T-50

History

The path of the Soviet T-34 medium tank to victory in WWII (1939-1945) was through designs such as the T-50 light infantry tank. This tracked combat vehicle was developed during the pre-war period of 1939-1941, and 69-75 examples were eventually completed before completion.

However, the T-50 appeared in Soviet tank history at a time when the value of light tanks in war was rapidly declining - it was eventually abandoned in favor of more T-34 tanks.

Soviet involvement in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) clearly demonstrated the limitations of their existing T-26 light tanks and BT Schnelltank tanks. Their armor is weak, and in more modern battlefield environments and environments, their weapons have proven to be weaker. The Kirov Factory, Plant No. 185 was therefore ordered to start developing a new light infantry main battle tank in 1939 with improved protection without sacrificing speed. World War II began in September of that year with Germany's invasion of neighboring Poland, and the Soviet Union joined shortly thereafter.

It then pledged to go to war with neighboring Finland, the "Winter War" of 1939-1940.

During the turbulent period of Stalin's "Great Purge" in May 1940, the Kirov factory was merged with the Voroshilov factory, the 174th factory, which somewhat delayed the development of the new tank, but work was eventually resumed . Before the end of the year, Soviet engineers presented two test cars for review, one for each factory (Kirov and Voroshilov). Both were based on the earlier method "T-126" and were therefore named "T-127" and "T-126SP" respectively.

The T-126SP was selected ahead of Kirov's design and officially designated "T-50" in February 1941.

The final version is somewhat reminiscent of the upcoming T-34. The hull structure is fitted with angled fairings for basic ballistic protection, and the vehicle straddles six twin-tire wheels, rear-mounted drive sprockets and front-mounted track idlers. Three track return rollers are used in an arrangement that includes wide track links to balance ground pressure when driving on soft terrain. Inside were four crew members, including a driver, a commander, a gunner and a radio operator.

A full set of radios was installed, which was remarkable when tanker crews communicated primarily through field gestures and flags.

The turret was designed to accommodate a crew of three and was relatively flat in appearance with a commander's cupola. Here, the angled fairing was also used for ballistic protection. The primary armament is a 1 x 45mm 20K-L/46 gun mounted on the front of the front turret, supplemented by a coaxially mounted 1 x 7.62mm DT machine gun to support anti-infantry operations.

Armor was up to 37mm thick on key panels (i.e. front and sides), providing strong protection for light vehicles of the late 1930s. Power comes from an all-new 1 x W-4 6-cylinder diesel engine with a 300-horsepower track and wheel package. Overall, the tank can reach a road speed of 60 km/h and a cruising range of 350 km.

The combat weight reaches 15 tons, while the structural dimensions include a length of 5.2 meters, a width of 2.5 meters and a height of 2.2 meters.

Another design cue is that the T-50 is equipped with a torsion bar suspension system that greatly enhances good off-road capability. This is a departure from Soviet tanks, which previously relied primarily on American-derived Christie suspension systems or complex multi-bogie track and wheel arrangements.

The new tank went into production in July 1941. Notable during this period was the unexpected German invasion of the Soviet Union (via Operation Barbarossa) in June 1941, officially ending the alliance that had begun the war in Europe in September 1939. The Voroshilov factory managed an inventory of about 50 T-50 tanks under the forces of the German offensive before the production facility was abandoned.

The lines are back in service in the Urals before the end of the year, and the T-50 is in greater demand than ever. However, the initiative only lasted until February 1942, as the T-50 was found to have persistent engine stability problems, and its unit cost and manpower matched or exceeded that of the better T-34 model.

About 20 more T-50 tanks were added to the stables, but little else came to fruition.

Those T-50 MBTs that served successfully during the war were mainly used in the Leningrad region, and some of them ended their careers in the Caucasus. While the T-50 has largely served as a footnote to the long and storied history of Soviet armor, the experience gained during its development has certainly helped simplify the effort to produce the famous T-34.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes