44M TAS - Rank V (2 Partially Completed, Mock up was also built)
Stats: (Panther A as comparison in Brackets)
Weight: 38.0t (44.8t)
Engine: 520HP (690HP)
Length: 6.30m (6.87m)
Height: 3.00m (2.995m)
Width: 3.50m (3.27m)
Turret Armour:
Turret Front: 100mm (100mm)
Turret Sides: 100mm (45mm)
Turret Rear: 50mm (45mm)
Hull Armour:
Hull Front: 75mm at 60 ° (80mm at 55 °)
Hull Sides: 50mm (40mm)
Hull Rear: 50mm (40mm)
Armament: 80mm 44M L/58 (75mm KwK42 L/70)
Ammunition: APCBC - 8.0kg at 872m/s (APCBC - 6.8kg at 935m/s)
Penetration:
180mm @ 0m at 0 ° (190mm @ 0m at 0 °)
72mm @ 0m at 60 ° (71mm @ 0m at 60 °)
75mm at 60 ° / 80mm at 55° hull is better?
Well… against 75mm APCBC rounds…
75mm at 60 ° offers 202mm Equivalent Protection ----- 44M TAS
80mm at 55 ° offers 175mm Equivalent Protection ---- Panther
This means the sloped hull on 44M TAS is better protected than the Panthers.
Technically the 44M TAS can be divided into 2 tanks for the game
Early Version with the same gun as Turan III at Rank IV
Late Version with the 80mm Gun at Rank V
Last Thing to mention…
The 80mm gun on 44M TAS is powerful enough to defeat panthers upper plate whilst the Panthers gun isnt strong enough to defeat 44M TAS’ sloped hull which makes it superior to the Panther in a head to head confrontation. I also reckon the 80mm HE on 44M TAS will be better in anti infantry role than the 75mm HE on the Panther.
What does this mean for the game?
Well technically it makes it possible to divide the Axis Tech Tree into…
- German Reich Tech Tree (including CZSK stuff)
and - Italy and Minor Axis as a seperate tech tree (including Hungary, Romania)
The issue of a seperate italian tech tree has always been, 'what would their Tier IV and Tier V tanks be?
[Early Stop Gap version with the same 75mm gun as Turan III, notice the shorter barrel]
[Late Version with 80mm Gun, Notice the long barrel]
Potential Tank Progression of Italian + Minor Axis
Rank I
Toldi I 
M13/40 
Toldi II
M14/41
Vânător R-35 
Rank II
Toldi IIA
M15/42
Turan I
M16/43
Turan II
Pz.III N
Rank III
Pz. IV G
P.40
Turan III
Rank IV
44M TAS / Early
Tiger I H
Rank V
Tiger I E
44M TAS / Late
Potential Fighter Aircraft Progression of Italian + Minor Axis
Rank I
CR.32 (2x 50kg)
G.50 (2x 50kg)
IAR-81A (2x 50kg)
Rank II
MC.200 (2x 50kg)
IAR-81C (1x 250kg + 2x 50kg)
Heja II (1x 250kg)
Rank III
MC.202 (2x 160kg)
RE.2001 CN (1x 250kg)
BF-109G-4 (4x 50kg)
Rank IV
MC.205V (2x 160kg)
Fw-190F-8 (1x 500kg)
G.55 serie 0 (2x 160kg)
Rank V
RE.2005 (1x 500kg)
G.56 (2x 160kg)