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TACAM T-60

1943 WORLD WAR 2

History of the TACAM T-60

When World War II broke out in September 1939, the Romanian nation remained neutral. Over time, internal problems moved it towards the Axis powers, which joined the Axis powers on November 23, 1940.

In June 1941, the Axis powers began their invasion of the Soviet Union through Operation Barbarossa, and the Romanian government poured a lot of manpower and war supplies into the enterprise.

While the initial results were very good, the Axis initiative ended up faltering outside Moscow, giving the Soviet Union much-needed time to regroup and send their forces elsewhere on the Eastern Front. In addition, there is a huge manufacturing enterprise, and various tanks, artillery, small arms and aircraft are quickly built and transported to where they are needed.

The result was a massive Soviet operation involving thousands of tanks and tens of thousands of soldiers to regain lost ground. Heavy tank systems such as the IS-2 (Joseph Stalin) and the classic T-34 medium tank both played an important role in the capture operation.

This puts the ill-equipped Romanian army at a crossroads, lacking the local industry to build a brand new main battle tank. While the Germans are continually deploying stronger armor systems to rival Soviet armor, they cannot be expected to provide the Romanians with anything of value anytime soon.

Since the Romanians kept an inventory of Soviet T-60 light tanks captured in previous battles, it was decided to replace their turret with a three-sided open-air fighting compartment that would house a capable Soviet 76.2 mm M1936 (F-22) The Anti-Tank Gun (AT) makes a locally designed tank destroyer.

Design work spanned from 1942 to 1943, the vehicle was assembled by Atelierele Leonida in Bucharest, Romania, and production began in 1943. Logically, given the situation in Romania, the initiative is solid - tanks and artillery are readily available, and the army has experience in maintenance, repair and operation.

The GAZ 202 engine used is nothing but a replica of the FH. 2 Produced by Dodge-Derotto-Fargo, it has been circulated nationwide. All that was needed was to strengthen the existing vehicle's torsion bar suspension (including brand new wheels) to accommodate the extra weight.

All other aspects of its design and assembly were acceptable under the harsh conditions of wartime.

The 9-ton vehicle is piloted by a crew of 3 and has a magazine of 44 rounds on a small design. The Soviet 76.2mm tank was a proven tank killer, and the T-60 light tank had its merits. Road speeds reach 25 miles per hour and operating range is up to 120 miles.

The 6-cylinder GAZ 202 engine produces 80 hp. Local self-defense is handled by a 7.92mm ZB-53 series machine gun.

The Army was able to protect 34 vehicles designated TACAM T-60, which were operational by the end of 1943. The series fought for Romania until about the fall of 1944, eventually bouncing back to the Allied side in August.

On September 12, 1944, an armistice was signed with the invading Soviet Union - with conditions favorable to the victor - at which point the story of the TACAM T-60 seemed to come to an abrupt end - no doubt cancelled by the Soviet director.