TOG Heavy Tank

Sir Albert Stern, head of the Tank Supply Depot in World War I, was asked to form a committee, to address future tank designs, in July 1939.¹ Other members of the committee were Sir E. Tennyson d'Eyncourt, General Swinton, Mr. Ricardo, and Major Wilson.¹ They proposed that a heavy tank be designed and approached Sir William Tritton of Foster's of Lincoln to design it.¹
Members of the design team (The Old Gang) were: Stern, Wilson, Swinton, d'Eyncourt, Ricardo, Symes, and Tritton.⁴

The prototype was completed in October 1940 and was called the TOG I (The Old Gang)⁴.¹ The TOG II was competed in March 1941.¹ During trials both of them were found to be very hard to steer because of the relation of length to width.¹

The turret was designed by Stothert & Pitt of Bath.¹ With the Churchill's success, interest in the tank declined.¹

TOG I:

Used a Matilda II turret.⁴

TOG II:

Fitted with a 76 mm (17 pdr.).¹ Had 2 40 mm (2 pdr.) guns in sponsons in the hull.¹ MGs were in sponsons and in the hull front.¹

Sources:

1. The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
2. British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945, Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, 1969
3. Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
4. The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006