Tests

When did the first tanks appear in the USSR? When the first tanks appeared in the USSR Comparison with the MBT of a potential enemy

T-80 tanks are the main combat vehicles that were mass-produced back in the USSR, starting in 1978. Operation was carried out until 1998. This combat unit was the first of its kind to be equipped with a dynamic projectile protection system, as well as a power plant based on a gas turbine.

Light tanks T-80 were also produced in the period from 1942 to 1943. Only 70 samples were released. Subsequently, at the plant, its “stamping” was replaced by the production of SU-76M artillery systems. Light tanks T-80 were no longer produced.

History of creation

The history of the tank dates back to 1964, when at a meeting of the Central Committee of the CPSU it was decided to develop a new combat vehicle based on the T-64. The innovative tank was conceived as a carrier of a gas turbine engine, which would contribute to a cruising range of 450 kilometers at 1000 horsepower and a warranty period of 500 hours.

The reason for making such a decision is due to the obsolescence of the T-64. The management relied on as a means of improving the operational characteristics of a combat unit. A feature of this mechanism was the absence of the need for warm-up before starting work, which significantly reduced the time for bringing the tank crew to combat readiness. Especially in harsh winter conditions.

First tests

From about 1968 to 1974, experimental T-80 tanks (then still bearing modest experimental names like "Object-219") underwent a series of tests. Some showed unsatisfactory results in the operation of a new type of engine, some completely failed.

After a number of improvements, the equipment was again tested - either in conditions of high dustiness, or during maneuvers on virgin snow.

T-80 tanks with a diesel engine were noted for their high maneuverability when interacting with the tank. The vehicle was easily moved to the front positions in order to attack the enemy, developing a speed of 20 to 30 km/h.

On different types of terrain, these tanks showed average speeds from 20 to 40 km / h, while oil consumption tended to zero, and fuel costs ranged from 435 to 840 liters.

Tank T-80. Characteristics and modernization

In 1976, the "Object-219" was put into service under the designation T-80. This is how the first tanks with a gas turbine engine appeared. For comparison: the American tank "Abrams" was put on stream only in 1980.

The T-80 tank (photo below) had a hull made of welded armor plates, in many respects similar in design to its predecessors - the T-72 and T-64A.

The turret is completely cast from armored steel, has a complex configuration and is equipped with a rangefinder. The caliber of the gun is 125 mm, the gun is equipped with a casing at the base of the barrel, the charging mechanism and the projectile chambering system are in many ways similar to the T-64A. Also located on the tower anti-aircraft machine gun "Cliff" and infantry PKT.

Steel rolled and cast, as well as combined. The weight of the T-80 tank was 42 tons. Length (with gun) - approximately 9656 mm, hull - 6780 mm, width - 3525 mm, height (from the lowest point to the top of the tower) - 3525 mm.

T-80BV and other upgrades

Technological progress did not stand still. In 1978, an improved version appeared - T-80B. It was distinguished by the presence of the Cobra guided weapon system, the Tucha tactical smoke grenade launcher, and reinforced armor for both the hull and turret.

At the same time, the T-80BK model was being developed at the Omsk plant.

In 1985, the T-80BV model entered service. It differs from its predecessor by the presence of dynamic protection on the turret and hull.

The latest and most successful modification was the T-80U model, developed in the same 1985. Design principles inherited from the previous models of the "eighty". Weight increased to 46 tons.

The fire control system received a number of improvements, such as the gunner's night and day aiming system and the commander's computer-aiming mechanism.

Innovations made it possible to fight not only with armored targets, but also with low-flying helicopters thanks to the integrated Reflex missile guidance control system. The fired projectile is guided by a laser beam pointer at a distance of 100 to 5000 meters.

TTX of new products

T-80 tanks were rightfully considered one of the most advanced achievements of domestic design thought. For comparison, their performance characteristics should be considered.

The T-80BV weighed 43.7 tons, while the T-80U was heavier and weighed as much as 46.

The length of the first, together with the gun, was 9651 mm, while the improved model was shorter - 9556 mm.

As for the body itself, it's the other way around. The T-80B has a length of 6982 mm, a width of 3582 mm, and the T-80U had the characteristics of 7012 mm and 3603 mm, respectively.

The difference in height is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. The numbers indicate the difference only in the documentation - 2219 versus 2215 mm.

