An interesting side note

I found an interesting picture that demonstrates how tank sizes have changed over the years. This will lead into a post I hope to add in this weekend if I can finish them this Friday. Come back again to see it.

Answer #5:

Re: T-26 Assault Gun Variants question
Posted by: "fiumusofchester" profpate@btopenworld.com fiumusofchester

Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:52 am (PST)
--- In TOandEs@yahoogroups.com, David L Ong wrote:
>Concerningrespective armaments, the Soviet 45 mm gun which equipped the majorityof theT-26s produced was superior to the low velocity, short-barrelled, 47mm gunwhich equipped the Vickers Six-Ton B.
> > Yes the gun was better, however reports from SCW sources suggest that the AP capability was not better that the German 37 due to the poor quality of the metals used.
An important fatcor to bear in mind?

Fimius

Answer #4:

Re: T-26 Assault Gun Variants question
Posted by: "Bob Mackenzie" bob_mackenzie@ntlworld.com bob_david_mackenzie

Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:22 am (PST)

Bob Mckenzie's "Comrades in Arms" lists tank strengths for the various Russian tank units in '41. Zaloga comments that most of thelight tanks were in poor repair and broke down during movement to the front.

So it does :) I have a great deal more info now.
From memory here were a handful of SU-5 with various tank corps.Some corps list T-26A artillery tanks, but not manyIf you use Google's translator I recommend the following sitehttp://mechcorps.rkka.ru/ (click the button with the KV2 on it)

* * *

I followed this recomendation and found a 47 page document in Russian. Since I can't read Russian I did feed it through Googles translator which I've been using on and off for over a year. I found their translator is limited in the amount it can translate in any given job. It averaged eight pages per job and it took seven passes to translate it all. I just finished re-assembling it into one document so I haven't finished reviewing its contents yet.

Answer #3:

Re: T-26 Assault Gun Variants question
Posted by: "David L Ong" davlong64@yahoo.com davlong64

Sun Feb 15, 2009 1:43 pm (PST)

T-26 Model 1931 twin-turreted tankThe Soviets did not simply replicate the Vickers Six-Ton:[11] Like its British counterpart, the T-26 Model 1931 had a twin-turret configuration and was designed to carry two machine guns—one in each turret. The major differences between the Soviet T-26 and the British Six-Ton were the rectangular firing ports for Degtyarev machine guns, as opposed to the round ports used by the original design.[12] After problems experienced with precipitation and snow getting into the engine compartment, a special bonnet was installed after March 1932, and was later made integral with the design of the air intake unit. The tank was also fitted with a higher turret with an observation slit, while the driver was given a vision port.[12] Around 1,627 T-26 tanks with twin turrets were produced between 1931 and 1933, and 450 were armed with the 37 mm PS-1.[13] However, in 1933 the Soviets unveiled the T-26 Model 1933, with a single cylindrical turret which carried asingle 37 mm cannon and a single 7.62 mm machine gun.[14] Ultimately, this 37 mm primary cannon was replaced by the better known 45 mm, which was based on the German Pak 35/36 cannon acquired in 1930.[14] The 45 mm gun would be improved when the original 45 mm 19K anti-tank gun,[15] developed at Plant No. 8, was replaced in 1935 by the 45 mm model 1934. The semiautomatic mechanism of the 19K was exchanged by an inertial operating mechanism.[16] The T-26 could carry up to three secondary Degtyarev 7.62 mm machine guns, in coaxial, rear, and antiaircraft mounts. The majority of T-26 built were of the T-26 Model 1933 model. The original purpose of the upgraded firepower was to increase lethal range to defeat dedicated anti-tank teams, as the original machine gun ordnance was found insufficient.[17]

The T-26 Model 1933 carried 122 rounds of 45 mm ammunition, firing armour-piercing 45 mm rounds with a muzzle velocity of 820 m/s (2,700 ft/s), or lower-velocity high-explosive munitions.[3] The tank was powered by a GAZ 91 horsepower (68 kW) gasoline engine which gave it a top speed of almost 30 km/h (19 mph). The hull had a maximum steel thickness of 16 mm, which was sufficient to stop artillery HE fragments and light machine gun ammunition, including German 7.92 mm armour-piercing rounds but would later prove to be too light against newer German anti-tank weapons in 1941. There would be subsequent attempts to thicken the front plate, but ultimately T-26 production would end in favour of newer and superior tank designs, such as the T-34. In 1937 there was an effort to equip many tanks with anti-aircraft machine guns, as well as the addition of two searchlights, a new VKU-3 command system and a TPU-3 intercom. Ammunition stowage was alsoimproved, from 122 rounds to 147 for the main gun.[19] In 1938 the cylindrical turret was replaced with a conical shaped turret, with the same 45 mm model 1934 gun.[20]

When compared to the Vickers Six-Ton tank, the T-26 had superior maximum armour protection - 15 mm (0.59 in) as compared to 13 mm (0.51 in). Although the Vickers Six-Ton B would have its armour increased to a maximum of 17 mm (0.67 in), this was not much superior to the 16 mm (0.63 in) of the T-26 Model 1933. Furthermore, the T-26 would later see its armour improved. Concerning respective armaments, the Soviet 45 mm gun which equipped the majority of the T-26s produced was superior to the low velocity, short-barrelled, 47 mm gun which equipped the Vickers Six-Ton B. However, the Vickers Six-Ton was slightly lighter and slightly faster than the T-26.[21]The T-26 saw wide service during the Spanish Civil War. Even as WW2 began, the T-26 continued to be the backbone of the Red Army's tank corps. Plans were made to replace the T-26 and BT tanks with a new generation of tanks such as the T-34 and T-50, but these plans were just beginning to be executed on the eve of Operation Barbarossa. Production of the T-26 was halted; readiness and maintenance standards fell, which put the Red Army at a disadvantage during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.

