Pike nose

A pike nose (from Russian: щучий нос) is a configuration of

pike, from which the name stems.^[1]^[2] Often welded, it can also be cast.^[2] The design allows for very effective frontal angling of the armour plates, increasing protection from the front.^[1]^[2]

The pike nose have appeared on armoured vehicles since World War I, but the design first gained popularity following World War II, with heavy tank designs such as the Soviet IS-3.^[2] Following the obsolescence of heavy tanks, however, the design have become rare in modern times, only rarely appearing on light vehicles and the like.^[2]

History

By technicality, the first tank to feature a pike nose was the German Sturmpanzerwagen A7V of World War I. The sloping of its frontal armour plates was, however, subtle and not very "pike like". The first vehicle to feature a traditional pike nose were some of the concepts for the British Valiant tank of the early 1940s.^[2] These concepts were later altered to feature a strange cast dome on the upper front hull, which came to stay for the single prototype produced.^[2]

Soviet

IS-3s at the Soviet Victory Parade on Red Square, 24 June 1945.

The first production tank to feature a conventional pike nose was the Soviet IS-3, which entered service in 1945 at the very end of WWII.

IS-8 heavy tank projects, the latter entering service as the T-10, but also other armour projects, such as the Object 268 heavy assault gun.^{[citation needed}

]

In the

M103 heavy tank. This design was soon picked up by the French and Biritish, leading to cast noses for their ongoing tank projects, the French producing the AMX-50 Surbaissé variant with a proper cast pike nose and the British changing the final FV4201 Chieftain design to feature something similar to a cast pike nose, although flattened in the center.^[2]

Due to improved penetration performance against angular armour from modern

anti-tank ammunition, however, the pike nose solution soon fell into obsolescence for heavy armour.^[2] The pike nose does however still remain relevant for lightly armoured vehicle, whom only need protection against small arms and the like. A shallow pike nose was featured on the Swedish pansarbandvagn 302 (pbv 302) infantry fighting vehicle of the 1960s and a subtle pike nose was featured on the Swedish infanterikanonvagn 91 (ikv 91) light assault gun of the 1970s.^{[citation needed}

]

List of armoured fighting vehicles featuring pike nose

1918 – Sturmpanzerwagen A7V
1943 – Tank, Infantry, Valiant (A38)
1945 – IS-3
1946 – IS-7
1950 – KW30/50 (Panzer 58 concept)
1951 – Panhard EBR
1952 – M48 Patton (cast hull)
1952 – Lorraine 40t
1954 –
IS-8/T-10

1955 – EMIL/KRV
1955 – AMX-50 Surblindé
1956 – AMX-50 Surbaissé (cast hull)
1956 – Object 268
1957 –
M103
(cast hull)
1957 –
FV4201 Chieftain
(early concepts)
1959 – Object 757 [ru]
1964 –
WZ-111 Heavy Tank
1966 – Pansarbandvagn 302
1975 – Infanterikanonvagn 91

Gallery

Valiant tank prototype with a cast dome on the upper pike nose.
An IS-7 prototype during winter trials in 1948.
Early concept drawing of the
FV4201 Chieftain
featuring a pike nose.
Swedish
ikv 91
light assault gun with subtle pike nose.

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b "IS-3". tanks-encyclopedia.com. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "Pike for a Heavy Tank". tankarchives.ca. Retrieved 2023-11-20.

[TE_IS3-1] "IS-3". tanks-encyclopedia.com. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 2023-11-20.

[tankarchives-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "Pike for a Heavy Tank". tankarchives.ca. Retrieved 2023-11-20.

[1]

[2]