Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms Space By Flag By Year By Tag

A-20 / A-32

1939 WORLD WAR 2 X-TANK

History

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was a learning experience for both Soviets and Germans. At the time, T-26 light tanks and BT series "fast tanks" formed the core of the Red Army's armored forces, but these vehicles proved extremely vulnerable to enemy fire in direct-contact combat, as their gasoline engines illuminated the tanks (and the staff inside) when hit.

This failure was even more pronounced in the Soviet-Japanese Manchuria border war of 1938-1939, when Soviet gasoline-powered tanks were pitted against Japanese diesel-powered tanks.

Background

No longer content to modify existing designs of foreign origin, armoured warfare through these experiences led the Soviets to try out new domestic tank designs. Back in October 1937, Army authorities needed a diesel-powered, well-protected, high-performance vehicle with armor up to 25mm thick.

Like the BT series, this new development needed to be able to run on its street wheels (no chain) and use a typical chain and wheel drive. The primary weapon must be a proven 45mm anti-tank gun or a larger caliber 76.2mm Soviet product.

A-20 Prototype

Kharkov Locomotive Works Plant No. 183 took over the optimistic project and developed plans for an armored vehicle with a 500 hp W-2-34 diesel power unit with a 45 mm main gun.

Four wheels are located on each side of the fuselage, three of which receive power from the diesel engine, and one axle is steerable (for running on wheels without chains). This design became the prototype "A-20". Armor protection up to 20 mm.

As part of the BT-IS and BT-SW2 programs, research into sloped armor has proven essential for basic ballistic protection, helping to influence the armor layout of new tanks.

Essentially, the A-20 is an evolution of the BT - the biggest difference is the sloping face of its armor scheme, which encourages a pyramid shape when viewed from the front. The turret remains in the forward position, the engine is in the rear, and the track links are wider for better ground pressure in loose terrain.

The total weight is 20 tons (US for short), and the dimensions include a barrel length of 5.7 meters, width of 2.6 meters and height of 2.4 meters. Inside were four crew members, including a driver, a commander, a gunner and a machine gunner.

The maximum achievable road speed is 40 mph on rails and 47 mph on a road bike (on smooth roads). The range is 250 miles on the track and 560 miles on the road bike.

As the main armament is the 45mm 20K L/46 anti-tank gun, the vehicle is equipped with a coaxially mounted 7.62mm DT machine gun for auxiliary anti-infantry fire. The bow also contained a 7.62mm DT machine gun as an anti-infantry measure.

A-32 Prototype

Engineer Mikhail Koshkin was not satisfied with the current state of the A-20 and took the same design and developed it by increasing the dimensions (6m x 2.6m x 2.4m), increasing for each additional fuselage side a road wheel. For simplicity, the wheel arches of the A-20 have been reduced in mass, maintenance requirements have been reduced, and the armor on the most critical fairing has been further increased to 30mm. The main weapon is the larger caliber 76.2mm cannon, while the two 7.62mm DT machine guns remain in place.

All these changes came at a price, as the combat weight of the vehicle was correspondingly increased to 21 tons (US for short).

A-20 and A-32 Review

Plans for both vehicles were presented to Soviet authorities in May 1938, and some continued to support the idea of ??a fast-moving tank that could walk freely on wheels, while others valued a slower, Well ... armored and armed tanks completely defeat the enemy head-on. Stalin himself approved both architectural forms, and the work began the following February. Road-ready vehicles are ready for a rigorous testing phase by May.

The completed form was then overhauled by the authorities in September 1939 - the same month that the Second World War began (September 1, 1939).

During state review and testing, it was found that the A-32 offered far more capabilities than the now limited A-20: road wheel drive capability was no longer a requirement for future Soviet tanks, and switch-thinking, armor, firepower exceeded Set the speed and finally gain the upper hand in the team. At this point, the Army needed 45mm thick armor, and the A-32 proved to be a better choice. Now there is the more powerful L-11 L/30. 5 main guns, the A-32 design was built in two working prototypes - the basis for the T-34 medium tank that eventually won the war.

The T-34 would inherit many of the A-32's great qualities, including its thick, sloping armor cladding and long-barreled main gun - it would prove to have more impact on the war than any other tank, and the Soviets would withdraw to victory The cliff of the road, a road leading directly to the city gates of Berlin.

Meanwhile, the only abandoned A-20 prototype saw its final days in December 1941, where it was used in the desperate (but successful) defense of Moscow and was subsequently severely damaged.