T-27

History

In 1930, the Soviet Union purchased a fleet of 20 Caden-Lloyd Mark VI "tanks" from the United Kingdom and acquired the rights to manufacture the model locally. They operated the original form under the name "K-25" and based on this design, based on the local evolved form.

This work resulted in the "T-27" tank/light tank, which surpassed the production of 2,500 to 3,300 units by the end (the source seems to be quite different from the exact total).

Compared to the original British design, the Soviet T-27 received a larger superstructure and improved landing gear components, so larger fuel reservoirs could be used for longer range. The chassis has also been revised, using as many standard car components as possible to keep production and procurement costs within a reasonable range.

Slightly wider tracks were installed for better ground pressure and control, while the original machine gun mounts were replaced with a Soviet-style DT machine gun mount system. Sitting side-by-side, the tiny vehicle is powered by a single GAZ-AA 4-cylinder 40-horsepower gasoline engine, all the way to the track drive system.

The road speed reaches 42 km/h and the range is 120 km.

The production of the

series cars began in 1931 and ended in 1933, with production taken over by the Bolshevik factory in Leningrad and the GAZ automobile factory in Gorky. These vehicles entered service with the Soviet Army in 1931.

This 2.7-ton truck is particularly compact, measuring only 2.6 meters long, 1.8 meters wide and 1.4 meters high. Armor protection up to 10mm on key fairings, mainly the front and side hull panels, which only provides safety against small arms fire. In the absence of a turret, the main machine weapon protrudes from the right-hand crew compartment. Since machine gun training brought only limited results, the vehicle had to be turned more or less in the direction of fire.

A bogie suspension system was installed, limiting the vehicle's off-road capability, and no radio/communication system was carried.

In practice, these vehicles proved their design value - fast reconnaissance and very light infantry support. However, some issues with this product quickly became apparent, including the cramped combat conditions of the two-man, and poor ride on soft/wet terrain due to the still narrow width of the track linkage system.

Before the end of the century, the series was phased out as more powerful designs entered service, leaving the T-27 to fill secondary roles such as mobile vehicle and tank driver trainer. Various experiments have been carried out on the T-27 chassis, including flamethrower tanks, dedicated gun mounts and remote control models - with mixed results.

The T-27 was also the subject of the "Flying Tank" project, carrying a prototype into battle under a Tupolev TB-3 bomber to support airborne troops, a practice that was later refined and found useful in combat in the Second World The Great War (1939-1945) and beyond.

In terms of the pre-war period and WWII itself, the T-27 was widely used at the outset of combat, enabling it to take part in operations across Asia, the occupation of Poland in late 1939, and the "Winter War" against neighbouring Finland in 1939-1940 ". When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa, thousands remained, but this group was quickly affected by the might (and superior tactics) of the German army and Luftwaffe. As we all know, there was a collection in action during the turbulent times of the defense of Moscow.

The series was eventually dropped in 1941-42, when it chronicled her final actions for the Soviets. It was exported to Mongolia and Turkey, where the stockpiles were 10 and 6, respectively.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes