Leman Russ
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- This article is about the tank in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. For information on the character in the same universe, see the Space Wolves article.
In the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Leman Russ is a main battle tank, named after Primarch Leman Russ of the Space Wolves. It is the main line tank for the Imperial Guard. Each Leman Russ tank is armed with a large main battle cannon, a hull-mounted lascannon or heavy bolter and optional sponson-mounted heavy bolters or heavy flamers. With strong front armour, it is designed to initially bombard large formations and then assault the weakened enemy defences afterwards, weapons firing. It is the most commonly found vehicle in the Guard, and is the base of design for many tank variants.
Far from a sophisticated vehicle, the Leman Russ was designed and built with reliability and versatility in mind. It can survive the worst the galaxy can throw at it, and can run on almost any fuel. Though slow, its frontal armour is strong enough to withstand the multitude of weaponry wielded by the enemies of the Imperium. Its side and rear armour are thinner however, to reduce the strain on the engines. This does make it vulnerable to assault from these angles, requiring support infantry, other battle tanks or very careful operation to protect the vehicle.
The Leman Russ is crewed by a minimum of four crew, one each of Commander, Gunner, Loader and Driver. Side sponsons may be added, each requiring an additional crewmember. The Leman Russ is simple to operate, but very loud and uncomfortable (similar to the Soviet World War 2 and Cold War tank designs). Due to the noise, communication is only viable by intercom system.
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[edit] Demolisher
One of the most common variants of the Leman Russ, the Demolisher is equipped with the Demolisher Cannon, and is designed for short range bombardment and line-breaker tank. The extreme power of this weapon is hampered by the close distance it must be to the target to be effective. Demolishers are valued for close support by the Imperial Guard infantry, and can be equipped with the usual sponsons or Plasma Cannons and Multi Meltas to make them more effective against heavily armored units.
The idea for the Leman Russ Demolisher may have come from the World War 2 American 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8 or the World War 2 Sturmtiger as they too have a snub nose cannon on the Turret.
[edit] Vanquisher
A rare, more advanced variant of the standard Leman Russ, the longer-barreled Vanquisher Cannon mounted by the Leman Russ Vanquisher is capable of firing powerful anti-tank shells. In addition, a storm bolter is mounted coaxially to the main cannon. However, they are becoming increasingly rare due to the actions of the Ork Warlord Arrgard the Defiler, who scoured the Forge World Tigrus in M35, destroying the template for constructing the Vanquisher cannon in the process.
Since the loss, efforts have been made to reproduce the remaining Vanquisher cannons, with mixed success. The worlds of Gryphonne IV and Stygies VIII have enjoyed the most success, and are both now capable of producing vanquisher cannons in limited quantities. Other Forge Worlds continue their efforts, though it is a slow and complex process.
The two planet’s cannons are not exact copies of the original pattern. Instead, each possesses slightly different qualities. The Gryphonne cannons are longer than the Stygies equivalent, producing remarkable shell velocity to penetrate armour plate. Stygies cannons are shorter, and utilise a smaller calibre shell with no barrel rifling. However, the Stygies cannons have superior recoil absorption, allowing for superior accuracy with follow up shots.
The remarkable penetrative power of the Leman Russ vanquisher means it is a highly desired tool for Imperial Commanders. Not even a Titan is safe from their mighty cannons. This fact has not escaped the Imperium’s enemies, who intend to make Vanquishers priority targets.
[edit] Conqueror
One of the less common Leman Russ variants, the Conqueror is only produced in any significant quantities on Gryphonne IV, where the plans were originally discovered. Armed with the Conqueror Cannon, as opposed to the standard Battle Cannon, the Conqueror sacrifices outright destructive power in exchange for improved mobility and accuracy while firing on the move.
Conquerors come standard with co-axial mounted storm bolters and searchlights, removing the need to expose a crewmember to fend off enemy infantry. The back of the turret houses an armoured ammunition access hatch, making re-arming the tank quick and easy. This hatch is also used to dispose of spent Conqueror shells.
In the 39th millennium, the munition-adepts of Gryphonne IV unveiled a new shell type for use in the Conqueror. The Auger shells were designed to increase the tanks anti-armour effectiveness without sacrificing the mobility that made the Conqueror so valued. The shell contained soft explosives in a thin outer shell, designed to spread the explosive over the surface of the armour, before a microsecond fuse detonated the explosive. This causes the armour to crack and crater, as well as cause interior armour layers to break off and injure crewmembers (Essentially, a recreation of the modern HESH shell). The shell was considered a failure, and their production is no longer permitted.
[edit] Executioner
A variant produced only on the Forge World of Ryza, the Executioner is armed with the Plasma Destructor, a slightly more powerful version of the Plasma Cannon. A poorly understood and temperamental weapon, the Plasma Destructor is often criticized for its heavy power requirements, limiting the tank's effectiveness in extended engagements.
The turret features emergency vents, heat shielding and coolant to both protect the crew and the weapon itself from damage should a containment field failure occur. However, due to bad design, the coolant feed lines run outside the turret, and are prone to damage, rendering the emergency systems less than reliable. Crews dislike being made to work in the Executioner, and are prone to bailing out at the first sign of trouble. Crews which willingly command these tanks are often seen as foolhardy, extremely brave, or insane.
[edit] Exterminator
This infrequently seen variant is armed with twin linked autocannons and is generally deployed in an anti-infantry role. Sometimes the Exterminator is also utilized as a stopgap measure for anti-air defense due to its rapid firing speed. The Exterminator is unique in that it is also used (in small numbers) by the Space Wolves, making it the only Leman Russ variant fielded by any Space Marine Chapter. Unlike other variants the Exterminator can only take heavy bolters on its side sponsons.
[edit] Destroyer Tank Hunter
Once, in the distant past, the Destroyer Tank Hunter was a common vehicle amongst the ranks of the Imperial Guard. But despite centuries of worship, the Adeptus Mechanicus can no longer easily replicate the weapons' advanced technology. Each vehicle now has to be painstakingly hand crafted. This slow and laborious process means fewer and fewer Destroyers remain in service.
Those Imperial Guard units that do still possess Destroyer Tank Hunters guard them jealously, and each vehicle is continually patched up and repaired to keep them in the field. Wrecks which can be reconstructed are highly prized salvage after a battle. These valuable weapons' main role on the battlefield is to seek out and eliminate enemy tanks. Its fearsome laser Destroyer can slice through the thickest tank armour with ease, even at long range.
Destroyers are usually deployed well back, in hiding, weapons trained ready to ambush enemy armoured columms. After a couple of long range shots the Destoyer will quickly change firing positions to avoid return fire should they have been spotted. This tank 'sniping' makes the Destroyer a notorious hazard to tank crews, who value a confirmed Destroyer kill far greater than that of a 'normal' vehicle.
The Destroyer Tank Hunters were probably designed to look like the World War 2 German SdKfz 138/2 Jagdpanzer 38(t) "Hetzer", SdKfz 162 Jagdpanzer IV or the SdKfz 173 Jagdpanzer V "Jagdpanther" Tank Destroyers
[edit] Thunderer Siege Tank
The Thunderer Siege Tank is a conversion of the Destroyer Tank Hunter. The advanced technology of the tank hunter's main weapon is difficult to manufacture and repair if the weapon malfunctions or is damaged in battle. Rather than waste an armoured vehicle chassis the Adeptus Mechanicus often re-gun the tank hunter chassis with a different weapon. A common conversion is to replace the damaged Laser Destroyer with a Demolisher cannon, to fill the role of the Demolisher. It is possible that some Thunderers have been produced as new vehicles.
This vehicle is used by commanders whose forces are required to fight in dense terrain, and often find that a regiment will not have enough Demolisher tanks to directly support all the infantry platoons.
Like the more heavily equipped Demolisher, the Thunderer is usually deployed in close support of infantry platoons, lacking the range to engage enemy tanks in the open.
[edit] Other Tanks
In addition to the abovementioned variants, there are several armoured vehicles in use throughout the Imperium that are based on the Leman Russ chassis, but are sufficiently different to the Battle Tank to be separately classified.
- Atlas Armoured Recovery Vehicle - The Atlas utilizes the power and mass of the Leman Russ chassis to tow immobilized vehicles back to the rear lines for repair or salvage. Mounted with dozer blades, they can also be used for clearing paths through rubble. It resembles the modern-day M88 Hercules.
- Bombard - The Bombard is a heavy mortar carrier, armed with one of the heaviest mobile siege cannons in the Imperial arsenal. They are slow to fire and require dedicated ammunition carrier vehicles to supply them with shells, and as such are typically kept well out of front line duties.
- The Leman Russ Annihilator is a variant of the tank released as a resin kit by Forge World in 2007. This variant replaces the standard tank's battle cannon with a pair of lascannons. This is similar to the identically-designated Predator Annihilator tank of the Space Marines.[1]
[edit] References
- Priestley, Rick (1995). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Imperial Guard, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-872372-92-9.
- Chambers, Andy; Haines, Pete, and Hoare, Andy (2003). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Imperial Guard, 4th Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-410-8.
- Kinrade, Warwick (2000). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Imperial Armour, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-127-3.
- Kinrade, Warwick (2003). Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Forge World. ISBN 1-84154-421-3.
[edit] See Also
Vehicles of the Imperial Guard (Warhammer 40,000)
