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T-60

1941 WORLD WAR 2

History

The T-60 light reconnaissance tank was designed and developed to replace the outdated T-38 series of light amphibious reconnaissance tanks, generally considered equivalent to the German Panzer II series. In addition, this type of development took into account that it could be mass-produced relatively easily in Soviet factories, which were unable to produce the large stream of main battle tanks needed by the Red Army.

The early stages of the war also showed that the existing family of light tanks used by the Red Army at that time was not suitable for future operations of the Soviet ground forces, especially in infantry support mode. Furthermore, due to the constraints of the war, these designs were clearly not friendly to mass production practices.

In 1938, faced with the ugly truth, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin personally ordered the design and production of a new generation of 10,000 hp light tanks to fill the growing void. These new systems will be equipped with a 20mm bolt-action cannon to replace the traditional machine gun armament of existing light tanks. At the very least, it would be a powerful blow to the advancing Soviet infantry as they plunged headlong into the chaos of the battlefield.

Production will be handled jointly by multiple government entities.

The first prototype - T30A - is completed, the design is credited to Nicholas Astrov and his team at Factory 37. The 20mm main gun was mounted on a movable turret, providing a wide range. The armor is strategically skewed but not particularly thick, maintaining the tank's classification as a "light" system.

A coaxial machine gun was added to the weapon mix to protect the tank from direct attack by enemy infantry grenades. The second prototype - T30B - has a different version of the required 20mm main gun armament, the 20mm L/82. The 4-Series is derived from aircraft-mounted designs.

The new artillery expands the ammunition range of the growing light tank program. The armor of the second prototype became heavier in key areas and the production method was an improvement over the T30A prototype.

Both prototypes were selected for production, the T30A entered service as the T-40 light amphibious tank in 1940, and the T30B as the T-60 light reconnaissance tank in 1941.

Production of the T-60 began in earnest, although it was produced from 1941 to 1942, with approximately 6,292 completed in the end. Production is divided into Moscow Plant No. 37, Kirov Plant No. 38 and Gorky Automobile Plant.

The series would go into service at the end of the war in 1945, a testament to its robust design, ease of manufacture and abundance.

The T-60 met Soviet needs immediately after it entered service. It proved capable of handling the slush and snow common in Soviet and European winters, as well as traversing swampy areas.

The T-60's design provided better occupant protection than the contemporary German Panzer II, but proved less reliable in the long run and lacked the critical radio equipment the German design had. However, the T-60 makes up for its limitations by offering better range and strong off-road support. Established production methods also ensured that the T-60 could be rolled out of the factory more frequently than its German counterpart. Now with the increase in production and the growing ranks of the T-60, its appearance as a battlefield device is beginning to adapt. Production slowed to a certain extent, German progress caused heavy losses to the Soviet Union, and as a result the T-60 factory fell into enemy hands.

In any case, the existing individual factories are reaching their monthly production highs to meet the needs of the Red Army.

The T-60 has four rubber tire wheels on one side of the track. A chain system spans the welded hull, each supported by three sprockets. Suspension is achieved with torsion bar assemblies, while each track is covered with a thin armor cover. The hull's sloping plate is well raked and slightly curved upwards, providing natural protection from incoming projectiles, small arms fire and artillery "spray".

The fuselage profile is a flat structure with a sloping front and panel sides. The octagonal 360-degree swinging turret is mounted on top of the superstructure, allowing for unrestricted attack range, while also featuring angled fairings for self-support.

The turret design proved to be easier to mass produce than previous light tank offerings. Observation slits are visible along the sides of the tower and the front of the superstructure. The engine is located in the rear compartment and drives the front drive sprocket, and the idler is fixed to the rear of the fuselage. Armor protection for crew and critical systems ranges from 7mm to 35mm across the critical fairing.

The T-60 was piloted by two men occupying the driver and gunner positions. Power comes from a single 6-cylinder GAZ-202 series engine with approximately 70-76 hp. This gives the tank a top speed of up to 27.3 mph along with a range of 217-270 miles and a 320-liter internal fuel tank. The armament is a combined display of two gun types - the primary armament is a 1 x 20mm TNSh cannon and the secondary armament is a coaxial turret mounted 1 x 7.62mm DT general purpose machine gun.

The aircraft is loaded with 750 to 780 rounds of 20mm ammunition and 945 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

As the role of the T-60 on the battlefield became more defined and established, the chassis was used in a number of notable variants. The T-60-1 introduced the Zis-60 family of engines, delivering up to 110 hp for improved performance. T-60A appeared with sturdy wheels and enhanced armor protection. One suggestion was to install a VYa-series 23mm cannon in place of the basic 20mm configuration to produce a "top-loaded" T-60.

This design was thwarted when it was discovered that the recoil generated by the artillery was subtly interfering with the T-60 turret. A similar project installed the tried-and-true 37mm Zis-19 gun on the T-60 turret, but the ammunition needed for these guns was needed elsewhere on the Soviet Army's list of priorities. The adaptation of the 45mm Zis 19 series was also interesting, but the show got nothing. The T-60 chassis was the basis for the obsolete T-90 anti-aircraft armor system.

An interesting T-60 project was undertaken in 1942 to transform the fuel tanks into an aerodynamic "glider" - with wings and tail attached to the lighter T-60 chassis - delivered by TB-3 bombers to Headlight element. The project was inevitably cancelled, since no Soviet bomber could successfully deliver a tank of this form.

The captured Soviet system serving in Romania was rebuilt as the TACAM T-60, a tank destroyer designed to be used against its previous owner. About 34 T-60s were captured by Romanian forces and used intact until the systems were recaptured by Soviet forces.

By August 1944, Romania had abandoned its pro-Axis stance and sided with the Allies.

With the arrival of the new T-70 light tank series in 1942, all other attempts to bring the T-60 into a more lethal state were abandoned and it was the end of the road for the small machine. Regardless, the T-60 proved to be an invaluable - albeit brief - addition to Soviet military action against Germany in the early days of the war.