The production of the T-26 encountered many problems: a lot of armoured hulls and turrets supplied by the Izhora Factory were of low quality (with cracks) and were 10 mm thick instead of the planned 13 mm. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The initial plan was to arm every fifth T-26 with the 37 mm gun in the right turret, but the final proportion was somewhat higher. At that time, the USSR only possessed an obsolete lot of WWI vintage British and French tanks and the now obsolescent fleet of T-18s. The fastest bomber of World War II, the Douglas A-26 Invader had a top speed of 355 mph, almost 100 mph faster than the TBM Avenger torpedo bomber flying in formation with it (and 140 mph faster than the Twin Beech that joins them in the air). Soviet tanks were armed with the 37 mm Hotchkiss (PS-1) gun in the right turret and the 7.62 mm DT tank machine gun in the left turret. But despite a clear superiority over the German Panzer I, II and some parity with the Czech-built Panzer 35(t) and 38(t) fielded by the Wehrmacht, they were no match for the 50 mm (1.97 in) and 75 mm (2.95 in) armed Panzer III and IV which formed the main part of every Panzer Division. In 1940, 255 T-26s were modernised in this way and in the first half of 1941 another 85 tanks were improved. А.Г. Around 670 of these were fitted with AA machine-gun mounts in 1939-40. Most of the Soviet armored forces which participated were made of separate T-26s light tank brigades. Because Poland was then considered, in Soviet military doctrine, to be the USSR's main enemy, the Soviet Revolutionary Military Council decided to pass the foreign tanks into Red Army service, starting their production immediately without waiting for the completion of development works, in order to counter possible aggression. During the battle of Guadalajara, T-26s outclassed the Italian tankettes, inspiring the design of the first Italian medium tank, the Fiat M13/40. Total T-28 production reached 1,948 units and the line was eventually superseded by the turbo-prop powered Beechcraft T-34 "Mentor" in same role (this aircraft detailed elsewhere on this site). T-26 model 1938, unknown unit, South-East Front, Russo-British invasion of Persia, August 1941. The Soviets claim to have shipped 362 tanks, but with losses at sea and returned shipping, perhaps only 281 to 297 T-26s were actually delivered. This meant replacing the all-rubber road wheels (except the front wheels) and track idlers with new strengthened ones. 1939 with appliqué armour weighed 12 tonnes (13 short tons), which caused an overload of the chassis, transmission, and engine of the light tank. Some tanks, produced in 1931, had sealing zinc shims at the hull bottom between armoured plates for fording water obstacles. The front part of the hull was also slightly modified. T-26 model 1938 with winter camouflage, with the strange “grid” pattern which can be found in many photographic archives. It was found that the armour withstood gunfire with minimal damage (only some rivets were damaged). 1931 with gun plus machine gun armament and riveted hull in the, T-26 mod. The T-26 together with the BT was the main tank of the RKKA armoured forces during the interwar period. In June 1941, the Red Army had 10,268 T-26 tanks of all models and variants. 1938, but the STZ-25 wheeled-tracked tank weighed 11.7 tonnes (12.9 short tons) and had 16–24 mm sloped armour. For this, the tank workshop of the Bolshevik Factory was reorganised into the Factory No. In 1933, the Soviets unveiled the T-26 mod. For instance, the Western Special Military District had 1,136 T-26 tanks on 22 June 1941 (52 percent of all tanks in the district). It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The disadvantage of such a configuration was that not all of the tank's firepower could be used at once on the same side. But on 19 September 1934 an incident with a T-26-4 took place: a blow-back because of shell case destruction during gun fire. From mid-1932, a more capacious fuel tank — 290 L (64 imp gal; 77 U.S. gal) instead of 182 L (40 imp gal; 48 U.S. gal) — and a simplified oil box were introduced. 174 named after K.E. In the 1930s, T-26 light tanks were delivered to Spain (281 mod. Unknown unit, battle of Khalkin Gol, August 1939. Павлов, Е. Г. Желтов. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. However, this well-balanced, modern and relatively cheap tank immediately drew the attention of Soviet officers, who felt the need to keep in touch with western technologies. It was equipped with a bigger turret (similar to the one used by the T-28) designed by the Bolshevik Factory and sported a 76.2 mm (3 in) model 1927 gun. T-26 model 1934 Ehkranami, up-armored with extra 30-40 mm (1.18-1.57 in) bolted plates, 5th Armored Brigade, Leningrad sector, November 1941. 1931). I see that little, pointy obtrusion on top of the turret which I assume to be commander’s panoramic sight. Zheltov / Советские легкие танки 1920-1941. The Douglas A-26 “Invader” (B-26 between 1948-1965) was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Even in the summer of 1941, German armor was overwhelmed by a four to one ratio and the Panzers would soon be confronted, on a daily basis, with swarms of such light tanks. In fact, it was inspired by the British Vickers 6-tons Type B, but both the turret and armament were purely Soviet in design. The production lines were converted to the more complex T-50 but still managed to build spare parts, armor kits, turrets and convert about 130 T-26s as flame-throwing versions, with a KhT-133 device. On 1 June 1941, the Red Army had 10,268 T-26 light tanks of all models on their inventories, including armoured combat vehicles based on the T-26 chassis. The T-26 tank was a Soviet light infantry tank used during many conflicts of the Interwar period and in World War II. This meant that twin-turreted T-26 tanks continued to be equipped with old 37 mm Hotchkiss (PS-1) guns. Batignolles-Châtillon light infantry tank, 4-cyl gas flat air cooled Armstrong-Siddeley, 90 bhp, Early versions: 2xDT 7.62 mm (0.3 in) machine-guns. [9][12], One of the Vickers 6-Ton tanks (equipped with Soviet-made turrets for the pilot batch of T-26 tanks) was tested for gunfire resistance in August 1931. Steering was through steering clutches and band brakes. At the same time, many obsolescent twin-turret models were converted as flame-throwers or dispersing tanks for chemical battalions. "Snow and Slaughter at Suomussalmi" in. In addition to training USAF pilots, the T-38 is used by NASA.The U.S. The T-26 was equipped with a fire extinguisher, a kit of spare parts tools and accessories (including a tank jack), canvas stowage, and a tow chain fixed on the rear of the hull. T-26 model 1933 built in 1937, 20th Tank Brigade. The PS-3 tank gun was developed at the Experimental Engineering-Mechanical Department (OKMO) of the Factory No. It was somewhat simplified for mass-production and adapted to harsher climates, extreme both in summer and winter. Soviet T-26 light tanks last saw use in August 1945, during the defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria.[7]. The first 10 T-26s were assembled in July 1931 – they were identical to British Vickers 6-Ton tanks except for their armament. After years of training with the BT and T-26, which formed the bulk of Soviet tank force, the first engagement came in Spain, during the Civil War. In 1931, the first three British Vickers tanks, under the designation of V-26, successfully passed all tests at the Poklonnaya Hill proving ground near Moskow. Dzerzhinsky developed two tank models (TMM-1 and TMM-2) based on the Vickers 6-Ton tank design but with an American Hercules 95 hp (71 kW) six-cylinder water-cooled engine, improved front armour (to 15–20 mm), and a driver's position on the left side. [18], The hull and turrets of the T-26 mod. The small but torque-full 90 bhp flat row 4-cylinder air-cooled petrol engine was a very careful copy of the British Armstrong Siddeley. In all, 4,826 model 1938 and 1939 tanks were built. Many twin-turreted tanks of the first series had 10 mm armour plates of low quality, which could be penetrated by 7.62 mm armour-piercing bullets from 150 m (490 ft)[19][20]. Daley, John (1999). [64][65] The most notable of them are: Soviet light infantry tank of the 1930s and WW2. The planned production of T-26s for 1932 was decreased significantly and special attention was given to increasing the quality of the tanks. An engine cooling fan was mounted over the engine in a special shroud. During its long career, starting in Spain and ending in China, it was not only used by the Soviets, but by Spanish Republican forces, the Finns and Germans (captured ones), nationalist Chinese, Turkey (60 sold), Romania and Hungary (captured during Operation Barbarossa) and even Afghanistan. The first twin-turreted T-26 was armed with a B-3 gun in the right turret in late 1931. The biggest production run of the T-26 was the single-turret variant. There were subsequent attempts to thicken the front plate, but T-26 production soon ended in favour of other designs, such as the T-34. I had read in this article that it was in models since 1938 and onwards. Credits: Wikipedia. The 19K (and later 20K) 45 mm (1.77 in) guns fired anti-tank rounds with a muzzle velocity of 820 m/s (2,700 ft/s), but a supply of traditional high explosive rounds were also carried. T-26 (cn 35-369) Learjet 35A, Buenos Aires - Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP / SABE), Argentina Air Force, High quality military aircraft photos at the internet military aviation leader, AIRFIGHTERS.COM! The drivetrain and transmission were both straightforward designs. From early 1932, the exhaust silencer was affixed by three clamps instead of two. The Bolshevik Factory needed to convert all tank drawings from imperial units into metric, in order to develop a production technology, special tools, and equipment. The T-26 light tank design is derived from the British Vickers 6-ton tank. The remaining T-26s participated in battles with the Germans and their allies during the Battle of Moscow from 1941 to 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of the Caucasus from 1942 to 1943. The T-29B and C model fuselages were pressurized. Later on, Factory No. This was the prelude to the last, decisive battle of Nomonanh (Khalkin Gol) in 1939, concluded with a status quo with few territorial gains for the USSR. It had two turrets, being the domestic version of the Vickers Mark E. This model, with unit red stripes, was posted with border units in case of a Polish attack, a constant worrying of the general staff in 1932. Including 204 tanks with anti-aircraft machine guns. Tanks damaged during the 1939 Winter War with Finland were also cannibalised for parts. Red Army T-26 twin-turret light tank model 1931 at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War Museum 1941 – 1945, Park Pobedy, Moscow, Russia The T-26-4 armed with the PS-3 tank gun was tested in October 1933 but it was found that the PS-3 was too powerful for the T-26 light tank—turret's race ring and hull roof were deformed during gun fire, and the suspension springs were damaged. "Soviet and German Advisors Put Doctrine to the Test" in, Hughes-Wilson, John (2006). The work remained experimental.[53]. Their fighting value in 1939 was insignificant, so many were converted to other duties, and some for training. The turret looks similar to the T-28medium tank, if not the same. The model 1933 was the most numerous variant. The T-26 was the most important tank of the Spanish Civil War and played a significant role during the Battle of Lake Khasan in 1938, as well as in the Winter War in 1939–40. So an order came to urge production of the T-26 with existing components. Zheltov / Советские огнеметные и химические танки 1929-1945. Uman, early August 1941. When given the go-ahead for the An-26 in March 1968 the Antonov OKB adapted the ramp design of the An-40 to the An-24 fuselage, thus was born the An-26. They were not retained and the final T-26, if very close to the original Vickers, had many alterations. The next military operation the T-26 light tank participated in was the Soviet-Japanese border conflict, commencing with the Battle of Lake Khasan, in July 1938. In 1933, the Soviets unveiled the T-26 Model 1933. PT-26 Trainer - $$4.50 The Fairchild PT-19 was a USA Fairchild Aircraft monoplane primary trainer aircraft that served with the United States Army Air Forces, RAF and RCAF during World War II. Fifteen Twin-turreted Vickers tank arrived into the Soviet Union in May 193… The 2nd Mechanised Brigade together with the 32nd and the 40th Independent Tank Battalions had 257 T-26s, from which 76 tanks were damaged and 9 burnt towards the end of battle action. T-26. It was more successful and all tests were passed. Each turret had an observation slit, a round firing port for the DT machine-gun, armored plates riveted to a frame and even sealed zinc shims for improved waterproof performance and fording. The production order for 48 unpressurized T-29A models followed the flight. [49][50], One twin-turreted T-26 was given to the Research Institute of Communication in March 1932 to develop special tank communication devices. [34], Some early T-26 tanks were repaired in tank units or factories with the use of later production parts. These were the type of tank units that participated in the Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939 and in the Winter War from December 1939 – March 1940. [59], A large variety of different armoured combat vehicles were developed on the T-26 chassis in the 1930s. During the Great Patriotic War, a mounting of 15–40 mm appliqué armour on about a hundred different T-26s was performed by local factories in Leningrad in 1941–1942, during the Siege of Odessa (1941), the Battle for Moscow and the Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942). 8 named after M. Kalinin, Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War, https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/romania/t-26-37mm/, Soviet Tank Operations in the Spanish Civil War, T-26: Development History and combat employment, Russian/Soviet Section I (1915 to 1944) Russian/Soviet Section I (1915 to 1944), The Book of Tanks: A Wargamer's Portable Guide to Tanks, Self-Propelled Guns, Armoured Cars, and Personnel Carriers from World War I through the 1990s, Vickers-Carden-Loyd light amphibious tank, List of armoured fighting vehicles of World War II, Soviet armored fighting vehicle production during World War II, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T-26&oldid=1003424824, Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s, Articles with incomplete citations from January 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 290 L (64 imp gal; 77 U.S. gal) with additional 110 L (24 imp gal; 29 US gal) fuel tank, Twin-turreted T-26 mod. Those still in great numbers in the Far East, participated in the attack on Manchuria in August 1945, the last great offensive action of the war, against the Kwantung army. This strange livery is present in several photographs, belonging to the 18th Tank Division of the Red Army’s 7th Mechanized Corps. These 1934 models were few because