Termination of production

The T-80 tank (photo below) had a number of modifications intended for export to different countries of the world. Those are countless. For example, the model "eighties" on a diesel engine, produced in Kharkov under the marking T-80UD, formed the basis of Ukrainian military equipment: "Oplot", BM "Oplot" and T-84.

The production of the "eighties" was discontinued in 1998. The reasons, unfortunately, are unknown. Nevertheless, the combat vehicle is still in service with the army of the Russian Federation.

"Armata"

On May 5, 2016, at the parade on Red Square, the new generation T-14 tank on the Armata platform was presented to the general public.

It was developed as part of the Combat Systems of the Future project, as well as to participate in the "network-centric war". This term refers to the military doctrine proclaimed by the NATO countries, which is the coordination of the actions of offensive or defensive forces, united in a single information network.

The T-14 was the first stealth tank in Russia. The body of the vehicle is constructed from a special material that makes it difficult to recognize vehicles by the main known radar waves and significantly reduces the distance required for target acquisition by Javelin or Brimstone missile guidance systems.

The peculiarity of the tank is that the crew is completely located in the hull. The tower remains uninhabited, which also contributes to the protection of crew members in combat conditions.

The Armata complex is equipped with the Afganit system, which makes it possible to intercept shells. The built-in system for the formation of smoke-metal curtains allows you to "dazzle" radio-controlled drones and mines due to signal distortion by the mentioned particles. This, in turn, does not harm the infantry and equipment accompanying the combat vehicle.

The T-14 is equipped with dynamic armor, the principle of which is based on firing armor plates towards a flying projectile. It is believed that this method of booking is also capable of reflecting shots from an anti-tank grenade launcher.

Technological progress does not stand still, every day new types of weapons are being developed in secret laboratories. It is known that "Armata" is put into mass production until 2020. And they do not plan to interrupt the "stamping" of innovative technology even in a crisis.

But what will be the novelty that can surpass the T-14, is it really futuristic walking tanks? Time will tell.

T-80 - Soviet light tank of the Great Patriotic War. It was developed in the summer-autumn of 1942 at the tank design bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant.

The head of the work was Nikolai Alexandrovich Astrov, the leading developer of the entire domestic line of light tanks of those times.

In December 1942, the T-80 tank was adopted by the Red Army and mass-produced at plant number 40 (Mytishchi). The production of the T-80 tank continued until September 1943, when it was not replaced by the SU-76M self-propelled artillery mount on the production lines of plant No. 40.

In total, 75-85 T-80 tanks were produced, which participated in the battles of the Great Patriotic War in 1943. Since the installation had an unreliable engine, the armament, which was weak for 1943, as well as the great need for the Red Army in the SU-76M, the T-80 tank was discontinued.

At the beginning of 1943, an experimental tank was built on the basis of the T-80 tank, equipped with a 45-mm VT-43 tank gun with great power, but it was not accepted into service. Thus, the T-80 tank became the last light tank of the Soviet design during the war.

From the very first moment the T-70 light tank was adopted by the Red Army, Soviet military experts pointed out its main weakness - a single-man turret. But the design of the tank still had reserves that could be used to eliminate this shortcoming. Tank Design Bureau GAZ headed by N.A. The Astrovs promised this to the military even when the GAZ-70 prototype was shown, and went into work almost immediately after the serial production of the T-70 was launched. During the late spring, summer and early autumn of 1942, it was found that the installation of a two-man turret would greatly increase the load on the engine, transmission and undercarriage of the tank. Tests up to the T-70 tank loaded up to 11 tons fully confirmed these fears - during the tests, suspension torsion bars burst, tracks broke, transmission units and assemblies failed. Therefore, the main work was carried out to strengthen these structural elements. It successfully ended with the adoption of the T-70M modification by the Red Army. Also by the fall, a two-man turret for the T-70 tank was manufactured and successfully tested, but two obstacles stood in the way of mass production.

The first of these was the insufficient power of the GAZ-203 twin propulsion system. It was planned to increase it by forcing up to 170 liters. with. in total due to an increase in the filling ratio of the cylinders and an increase in the compression ratio. The second obstacle arose from the requirement to provide large gun elevation angles for hitting targets on the upper floors of buildings in urban battles. It could also make it possible to increase the possibilities of fire countermeasures against enemy aircraft. In particular, the commander of the Kalinin Front, Lieutenant General I.S., insisted on this. Konev.

The already developed double turret for the T-70 did not meet this requirement and was redesigned to allow the gun to be fired at a high elevation angle. The second prototype with the new turret received the factory designation 080 or 0-80.

For more convenient placement of a gun with the possibility of anti-aircraft fire and two crew members, it was necessary to widen the diameter of the shoulder strap and make an armor ring-barbette 40-45 mm thick under the inclined sides of the tower.

Due to the wider turret shoulder, it became impossible to dismantle the engine without first removing the turret - the armor ring began to go onto the removable armor plate above the engine.

In December 1942, the prototype 080 successfully passed field tests and was adopted by the Red Army under the symbol T-80.

However, the organization of its release was not planned at GAZ, since the transition of the Gorky auto giant to the production of the "eighties" could lead to a decrease in the production of SU-76 tanks and self-propelled guns, which could not be allowed in wartime conditions. Therefore, the task of mastering the production of T-80 was entrusted to the newly organized Mytishchi Plant No. 40.

Modern battle tanks of Russia and the world photos, videos, pictures to watch online. This article gives an idea of the modern tank fleet. It is based on the principle of classification used in the most authoritative reference book to date, but in a slightly modified and improved form. And if the latter in its original form can still be found in the armies of a number of countries, then others have already become a museum exhibit. And all for 10 years! To follow in the footsteps of the Jane's guide and not consider this combat vehicle (quite by the way, curious in design and fiercely discussed at the time), which formed the basis of the tank fleet of the last quarter of the 20th century, the authors considered it unfair.

Films about tanks where there is still no alternative to this type of armament of the ground forces. The tank was and probably will remain a modern weapon for a long time due to the ability to combine such seemingly contradictory qualities as high mobility, powerful weapons and reliable crew protection. These unique qualities of tanks continue to be constantly improved, and the experience and technologies accumulated over decades predetermine new frontiers of combat properties and achievements of the military-technical level. In the age-old confrontation "projectile - armor", as practice shows, protection from a projectile is being improved more and more, acquiring new qualities: activity, multilayeredness, self-protection. At the same time, the projectile becomes more accurate and powerful.

Russian tanks are specific in that they allow you to destroy the enemy from a safe distance, have the ability to perform quick maneuvers on impassable roads, contaminated terrain, can “walk” through the territory occupied by the enemy, seize a decisive bridgehead, induce panic in the rear and suppress the enemy with fire and caterpillars . The war of 1939-1945 became the most difficult test for all mankind, since almost all countries of the world were involved in it. It was the battle of the titans - the most unique period that theorists argued about in the early 1930s and during which tanks were used in large numbers by almost all the warring parties. At this time, a "check for lice" and a deep reform of the first theories of the use of tank troops took place. And it is the Soviet tank troops that are most affected by all this.

Tanks in battle that became a symbol of the past war, the backbone of the Soviet armored forces? Who created them and under what conditions? How did the USSR, having lost most of its European territories and having difficulty recruiting tanks for the defense of Moscow, be able to launch powerful tank formations on the battlefield already in 1943? This book, which tells about the development of Soviet tanks "in the days of testing ", from 1937 to the beginning of 1943. When writing the book, materials from the archives of Russia and private collections of tank builders were used. There was a period in our history that was deposited in my memory with some depressing feeling. It began with the return of our first military advisers from Spain, and stopped only at the beginning of forty-third, - said the former general designer of self-propelled guns L. Gorlitsky, - there was some kind of pre-stormy state.

Tanks of the Second World War, it was M. Koshkin, almost underground (but, of course, with the support of "the wisest of the wise leader of all peoples"), who was able to create that tank that, a few years later, would shock German tank generals. And what’s more, he didn’t just create it, the designer managed to prove to these stupid military men that it was his T-34 that they needed, and not just another wheeled-tracked “highway”. The author is in slightly different positions that he formed after meeting with the pre-war documents of the RGVA and RGAE. Therefore, working on this segment of the history of the Soviet tank, the author will inevitably contradict something "generally accepted". This work describes the history of Soviet tank building in the most difficult years - from the beginning of a radical restructuring of all the activities of design bureaus and people's commissariats in general, during a frantic race to equip new tank formations of the Red Army, the transfer of industry to wartime rails and evacuation.

Tanks Wikipedia the author wants to express his special gratitude for the help in the selection and processing of materials to M. Kolomiyets, and also to thank A. Solyankin, I. Zheltov and M. Pavlov, the authors of the reference publication "Domestic armored vehicles. XX century. 1905 - 1941" because this book helped to understand the fate of some projects, unclear before. I would also like to recall with gratitude those conversations with Lev Izraelevich Gorlitsky, the former Chief Designer of UZTM, which helped to take a fresh look at the entire history of the Soviet tank during the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. Today, for some reason, it is customary to talk about 1937-1938 in our country. only from the point of view of repressions, but few people remember that it was during this period that those tanks were born that became legends of the wartime ... "From the memoirs of L.I. Gorlinkogo.

Soviet tanks, a detailed assessment of them at that time sounded from many lips. Many old people recalled that it was from the events in Spain that it became clear to everyone that the war was getting closer to the threshold and it was Hitler who would have to fight. In 1937, mass purges and repressions began in the USSR, and against the backdrop of these difficult events, the Soviet tank began to turn from a "mechanized cavalry" (in which one of its combat qualities protruded by reducing others) into a balanced combat vehicle, which simultaneously had powerful weapons, sufficient to suppress most targets, good cross-country ability and mobility with armor protection, capable of maintaining its combat capability when shelling a potential enemy with the most massive anti-tank weapons.

It was recommended that large tanks be introduced into the composition in addition only special tanks - floating, chemical. The brigade now had 4 separate battalions of 54 tanks each and was reinforced by the transition from three-tank platoons to five-tank ones. In addition, D. Pavlov justified the refusal to form in 1938 to the four existing mechanized corps three more, believing that these formations are immobile and difficult to control, and most importantly, they require a different rear organization. The tactical and technical requirements for promising tanks, as expected, have been adjusted. In particular, in a letter dated December 23 to the head of the design bureau of plant No. 185 named after. CM. Kirov, the new chief demanded to strengthen the armor of new tanks so that at a distance of 600-800 meters (effective range).

The latest tanks in the world when designing new tanks, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of increasing the level of armor protection during modernization by at least one step ... "This problem could be solved in two ways: First, by increasing the thickness of the armor plates and, secondly," by using increased armor resistance". It is easy to guess that the second way was considered more promising, since the use of specially hardened armor plates, or even two-layer armor, could, while maintaining the same thickness (and the mass of the tank as a whole), increase its resistance by 1.2-1.5 It was this path (the use of specially hardened armor) that was chosen at that moment to create new types of tanks.

Tanks of the USSR at the dawn of tank production, armor was most massively used, the properties of which were identical in all directions. Such armor was called homogeneous (homogeneous), and from the very beginning of the armor business, the craftsmen strove to create just such armor, because uniformity ensured stability of characteristics and simplified processing. However, at the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that when the surface of the armor plate was saturated (to a depth of several tenths to several millimeters) with carbon and silicon, its surface strength increased sharply, while the rest of the plate remained viscous. So heterogeneous (heterogeneous) armor came into use.

In military tanks, the use of heterogeneous armor was very important, since an increase in the hardness of the entire thickness of the armor plate led to a decrease in its elasticity and (as a result) to an increase in brittleness. Thus, the most durable armor, other things being equal, turned out to be very fragile and often pricked even from bursts of high-explosive fragmentation shells. Therefore, at the dawn of armor production in the manufacture of homogeneous sheets, the task of the metallurgist was to achieve the highest possible hardness of the armor, but at the same time not to lose its elasticity. Surface-hardened by saturation with carbon and silicon armor was called cemented (cemented) and was considered at that time a panacea for many ills. But cementation is a complex, harmful process (for example, processing a hot plate with a jet of lighting gas) and relatively expensive, and therefore its development in a series required high costs and an increase in production culture.

