books that they receive the unofficial designation "7TPdw" (Polish abbreviations for dwuwieżowy – dual turreted) and "7TPjw" (Polish abbreviations for jednowieżowy – single turreted).
  • 7TP is first european tank powered by diesel engine.
  • The 7TPs used by Bonple in Ribbon Warrior and Saga of Pravda actually looks like a 7TP wzmocniony (reinforced 7TP), recognizable by the lack of rear grille and its visible exhaust pipe. This 7TP was an early version of the 9TP, consisted into an additional rear plate armor and an engine destined to the 9TP.
    • However in Ribbon Warrior, the 7TPs were upgraded just before the match against Oarai, so all 7TPs before were supposed to be regular ones. But they were all drawn without the rear grille since chapter 1 and as the original engine of the 7TP being air-cooled it couldn't be working without air intake. As for Saga of Pravda they maybe just retake drawings from Ribbon Warrior.

Gallery[]

Main article: 7TP/Gallery
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