T-60
Encyclopedia
The T-60 scout tank was a light tank
produced by the Soviet Union
from 1941 to 1942. In this time over 6,292 were built. The tank was designed to replace the obsolete T-38 amphibious scout
tank.
amphibious tank starting in 1940. It also led to the T-40S (sukhoputniy, "dry-land" version), a heavier tank prototype which was considered too complex to manufacture. The T-30B prototype, sharing the T-40's chassis but simpler in construction and with heavier armour, was accepted as the T-60 scout tank, and began production in July 1941, just after the German invasion
.
Although at first intended to carry a 12.7 mm machine gun like the T-40, the armament was later upgraded to the 20 mm TNSh cannon, a tank version of the ShVAK, on the advisement of the People's Commissar for Tank Industry, Vyacheslav Malyshev. This weapon could penetrate 15 mm of perpendicular armour at 500 m range which proved inadequate against the newer up-armored German tank designs thus attempts were made in 1942 to re-arm the T-60 with the 37 mm ZIS-19 cannon, but were abandoned due to the Soviet Union's shortage of 37 mm ammunition. Due to this a new project started as to house the standard 45mm tank gun on a modified turret. That became impossible, and a new turret designed and tested successfully in the summer 1942. The new turret had the gun moved to its right side as to make more room for the crew member and a co-axial machine gun added. At the end the project terminated when STAVKA
choose T-70 as the new standard light tank which had matured earlier that year.
The T-60 was also used in the design of the experimental T-90 antiaircraft tank.
or Tupolev TB-3
bomber and was to be used to provide partisan forces with light armour. The tank was lightened for air use by removing armament, ammunition, headlights and leaving a very limited amount of fuel. Even with the modifications the TB-3 bomber had to ditch the glider due to the T-60's poor aerodynamics during its only flight to avoid crashing. The T-60 landed on a field near the airdrome and after dropping the glider wings and tail returned to its base. Due to lack of sufficiently powerful aircraft to tow it the project was canceled and never resumed.
tank destroyer
s in 1943. It had a captured Soviet F-22 76.2 mm gun housed in a light armoured superstructure open in its top and back, a typical configuration in the tank destroyers at the time. All survived vehicles were confiscated by the Soviets after Romania defected to the Allies
in August 1944.
The Romanians also developed a very modern for its time low height full armoured tank destroyer also based on T-60 chassis, the Mareşal
M05. Its shape and size was very similar to the famous Hetzer
German tank destroyer (in fact Romanians started developing it well before Hetzer giving ride to the theory that Hetzer itself was possibly inspired from Mareşal). It mounted a Romanian 75mm anti-tank gun and used armour plates from salvaged Soviet BT tanks and a Hotchkiss petrol engine. Both prototypes and the first unfinished batch of pre-production vehicles had been confiscated by the Soviets and no further work allowed after Romania shifted sides.
Light tank
A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
produced by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
from 1941 to 1942. In this time over 6,292 were built. The tank was designed to replace the obsolete T-38 amphibious scout
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
tank.
Design
Nicholas Astrov's design team at Moscow Factory No. 37 was assigned the task of designing amphibious and non-amphibious scout tanks in 1938. They produced the T-30A and T-30B prototypes. The former was to be manufactured as the T-40T-40
-External links:* on Battlefield.ru...
amphibious tank starting in 1940. It also led to the T-40S (sukhoputniy, "dry-land" version), a heavier tank prototype which was considered too complex to manufacture. The T-30B prototype, sharing the T-40's chassis but simpler in construction and with heavier armour, was accepted as the T-60 scout tank, and began production in July 1941, just after the German invasion
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
.
Although at first intended to carry a 12.7 mm machine gun like the T-40, the armament was later upgraded to the 20 mm TNSh cannon, a tank version of the ShVAK, on the advisement of the People's Commissar for Tank Industry, Vyacheslav Malyshev. This weapon could penetrate 15 mm of perpendicular armour at 500 m range which proved inadequate against the newer up-armored German tank designs thus attempts were made in 1942 to re-arm the T-60 with the 37 mm ZIS-19 cannon, but were abandoned due to the Soviet Union's shortage of 37 mm ammunition. Due to this a new project started as to house the standard 45mm tank gun on a modified turret. That became impossible, and a new turret designed and tested successfully in the summer 1942. The new turret had the gun moved to its right side as to make more room for the crew member and a co-axial machine gun added. At the end the project terminated when STAVKA
Stavka
Stavka was the term used to refer to a command element of the armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history of Imperial Russia as administrative staff and General Headquarters during late 19th Century Imperial Russian armed forces and those of the Soviet Union...
choose T-70 as the new standard light tank which had matured earlier that year.
The T-60 was also used in the design of the experimental T-90 antiaircraft tank.
Gliding tank
One T-60 was converted into a glider in 1942 and was designed to be towed by a Petlyakov Pe-8Petlyakov Pe-8
The Petlyakov Pe-8 was a Soviet heavy bomber designed before World War II, and the only four-engine bomber the USSR built during the war. Produced in limited numbers, it was used to bomb Berlin in August 1941. It was also used for so-called "morale raids" designed to raise the spirit of the Soviet...
or Tupolev TB-3
Tupolev TB-3
The Tupolev TB-3 was a heavy bomber aircraft which was deployed by the Soviet Air Force in the 1930s and during World War II. It was the world's first cantilever wing four-engine heavy bomber. Despite obsolescence and being officially withdrawn from service in 1939, TB-3 performed bomber and...
bomber and was to be used to provide partisan forces with light armour. The tank was lightened for air use by removing armament, ammunition, headlights and leaving a very limited amount of fuel. Even with the modifications the TB-3 bomber had to ditch the glider due to the T-60's poor aerodynamics during its only flight to avoid crashing. The T-60 landed on a field near the airdrome and after dropping the glider wings and tail returned to its base. Due to lack of sufficiently powerful aircraft to tow it the project was canceled and never resumed.
Romanian TACAM and Mareşal tank destroyers
The Romanians modified 34 captured T-60s into TACAM T-60TACAM T-60
The TACAM T-60 was a Romanian tank destroyer used during World War II. It was built by removing the turret of captured T-60 light tanks and building a pedestal to mount an ex-Soviet M-1936 F-22 field gun in its place. A three-sided fighting compartment was built to protect the gun and its crew...
tank destroyer
Tank destroyer
A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles...
s in 1943. It had a captured Soviet F-22 76.2 mm gun housed in a light armoured superstructure open in its top and back, a typical configuration in the tank destroyers at the time. All survived vehicles were confiscated by the Soviets after Romania defected to the Allies
King Michael's Coup
King Michael's Coup refers to the coup d'etat led by King Michael of Romania in 1944 against the pro-Nazi Romanian faction of Ion Antonescu, after the Axis front in Northeastern Romania collapsed under the Soviet offensive.-The coup:...
in August 1944.
The Romanians also developed a very modern for its time low height full armoured tank destroyer also based on T-60 chassis, the Mareşal
Maresal tank destroyer
The Mareşal tank destroyer was a Romanian armored vehicle produced in limited numbers during the Second World War.- History :Romania, a member of the Axis Powers in World War II, had few modern fighting vehicles when war began. Most vehicles were captured obsolete Allied vehicles, which were...
M05. Its shape and size was very similar to the famous Hetzer
Hetzer
The Jagdpanzer 38 , later known as Hetzer , was a German light tank destroyer of the Second World War based on a modified Czechoslovakian Panzer 38 chassis. The project was inspired by the Romanian "Mareşal" tank destroyer.The name Hetzer was at the time not commonly used for this vehicle...
German tank destroyer (in fact Romanians started developing it well before Hetzer giving ride to the theory that Hetzer itself was possibly inspired from Mareşal). It mounted a Romanian 75mm anti-tank gun and used armour plates from salvaged Soviet BT tanks and a Hotchkiss petrol engine. Both prototypes and the first unfinished batch of pre-production vehicles had been confiscated by the Soviets and no further work allowed after Romania shifted sides.
External links
- T-60 Development History and Combat Employment Battlefield.ru
- T-60 tanks, T-60 tanks in museum and monuments