of the shortcomings of the “dynamic reaction gun”, as it was called. A T-26 model 1936-37 command tank version, with the characteristic hand-rail radio antenna, extra twin headlights, a DT P40 anti-aircraft mount and rear turret DT mount. This work was slowed by delays in the delivery of new equipment and series production of the T-50 did not begin on schedule (planned for 1 June 1941). The T-26s produced by STZ had no visual differences from other T-26s, but Stalingrad tanks were less reliable and more expensive. But in reality this is the Finnish war-time modernization (Finnish tactical number Ps 163–16) of a hull from, T-26 mod. Troyanov, N.V. Tseits, B.A. But as the complex T-19, although not ready on schedule, had some advantages over the Vickers, Ginsburg suggested the construction of a kind of hybrid, retaining only the engine and transmission from the Vickers. The Soviets did not simply replicate the Vickers 6-Ton. A production run of the new model single-turreted T-26 armed with the 45 mm gun was launched in mid-1933. Northeast China and its blurry frontiers (the landscape of these remote, icy cold, bone dry wastelands didn’t help either) had been, starting in 1905, a source of vivid tensions between Moscow, Pekin, and Tokyo. This one was part of the first shipments which were made to the Spanish Republicans from the USSR, and it was later captured and pressed into service by the Nationalists. The tank was powered by a T-26 90 hp (67 kW) flat row 4-cylinder air-cooled petrol engine, which was a complete Soviet copy of the Armstrong Siddeley engine used in the Vickers 6-Ton. It has continued in civilian use as an aerobatics and Warbird performer. The T-26 Model 1931, a twin turret machinegun tank, went in service in 1931 and was used mostly during the outbreak of the war. Thirty-five of the 100 T-26s produced by the Bolshevik Factory in 1931 had hulls and turrets made from mild steel. After problems with rain entering the engine compartment, a special cover was installed over an air outlet window after March 1932. 1931 tanks mounting the 37 mm gun in the right turret were produced in 1931–1933 (including only 20–30 tanks with the B-3 gun). As a result, the STZ failed to organise the series production of the T-26, but this experience helped to bring the T-34 into production in Stalingrad in 1941. Many of them were specialized variants. [38] During the war, Nationalist forces would attack the tanks with petrol bombs, the first time such weapons were used in war.[39]. “Soviet Flame and Chemical Tanks 1929-1945.” A.G. Solyankin, M.V. The drive wheel with removable sprocket ring was at the front and the idler at the rear (with a crank lever tightener). The first three C-26Bs were procured later in the 1980s, two for the US Army and one for the USAF. A model 1933 (in reality produced in 1936) T-26 of the Nationalist forces, Spain, battle of Guadalajara, March 1937. Although the T-26 retained the basic Vickers hull and suspension, the Red Army began to make extensive changes to the turret and armament, starting with the addition of a 45mm tank gun in 1933. Pavlov, E.G. The next models (1932-33) had a mixed construction, with a welded and riveted hull. Ammunition stowage for the main gun was increased from 122 rounds to 147. A limited number of highly modified aircraft (designation A-26 restored) served in combat until 1969. Солянкин, М.В. Pavlov, I.V. The 15 tanks were assembled in 1930 at Vickers, under the careful attention of Soviet engineers. The T-26-4 light tank is a variant of the T-26 light tank in Soviet services. Their relatively thin armor could withstand Pak 36 gunfire, but not any other German antitank gun. At that time, Stalin desperately pushed this gigantic rural country to a forced, careless march towards industrial might. 1931 had a twin-turreted configuration and was designed to carry two machine guns, mounting one in each turret. 1931 tanks with gun plus machine gun armament in the Red Army on 1 April 1933. Also the work to design turretless AT-1 artillery tanks armed with the powerful 76.2 mm PS-3 tank gun started at that time. Voroshilov in February 1932. The engine required top-grade petrol; the use of second-rate petrol could cause damage to the valve units because of engine detonation. By December 1941, perhaps less than a third of existing T-26s in the USSR were left in eastern sectors and in the Far East. As a reward for their resilience, the Finns captured perhaps two hundred T-26s of all versions, which were refurbished and pushed back into service with the swastika in 1941 against their former owners. Being one of the most widely produced tanks in history, the T-26 was also one of the most well-balanced, at least during the 1930s. Tank Encyclopedia's Creator, webmaster and illustrator since 2010. [21] The turret rear ball mounting for the additional DT tank machine gun was installed on the T-26 tanks from the end of 1935 until 1939. [56][57][58], The T-26-4 with the KT tank gun passed tests successfully and five vehicles were built in 1933–1934 as pilot batch. This engine also required top-grade refined petrol to run in good order. They formed the bulk, by far, of every mechanized corps in border military districts. In this configuration, there was a single high-velocity 45 mm (1.77 in) gun firing conventional HE and AP rounds and two DT 7.62 mm (0.3 in) machine-guns, one coaxial and one in a removable anti-aircraft mount, at the rear of the turret. After an accident during trials, the initial order for 50 machines was canceled. After the battle of Lake Khasan in August 1938, the turret base was reinforced with a sloped underturret plate, 20 mm (0.79 in) strong. T-26 light tanks were also modified into different armoured combat vehicles in the field during wartime.