Light tanks of the Red Army. Post-war light tanks

To light tanks included tanks with a combat weight of up to 15 tons (later - up to 18 tons) and armed with a small-caliber cannon and a machine gun or machine guns. Light tanks were the main means of reinforcing infantry (cavalry) in all types of combined arms combat. The main purpose of light tanks was considered to be reconnaissance, providing communications, direct support of infantry on the battlefield, destroying machine-gun nests, fighting partisans, as well as conducting operations when, due to the nature of the terrain or its remoteness, it is impossible to use heavier equipment. The specific combat missions of light tanks could be: pursuit of the retreating enemy; preempting the enemy in capturing advantageous lines (regions, facilities) and holding them until the main forces approach; capture and destruction of important objects in the depths of the enemy's defense; protection of the main forces from the front, on the flanks and from the rear; ensuring combat operations of the main (main) forces on the open flanks; sudden rapid raids behind enemy lines as part of mobile groups; destruction of units landing troops enemy; ambush actions and sudden fire strikes in defense. When operating on the defensive, the tanks had to set up ambushes along the enemy's path, carefully choose their places, taking into account the possible change of firing position in the minimum time, and maneuver in order to make it difficult for the enemy to conduct aimed fire. Fire should have been fired from minimum distances to increase the likelihood of hitting enemy vehicles.

In some countries, small tanks (larger tankettes) belonged to this class. AT different time the mass of tanks classified as light tanks fluctuated over an extremely wide range: from 3.5-4 tons in the framework of the Western classification (which does not distinguish small tanks) and 5 tons in the Soviet one, up to 15-18 tons for some light tanks of the Second World War war. In general, the concept light tank included all tanks of smaller mass than medium ones, but larger than tankettes. In some countries, tanks were classified according to the caliber of weapons, regardless of weight and armor. Tanks armed with machine guns or small-caliber guns (up to 37 mm) were classified as light. Since such a classification is less revealing, the book adopts a classification based on the mass of vehicles.

The insufficient mobility of the tanks of the First World War, caused by a large mass and unsettled layout and design solutions, made them vulnerable to artillery fire and did not allow them to quickly develop success after breaking through the enemy defensive line. It was believed that the speed and maneuverability of a combat vehicle increase its survival on the battlefield, contribute to the continuation offensive operation, and during defensive actions they make it possible to carry out counterattacks on an enemy that has not yet established itself in captured positions. Since the booking of all vehicles of that time was bulletproof, it was possible to increase the speed and power-to-weight ratio only by abandoning heavy weapons and a large crew. The first light tank(French FT-17) appeared in the final period of the First World War. He received a classic layout and had a huge impact on the subsequent development of tank building. Maneuverable and numerous light tanks finally tipped the scales of military confrontation in favor of the Entente powers, playing a significant role in repelling the German offensive of 1918. In the future, light tanks were actively developed, reaching their heyday in the 1930s and were popular in many countries because of their relative cheapness, both in production and in operation, as well as high reliability. In most countries before World War II, light tanks were the main or one of the main forces. tank troops.

In the first years of the war, most light tanks were lost by almost all the warring countries. A weak engine and thin armor, a small crew, insufficient caliber of cannon armament, ignoring the tactics of using light tanks by the command became the main reasons for the loss of priority in army armored vehicles. Light tanks moved into the category of highly specialized vehicles. In addition, the new light tanks, in terms of their characteristics, were already approaching the medium tanks of the beginning of the war.

Estimated number of light tanks used in the war by country(without trophy and transferred / received)

Country	Quantity		Country	Quantity
Country	tanks	species/ modifications	Country	tanks	species/ modifications
Great Britain	10087	5/22	USA	29790	6/17
Hungary	202	1/4	France	9242	11/24
Germany	4370	6/14	Czechoslovakia	2018	4/14
Italy	2686	5/10	Sweden	441	2/7
Poland	132	1/3	Japan	4109	6/7
USSR	34584	10/25

In the pre-war years and during the war, 11 countries produced 97,661 light tanks of 57 types in 147 modifications. During the war, cars made in England, the USA and Czechoslovakia were used in 21 other countries. In addition, Germany used at least 5,000 captured tanks.

performance characteristics best lungs tanks by countries

Country and type of tank/	England	Germany Pz Kpfw II Ausf.D	Italy	USSR	USA	France	Japan
Length, m	6,4	4,6	3,8	5,2	5,6	4,2	4,4
Width, m	2,6	2,3	1,9	2,5	3	1,9	2
Height, m	2.3	2	2,2	2.2	2,7	2.1	2.3
Clearance, mm.	420	340	260	350	460	320	400
Mass, t.	18	10	6,8	13,8	18,3	12,8	7,4
Booking, mm feed / forehead	17/65	15/30	15/40	12/45	13/38	12/45	12
engine's type	Diz.	Benz.	Benz.	Diz.	Benz.	Benz.	Diz.
Engine power, h.p.	175	180	70	300	220	75	120
Specific power, l.s / t.	9,6	18	10,3	21,7	10,9	6,3	16,2
Highway speed, km/h	25	55	42	60	56	22	45
Cruising range on the highway, km.	225	200	200	344	160	150	250
Main armament	75 mm	20mm	37 mm	45 mm	75 mm	37 mm	37 mm
Ammunition, pcs.	46	140	312	150	48	100	75
Additional armament	7.62mm	7.92mm	8mm	2x7.62	12.7mm	7.5mm	2x6.5
Ammunition, pcs.	3150	2100	1560	4032	3750	2400	3300
Climbability, hail.	40	30	40	40	35	24	33
Passable wall, m	0,8	0,4	0,7	0,7	0,9	0,5	0,8
Crossable ditch, m	2.2	1,8	1,8	2,2	2,4	1,8	1,9
Crossable ford, m.	1.1	0,9	0,8	1,1	1	0,6	1
Specific ground pressure, kg/cm²	n.a.	0,62	n.a.	0,56	0,79	0,92	0,66
Crew, pers.	3	3	2	4	5	2	3
The presence of a radio station	there is	there is	there is	there is	there is	No	No

The term "tank" in Ozhegov's dictionary is explained as "an armored self-propelled combat vehicle with powerful tracked weapons." But such a definition is not a dogma, there is no unified tank standard in the world. Each manufacturing country creates and created tanks taking into account its own needs, the characteristics of the proposed war, the manner of the upcoming battles and its own production capabilities. The USSR was no exception in this regard.

The history of the development of tanks of the USSR and Russia by models

Invention history

The primacy of the use of tanks belongs to the British, their use forced the military leaders of all countries to reconsider the concept of warfare. The use by the French of their light tank "Renault" FT17 determined the classic use of tanks for solving tactical problems, and the tank itself became the embodiment of the canons of tank building.

Although the laurels of the first use did not go to the Russians, the very invention of the tank, in its classical sense, belongs to our compatriots. In 1915 V.D. Mendeleev (the son of a famous scientist) sent a project of an armored self-propelled vehicle on two tracks with artillery weapons to the technical department of the Russian army. But for unknown reasons further design work things didn't work out.

The very idea of putting a steam engine on a caterpillar propeller was not new; it was first implemented in 1878 by the Russian designer Fedor Blinov. The invention was called: "A wagon with endless flights for the transport of goods." This "car" was the first to use a track turning device. The invention of the caterpillar mover, by the way, also belongs to the Russian staff captain D. Zagryazhsky. For which a corresponding patent was issued in 1937.

The world's first tracked combat vehicle is also Russian. In May 1915, an armored vehicle D.I. was tested near Riga. Porokhovshchikov under the name "All-terrain vehicle". She had an armored hull, one wide caterpillar and a machine gun in a rotating turret. The tests were recognized as very successful, but due to the approaching Germans, further tests had to be postponed, and after a while they were completely forgotten about.

In the same year, 1915, a machine designed by the head of the experimental laboratory of the military department, captain Lebedenko, was tested. The 40-ton unit was enlarged to giant size an artillery carriage propelled by two Maybach engines from a downed airship. The front wheels had a diameter of 9 meters. As conceived by the creators, a machine of this design should easily overcome ditches and trenches, but during the tests it got stuck immediately after the start of movement. Where did you stay long years until it was cut into scrap metal.

the first world Russia finished without their tanks. During the Civil War, tanks from other countries were used. During the fighting, part of the tanks passed into the hands of the Red Army, on which the fighters of the workers and peasants entered the battle. In 1918, in the battle with the French-Greek troops near the village of Berezovskaya, several Reno-FT tanks were captured. They were sent to Moscow to participate in the parade. The fiery speech about the need to build our own tanks, which Lenin delivered, laid the foundation for Soviet tank building. We decided to release, or rather completely copy, 15 Reno-FT tanks called Tank M (small). On August 31, 1920, the first copy left the workshops of the Krasnoye Sormovo plant in Nizhny Tagil. This day is considered to be the birthday of Soviet tank building.

The young state understood that tanks were very important for waging war, especially since the enemies approaching the borders were already armed with this type of military equipment. Because of the particularly expensive production price, the M tank was not launched into the series, so another option was needed. According to the idea that existed then in the Red Army, the tank was supposed to support the infantry during the attack, that is, the speed of the tank should not be much higher than the infantry, the weight should allow it to break through the defense line, and the weapons should successfully suppress firing points. Choosing between their own developments and proposals to copy ready-made samples, they chose the option that allowed them to start producing tanks in the shortest possible time - copying.

In 1925, a tank was launched into serial production, the Fiat-3000 was its prototype. Even if not entirely successful, the MS-1 became a tank that laid the foundation for Soviet tank building. In its production, the production itself was developed, the coherence of the work of different departments and factories.

Until the beginning of the 30s, several of their models T-19, T-20, T-24 were developed, but due to the lack of special advantages over the T-18, and due to their high cost in production, they did not go into series.

Tanks 30-40 years - a disease of imitation

Participation in the conflict on the KFZhD showed the discrepancy between the tanks of the first generation for the dynamic development of the battle, the tanks practically did not show themselves in any way, the main work was done by the cavalry. We needed a faster and more reliable car.

To select the next production model, they went the beaten path and purchased samples abroad. The English Vickers Mk - 6 tons was mass-produced with us as the T-26, and the Carden-Loyd Mk VI tankette was the T-27.

T-27, at first so tempting to manufacture with its cheapness, was not produced for a long time. In 1933, on the basis of wedges, they were accepted for the army
floating tank T-37A, with weapons in a rotating turret, and in 1936 - T-38. In 1940, they created a similar floating T-40, the USSR did not produce more floating tanks until the 50s.

Another sample was purchased in the USA. On the basis of the J.W. Christie model, a whole series of high-speed tanks (BT) was built, their main difference was the combination of two wheeled and tracked propellers. Wheels were used to move during the march of the BT, and caterpillars were used in the conduct of battles. Such a forced measure was needed because of the weak operational capabilities of the tracks, only 1000 km.

BT tanks developing on the roads are pretty high speed, fully fit the changed military concept of the Red Army: a breakthrough in defense and through the resulting gap, the high-speed deployment of a deep attack. The three-tower T-28 was developed directly for the breakthrough, the prototype of which was the English Vickers 16-ton. Another breakthrough tank was supposed to be the T-35, similar to the English five-turreted Independent heavy tank.

During the pre-war decade, many interesting tank designs were created that did not go into series. For example, based on the T-26
semi-closed self-propelled gun AT-1 (artillery tank). During the Second World War, they will again remember these machines without a cabin roof.

Tanks of the second world

Participation in the civil war in Spain and in the battles at Khalkhin Gol showed how high the explosiveness of a gasoline engine and the insufficiency of anti-bullet armor against the anti-tank artillery that was then emerging. The introduction of solutions to these problems allowed our designers, who had been ill with imitation disease, to create on the eve of the Second World War a truly good tanks and KV.

In the first days of the war, a disastrously many tanks were lost, it took time to establish the production of unrivaled T-34s and KVs at only evacuated factories, and the front desperately needed tanks. The government decided to fill this niche with cheap and fast-to-produce light tanks T-60 and T-70. Naturally, the vulnerability of such tanks is very high, but they gave time to deploy the production of Victory tanks. The Germans called them "indestructible locusts".

In battle under the railway. Art. For the first time in Prokhorovka, tanks acted as "cementing" defenses, before that they were used exclusively as an attack weapon. Basically, up to today, there were no more new ideas in the use of tanks.

Speaking of WWII tanks, it is impossible not to mention the tank destroyers (SU-76, SU-122, etc.) or as they were called "self-propelled guns" in the troops. The rotating relatively small tower did not allow the use of some powerful guns and, most importantly, howitzers on tanks, for this they were installed on the bases of existing tanks without the use of towers. Actually Soviet tank destroyers during the war, except for weapons, they did not differ in any way from their prototypes, unlike the same German ones.

modern tanks

After the war, they continued to produce light, medium and heavy tanks, but by the end of the 50s, all the main tank manufacturers concentrated on the production of the main tank. Thanks to new technologies in the production of armor, more powerful engines and weapons, the need to divide tanks into types has disappeared by itself. The niche of light tanks was occupied by armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, so the PT-76 eventually became an armored personnel carrier.

The first post-war mass tank of the new model was armed with a 100-mm gun, and its modification for use in radioactive zones. This model has become the most popular among modern tanks, more than 30,000 of these machines were in the service of over 30 countries.

After the appearance of tanks with a 105 mm gun in potential enemies, it was decided to upgrade the T-55 to a 115 mm gun. The world's first tank with a 155mm smoothbore gun was named .

The ancestor of the classic main tanks was the . It fully combined the capabilities of heavy (125mm guns) and medium tanks (high mobility).

At the end of the thirties, on the eve of the start of the Second World War, the tank forces of the USSR had no equal. The Soviet Union had a colossal superiority over all potential opponents in the number of pieces of equipment, and with the advent of the T-34 in 1940, Soviet superiority began to be of a qualitative nature. At the time of the invasion German troops to Poland in September 1939, the Soviet tank park already numbered over 20 thousand cars. True, the bulk of these tanks were light combat vehicles, armed with 45-mm guns, which could hardly fight with the main German medium tanks "Panzer III" of later modifications. For example, the most bulk tank In the prewar years of the Red Army, the T-26, armed with a 45mm cannon, could effectively penetrate the armor of the triples only from extremely close distances of less than 300m, while the German tank easily hit 15mm bulletproof armor of the T-26 from a distance of up to 1000m. All Wehrmacht tanks, with the exception of the "Pz.I" and "Pz.II", could quite effectively resist the "twenty-sixth". The rest of the characteristics of the T-26, which was produced from the beginning of the 30s to the beginning of the 40s, were also rather mediocre. It is worth mentioning the BT-7 light tanks, which had simply amazing speed for that time and carried the same 45-mm gun as the T-26, the combat value of which was slightly higher than that of the "twenty-sixth" only for due to good speed and dynamics, which allowed the tank to quickly maneuver on the battlefield. Their armor was also weak and was penetrated by the main German tanks from long distances. Thus, by 1941, most of the tank fleet of the USSR was equipped with obsolete equipment, although according to total strength tanks of the USSR surpassed Germany several times. The latter also did not give a decisive advantage at the beginning of the war, since far from the entire "armada" Soviet technology was located in the western border districts, and those combat vehicles that were located there were dispersed throughout the territory, while the German armored vehicles advanced on narrow sections of the front, securing a numerical superiority and destroying Soviet troops in parts. However, let's return to the mid-30s - it was then that the tanks of the Soviet Union received baptism of fire- walked Civil War in Spain, where they fought on the side of the Republican troops (see Soviet T-26 tanks and the Spanish Civil War) against the fascist rebels of General Francisco Franco, quite successfully showing themselves in battles with German tanks and Italian wedges. Later, Soviet tanks also successfully resisted the Japanese aggressors on Far East in the battles near Lake Khasan and in the area of the Khalkin-Gol River. Soviet tanks in the battle with the Francoist rebels and Japanese troops showed that they are definitely worth reckoning with. By their own performance characteristics new Soviet tanks, such as the T-34 and KV, at the beginning of the war, of course, surpassed all samples of German technology, but still they were dissolved in a mass of more old technology. In general, by 1941, Soviet tank troops were numerous, but poorly balanced formations, and in the Western border districts, where the battle of the first weeks of the war unfolded, there were no more than 12 thousand. tanks, against 5 and a half thousand tanks of Germany and its allies. Soviet forces at the same time, they experienced an acute shortage of manpower, while the Germans had no problems with infantry - it was twice as much as in Soviet troops located near the border. It is worth emphasizing that speaking of the superiority of Soviet tanks at the beginning of the war, we mean precisely technical part and a number of basic combat characteristics that determine whether tank units are able to withstand similar enemy combat vehicles. For example, in terms of armament and armor, the new Soviet tanks of the second half of the 30s and early 40s clearly surpassed all the armored vehicles available to the Germans in 1941. However, it is not enough to have tanks with good tactical and technical characteristics, it is important to be able to use them as a means of warfare. In this sense, the German tank forces at the beginning of the war were stronger. At the time they crossed the Soviet border, the Panzer III was the main strike force of the German troops, and at the beginning of the war, the Germans already had modifications of these F and H tanks, which exceeded the masses of light Soviet armored vehicles according to tactical and technical characteristics. Of course, the German tank forces also included such tanks as "Panzer I" or "Panzer II", which were definitely inferior to almost everyone