Tank of the war years, even in operation, these hulls were less successful than homogeneous ones, since for no apparent reason cracks formed in them (mainly in loaded seams), and it was very difficult to put patches on holes in cemented slabs during repairs. But it was still expected that a tank protected by 15-20 mm cemented armor would be equivalent in terms of protection to the same, but covered with 22-30 mm sheets, without a significant increase in mass.
Also, by the mid-1930s, in tank building, they learned how to harden the surface of relatively thin armor plates by uneven hardening, known since the end of the 19th century in shipbuilding as the "Krupp method". Surface hardening led to a significant increase in the hardness of the front side of the sheet, leaving the main thickness of the armor viscous.

How tanks shoot videos up to half the thickness of the slab, which was, of course, worse than carburizing, since despite the fact that the hardness of the surface layer was higher than during carburizing, the elasticity of the hull sheets was significantly reduced. So the "Krupp method" in tank building made it possible to increase the strength of armor even somewhat more than carburizing. But the hardening technology that was used for sea armor of large thicknesses was no longer suitable for relatively thin tank armor. Before the war, this method was almost never used in our serial tank building due to technological difficulties and relatively high cost.

Combat use of tanks The most developed for tanks was the 45-mm tank gun mod 1932/34. (20K), and before the event in Spain, it was believed that its power was enough to perform most tank tasks. But the battles in Spain showed that the 45-mm gun could only satisfy the task of fighting enemy tanks, since even the shelling of manpower in the mountains and forests turned out to be ineffective, and it was possible to disable a dug-in enemy firing point only in the event of a direct hit . Shooting at shelters and bunkers was ineffective due to the small high-explosive action of a projectile weighing only about two kg.

Types of tanks photo so that even one hit of a projectile reliably disables an anti-tank gun or machine gun; and thirdly, in order to increase the penetrating effect of a tank gun on the armor of a potential enemy, since, using the example of French tanks (already having an armor thickness of the order of 40-42 mm), it became clear that the armor protection of foreign combat vehicles tends to be significantly increased. There was a right way to do this - increasing the caliber of tank guns and simultaneously increasing the length of their barrel, since a long gun of a larger caliber fires heavier projectiles at a higher muzzle velocity over a greater distance without correcting the pickup.

The best tanks in the world had a large caliber gun, also had a large breech, significantly more weight and increased recoil reaction. And this required an increase in the mass of the entire tank as a whole. In addition, the placement of large shots in the closed volume of the tank led to a decrease in the ammunition load.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that at the beginning of 1938 it suddenly turned out that there was simply no one to give an order for the design of a new, more powerful tank gun. P. Syachintov and his entire design team were repressed, as well as the core of the Bolshevik Design Bureau under the leadership of G. Magdesiev. Only the group of S. Makhanov remained free, who from the beginning of 1935 tried to bring his new 76.2-mm semi-automatic single gun L-10, and the team of plant No. 8 slowly brought the "forty-five".

Photos of tanks with names The number of developments is large, but in mass production in the period 1933-1937. not a single one was accepted ... "In fact, none of the five air-cooled tank diesel engines, which were worked on in 1933-1937 in the engine department of plant No. 185, was brought to the series. Moreover, despite the decisions on the highest levels of the transition in tank building exclusively to diesel engines, this process was held back by a number of factors.Of course, diesel had significant efficiency.It consumed less fuel per unit of power per hour.Diesel fuel is less prone to ignition, since the flash point of its vapors was very high.

Even the most advanced of them, the MT-5 tank engine, required reorganization of engine production for serial production, which was expressed in the construction of new workshops, the supply of advanced foreign equipment (there were no machine tools of the required accuracy yet), financial investments and strengthening personnel. It was planned that in 1939 this diesel engine with a capacity of 180 hp. will go to mass-produced tanks and artillery tractors, but due to investigative work to find out the causes of tank engine accidents, which lasted from April to November 1938, these plans were not fulfilled. The development of a slightly increased six-cylinder gasoline engine No. 745 with a power of 130-150 hp was also started.

Brands of tanks with specific indicators that suited the tank builders quite well. Tank tests were carried out according to a new methodology, specially developed at the insistence of the new head of the ABTU D. Pavlov in relation to combat service in wartime. The basis of the tests was a run of 3-4 days (at least 10-12 hours of daily non-stop traffic) with a one-day break for technical inspection and restoration work. Moreover, repairs were allowed to be carried out only by field workshops without the involvement of factory specialists. This was followed by a "platform" with obstacles, "bathing" in the water with an additional load, simulating an infantry landing, after which the tank was sent for examination.

Super tanks online after the improvement work seemed to remove all claims from the tanks. And the general course of the tests confirmed the fundamental correctness of the main design changes - an increase in displacement by 450-600 kg, the use of the GAZ-M1 engine, as well as the Komsomolets transmission and suspension. But during the tests, numerous minor defects again appeared in the tanks. The chief designer N. Astrov was suspended from work and was under arrest and investigation for several months. In addition, the tank received a new improved protection turret. The modified layout made it possible to place on the tank a larger ammunition load for a machine gun and two small fire extinguishers (before there were no fire extinguishers on small tanks of the Red Army).

US tanks as part of modernization work, on one serial model of the tank in 1938-1939. the torsion bar suspension developed by the designer of the Design Bureau of Plant No. 185 V. Kulikov was tested. It was distinguished by the design of a composite short coaxial torsion bar (long monotorsion bars could not be used coaxially). However, such a short torsion bar did not show good enough results in tests, and therefore the torsion bar suspension did not immediately pave its way in the course of further work. Obstacles to be overcome: rises not less than 40 degrees, vertical wall 0.7 m, overlapping ditch 2-2.5 m.

YouTube about tanks work on the production of prototypes of D-180 and D-200 engines for reconnaissance tanks is not being carried out, jeopardizing the production of prototypes. "Justifying his choice, N. Astrov said that a wheeled-tracked non-floating reconnaissance aircraft (factory designation 101 10-1), as well as the amphibious tank version (factory designation 102 or 10-2), are a compromise solution, since it is not possible to fully meet the requirements of the ABTU.Variant 101 was a tank weighing 7.5 tons with a hull according to the type of hull, but with vertical side sheets of case-hardened armor 10-13 mm thick, because: "Sloped sides, causing serious weighting of the suspension and hull, require a significant (up to 300 mm) broadening of the hull, not to mention the complication of the tank.

Video reviews of tanks in which the power unit of the tank was planned to be based on the 250-horsepower MG-31F aircraft engine, which was mastered by the industry for agricultural aircraft and gyroplanes. Gasoline of the 1st grade was placed in a tank under the floor of the fighting compartment and in additional onboard gas tanks. The armament fully met the task and consisted of coaxial machine guns DK caliber 12.7 mm and DT (in the second version of the project even ShKAS appears) caliber 7.62 mm. The combat weight of a tank with a torsion bar suspension was 5.2 tons, with a spring suspension - 5.26 tons. The tests were carried out from July 9 to August 21 according to the methodology approved in 1938, with special attention paid to tanks.

In battles, he showed that for a tank armed with a cannon, the crew; consisting of two people is already insufficient: the tank commander had to perform the functions of a gunner and loader, which adversely affected the control of the tank in battle and the rate of fire. In addition, constantly developing means of combating tanks forced to strengthen armor protection. Based on these prerequisites, in 1943 the design bureau of the GAZ plant developed a new light tank T-80 with a crew of 3, with enhanced armor protection. One of the features of the tank was the large elevation angle of the 45 mm gun (up to 65 degrees).To ensure firing at high elevation angles, for example, when fighting in a city, the tank was equipped with a K-8T anti-aircraft collimator sight. This sight made it possible to fire at air targets. The tank was put into production at factory No. 40 in Mytishchi, but after the production of 81 tanks, production was discontinued. One of the reasons for this decision was the difficulty in mastering the production of the new GAZ-80 engine.

In the fall of 1942, the design bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant, under the leadership of N. A. Astrov, developed the T-80 light tank, to replace the T-70 light tank, which was discontinued. A prototype machine in December 1942 passed field tests. The tank was put into production at plant number 40 in the city of Mytishchi, Moscow Region. In 1943, their release was discontinued. The T-80 tank was the last example of domestic light tanks during the Great Patriotic War. The insufficient number of crew of the T-70 tank (two people: the commander, who is also a gunner and loader and a driver) made it extremely difficult to control the tank and fire. From the very first moment the T-70 light tank was adopted by the Red Army, its main weakness was obvious to Soviet military specialists - a single-man turret. But the design of the tank still had reserves that could be used to eliminate this shortcoming.

