Friday 12 December 2014

Red Army Tank Armament Norms, 1934

Following up tank plans from 1931 and 1932, here are some plans for 1934. As opposed to the previous ones, these are only specifications for guns mounted on future tanks.


"I report to the 1st Department of the GAU NTU the list of armament necessary for mounting in tanks, armored cars, armoured rail cars, and APCs according to the "second five year plan tank armament systems":
  1. Reconnaissance tank: 1 machinegun.
  2. General purpose tank:
    1. 1 45 mm gun and 1 machinegun
    2. 2 machineguns and 1 flamethrower
    3. 1 76 mm gun and 1 machinegun
      All three types of tank will be produced
  3. Operational tank:
    1. 1 45 mm gun and 3 machineguns
    2. 1 76 mm gun and 3 machineguns
      Both types will be produced
  4. High Command Tank Reserve quality reinforcement tank:
    1. 1 76 mm gun and 3 machineguns
  5. Special purpose high power tank:
    1. 1 76 mm gun, 2 45 mm guns, 5 machineguns
    2. 1 152 mm gun, 1 45 mm gun, 6 machineguns
  6. Special tanks:
    1. Front line chemical tank: 1 machinegun
    2. General purpose chemical tank: 1 machinegun
    3. Operational chemical tank: 1 machinegun
    4. Sapper tank on the T-26 chassis: 1 machinegun
    5. Large sapper tank: 2 machineguns
    6. Commander tank:
      1. T-26 chassis: 1 machinegun
      2. T-28 chassis: 2 machineguns
  7. SPGs:
    1. Small triplex
    2. 76 mm AA gun
    3. 152 mm "K" howitzer
      All on the T-26 chassis
  8. Armoured cars:
    1. Reconnaissance: 1 machinegun
    2. Combat: 2 45 mm gus, 2 machineguns
  9. Armoured rail cars:
    1.  Motorized armoured wagon: 2 76 mm guns, 6 machineguns
      1. Armoured draisine: 1 machinegun
The current tank armament system also allows for a "T-34" tank, armed with a pair of ShKAS or ShVAK guns, with the option of the latter receiving a 20 mm barrel. The armament program foresees the gradual replacement of DT-29 machineguns with ShKAS machineguns as production ramps up. 

This list does not include teletank armament, as that is included in the armament program of the Communications Directorate.

UMM 3rd Directorate Chief, Lebedev"

10 comments:

  1. Do You habe an idea what the "Special purpose high power tank(s)" are or should be?

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    Replies
    1. A special purpose high power tank would be included in units subordinate directly to Stavka and used for important missions such as breakthroughs or assaults on fortified regions.

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  2. #1 sounds like the T-27 or amphibious tank T-37/38
    #2 ("all-arms"→"infantry" tank) sounds like the T-26
    #3 - is this a BT?
    #4 - is this a T-28?
    #5 - variant 1 sounds like a T-35

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    Replies
    1. Yup, those tanks came from this classification system. #3 would be a BT, yes, but there was no 76 mm version until very late in its service, obviously.

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    2. Yes variant one sounds like a t-35, but i have no Idea what variant 2 could be.

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    3. T-100-Z? It took a while before a 152 mm gun could be mounted on a mobile chassis.

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    4. Do You really think that the requirements of this tank were set so long before it was actually built? Wasnt there another tank planned earlier with similiar characteristics?

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    5. SU-7 was an attempt to bring the 152 mm gun to a self propelled chassis, but it had no 45 mm gun, and wasn't exactly a tank.

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    6. Thank you very much for clearing this up.

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  3. Great site! Well done.

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