Soviet vehicles, but the role of the main tank still belonged to the "troika". The defeat of the Soviet tank divisions and mechanized corps deployed along the western border was so swift that later it gave rise to many rumors that the German tanks "many times outnumbered and were much better than the Soviet ones." The last statement is incorrect only because the KV and T-34 were listed as part of the Soviet tank group, which had no equal in 1941, and as for numerical superiority, on the contrary, it was the USSR that outnumbered Germany in the number of tanks, but if we take into account not all the equipment dispersed throughout the vast territory of the USSR, but only the tank forces of the troops of the western border districts, then it turns out that this is not a "multiple", but only a twofold superiority. Scattered along the entire border, Soviet tank units, which, moreover, did not have such impressive infantry support as the German tank forces, were forced to meet an avalanche of well-directed and concentrated strikes of large masses. German armored vehicles on narrow fronts. The formal numerical superiority of Soviet tanks in such conditions no longer mattered. The Germans quickly broke through the weak front line of the Soviet defense and occupied huge areas in the deep Soviet rear and held them with their motorized infantry, disorganizing the entire Soviet defense system. Our tanks in the first weeks of the war most often attacked the enemy without aviation, artillery and infantry support. Even if they managed to carry out a successful counterattack, they could not hold the captured positions without the help of the infantry. The superiority in manpower of Germany over the troops of the western border districts made itself felt. In addition, Germany, as already mentioned, at the beginning of the war clearly surpassed the USSR in mastery of tank units, in organizing interaction between tanks and other branches of the armed forces and in good operational leadership of mobile formations. This is not even surprising, given that the German command had the experience of two large and swift military operations (the defeat of Poland and France), in which they worked out effective techniques actions of tank groups, interaction of tanks with infantry, aviation and artillery. The Soviet command did not have such experience, therefore, at the beginning of the war, it was obviously weaker in terms of the art of managing tank formations. Let's add to this the lack of combat experience of many tank crews, superimposed on the mistakes and miscalculations of the Soviet command. As the war progresses, experience, knowledge and skills will be acquired, and Soviet combat vehicles will become a truly formidable weapon in the capable hands of tankers and commanders of tank units. The prediction of the German tank commander Melentin, who predicted that the Russians, who created such a wonderful instrument as tanks, would never learn to play it, would not come true. They learned to play very well - and the brilliant operations of the Red Army against the Wehrmacht in the second half of the war are vivid and indisputable confirmation of this.

The technical superiority of the USSR in the prewar years and during the war

Soviet tanks at the initial stage of the Second World War were superior in combat characteristics to all their potential opponents. In the arsenal of the Soviet tank forces at the beginning of the war there were such vehicles, which at that time had no analogues. These were medium tanks "T-34", as well as heavy tanks "KV-1" and "KV-2". They had powerful enough weapons and were able to hit any german tank of that period at a long distance of fire combat, while remaining invulnerable to the fire of the bulk of the German guns of that period. German tankers

they could not oppose the good armor of Soviet combat vehicles. The main regular 37mm cannon of the Germans did not allow to confidently hit the "T-34" or "KV" in the frontal projection from medium and long distances, and this forced the Germans to often use heavy weapons in the early stages of the war to fight Soviet tanks. anti-aircraft guns FlaK caliber 88mm. In addition to the T-34 and KV, the USSR possessed a large number of light combat vehicles, especially in Soviet army there were T-26 tanks. The armor of the T-26 and BT-7 tanks, which were common in the Soviet army in the early 40s, left much to be desired, but many of them carried a 45mm gun that could successfully hit all German tanks at the beginning of the war, which means under certain conditions and competent use, this technique could withstand German tanks. In the second half of the war Soviet designers a comprehensive modernization of the "thirty-four" was carried out, the T-34-85 tank appeared, as well as new heavy tanks "IS". Excellent vehicle dynamics and powerful weapons did their job: "IS" successfully hit its main opponents at long distances, while remaining slightly vulnerable to enemy return fire. Thus, Soviet tanks during the Second World War somehow surpassed their German opponents in the quality of combat vehicles, and at the final stage of the war they also had a decisive numerical superiority over a demoralized enemy.

