obat46 Austria

[MarkSheppard]

New Unit(s)

1.) Another "Turret Casemate" for you to add to the Austrian OBAT; a Charioteer turret inside a casemated bunker at Bunkermuseum Wurzenpass Austria.

2+3.) Two more "Tank Forts" to go with UNIT 181 Centurion Fort:

M47 and T-34/85 turrets installed on concrete pads at the Bunkermuseum Wurzenpass Austria.

Tank Turret Fortifications By Neil Short says:

56~ Charioteer Turrets were installed on concrete shelters or in casemates. Initially they were armed with the original 83.4mm gun, but some were later rearmed with the 105mm Panzerkanone M68.

T-34/85: 26~ tanks were acquired by the Army and served until the early 1960s, when they were withdrawn and given to the Sperrtruppe (Barricade Force) of the Austrian Army; and several were put in as fixed forts along the border with Austria. Apparently the preferred method of bunkerizing the T-34/85 was to simply bury the entire hull in the ground instead of simply mounting the turret on a concrete pedestal.

M-47: 147 x M47 turrets were installed as fixed fortifications. At least one (near Fort Nauders) had applique armor installed for more protection. All deactivated by 1998.

Centurion (Existing UNIT 181): The bulk of Austria's remaining centurion fleet was turret forted for about a decade -- 1990-2000~ before being removed from service.