The Tank Museum
Published 13 Jun 2025The A39 Tortoise. The last complete survivor of a World War Two project that arrived just a little too late. Some have called it “The British Jagdtiger” – but is that actually a fair comparison?
Tortoise was a part of the strategy the Allies would need to defeat Germany during the Second World War. It was recognised that total victory could only occur on German soil – and that meant smashing through the imposing defences of the Siegfried Line. The Allies would need a Heavy Assault tank. Many designs were put forward for this role, including the Valiant, the A33 and the T14 Assault tank.
The A39 is extremely well-armoured. Its casemate construction could withstand a hit from an 88mm gun at close ranges. But at 78-tons, this lumbering beast was both slow and heavy – and is one of the largest and heaviest vehicles in the museum’s collection. In terms of firepower, the impressive 32pdr gun was extremely effective against both concrete and enemy armour. It even has room inside for 7 crew!
In the end, the Tortoise arrived too late to see any action on the battlefield. It was intended to form a part of the 79th Armoured Division – making it one of Hobart’s Funnies. Whether Tortoise would have become the stuff of legend, or a bit of a joke – well, we’ll leave that question up to you.
00:00 | Introduction
00:39 | What is a Heavy Assault Tank?
03:45 | Why a Heavy Assault Tank?
09:24 | The A39: As Good as it Gets?
17:55 | A Solution Without a Problem
This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.
In this film, Chris Copson dives deep into one of the biggest and heaviest vehicles in our collection – the A39 Tortoise. This heavy assault tank was designed to destroy the fortifications of The Siegfried Line. With its 32pdr gun and massive casemate construction, there are very few things this vehicle would not be able to smash through – provided it didn’t need to be done in a hurry. In the end, German fortifications didn’t prove to be the obstacle the Allied forces feared and the need for a heavy assault tank was abandoned. Only six prototypes of the Tortoise were ever built – and our example at The Tank Museum is the only complete survivor.
Want to learn more about Tortoise? Here are some of the sources we used to make this film:
A39, Heavy Assault Tank, Tortoise. Tank Encyclopaedia (https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb…)
British and American Tanks of WW2, Chamberlain and Ellis, Cassell, 2004
TM Archive, E2013.244 Report on the Tortoise Tank Trial – May-July 1948
TM Archive, E2013.246 User Handbook (Provisional) for A39 (Tortoise)
TM Archive, E2013.247 Motion Study of Stowage and Controls in A39 (The Tortoise)
TM Archive, E2019.1645 “P4 Adventuress & P5 Adventurer Tanks loaded onto Ship”
TM Archive, E2019.1647 “Fighting Vehicles under Development”
TM Archive, Minutes of Meetings of the Tank Board, August 1943 – November 1944Support The Tank Museum!
Friends: https://tankmuseum.org/support-us/fri…
Online Shop: https://tankmuseumshop.org/#tankmuseum
October 23, 2025
A39 Tortoise: The Forgotten Super Heavy
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