The tank is based on French tank FT-17 and its Italian version "Fiat 3000" and adopted in 1928. The tank was produced in three modifications: model 1927, model 1929 and model 1930. The main difference of the last modification was the increase in engine power and the replacement of the Fedorov machine gun on Degtyarov. A total of 959 machines were produced. By the beginning of the war, the Red Army had 160 tanks and 450 armored hulls turned into pillboxes. TTX of the tank- length - 4.4 m; width - 1.8 m; height - 2.1 m; clearance - 315 mm; weight - 5.3 tons; booking - 8-16 mm; engine type - in-line 4-cylinder air-cooled carburetor; power - 35-40 hp; specific power - 6.6 hp / t; speed of movement on the highway - 16 km / h; power reserve - 100 km; main armament - 37 mm Hotchkiss gun; ammunition - 104 shots; additional armament - two 6.5 mm Fedorov machine guns (ammunition - 1,800 rounds) or a 7.62 mm DT-29 machine gun (ammunition - 2,016 rounds); crew - 2 people.

The tank is based on English tank"Vickers Mk-E" and was put into service in 1931 and was produced in 8 modifications: T-26 model 1931 (two-turret version with machine gun armament); T-26 model 1932 (double turret version with cannon-machine gun armament (37 mm cannon in one of the turrets and machine gun in the other); T-26 model 1933 (single turret version with a cylindrical turret and 45 mm cannon); T-26 model 1938 (single turret version with conical tower and welded body); T-26 model 1939 (T-26 model 1938 with reinforced armor); T-26RT (double turret tank with 71-TK-1 radio station); T-26TU (commander version with radio); T-26A (with a short-barreled 76 mm tank gun).

A total of 11,218 cars were produced. On the basis of the tank, flamethrower tanks OT-26, OT-130, OT-133 and OT-134, self-propelled guns SU-5, as well as the TT-26 teletank, armored personnel carriers and tractors were produced. TTX tank: length - 4.6 m; width - 2.4 m; height - 2–2.3 m; clearance - 380 mm; weight - 8-10 tons; booking - 6-15 mm; engine type - in-line 4-cylinder air-cooled carburetor; engine power - 80-95 hp; speed on the highway - 30 km / h; power reserve - 130-220 km; main armament - two 7.62 mm DT machine guns or a 37 mm Hotchkiss-PS or B-3 cannon or a 45 mm 20-K cannon; additional armament - 7.62-mm machine gun DT-29; ammunition - 6,489 rounds; means of communication - radio station 71-TK-1, intercom TPU-2 or TPU-3; crew - 3 people.

Light wheeled-tracked tank BT-2: with machine guns

The high-speed tank BT-2 was a single-turret tank of the classical layout with cannon-machine-gun armament and bulletproof armor. It was developed on the basis of the American licensed tank M-1940 Christie. It was mass-produced in 1932-1933. in the following modifications: BT-2 cannon-machine gun (37 mm B-3 cannon and DT machine gun); BT-2 cannon (37-mm cannon B-30; BT-2 machine gun (DT machine gun in a ball mount and 2 twin DT or DA machine guns); BT-2 machine gun without a ball mount (2 twin DT machine guns (possibly also YES). Tanks equipped with machine guns were produced in 350. A total of 640 vehicles were produced, of which 580 were in service with the Red Army on 01.06.1941. only one pair of driving wheels (rollers). At the same time, the high specific power allowed the tanks to jump 15-20 meters. The transition from one type of movement to another took about 30 minutes. Tank performance characteristics: length - 5.5 m; width - 2.3 m; height - 2.1 m; ground clearance - 350 mm; weight - 11 tons; armor - 6-13 mm; engine type - carbureted aviation four-stroke 12-cylinder V-shaped liquid-cooled "Liberty" (or its manufactured in the USSR, an analogue of M-5-400); power - 400 hp; specific power - 36.2 hp / t; speed of movement on the highway - on tracks - 51 km / h, on wheels - 72 km / h; power reserve - 160 (200); main armament - 37-mm cannon B-3 (5-K), later 45-mm cannon; ammunition - 92 shots; additional armament - 7.62 mm DT machine gun (ammunition - 2,709 rounds); crew - 3 people.

The tank is an improved version of the BT-2 and was produced in 1933-1934. In total, 1,884 vehicles were produced, of which, by the beginning of the war, 500 units remained in service with the Red Army. A radio station with a handrail antenna was installed on part of the tanks. TTX tank: length - 5.6 m; width - 2.2 m; height - 2.2 m; clearance - 350 mm; weight - 11.5 tons; booking - 6-13 mm; engine type - V-shaped 12-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor M-5; power - 400 hp; specific power - 34.8 hp / t; movement speed - on tracks - 52 km / h; on wheels - 72 km / h; power reserve - 150 km (200); main armament - 45-mm cannon 20-K arr. 1937; ammunition - 115 shots; additional armament - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; means of communication - radio station 71-TK-1 on command tanks; crew of 3 people.

The tank differed from its predecessors in a welded hull, a new engine and a large supply of fuel. It was produced in 1935-1940. in four modifications: sample 1935 (basic version); model 1937 (with a conical turret, 4,727 units were produced); sample 1939 (BT-7M) (with V-2 diesel engine, 705 units produced); BT-7A (with 76 mm gun, 154 units produced). A total of 5,328 cars were produced. TTX tank: length - 5.7 m; width - 2.3 m; height - 2.4 m; clearance - 400 mm; weight - 13.9 tons; booking - 6-22 mm; engine type - V-shaped 12-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor M-17T; power - 400 hp; specific power - 28.8 hp / t; movement speed - on tracks - 52 km / h; on wheels - 72 km / h; power reserve - 375 km (460); main armament - 45-mm cannon 20-K arr. 1934; ammunition - 84 shots; additional armament - two 7.62 mm DT machine guns; means of communication - radio station 71-TK-1, intercom TPU-3; crew - 3 people.

