Thunderer Siege Tank

The Thunderer Siege Tank is a conversion of the Destroyer Tank Hunter hull. The Thunderer probably originated in a Departmento Munitorum field workshop as a stop-gap armoured vehicle for use in close quarters street fighting. In such situations, there are often not enough Demolisher Siege Tanks to support all the front line infantry platoons. Infantry units lacking the heavy firepower of the large Demolisher cannon find attacking through dense terrain very hard going. The inclusion of the Demolisher cannon on the Destroyer hull went some way to alleviating this problem.

Because the Destroyer's main weapon is difficult to manufacture and almost impossible for field workshop units to repair when it is damaged or malfunctions, it was found that an otherwise fully functional Destroyer chassis could be retro-fitted with another weapon. Once the Laser Destroyer was stripped out, along with its capacitors and batteries, enough space could be created for a Battle cannon or Demolisher cannon and ammunition. Due to the size of the Demolisher cannon's shells, ammunition storage within the Thunderer has always been problematic. Fully loaded, only 18 rounds can be squeezed in; significantly reducing the time a Thunderer can remain fighting before requiring re-supplying.

As a stop-gap vehicle the Thunderer fulfils its role well, although the Demolisher is still the close support weapon of choice for most commanders, due to its turret and many secondary weapons. The Demolisher cannon's role is to engage enemy-held buildings or bunkers, using its armour tipped shells to pierce the defender's walls before the delay fused high-explosive detonates within, causing massive damage to the occupants and the structure itself. It is not unknown for a single Demolisher shell to cause an entire building to collapse. The weight of the shell can easily destroy enemy vehicles, but its size reduces its accuracy, making it an ineffective tank-killing weapon at anything but close range.

Because the Thunderer is a replacement vehicle, no unit's codex 'Orders of Battle' include it. Siege Tank companies are equipped with Demolishers and as such are most likely to command any Thunderers, as direct replacements for losses or as additional tank squadrons.

The Thunderer retains all the hull features of the Destroyer, but extra bracing and armour plates are welded inside the roof. This provides protection from attacks from above whilst the vehicle is operating in urban terrain.

It is possible that, given the difficulty of manufacturing Destroyers, some Thunderers have been produced as newly built vehicles.