More Dumb Tank Fanfiction
Recall that I once made an alternate history version of Object 279 and a story to go with it. Well, I have finally figured out how the story really goes, and I have yet another alternate history tank variant to go with it.
Our story begins in 1953. Nikita Khrushchëv conspires with Winston Churchill and MI6 to poison Joseph Stalin. Having already survived numerous assassination attempts, Stalin was well prepared, and no mistakes could be afforded.
In our timeline, the plot succeeds, Stalin dies, and Khrushchëv takes his place, beginning the de-Stalinisation of Russia. In this alternate timeline, the plot fails, Khrushchëv is executed, and Stalin moves against Britain. NATO is unprepared, and the Red Army steamrolls western Europe, setting up a base in northern France to begin the bombardment and subsequent invasion of the British Isles. For the French, history is repeating itself far too quickly. For the rest of the world, fingernails become regular meals as the threat of nuclear war draws ever closer.
As far as the tanks are concerned, the T-10 still exists in this timeline, but it is known as the IS-10. Stalin liked heavy tanks, and approved of further designs being produced, such as Objects 279 and 735-GK, both entering production alongside Object 272/734 in 1957. Object 735-GK is selected as a command vehicle for IS-10 divisions, and known as the IS-11. After Stalin dies of natural causes in 1960, Object 279 enters production as the T-12, alongside the SU-62, a turretless version of the T-62, which enters production a year later.
The "GK" at the end of Object 735-GK stands for "Grozniy Klinok," which means "terrible blade." When I designed this thing, I started out by making a backwards T-10M, flipping the top deck round so that the engine is in the front, and the turret mounted in the back. After a bit of fiddling, however, I got carried away and started making this thing look a bit like a Baneblade from 40K. Here's what I have so far:
Yeah, yeah, I'm a long way from 11 barrels and 316 tonnes, and I have no intention of giving lascannons to my alternate history Red Army, but each of those remote-controlled mini turrets in the front has a flamethrower, so that has to count for something! I'll show myself out...
In all seriousness, this "funny tank" (I have a folder full of funny tanks) is far from finished. Besides, the tank isn't what's important to me, rather, it's the fact that I came up with a story for both this one and the Dark Hunter.