The GAZ tank design bureau, headed by N.A. Astrov, promised this to the military even when the GAZ-70 prototype was shown and immediately got into work almost immediately after the serial production of the T-70 was established. During the late spring, summer and early autumn of 1942, it was found that the installation of a two-man turret would greatly increase the load on the engine, transmission and undercarriage of the tank. Tests of the T-70 tank loaded up to 11 tons fully confirmed these fears - suspension torsion bars burst during tests, tracks broke, transmission units and assemblies failed. Therefore, the main work was carried out to strengthen these structural elements, which successfully ended with the adoption of the T-70M modification by the Red Army. Also by the fall, a two-man turret for the T-70 tank was manufactured and successfully tested, but two circumstances stood in the way of serial production.

The first of these was the insufficient power of the GAZ-203 twin propulsion system. It was planned to increase it by forcing up to 170 liters. with. in total by increasing the filling ratio of the cylinders and increasing the compression ratio. The second obstacle arose from the requirement to provide large gun elevation angles for hitting targets on the upper floors of buildings in urban battles. It could also make it possible to slightly increase the capabilities of fire countermeasures against enemy aircraft. In particular, the commander of the Kalinin Front, Lieutenant General I. S. Konev, insisted on this. The already developed double turret for the T-70 did not meet this requirement and was redesigned to allow the gun to be fired at a high elevation angle.

The second prototype with the new turret received the factory designation 080 or 0-80. For more convenient placement of a gun with the possibility of anti-aircraft fire and two crew members, it was necessary to widen the diameter of the shoulder strap and make an armor ring-barbette with a thickness of 40 mm-45 mm under the inclined sides of the tower. Due to the wider shoulder strap of the turret, it became impossible to dismantle the engine without first removing the turret - the armor ring began to enter the removable armor plate above the engine.

In December 1942, the prototype 080 successfully passed field tests and was adopted by the Red Army under the symbol T-80. However, the organization of its production was not planned at GAZ, since the transition of the Gorky auto giant to the production of "eighties" could lead to a decrease in the production of SU-76 tanks and self-propelled guns, which is unacceptable in wartime conditions. Armor protection - bulletproof. The welded hull of the tank was made of rolled armor plates 6 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 35 mm and 45 mm thick. The design of the armored hull and the location of the main hatches and hatches remained practically the same as for the T-70 tank, with the exception of side plates, the thickness of which was increased to 25 mm and the roof to 15 mm-20 mm.

The enlarged welded turret of the tank, made of armor plates 35 mm and 45 mm thick, arranged with rational angles of inclination, was shifted to the port side. She had a new embrasure and a mask mount design, which provided high elevation angles for the main weapon. The welded joints of the tower were reinforced with armor squares. A high fixed commander's turret with an entrance hatch was installed on the roof, closed with a hinged armored cover and a periscope viewing mirror device placed on the rotating base of the hatch and providing the tank commander with an all-round view. To the left of the commander's turret was the gunner's hatch, which was also closed with a hinged armored lid. The upper prisms of the commander's, gunner's and driver's viewing devices were armored. Behind the commander's turret there was an armored glass of the antenna input. For the convenience of placing troops on the hull of the tank and the sides of the tower, special handrails were welded. Due to the installation of a new turret, the height of the vehicle, compared with the height of the T-70M tank, increased by 135 mm.

Tactical and technical characteristics of tanks:


Combat weight, tons
Crew, pers.
Case length, mm
Width, mm
Height, mm
Clearance, mm
Armament
A gun	45 mm 20k arr. 38	45-k-m 20Km arr. 42g.	45-mm 20Km sample 42	45-mm 20Km sample 42
Machine gun	2 x 7.62mm DT
Ammunition (with a walkie-talkie / without a walkie-talkie):
shells
cartridges
Booking, mm:
hull forehead
hull side
roof
tower
gun mask
Engine
Power, hp
Max. speed on the highway, km/h:
Range on the highway, km

The systems that ensured the operation of the engine were similar to the systems of the power plant of the T-70M tank. The engines were started using either two ST-06 electric starters connected in parallel with a capacity of 2 liters. with. (1.5 kW) each, or a manual winding mechanism. Two fuel tanks with a total capacity of 440 liters were located behind armored partitions in an isolated compartment on the left side of the aft compartment of the hull. On the right side of the aft compartment there was a fan and a radiator for the engine cooling system. The range of the tank on the highway reached 320 km. The transmission and chassis were the same as on the T-70M tank.