[60]. The first prototype of the complex and expensive T-19 was finished in August 1931. The earliest production model was a twin-turret type. It was in this test that the 76.2 mm KT cannon was chosen to arm it instead of the more powerful and innovative 76.2 mm PS-3 cannon. [40] A small number of T-26 tanks, as well as some flame-throwing tanks based on the T-26 chassis, participated in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol against Japanese forces in 1939. The 108-109 chrome-nickel steel links tracks were supported with four twin return rollers. 1939 in the Kubinka Tank Museum, Moscow Oblast (Russia): this tank with pressed turret front armoured plate is in drivable condition (the GAZ-41 engine from the, T-26 mod. As a result, factory management decided to resume the production of the T-26, using T-26 hulls, turrets, and other parts already in stock. In 1931, the only Soviet factory suitable for T-26 production was the Bolshevik Factory in Leningrad, which had had experience of manufacturing the MS-1 (T-18) light tanks since 1927. These models were fitted with internal tanks for the flamethrower liquid, generally placed on the sides of the hull, and given to Chemical battalions. [44] The T-26 (mod. T-26 Model 1933 in the Bovington tank museum, UK. Though nearly obsolete by the beginning of World War II, the T-26 was the most numerous tank in the Red Army's armoured force during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. Note the rear DT mount. Zigel and others. The latter’s capacity was increased. The “Vickers 6-ton” had no customers when it was first released, in 1931. The T-26 was first produced by the Bolshevik Factory in Leningrad, the only one with equipment and significant experience, having recently mass-produced the T-18. This three-tone livery pattern was unusual, but seemed specific to the tanks involved in this particular operation, as photographic evidence testifies.”, I think the test should read either “Russo-British” or “Anglo-Russian”, Your email address will not be published. They fought in Manchuria, Finland and during various operations at the beginning of WW2. The turret featured an increase to 20 mm at 18 degrees sloping. The first vehicles arrived in the USSR during that fall, and the others in 1931-32 when the first domestic T-26 design was almost ready for production. It has also been used successfully in Counter-Insurgency (COIN) missions during the Vietnam War. By mid-1941, most of the Red Army's vast numbers of tanks were suffering from serious wear and tear. Needless to say, it was easy to drive. [16] However, like its British counterpart, the T-26 mod. Zaloga, Steven J., James Grandsen (1984). In early 1930, the Soviet buying committee, under the direction of Semyon Ginzburg, arrived in Great Britain to select tanks, tractors, and cars for use in the Red Army. The T-26 Model 1933 carried 122 rounds of 45 mm ammunition, firing armour-piercing 45 mm rounds with a muzzle velocity of 820 m/s (2,700 ft/s), or lower-velocity high-explosive munitions. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. There were many others, most being prototypes or short series, developed and built by the Leningrad Factory of Experimental Mechanical Engineering. I also understood that late T-26 were quite well equipped with modern optics and radios. Chemical analysis showed that the front armour plates were made from high-quality cemented armour ("S.t.a Plat" according to Vickers-Armstrongs classification), whereas the homogenous roof and bottom armour plates were made from mediocre steel. It was not a pure infantry tank, nor a fast cruiser tank, but a modern, well-balanced light tank, versatile, relatively cheap and easy to maintain. The T-26-4's turret construction was the design used in the series-produced BT-7A artillery tank. 174 produced engines and spare parts for the T-26, installed additional armour plates on some T-26s, replaced flame-throwers with 45 mm tank guns in turrets of 130 KhT-133 flame-throwing tanks, repaired tanks in army units (846 T-26s since the beginning of 1941) and mounted about 75 turrets from the T-26 and the T-50 as bunkers for the defence of Leningrad.[36]. T-26 model 1935 of the 39th Tank Division, part of the 16th Mechanized Corps. 8 named after M. Kalinin started its series production under the designator B-3 (5K).

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