[WoT] Transmission Response from Mr. Doyle

I'm very proud that we were able to get an official response of highly-respected researcher in the field of German WWII tanks - Mr. Hilary L. Doyle regarding that "transmission thing" with E-series (namely front drive for E-50 & E-75). What's more important, this statement doesn't go against our suppositions.
 

"Firstly, in this case Overlord is completely correct.  Any engineer or logical person can see that these sketches do not make sense.  But he must avoid shooting the messengers!

We have talked about the philosophy that Tom and I adopted after the success of our “best-seller - the Encyclopaedia of German Tanks” (Arms & Armour Press, published in 1978).  We try only to report the facts that we find them in original documents.  As time has gone on we have become even stronger in our determination to avoid speculation.  There are more than enough charlatans prepared to sell snake oil concerning German Panzer development and users.  The “facts” are actually far more interesting and there is still plenty of new material to be unearthed but of course this involves really hard and expensive research that the home based enthusiasts is not prepared to do.

In our Panzer Tracts No.20-1 “Paper Panzers” on a single page we summarised of the “facts” available on the E50 and E75 proposals.  Most important are the five general requirements of a next generation of Panzers

Of course, behind our summary I have collected some seventy pages of original documentation.  Most are original calculation sheets on possible drive train and suspension ideas.  My drawings are based on the sketches attached.  Clearly, these first thoughts and proposals on future Panzer requirements were never given any priority and as the war situation deteriorated.  To me the “real“ engine/transmission package designers from Maybach never actively got involved and the armour designers certainly had not considered how a rear drive might be mounted.  What we see are proposals “that are the best ideas since sliced bread” being pushed by fringe companies and they certainly had no authority to  design the necessary new armoured hull.  Overlord should try to address his doubts to the inventors that made these sketches in 1944.

Any additional information published on E50 or E 75 besides that in Panzer Tracts No.20-1 and Spielberger's  Band 8 Special-panzerfahrzeuge  is merely fantasy and should be labelled as such. 

We do not need to dream up E50 & E 75  designs since  Porsche and Daimler-Benz  outlined a possible tank design for the Indian government in 1955 which incorporated many of the E50 & E 75 ideas. This also did not get off the proposal drawing board but two years later, as part of one of the consortia bidding for the Standard Panzer (later Leopard), Porsche used these ideas once again.  See the attached drawings." (see those HLD watermarks on the pics)

Once again many thanks to Mr. Doyle, whose works were a good source on many of German tanks in-game, and WG.net military expert Chieftain.