"Designing" a SPG.

Razven

New Member
Hi guys, I'm designing a SPG for a contest held by a military themed game.

The design rule is that it should of French origin, suitable for use in Western Europe and French colonies, made with technology available in 1958 by the latest. It is also required to be able to fire in direct fire and indirect fire mode. It has to be cannon-based and cannot be a MRLS-type vehicle.

I've given it some thought and I want it to be air-transportable by a Transall C-160, so it would have a maximum empty weight of 16 tons.
The gun I haven't really decided yet but I've currently settled for a Russian 2B9 Vasilek mortar type weapon, since it is breech loaded, light (lighter than a howitzer) and has an autoloader (which the French seems to be in love with). I want to know how the Vasilek mortar's loading system works and whether or not it can be reverse engineered with the technology back in the 1958. Another question is whether if there is a French breech loading mortar back in the late 1950s or there is another weapon more suitable for the given role of the SPG I envisioned.

Now, the chassis I'm having a heck of a time thinking what would be more suitable, a tracked chassis (AMX-13 chassis?) or a wheeled Panhard EBR or a Panhard AML chassis. I know that the AML doesn't exactly fit the time period constraint but as long as it can be technologically build-able, it should still be fine.

I know these are a lot of questions to ask, but any help would be appreciated since English is not my language and it's hard to find specific and/or technical information on the web.
 
What about the Hotchkiss-Rive LFU (AKA Hotchkiss-Rive ELC)?
Designed in the mid 1950s as a light, tracked chassis for various armaments. Although small it should handle a moderate-sized gun for the SPG role
http://www.jedsite.info/tanks-echo/echo/elc_series/elc-series.html

Or it's rival the AMX ELC
http://www.jedsite.info/fulltrack-hotel/hotel/hotchkiss-tt_series/elc-amx/elcamx.html

Unfortunately there's little information about either on the English-language web and possibly not much more in French sources as they were both proto-types that weren't accepted for service. However I do have this French website with some minor information about the ELC
http://www.chars-francais.net/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=713&Itemid=36 with the following loose translation: -

1955 EVEN ELC
The EVEN Light Fighting Unit was designed to act "en masse" against tanks. The design offered many interesting solutions for the antitank role in close terrain or in urban areas.
Length: 5.30 m Width: 2.15 m Height: 1.80 m weight: 7.4 t
150hp Sofam engine
Speed: 68 km/h Range: 350 km
Armament: various including one 90 mm gun, two 30 mm guns
Crew: 2
 
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