BT-7A is one of the modifications of the BT-7 high-speed tank, which differs from the prototype in an oversized turret with a 76-mm gun. This was achieved by adapting the T-26-4 turret. A total of 154 tanks were produced. TTX tank: length - 5.7 m; width - 2.3 mm; height - 2.4 m; clearance - 390 mm; power reserve - with additional tanks - 350 - 500 km; main armament - 76 mm KT gun; ammunition - 50 shots; additional armament - three DT machine guns; ammunition - 3,339 rounds; crew of 3 people.

The tank was created on the basis of the T-26 and put into service in 1941. A total of 75 vehicles were produced. TTX tank: length - 5.2 m; width - 2.5 m; height - 2.2 m; clearance - 350 mm; weight - 13.8 tons; booking - 12-45 mm; engine type - four-stroke in-line 6-cylinder V-4 liquid-cooled diesel engine; power - 300 hp; specific power - 21.7 hp / t; speed on the highway - 60 km; power reserve - 344 km; main armament - 45-mm gun 20-K; ammunition - 150 shots; additional armament - two 7.62 mm DT machine guns; ammunition - 4,032 rounds; means of communication - a KRSTB radio station, an internal intercom TPU-3 for 3 subscribers and a light signal device for internal one-way communication from the commander to the driver; crew - 4 people.

The tank was created on the basis of the T-40 amphibious tank and put into service in 1941. A total of 5,920 vehicles were produced. Some of the vehicles were equipped with additional armor screens up to 10 mm thick. On the basis of the tank, the BM-8-24 self-propelled guns, as well as the OSU-76 self-propelled guns, were built. TTX tank: length - 4.1 m; width - 2.4 m; height - 1.8 m; clearance - 300 mm; weight - 5.8 - 6.4 tons; booking - 10 - 25 mm; engine type - in-line 4-stroke 6-cylinder carburetor GAZ-202; engine power - 70 hp; specific power - 10.7-12 hp / t; speed of movement on the highway - 42 km / h; power reserve - 410 km; main armament - 20-mm TNSh gun; ammunition - 750 shots; armor penetration - 15 mm at a distance of 500 m at an angle of 90 °; additional armament - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; ammunition - 945 rounds; means of communication - radio station 71-TK-Z on command tanks; crew - 2 people.

The tank was developed on the basis of the T-60 and put into service in 1942. A modification of the tank with a reinforced undercarriage under the designation T-70M is known. A total of 8,231 cars were produced. On the basis of the tank, the SU-76 self-propelled guns and a number of SPAAGs were built. TTX tank: length - 4.3 m; width - 2.4 m; height - 2 m; clearance - 300 mm; weight - 9.2 - 9.8 tons; booking - 10 - 50 mm; engine type - twin in-line 4-stroke 6-cylinder carburetor GAZ-203; engine power - 140 hp; specific power - 15.2 hp / t; speed of movement on the highway - 42 km / h; power reserve - 410 km; main armament - 45-mm gun 20-K; ammunition - 90 shots; additional armament - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; ammunition - 945 rounds; means of communication - radio station 12-RT or 9-R (only on command tanks), intercom TPU-2; crew - 2 people.

The tank was created on the basis of the T-70 and put into service in 1942. A total of 85 vehicles were produced. TTX tank: length - 4.3 m; width - 2.4 m; weight - 11.6 tons; clearance - 300 mm; booking - 10-45 mm; engine type - twin in-line 4-stroke 6-cylinder carburetor GAZ-203F; engine power - 170 hp; specific power - 14.6 hp / t; speed of movement on the highway - 42 km / h; power reserve - 320 km; main armament - 45-mm gun 20-K; ammunition - 100 shots; additional armament - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; ammunition - 1008 rounds; means of communication - radio station 12-RT, intercom TPU-3; crew - 3 people.

. In terms of characteristics, it soviet tank T-70 is the best of the light category. Sometimes the T-50 is given the palm, but taking into account that their release was limited to only 7 dozen (design complexity), compare with the T-70, more than 8000 pieces, the second-largest result is second only to. Who cares here =>> , back to the end of 41 years.
Already at the end of October 1941, N.A. Astrov in the Design and Experimental Department (KEO) of GAZ began to develop a new light tank armed with a 45-mm cannon. In its design, it was supposed to use the T-60 components and assemblies to the maximum extent, read assembling as much as possible using automotive components and components. It was quite obvious that without a significant increase in the power of the engine installation further development light tanks is almost impossible. But in 1941, increasing the power of a mass-produced engine by forcing it seemed a difficult task, except for the long term.

Alabino T-70 opening tank biathlon photo 2013

It was supposed to solve the problem more realistically by creating two autonomous drives from two engines with a gearbox, each for its own track. For confident rectilinear movement, it was only necessary to connect the engines to each other through friction clutches. But then there were no comprehensive tests, and the hidden flaw of such a scheme was revealed later.
After four unsuccessful attempts to install two N.A. Astrov proposed a series direct connection of the engines "in single file", transmitting the power developed by the rear engine through the coupling to the crankshaft shank of the front working engine. And such a “spark”, consisting of two GAZ-M1 engines, was created at plant No. 37 on the eve of the war.

Tank T-70 power unit GAZ-203 consisted of two GAZ-202 engines (GAZ-70-6004 front and GAZ-70-6005 rear)

Now, in November, the first version of the paired unit of two GAZ-11 engines was made in metal and put on the stand. It soon became clear that the rigidity of the rubber "barrels" in the elastic coupling that connected the engines played an important role. Not trusting the instruments, the selection of stiffness (elasticity) was carried out by the chief designer himself - Lipgart, assessing the stiffness of rubber by pressing his fingernails into it. Rubber bands that were too soft allowed hard impacts in the inter-engine connection, and rubber bands that were too hard led to an overload of the main bearings of the engines. We were looking for the middle. Found that the relative position of the crankshafts does not play any role.

Short description lung structures tank T-70

The reliability of the 4-speed gearbox turned out to be insufficient, it was necessary to replace it with the ZIS-5 gearbox, making a new output shaft and changing the gear lever. This box had four gears forward and one reverse. Both the cooling system fan and its drive have been improved - a gear drive has been introduced instead of a V-belt.
At the same time, a frame was developed on which the complete power unit was mounted, which was installed in the tank hull on rubber cushions. The GAZ-203 power unit consisted of two GAZ-202 engines (GAZ-70-6004 front and GAZ-70-6005 rear) with a total power of 140 hp. The main friction clutch is a two-disk, semi-centrifugal type.

Padded seventy, street fighting for Stalingrad 1942

From the power unit, the search for new design solutions spread to the entire transmission, and then to the chassis. The number of track rollers of the undercarriage of the tank was increased to five per side.
The hull configuration has changed significantly. The upper frontal sheet with a thickness of 35 mm was set at an angle of 60 degrees. The lower frontal sheet was 45 mm thick. AT top sheet there was a driver's hatch with an armored (folding up) lid equipped with a viewing device (with a slot closed by a triplex on the machines of the first release). In the lower part on the right, as on the T-60, a hatch was made for access to the main gear of the transmission.

A column of T-70 light tanks on the outskirts of Krasnoye Selo

In a single faceted turret with an armor thickness of 35 mm (for comparison, the T-34 is 10 mm thicker) a 45-mm tank gun mod. 1932-1938 with vertical wedge gate. A 7.62 mm DT machine gun was paired with the cannon. Vertical aiming angles - from -6° to +20". Direct fire range was 3600 m, maximum - 4800 m. it was located on the left, and the lifting mechanism - on the right of the commander.Sights - telescopic or periscopic (partially), as well as mechanical.In the roof of the tower there was an entrance hatch for the commander.In the armored cap was mounted a periscopic viewing device for all-round viewing.
The large length and mass of the power unit, reinforced components and assemblies of other systems, as well as more powerful armor protection led to an increase in the combat weight (compared to the T-60) of tanks of the first releases to 9.2 tons (later - up to 9.8 tons) .

Unitary 45-mm rounds for the 20-K tank gun
From left to right, 1. UBR-243P with a BR-240P sub-caliber armor-piercing projectile
2. UBR-243SP with a solid armor-piercing projectile BR-240SP
3. UBZR-243 with armor-piercing incendiary projectile BZR-240
4. UO-243 with fragmentation grenade O-243
5. USCH-243 with buckshot Sch-240

Thus, the substantially modernized T-70, conceived in October 1941, came close in terms of parameters to the T-50 tank. In January 1942 the first prototype. The leading engineer of the machine was V.A. Dedkov. After correcting the identified deficiencies new sample was put into production at the GAZ and No. 38 plants (Kirov).
Since September 1942, the production of an improved T-70M began with a reinforced undercarriage (the width of the rollers and tracks, etc.) was increased, as well as with an increased thickness of the frontal armor (up to 45 mm, that is, the frontal armor became like that of a thirty-four). The combat weight was 10 tons. With power power plant 140 HP his maximum speed reached 45 km / h. Replaced with 12 volt onboard system, originally used 6 volts.

The best light tanks of the second world war T-70 photo and T-70M were assembled until the middle of 1943. The entire workshop was left 8.3 thousand such machines.
For the development of the design of the T-70 and its subsequent improvement in 1943, N.A. Astrov, A.A. Lipgart, V.A. Dedkov and other designers of GAZ were awarded the Stalin Prize II degree.

T-70 with landing on the armor on the Stalingrad front

The T-90 tank, which was created under the leadership of N.A. Astrov from September-October 1942, could be considered as a mobile means of conducting aimed machine-gun fire on ground and air (anti-aircraft) targets, operating in close cooperation with other light tanks.

