PakistanTalk Forum

Solid Beast · 02-17-2010, 07:06 PM

Excellent documentary regarding armored warfare evolution.

YouTube - Race for the Battle tank 1 of 5

YouTube - Race for the Battle tank 2 of 5

YouTube - Race for the Battle tank 3 of 5

YouTube - Race for the Battle tank 4 of 5

YouTube - Race for the Battle tank 5 of 5

Solid Beast · 02-17-2010, 07:11 PM

Documentary from Al Jazeera regarding Merkava, Israel's tank.

YouTube - Merkavah, Israeli tank God's Chariot (Al-Jazeera Documentary) Part1/4

YouTube - Merkavah, Israeli tank God's Chariot (Al-Jazeera Documentary) Part2/4

YouTube - Merkavah, Israeli tank, God's Chariot (Al-Jazeera Documentary) Part3/4

YouTube - Merkavah, Israeli tank, God's Chariot (Al-Jazeera Documentary) Part4/4

Solid Beast · 02-17-2010, 07:14 PM

Merkava Mk. 1

Development

Israeli experience in the 1967 Middle East conflict, campaign proved that mobility was no substitute for armour protection. It therefore decided at an early stage that the main emphasis would be placed on armour, with firepower and mobility second and third priorities. Design work on the tank started as early as 1967 but detailed design work, under the direction of General Israel Tal, did not begin until August 1970. Prior to the construction of the first prototypes of the Merkava MBT a number of test rigs based on M48 and Centurion tank chassis was completed to prove the basic concept. The first prototype of the Merkava was completed in 1974. The United States contributed over US$100 million towards the development and production of the Merkava MBT. Total cost of research, development, trials and the building of the prototype vehicles was about US$65 million.

In May 1977, Israel finally announced that it had developed a new MBT called the Merkava (or Chariot) to the prototype stage and that a series production run of 40 tanks was being built. First production tanks were delivered to the Israel Defence Force 7th Armoured Brigade in 1979. The Merkava was first used in action during fighting in the Lebanon in the summer of 1982. First production Merkava Mk 2s were delivered to the Israel Defence Force in December 1983.

No production figures of the Merkava have been released but it is estimated that by early 1999 total production amounted to about 1,000 vehicles, with the current production version being the Mk 3 which became operational with the Israeli Armour Corps in early 1990.

As the Mk 1 and Mk 2 vehicles come back for base overhaul they are being upgraded with some of the components of the Mk 3, but this excludes the 120 mm smoothbore gun. In 1995, it was reported that some consideration was being given to upgrading the Merkava Mk 2 with the 120 mm gun of the Merkava Mk3.

An outline comparison of the three Marks of the Merkava MBT is shown in the accompanying Table 1.

In 1996, it was revealed that the more advanced fire-control system of the Merkava JVIk 2 had been backfitted to the earlier Mk 1 as they are overhauled. The current production model is the Mk 3. Although the Merkava has never been exported late in 1997 it was confirmed that Israel would offerthe Mk 3 in the Turkish MBT competition.

Description

The hull of the Merkava is made of cast and welded armour with a well-shaped glacis plate with the right side higher than the left. Behind the first layer of cast armour is a space filled with diesel fuel and then another layer of armour. This spaced armour gives the tank protection from HEAT projectiles and ATGWs.

The layout of the Merkava is unconventional, with the turret and fighting compartment at the rear of the vehicle. The driver is seated on the left side of the hull, forward of the turret, with the engine compartment to his right. The driver is provided with a one-piece hatch cover that opens to the left and three observation periscopes for driving with the hatch closed; the centre one can be replaced by a passive one for night driving. The driver can reach his compartment through the main crew compartment as the backrest of the driver's seat folds forwards.

The Teledyne Continental (now General Dynamics Land Systems) AVDS-1790-6A V-12 diesel develops 900 hp and is coupled to an Allison Transmission Division of General Motors CD-850-6BX transmission. The engine is in fact a more powerful version of the engine fitted to the M60 and M60A1 MBTs and the transmission is also similar to that installed in these tanks. Access to the engine compartment is via two flaps which are opened by springs after the locks are released. The engine can be replaced in the field in about 60 minutes. The air-cooling filter vent is positioned in the upper part of the hull, forward of the driver's seat, with the outlet being located on the opposite side. The exhaust outlet is on the right side of the hull, above the skirting plates over the second roadwheel.

The wedge-shaped turret, which has been designed to accept either a 105 mm (M68) or Israel Military Industries' 120 mm gun, is cast with a welded front. It has a small cross-section and a large overhang at the rear. The radios and hydraulics are mounted in the turret bustle. The commander is seated on the right side of the turret with the gunner seated forward and below the commander. The commander has no cupola but is provided with a hatch cover that opens to the rear and five periscopes for all-round observation. The commander's hatch can be raised manually giving direct all-round observation while retaining full overhead protection. Mounted forward of this hatch cover in the roof of the tank is a sight that can be traversed through 360°, with a zoom magnification of from x4 to x20. The rotating head of the commander's periscope is linked to the turret traverse system by a counter-rotating device. The gunner's optics are in the forward part of the turret roof and right-angled ribs in front of the optics stop shell splinters and small arms fire from damaging them. The gunner's periscope has magnifications of x1 and x8 and incorporates a laser range-finder. The loader is seated on the left rear side of the turret and is provided with a single-piece hatch cover opening to the rear and a single periscope.

There are three hatch covers in the rear of the hull: the left one gives access to the batteries and the right one gives access to the NBC pack. The centre one is a two-part door, the upper part opening upwards and the lower part downwards, through which ammunition or wounded can be loaded. This hatch can be opened from the outside but locked from the inside. A 60 litre water tank is provided above the rear hatch. The infantry telephone is mounted at the rear of the hull on the left side. Many Merkava MBTs have been fitted with closely spaced chains with ball ends around the lower part of the turret bustle. These detonate HEAT projectiles before they can hit the turret ring.

The Mk 1 Merkava has six 790 mm Centurion-type rubber-tyred roadwheels either side with the drive sprocket at the front, idler at the rear and four track-return rollers. Each roadwheel is suspended by a separate helical spring with suspension arms for two roadwheels, each caged in a housing. The first, second and fourth track-return rollers support the inside of the track only. Urdan Industries has developed a new roadwheel for Merkava and Centurion MBTs which has the same weight but twice the life.

A white light and an infrared driving light mounted on either side of the glacis plate can be folded down in action to avoid damage from shell splinters and small arms fire. The 1 kW searchlight is mounted vertically in the bustle under armour protection to the rear of the loader's position and is controlled by the tank commander. The Merkava is equipped with an NBC system and a Spectronix explosion suppression system. This was not fitted to original Merkava MBTs but is now standard on all new production vehicles and has been backfitted to older vehicles as they return for overhaul.

Main armament is a standard 105 mm M68 rifled tank gun fitted with a thermal sleeve, manufactured in Israel by Israel Military Industries and also fitted to most other Israeli tanks. It has an elevation of +20° and a depression of-8.5°. A travelling lock is provided for the 105 mm gun on the right side of the glacis plate. The Merkava carries a total of 62 rounds of 105 mm ammunition of which six are stowed below the turret ring for ready use and the remainder in the hull rear, 12 in two-round containers and 44 in four-round containers. No ammunition is stowed above the turret ring or in the hull front and all ammunition is in special containers. In addition to the standard 105 mm HEAT and HESH rounds the gun will fire an APFSDS-T round called the M111 developed by Israel Military Industries, which is claimed to be superior to the American M735. More recently, Israel Military Industries has introduced anew 105 mm APFSDS-T round called the M413 which has a muzzle velocity of 1,455 m/s when fired from an L7/M68 gun with a maximum effective range of 6,000 m.

The 105 mm gun is fitted with a thermal sleeve designed and built by Video Industries and this is also fitted to Israeli M48, M60 and Centurion series MBTs. This eliminates most of the error caused by barrel bending due to sun, wind, rain and other effects and improves first round hit probability.

A 7.62 mm machine gun is mounted coaxially to the left of the main armament and a similar weapon is mounted at the commander's and loader's station; these weapons can be lowered to reduce the profile of the Merkava.

The coaxial machine gun is fed from a 2,000 round continuous belt which is between the plates of the spaced armour. The machine guns are 7.62 mm MAGs, manufactured under licence from FN Herstal. Some Merkavas have been observed with a 12.7 mm M2 HB machine gun over the gun barrel. A 60 mm Soltam Commando mortar is carried by the Merkava for which 30 mortar bombs are stored in a compartment in the turret rear. This mortar fires high-explosive, smoke and illumination bombs and helps conserve 105 mm ammunition.

During the 1973 Middle East war many Israeli tanks ran out of ammunition and so the Merkava has been designed to carry a large supply in the rear of the hull. The Merkava can also be used as a command post with the ammunition supply containers removed. By reducing the ammunition load the Merkava can also carry troops, for example 10 infantry can be carried by reducing the ammunition load by 45 rounds or a commando squad of three together with their radios if the ammunition load is reduced by 25 rounds. It must be emphasised that the ability to carry infantry is only an option for use in special circumstances as the infantry have no vision devices at all.

The Merkava has a digital fire-control system designed by Elbit Computers Limited of Haifa and a laser range-finder which can be used by the commander or gunner. This fire-control system is called the Matador Mk 1. The laser range-finder is manufactured by ELOP Electro-Optics Industries and feeds information into the computer. The system is built around a central processing unit and consists of operation units, control and feedback servo loops and sensors. The system includes three operation units, gunner's, commander's and loader's. The gunner's is the main unit and provides all manual inputs necessary for ballistic computation. It also includes a logistic panel which enables system boresighting and system BITE, as well as the display of preselected inputs. The unit also includes the following manual inputs: type of ammunition (six types) and recoil compensation insertion for each type of ammunition, in elevation and deflection. The commander's unit provides a readout of the system's display, range and ammunition inputs. The loader's unit provides ammunition inputs.

The control loop transfers the computer superelevation information to the hydraulic gun elevation drive and the ballistic move drive. In addition, deflection data is transferred to the moving graticule. The feedback loop ensures that the actual superelevation and graticule deflection data are identical to the computed data and will correct the error accordingly.

The system includes automatic sensors, a laser range-finder, a turret cant angle indicator and a target angular velocity sensor. Optional sensors include crosswind velocity, charge temperature, barrel bend and ambient air density.

Manual operation of the electrical system, if the computer fails, is made possible with a handwheel drum and mounted scales, connected to the mechanical gearbox, to give elevation angle compensation and range to target for all types of projectiles. The commander can, if required, take over control of the main armament and fire the gun. The main armament is stabilised in both planes as US HR Textron Incorporated stabilisation system is fitted as standard. This is manufactured under licence in Israel by PML Precision Mechanism Ltd.

source

Solid Beast · 02-17-2010, 07:19 PM

Merkava Mk. 2

(Mk 2A)

(Merkava Mk. 2B
Merkava Mk. 2A with improved fire control system, including a thermal sight.)

(Merkava Mk. 2C
Merkava 2B with improved protection against top-attack, in form of increased turret top armour.)

There is also Merkava Mk. 2D
Merkava Mk. 2C with fourth generation armor, additional armor plates on the chassis and the turret.

The Merkava Mk. 2 was designed long before the Lebanon War (1982). In fact, Merkava Mk. 2 was designed as early as the late 70s, when the first model (Merkava Mk. 1) entered service.

Improvements for the new type included:

1. Automotive systems: upgrading the engine with either a gas turbine or an upgraded diesel engine. The suspension system has also been improved, allowing for even better cross country mobility at higher speeds. This suspension is probably of a pneumatic type. The modified powerplant and automotive system, for which specific information has not yet been released, gives the new Merkava Mk. 2 an overall improvement in mobility.
2. Fire control system: new advanced night fighting equipment was added to the tank, probably locally manufactured types. These include probably the commander/gunner sights, and driver's night vision.
3. Protection: New armour technology was designed and developed in Israel for the Merkava. The experienced accumulated in the development stage was enhanced by new ideas and developments and now the Merkava tanks are equipped with armour plates offering the best protection available by such means. Added protection is given by external means such as the redesigned skirts and spaced armour.
4. Gun: Many experts are already predicting the end of the “105mm era”. To meet the demands of the future, new types of the Merkava (Mk. 3, etc.) will probably mount a larger caliber gun, 120 mm or similar, to scope with the increasing threat. In the meantime new developments in ammunition can get the best from the existing 105 mm guns.

Solid Beast · 02-17-2010, 09:56 PM

YouTube - Military Channel: Top 10 Tanks (Merkava) NO.9

Solid Beast · 02-17-2010, 09:59 PM

Merkava mk. 3

Merkava Mk. 3A
First model of the Merkava Mk. 3 tank

Merkava Mk. 3B
Merkava Mk. 3A with improved armor.

Merkava Mk. 3 Baz
Merkava Mk. 3B with Knight Mk. III (Baz) advanced fire control system, from Electro Optics Industries (EL-OP) and Elbit Ltd, provides the tank with the ability to engage moving targets while on the move (an automatic target tracker), and significant improvements in ballistic protection.

Merkava Mk. 3D
Merkava Mk. 3 Baz with fourth generation armor, additional armor plates on the chassis and the turret.

The Merkava Mark III was introduced in December 1989, and had many major upgrades to the drivetrain, powertrain, armament, and safety systems. The most prominent addition was the incorporation of the locally-developed IMI 120 mm gun based on German Rheinmetall 120mm Gun. This gun and a larger 1,200 horsepower (890 kW) diesel engine increased the total weight of the tank to 65 tonnes, but the larger engine increased the maximum cruising speed to 60 km/h.

The turret was re-engineered for movement independent of the tank chassis, allowing it to track a target regardless of the tank's movement. Many other improvements were made, including:

* External two-way telephone for secure communications between the tank crew and dismounted infantry,
* Upgraded ammunition storage containers to minimize ammunition cook-off,
* Addition of laser designators,
* Incorporation of the Kasag modular armor system, designed for rapid replacement and repair in the battlefield and for quick upgrading as new designs and sophisticated materials become available,
* Creation of the Mark IIIB, with unspecified armor upgrades.

BAZ System

The 1995 Mark III BAZ (Hebrew Acronym signifying Barak Zoher) had many improved and additional systems including:

* Upgraded fire-control system components, from Electro Optics Industries (EL-OP) and Elbit Ltd, provides the tank with the ability to engage moving targets while on the move (an automatic target tracker),
* NBC protection systems,
* Locally-developed central air-conditioning system,
* Added improvements in ballistic protection,
* The Mark IIID had modular composite armor on the chassis and turret.

Dor-Dalet

The last generation of the Mark III class was the Mark IIID Dor-Dalet (Hebrew: Fourth Generation), which included several components as prototypes to be introduced in the Mark IV.

* Upgraded and strengthened tracks (built by Caterpillar, designed in Israel),
* Installation of the R-OWS.

Solid Beast · 02-17-2010, 10:03 PM

Merkava mk. 4

The 65t Merkava 4 main battle tank entered full production in 2001 and began operational training with the Israel Defence Force in July 2003. The first battalion of Merkava Mk 4 tanks entered service with the Israel Defence Forces in 2004.

The Ministry of Defence plan to manufacture between 50 and 70 Merkava 4 tanks a year and up to 400 tanks may be manufactured in total, although budgetary constraints put these numbers in doubt. The Merkava 4 has been extensively improved including new armour protection and gun and electronics systems.

The Merkava 4 is slightly larger than the Merkava 3 Baz, which has been in service with the IDF since 1990. The Merkava 3 is offered for export by SIBAT based in Tel Aviv. The Merkava 4 is not offered for export but the systems and components are exported.

The tank is capable of carrying eight infantry soldiers, a command group or three litter patients (stretcher casualties) in addition to the tank crew of commander, loader, gunner and driver. The tank is capable of firing on the move at moving targets and has demonstrated high hit probability in firing against attack helicopters using conventional anti-tank munitions.

Major contractors include: the El Op Electro-Optic Industries subsidiary of Elbit Systems which is responsible for the fire control system; the Israel Defence Force which carries out main construction and system integration and testing; Israel Military Industries for the supply of the main gun, ballistic protection and munitions; Imco Industries for the electrical systems; Urdan Industries for the hull, main turret and castings; and IAI Ramta for protection components.

The main part of the tank production, the construction of the hull and integration of all the systems is carried out in the Israel Defence Force workshop.
Merkava 4 battle tank weaponry

The Merkava 4 has a new all-electric turret developed by Elbit and subsidiary El-Op. Only one hatch is installed in the turret, the commander's hatch.

The improved 120mm smooth-bore gun has been developed by Israel Military Industries.

The new gun is an advanced generation of the gun developed for the Merkava 3. A Vidco thermal shroud on the gun reduces bending of the barrel resulting from environmental and firing conditions. The gun can fire higher power munitions including new 120mm high-penetration projectiles and guided shells.

The loader can select semi-automatically the ammunition type. The tank carries 48 rounds of ammunition each stored in a protective container. An electrically operated revolving magazine contains 10 ready-to-fire rounds.

The range of ammunition includes APFSDS-T M711 (CL 3254), the HEAT-MP-T M325 (CL 3105) and the TPCSDS-T M324 (CL 3139) supplied by the Ammunition Group of Israel Military Industries. The gun is also capable of firing French, German or US 120mm rounds.

The tank is fitted with 7.62mm machine guns and an internally operated 60mm mortar system developed by Soltam Ltd. The mortar can fire explosive and illumination rounds to a range of 2,700m.

The protection suite includes an advanced electromagnetic threat identification and warning system.
El Op fire control

The new fire control system, developed by El Op, includes very advanced features including the capability to acquire and lock onto moving targets, even airborne helicopters, while the tank itself is on the move.

The computer-controlled fire control system includes line-of-sight stabilisation in two axes, a second-generation television sight and automatic thermal target tracker, a laser range finder, an improved thermal night vision system and a dynamic cant angle indicator.

The commander's station is fitted with a stabilised panoramic day and night sight. The integrated operating system includes advanced data communications and battle management. Tadiran developed the Merkava's communications system, the inter communication system and the VRC 120 vehicular transceiver radio with embedded auxiliary receivers

Countermeasures

The tank is fitted with the Amcoram LWS-2 laser warning system, with threat warning display installed at the commander's station. This links to the Israel Military Industries POMALS (pedestal-operated multi-ammunition launching system) decoy launcher. One launcher is fitted on either side of the tank, which can launch smoke grenades and decoys.

A Merkava 4 has also been fitted with the Rafael Trophy Active Protection System.

Trophy provides 360° coverage against anti-tank rockets, anti-tank missiles and tank HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank) rounds. Once Trophy has detected a threat, it is tracked and classified and the optimal intercept point is computed, prior to launching a countermeasure.

Sensors include radar with four antennas placed around the vehicle. The system development was completed in April 2007 and the IDF has approved production for fitting on new Merkava tanks.

The Trophy system entered low-rate initial production (LRIP) in June 2008 and is planned to achieve initial operating capability in late 2009.
GD 883 V-12 diesel engine

The Merkava 4 is powered by a V-12 diesel engine rated at 1,500hp. The engine compartment and one fuel tank are at the front of the tank and two fuel tanks are at the back. The new engine represents a 25% increase in power compared to the 1,200hp powerpack installed on the Merkava 3.

The German company MTU manufactures the engine components and the GD 883 engine is manufactured under licensed production by General Dynamics Land Systems in the USA. The engine is transferred to Israel for installation and integration with the automatic transmission and with the engine computer control system. The tank has automatic five-gear transmission rather than four gears as in the Merkava 3. The transmission system is manufactured by Renk. The single position rotary shock absorbers are installed externally.
Hull

The redesign of the hull around the installation of the new powerpack has provided improved frontal armour protection and improvement to the driver's field of view. For improved reverse driving the driver uses a camera.

A new feature of the tank is that the fitted modular special armour covers the turret. The tank is protected against a range of threats, including air-launched precision-guided missiles and advanced and top-attack anti-tank weapons. Automatic fire detection and suppression has been installed. The underside of the hull has been fitted with additional armour protection against mines.

The driver and crew compartments are equipped with heating and cooling air conditioning and a Shalon Chemical Industries combined individual and overpressure protection systems against contamination by NBC warfare.

source

Solid Beast · 02-17-2010, 10:05 PM

T-34

YouTube - Top Ten Tanks- # 1: The T-34

Solid Beast · 02-17-2010, 10:08 PM

The T-34 was by far the best tank design in World War 2. In addition to having an excellent combination of firepower, armor, mobility, and shape, its superb technical design, which emphasized simplicity and durability, made it possible to mass produce it in enormous numbers, and gave it very high field and combat reliability, two critical attributes which the advanced German tanks lacked. It was the main war winning weapon of Russia in World War 2.

The T-34 was a medium tank which evolved from a series of pre-war Russian light tanks, which were designed for very high speed (53mph with tracks, and over 60mph in good roads without tracks!!) and long travel range, features which made them a formidable weapon for fast advances very deep into enemy territory, but they severely lacked firepower and armor, so they were not suitable as main battle tanks. Some modern wheeled military vehicles armed with powerful anti tank missiles and machine guns can be regarded as more successful descendants of this type of fighting vehicle.

As a result of the need for an all-purpose main battle tank, the T-34 was developed as a medium tank descendant of those fast light tanks, gradually evolving from their superb technical design, but designed to be a capable main battle tank. The T-34 was lower in height (8ft) than German and American tanks, which was better in using the terrain for taking cover and make it a smaller target to hit. It had sloped armor in both the front and side hull and the turret, which made it harder to penetrate, and of course it had a powerful 76mm gun, which was then a large caliber, and sufficiently thick armor. During World War 2 the gun of the T-34 was upgraded to a more powerful long-barrel 76mm gun and later to 85mm gun, to keep up with the advances in German tank guns and armor.

Initial production and deployment of the T-34 was before the German invasion of Russia. Small numbers of T-34 tanks participated in a series of border battles between Russian and Japanese forces in the far East in early 1941, just three months before the German invasion to Russia.

Both the new T-34 tank and Zhukov, who was later Russia's top military commander in World War 2, made their impressive early debut there, in the far East. Both were noticed and reported by the Japanese, but the Germans ignored those reports and were therefore shocked when they met the first T-34 tanks in combat later that year when they invaded Russia. The Germans so appreciated the performance of the T-34 that when the German military discussed the development of their next tank, the Panther, one of the suggested designs was simply a German copy of the T-34.

There were still small numbers of the new T-34 when the invasion began, and the rapid German advancement so deep into Russia, as far as Moscow, forced the Russian industry, which already lost countless factories, to an unprecedented operation of literally moving its entire remaining military industry factories over 1000 miles further East, to Siberia, to avoid losing it to the advancing Germans.

In those newly built factories, Russia's military industry restored and far exceeded its pre-war mass production capacity. The furious motivation of the Russian production workers to stop the terribly cruel German invaders which were more brutal than Russia's own brutal Communist regime, and the desperate draconic measures of the Russian regime itself, in which being late to work in a factory during the war could result in 10 years imprisonment, gave the wartime Russian military industry the high efficiency that Communism never reached before or after World War 2. In wartime Russia, workers and soldiers alike were motivated by the desire to revenge and the fear of draconic punishments, and were paid in food, which soldiers and workers received while the rest of the population starved severely during the war.

The immense production rate of the T-34 was further boosted by the fact that massive American and British material support enabled the Russian war industry to focus all its effort on the production of a small number of main weapon systems, while other greatly needed equipment, such as trucks and jeeps, field rations and even some aircraft types, were supplied in large numbers by the western allies.

So after the initial tremendous defeats in 1941 which cost Russia millions of soldiers and a huge lost territory, since mid 1942 the Russian army was equipped with rapidly increasing numbers of T-34 tanks which matched the German tanks and increasingly outnumbered them.

Since late 1942, in the late stages of the great battle of Stalingrad, and then in the huge tank battle in Kursk in mid 1943, and until the end of the war, T-34 tanks in ever increasing large numbers, outnumbered and crushed the German tanks, and pushed the German invaders all the way back to Berlin, serving as one of the main war winning weapons of World War 2.

The T-34 was a medium tank, weighed 26 tons. It had a crew of four, it had a good speed of 55kmh (34mph) and a range of 115 miles. During the late stages of the war, the Russian army perfected its mobility so much that tanks were sometimes refueled while still driving forward, without stopping, and the Russian infantry used to keep pace with the advancing tanks simply by riding on them from one battle to the next.

Some T-34 tanks are apparently still being used by some military forces even today, and the generations of Russian tanks developed since World War 2, which were produced in vast numbers during the cold war and still used by many armies, are direct descendants of the T-34, the best tank in World War 2.

source

Solid Beast · 02-19-2010, 02:56 AM

T-35 Tank

In December 1930, the USSR had undertaken work to develop a new breakthrough heavy tank designated T-30. This work began after the signing of an agreement between UMM RKKA and the General Design Bureau of the Artillery Department.

The first proposals were for a 50-ton vehicle armed with a 76-mm gun and five machine-guns. However, a lack of experience with such vehicles hampered the finishing of a plausible design — even on paper! At the beginning of 1932, the first sketches and a wooden prototype were created, but the T-30 project was canceled due to design problems (almost insuperable problems with running gear) which appeared during its development.