Insufficient reliability of the forced engines and the difficulties of mastering their production, as well as the deterioration of the vehicle's patency due to the increased mass, reduced the combat and technical characteristics of the tank.
From front-line reports, it is known that several T-80s were used in self-propelled artillery regiments in 1944. There is also information about the 5th Guards Tank Brigade receiving on February 15, 1945, two T-80 tanks that arrived from repair.

Sources:

Svirin M. N. "The tank power of the USSR";
Zheltov I. G., Pavlov I. V., Pavlov M. V., Solyankin A. G. "Soviet small and light tanks 1941-1945";
Shunkov V. N. "Weapons of the Red Army";
G.L. Kholyavsky "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Tanks 1915 - 2000";
Steven J. Zaloga, James Grandsen: Soviet tanks and combat vehicles of World War Two;
Janusz Magnuski. Lekki czołg rozpoznawczy T-80. "Nowa Technika Wojskowa";
Mikhail Baryatinsky "All tanks of the USSR. The most complete encyclopedia".

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Developed at GAZ in 1942.

The history of the creation of the T-80

As combat use has shown, a crew of two is not enough for a tank armed with a cannon. In this regard, in 1942, GAZ began work on a new T-80 tank, which was supposed to have enhanced armor protection, a crew of three and a large gun elevation angle in order to shoot in the city and at targets in the air.

In the same year, the prototype passed field tests, and its mass production began. Due to problems at the factory, only about 80 units were built, and then the production of the tank was discontinued.

performance characteristics

general information

Combat weight - 11.6 tons;
Crew - 3 people;
The number of issued - 75-85 pieces.

Dimensions

Case length - 4285 mm;
Hull width - 2420 mm.

Booking

Type of armor - heterogeneous rolled high hardness;
The forehead of the hull (top) - 35/60 ° mm / hail;
The forehead of the hull (bottom) - 45 / -30 ° and 15 / -81 ° mm / hail;
Hull board - 25/0 ° mm / hail;
Hull feed (top) - 15/76 ° mm / hail;
Hull feed (bottom) - 25 / −44 ° mm / hail;
Bottom - 10 mm;
Hull roof - 15 mm;
Gun mask - 35 mm;
The side of the tower - 35/5 ° mm / hail;
Tower roof - 10 and 15 mm.

Armament

The caliber and brand of the gun is 45 mm 20-K;
Barrel length - 46 calibers;
Gun ammunition - 94-100;
Angles HV: −8…+65°
GN angles - 360°;
Sight - TMF-1, K-8T;
Machine guns - 7.62 mm DT.

Mobility

Engine type - twin in-line 4-stroke 6-cylinder carburetor;
Engine power - 2 × 85 hp;
Highway speed - 42 km / h;
Cross-country speed - 20-25 km / h;
Power reserve on the highway - 320 km;
Power reserve over rough terrain - 250 km;
Specific power - 14.6 hp / t;
Suspension type - individual torsion bar;
Specific ground pressure - 0.84 kg / cm²;
Climbability - 34 degrees;
Overcoming wall - 0.7 m;
Crossable moat - 1.7 m;
Crossable ford - 1.0 m.

tank photos

Modifications

The T-80 had a gun that was not powerful enough for 1942-1943, so active work was underway to rearm it. There was a proposal to install a 45-mm VT-42 cannon on the tank, which was successfully tested on the T-70 tank. Unfortunately, the VT042 could not fire at a high elevation angle, and had to be radically redesigned. The new VT-43 gun met all the requirements and was soon adopted by the T-80, but all work on it ended with the cessation of tank production.

Application

In the memoirs and archives, there is still no information about the combat use of the T-80 - in some places there are only complaints about its unreliability and overload. It is known that several T-80s were used in 1944 in self-propelled artillery regiments, and that these tanks were in the 5th Guards Tank Brigade, the 230th Tank Regiment and the 12th Guards. cd.

tank memory

Today, only one T-80 has survived, which is on display at the Kubinka Armored Museum.

Tank in culture

The T-80, due to its obscurity and small number, practically does not appear in computer games, although its influence can be traced in some places. For example, in the game Panzer General, the T-70 is able to attack enemy aircraft, although in reality only the T-80 can do this.