light tank t 90 photo

On the tank, made on the basis of the T-70M, they installed a turret open from above and shifted to the port side, armed with coaxial 12.7-mm DShKT machine guns. The absence of an armored roof in the octagonal turret, made of 35 mm rolled armor, ensured free observation of air targets and firing at them. From above, it could be closed with a tarpaulin awning.
Machine gun aiming angles ranged from -6° to +85°. used red dot sight for anti-aircraft fire and telescopic - for ground targets. Sighting range was 3500 m, the maximum - up to 7000 m.
The most advanced light tank T-80 of the family .
In the second half of 1942 - the first half of 1943, work to improve the T-70M was carried out in several directions. So, there were designs of a cast, and then a double welded tower, which made it possible to free the tank commander from the functions of a gunner. The number of crew increased to 3 people. The increase in the volume of the tower required the introduction of additional viewing devices. To the left of the gun was the gunner, to the right - the commander-loader. On the roof of the tower above the commander's seat was a fixed commander's cupola with an entrance hatch, closed by a lid, equipped with a periscopic viewing device of a circular view. A hatch was made above the gunner's place, which was also closed with a hinged lid. In front of him were a periscope viewing device and a collimator sight with folding armor. The gunner's sights remained the same as on the T-70.
In addition, the collimator sight was used to fire at air targets or at the upper floors of buildings.
The welded tower was made multifaceted, with increased angles of inclination of the front sheets with a thickness of 45 mm. Handrails were welded to the sides of the tower.
Elevation angles of the 45 mm gun mod. 1938 ranged from -8e to +65°. A DT machine gun was paired with a cannon. The direct fire range reached 3600 m, the maximum - 6000 m. The gun ammunition consisted of 94 rounds.
The tank used a power unit of increased power. Forced 6-cylinder GAZ-80 engines developed a power of 85 hp. each. The start was carried out either with the help of two electric starters, or a manual crank. The armor protection of the hull was strengthened by replacing the armor plates of the sides with a thickness of 15 mm with 25 mm sheets. As a result, the combat weight increased to 11.6 tons.
The tank was accepted for production as the T-80 at Mytishchi Factory #40. After the release of 81 cars, their production was discontinued.

Bridgehead at Peskovatka. Tank T-70 and Sd.Kfz.250. 3rd Motorized Division photo August 1942

The best light tank of the second world war T-70 photo on the battlefields .

Combat use of light tanks of the T-70 family. The bulk of the vehicles ended up in the southwestern direction, where they suffered heavy losses. And what tank formations did not carry them that year. Estimates of combat activities vary to the exact opposite. Someone complains about weak armor, someone about weak weapons. Although the 45-mm tank gun 20K arr. 1932 of the year was quite enough for 1942, she could successfully fight all types of Wehrmacht tanks at a distance of up to 500 m. More advanced ones and the Panther began to be produced in 43, when meeting with which the chances of the seventies were equal to zero. But these heavyweights were not enough even in the 43rd. The tank regiment of the Red Army of that time consisted of 23 T-34 and 16 T-70 or 70M.

Tank T-70 with troops on board, in the background and destroyed Pz.KpfwIV

For some reason, German tanks of the latest modifications are always compared, and certainly head-on, a kind of tank battle. In fact, knocking out tanks was almost always assigned to anti-tank artillery. And for a direct comparison, not everything is so sad for the T-70, about the PzKpfw I with machine gun armament and weighing 5 tons with a penny, we will modestly keep silent (bulletproof armor, and even then it did not always fulfill its functions). Next comes our classmate, a 9-ton PzKpfw II with an automatic 20 mm cannon, almost the same as on our T-60 (in the 42nd, production was curtailed just because of weak weapons). Then comes the more serious middle PzKpfw III, almost 20 tons on which a decent gun appeared far from immediately. Pz.Kpfw. IV is already a serious car, only truly mass production was launched just in 43, and before that they were crying. And for some reason, the tank sorakopyaty is treated as disdainfully as the anti-tank forty-five, forgetting that the Germans have the main anti-tank gun World War II was the Pak 35/36 in 37mm.

Tank T-70M of the guards crew of the summer I. Astapushenko takes a position December 1942

It's all about skill, examples: a tank under the command of Lieutenant B. Pavlovich, knocked out three German medium tanks and ... Panther, somehow they did it. Another out of the ordinary case. Ours are advancing, they are squeezing the Fritz. they gather forces, organize a counter-attack. Ours fight back, and the Germans begin to retreat. A. Dmitrienko saw a retreating German tank, lined up behind him in the dead zone, he wanted to shoot out of the cannon. But he saw an open tower hatch (which is typical, the Germans often left the hatch in the tower open), he jumps on a German tank and throws a grenade into the hatch. The crew was destroyed, the tank, after minor repairs, is used as a trophy in battles. The crew, consisting of a driver, Art. sergeant Rostovtsev and tank commander Lt. A. Dorokhin, destroyed two PzKpfw III. And there are a lot of such examples, there are also cases of ramming, “The crew of senior sergeant Krivko and art. lieutenant Zakharchenko when repulsing the attack of the 100th flamethrower tank battalion special purpose, having rammed 2 German Pz.IIs and captured the chief of staff and the battalion commander.

Southwestern Front December '42 light tank T-70M

And here is the course of the battle on July 9, 1943 for the village of Izotovo. Two T-70 tanks meet up with three Tigers advancing. the lead German vehicle knocks out one T-70. The second, under the command of Trubin, actively maneuvering, enters the rear of the Tiger and, at close range, puts an armor-piercing projectile into its side, lights up, continuing the maneuver, the T-70 has already begun to get close to the next Tiger. Wanting to avoid the fate of the lead vehicle, the remaining two began to retreat. As proof, the wrecked "Tiger" was delivered to Moscow and was exhibited in Gorky Park at an exhibition of captured weapons.

Interesting facts, if the T-34 tank was damaged, about 60 percent could not be restored (detonation of ammunition), for the T-70 light tank, this figure is lower, 40 percent. Due to its low noise and mobility, it was used in reconnaissance, although the lack of a radio station in the tank reduced its effectiveness. In the 43rd year, it was decided to stop production, from the middle of the year the car ceases to be produced. The plant switches to the production of SU-76 and SU-76M, built on the basis of the T-70 chassis. Interestingly, the number of manufactured self-propelled guns of all types (light, medium and heavy) during the war years amounted to 22.5 thousand units, 12.6 thousand of them SU-76 and SU-76M.