Another attempt was undertaken by the Auto-Tank-Diesel Section of the Economic Department of the OGPU. This was a special section that employed tank designers convicted during the Purges. As in the previous case, this project had too many serious problems and was also abandoned.

Only foreign specialists could get the project off the ground. In March 1930, a small group of German engineers led by Edward Grotte arrived in the USSR. This group was assigned to the Special Design Bureau AVO-5 in Leningrad in the «Bolshevik» Factory. AVO-5 had already worked on the TG-1 project. As far as I understand, the TG-1 was intended only to teach Soviet engineers how to develop a heavy vehicle, it was not intended as full-functional production vehicle. In August 1931, when the TG-1 was completed and tested all the German engineers were repatriated from the USSR. The AVO-5 was then reorganized.

The New design bureau was issued a directive by UMM RKKA: «By 1 August 1932, a new 35-ton heavy tank based on the TG-1 must be developed and built.» The new project received the «T-35» designation. On February 28, 1932, G. G. Bokis (Deputy Chief of the UMM RKKA) was reporting to M. N. Tukhachevsky: «The work on the T-35 is going briskly, and should be completed on time.»

On August 20, 1932, assembly of the very first prototype under the T-35–1 designation had been completed, and on September 1, it was shown to a special commission of the UMM RKKA. The tank made an impression on all the members of the commission. Outwardly, the T-35 looked like the English A1E1 «Independent» five-turret tank. Many people believe that the T-35 was copied from the «Independent», however, the Russian Archives have no documents, which can confirm such conjecture. Without such documents, we have no right to suspect Russian developers; the question is still open.

The main turret was supposed to be armed with a powerful 76.2 mm PS-3 tank gun and one DT machine-gun, but because of a lack of PS-3 guns, a dummy gun was mounted instead. Later, the shortage of PS-3s remained, and the 76.2 mm KT Tank Gun used instead.

The transmission of the T-35–1 had been developed with experience gleaned from the TG-1. It consisted of the M6 petrol engine, the main friction clutch, the gearbox and side clutches. Driving the tank was quite easy due to a well-designed pneumatic system.

Tests conducted in the autumn of 1932 revealed some defects in the transmission. Moreover, it was too complex and expensive for mass production, and all work on the T-35–1 had been canceled and the vehicle sent to Leningrad as a study aid for tank corps trainees.

In February 1933, new work on the T-35–2 began. As per Stalin's order, standardization of tank turrets for the T-28 and T-35 was implemented. On the T-35–2 the new M-17 tank engine, a new gearbox, and an improved transmission were installed. All other parts were the same as on the T-35–1. This tank was also intended to be arm with the 76.2 mm PS-3 gun. The vehicle was completed in April 1933, and on May 1, it was shown on military parade in Leningrad while the T-35–1 was shown on parade in Moscow.

Both the T-35–1 and the T-35–2 were prototypes. Almost simultaneously, the first production model, the T-35A, was developing using experience from these prototypes. In May 1933, the Soviet Government ordered mass production at the KhPZ Factory. All documents and the T-35–2 prototype were sent here.

The T-35A had many changes, which distinguished it from its predecessors. The new vehicle had a longer chassis, smaller turrets, an improved hull, and some other alterations. In essence, it was a new vehicle, and so it had some teething troubles during its manufacture. I wish to notice, each T-35 was unique, since minor improvements were made in every tank, and therefore they were not true production vehicles because they didn't pronouncedly follow the base blueprints.

Different parts of the T-35 manufactured at different factories:

- Armored hulls at the Izhorskij Factory;
— Gearboxes at the «Krasnij Oktyabr» Factory;
— Engines at the Rybinskij Factory.

According to the production plan, all these factories should have started manufacture in June 1933, but due to unforeseen problems, they began in August 1933. Final assembly began on October 18, 1933, and was finished on November 1. The final assembly was usually aided by using hydraulic lifting jacks, but in this case, the hull was placed on an elevated assembly jig in order to install the final components such as the running gear, turret, and armament.

The first production T-35A was put on parade in Moscow on May 1, 1934. Per a Governmental order of October 25, 1933, the KhPZ had to complete five T-35A tanks and one T-35B (with an M-34 engine) before January 1, 1934, but up to this date only one vehicle had been fully completed. The other three T-35A's were still unarmed, and the manufacture of the T-35B had not even started. The T-35B project was later abandoned at all.

The production of the T-35A was extremely expensive: a single tank cost 525,000 rubles — as much as nine BT-5 light tanks. This was definitive reason why its manufacture was cancelled.

According to the plan of 1934, the KhPZ had to produce ten vehicles (T-35A). During production, the factory made some changes to cut production costs. However, factory engineers met with many problems. For instance, the tracks of the tank were too fragile, and the M-17 engine often overheated. The first vehicle had to be completed on August 20, 1934, but was not. However, the KhPZ built ten by the very end of 1934.

In 1937, T-35 was modernised. Its gearbox, side clutches, electrical equipment, the drive shaft, and the oil tank were improved. In addition, engine silencers were installed inside the vehicle. Due to these changes, the reliability of the T-35 increased greatly.

However, the armor protection of the T-35 did not meet the demands of modern warfare, but because the vehicle was already too heavy, it was unrealistic to increase its armor any more.

In 1937, the KhPZ began a plan to convert the T-35 to conical turrets. Production of the new tanks began at the end of 1938. According to KhPZ's records, total five tanks received conic turrets. Total production included one T-35–1, one T-35–2, and 61 production vehicles. The T-35 was the only production five-turret tank in the world.

The layout of the T-35 was optimal for a multi-turret vehicle. Five turrets were set up in two tiers and provided high firepower with one 76.2 mm gun, two 45 mm 20K guns, and three machine-guns. However, such a layout resulted in an excessive vehicle height (about 3.5 metres) and decreased its mobility on the battlefield.

In addition, the T-35 still had many problems with its engine and transmission. Unfortunately, these defects weren't fully eliminated, but Soviet tankers still held this vehicle in high regards.

Outwardly, the T-35 was visually stunning with its huge dimensions, however its internal space was very cramped. When I visited Kubinka I was unable to get inside the T-35 (I'm 192 cm). The separate combat compartments were not connected with each other. Visibility from the vehicle was very bad, especially from the driver's position (he could see straight ahead and left only). However, the greatest problem was egress from a knocked out tank because the crew could escape only from roof hatches, and the crew from the main turret had to expose themselves at a 4-metre height under enemy fire.

The driver was in an even worse situation: his hatch could not been opened until the machine-gun turret rotated out of the way. If this turret was jammed, the driver couldn't escape at all. Escape from the rear turrets was also difficult due to the rounded antenna on the main turret. The tank crew could become «prisoners» of their own tank. The first production T-35's were sent to the 5th Heavy Tank Regiment RGK. On December 12, 1935, this regiment was reorganized into the 5th Separate Heavy Tank Brigade.

The brigade consisted of three Tank Battalions, one Training Tank Battalion, and some support units. On May 12, 1936, under the order of the Defense Minister, this brigade was attached to RGK. The unit was formed to increase the support of infantry and tank troops during breakthroughs of heavily-fortified defense lines.

Deployment of the T-35 revealed its poor maneuverability. For example, one T-35 commander reported: «The tank was able to pass only a 17° slope. It couldn't even traverse a large puddle.»

The following directive was addressed to the headquarters of the 3rd Heavy Tank Brigade RGK and regulated the crossing of bridges:

«1. For single-span bridges — only one vehicle at a time;
2. For multi-span bridges — several vehicles at the same time but with distance of 50 metres between them;
3. In all cases, the speed of the tank should not exceed 15 km/h.»

Before the Great Patriotic War, the T-35 didn't take part in any military conflicts. Any mention in Western (and some Russian) accounts about T-35's that served in the Winter War are false.

On 27 June 1940, a conference opened in Moscow: «On Weapons of AFVs of the Red Army.» During debates, a question concerning the T-35 had arisen. Some officers thought that all T-35's should be converted to heavy self-propelled artillery (like the SU-14), others wanted to give all the T-35's to military academies. Interesting, almost nobody raised an opinion to keep them as vehicles of the first line.

However, due to the active reorganization of tank forces of the Red Army, and the formation of the new mechanized corps, it was decided that these vehicles «should be depleted by attrition in operational units.» As a result, all vehicles were collected in the 67th and 68th Tank Regiments of the 34th Tank Division of the 8th Mechanized Corps (Kiev Special Military District).

Today, only one T-35 survives. It is on display in the Kubinka tank museum.

source