Atlas
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This article is about the Imperial Guard vehicle; for the warhead, see Atlas (Warhead). |
The Atlas Recovery Tank is an Imperial Guard armoured recovery tank based on the Leman Russ Battle Tank chassis. It is designed to recover disabled or destroyed vehicles and tow them back to friendly lines for repairs.[1a]
Overview
The Atlas is a stripped-down Leman Russ with no turret, weakened armour and a supercharged engine to enable it to move weights in excess of 60 tonnes, with three or more needed to tow a Super Heavy Tank. When performing battlefield recovery an attached crane hooks up the immobilised vehicle while a rear spade is lowered to prevent the Atlas from being dragged backwards as it winches up the vehicle. The damaged vehicle will then be towed back to the safety of friendly lines where it will be placed on large flatbed trailers towed by Trojans and deliver to the regimental field workshop. The Atlas' crew can also perform battlefield repairs on light-damanged vehicles, such as replacing a thrown track, and for these purposes include an Enginseer with Servitor assistants to ensure the correct blessings are performed. If a vehicle is damaged beyond repair the crew will then inspect the wreck for possible salvage, commend its machine spirit to the Emperor and leave it to rust.[1a]
Not all regiments are lucky enough to field Atlases, but those who do usually group them into a single recovery squadron, usually under the direct command of the Colonel and his staff. During battle they will be held in reserve until a call comes through for one of them to brave the battlefield and rescue a vehicle. Though not a frontline combatant they are armed with a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter and can be modified to carry a pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter. Standard equipment includes a Searchlight and Smoke Launchers, while other modifications include a Dozer Blade, turning them into a general engineering vehicle, Camo Netting, Extra Armour, a Mine Sweeper, Rough Terrain Modification, Track Guards, and even a Hunter-Killer Missile.[1a][2]
| Vehicle Name: | Atlas Recovery Tank[1a] | Main Armament: | Heavy Bolter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forge World of Origin: | Stygies VIII | Secondary Armament: | N/A |
| Known Patterns: | I-IX | Traverse: | 10° |
| Crew: | Commander, Driver, Operator | Elevation: | From -1° to 18° |
| Powerplant: | MR230 V12 Multi-Fuel | Main Ammunition: | 300 Rounds |
| Weight: | 43 tonnes | Secondary Ammunition: | N/A |
| Length: | 7.08m | ||
| Width: | 4.86m | Armour | |
| Height: | 3.75m | ||
| Ground Clearance: | 0.45m | Superstructure: | 90mm |
| Fording Depth: | {{{Fording Depth}}} | Hull: | 80mm |
| Max Speed - on road | 34kph | Gun Mantlet | N/A |
| Max Speed - off road: | 20kph | Vehicle Designation: | 0427-941-1117-AT013 |
| Transport Capacity: | None | Firing Ports: | N/A |
| Access Points: | N/A | Turret: | N/A |
Fording Depth: 1.90m[3]
Regiments known to contain Atlases
- Cadian 74th Armoured Regiment - defence of Hamman's World
- Krieg 28th Armoured Regiment - Galan V Expedition Force
- Tallarn 3rd Armoured Regiment - Defence of Balle Alpha
- Teutonian 121st Armoured Regiment[1b]
Conflicting sources
In the Source [1a] one of the Atlas' belongs to Cadian 74th Armoured Regiment though in the Imperial Armour Volume One - Second Edition: Imperial Guard (pg. 214) the vehicle with the same view, markings and the campaign where it fought, stated as Atlas of the Cadian 7th Armoured. It seems that this is a mistake.
Sources
- 1: Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy
- 2: Imperial Armour Volume One - Second Edition: Imperial Guard, pgs. 211-212
- 3: Imperial Armour Update, pg. 12