Answer #2:

Re: T-26 Assault Gun Variants question
Posted by: "mage@macconnect.com" mage@macconnect.com magegames

Sun Feb 15, 2009 1:43 pm (PST):
Bob Mckenzie's "Comrades in Arms" lists tank strengths for the various Russian tank units in '41. Zaloga comments that most of the light tanks were in poor repair and broke down during movement to the front.

Michael

Answer 1:

I have received 5 replies so far. I will post each of them in a separate entry here for reference. Here is the first of them:

Re: T-26 Assault Gun Variants question
Posted by: "Eero Juhola" ejuhola@sci.fi ejuhola
Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:09 am (PST)

On Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:27:42 -0000, sdean_796 wrote:
According to Google Red Hammers is from 1998 or thereabouts. T-26 nomenclature has changed recently. We used to have, for example, the T-26 model 1933 which are now called "T-26 of 1934 or 1935 manufacture", depending on the features of the tank in question... and what used to be a T-26 model 1939 is now a "T-26-1 of 1939 manufacture". It is possible that the models not mentioned in Red Hammers were called something else back when Sharp's book was researched.

Best regards, EJ

Newsgroup Question

During my absence here I have not been idle. I posted a question on a newsgroup that focuses on Tables of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) of any period and place. Many members of it are very knowledgeable have references at hand that I don’t have available. Some of my last newsgroup questions were answered from this group. In my last post and in some other research of their archives I found references to the “Red Army Handbook 1939-1945”. I have not been able to find a copy to reference; it costs over $100.00 new and is out of print. I have it back ordered as a used book but don’t expect to see it any time soon. Here is what I asked on the Newsgroup:

T-26 Assault Gun Variants question
Posted by: "sdean_796" steve@clan-dean.com
Sun Feb 15, 2009 7:13 am (PST)

I'm looking for T&E information on Soviet T-26 Assault Guns for 1940 time frame. How many were made and how many were in a company or battery. I am trying to build a historical force of T-26 tanks and variants for operation Barbarossa.
I did pick up a couple of books by Charles C Sharp one of them is called Red Hammers Self Propelled Artillery and Lend Lease Armor 1941-1945 which lists many of the T-26 variants from the 1930s and how many were made down to the number being 1 for testing/developement but it doesn't even list the T-26A or T-26-4.
According to another reference there were "a few" T-26-4's made and another states the T-26A was the most famous of the pre-war assault tanks.
I have seen references to a book called the "Red Army Handbook 1939-1945" by Steven J Zaloga but it is out of print and I have had it back ordered from Amazon for some time now.
Has anyone got a copy of the Red Army Handbook that can see if these questions are answered in it for me? Or have you another source that has this information?
Thanks
Steve

I placed this on TOandEs newsgroup on Yahoo.com

Request for information on T-26A T&E

I’m looking for T&E information on Soviet T-26 Assault Guns for 1940 time frame. How many were made and how many were in a company or battery. I am trying to build a historical force of T-26 tanks and variants for operation Barbarossa.
I did pick up a couple of books by Charles C Sharp one of them is called Red Hammers Self Propelled Artillery and Lend Lease Armor 1941-1945 which lists many of the T-26 variants from the 1930s and how many were made down to the number being 1 for testing/developement but it doesn’t even list the T-26A or T-26-4.
According to another reference there were “a few” T-26-4’s made and another states the T-26A was the most famous of the pre-war assault tanks.
I have seen references to a book called the “Red Army Handbook 1939-1945” by Steven J Zaloga but it is out of print and I have it back ordered from Amazon.
Has anyone got a copy of the Red Army Handbook that can see if these questions are answered in it for me? Or have you another source that has this information?
Thanks
Steve

Bug River Crossing Recap

This map and recap of Fridays game were posted in the newsgroup by Harlow Stevens who ran the game:
Posted by: "Harlow Stevens" on Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:22 pm (PST)

January ended up on a very good note with the playing of a scenario that represented Day #1 of Operation Barbarossa, in this case the storming of the Bug River just north of the city of Brest-Litovsk. I've just uploaded the map so having that in front of you or at least on another screen will help with the narrative. It's in the Files section (inserted above).
The map looks west to east as laid out. Russians had 2 Strelkovy COs, one of which had to start in the town of Matykaly. The other was just east of the Russian starting line spreading from one small forest section all the way to the other. A Platoon of Flame T-26's (4) were hiding behind the small ridge between the pillbox and corn field. Two 3-gun batteries of Russian 76.2mm were positioned on the road just east of the town. There was an NKVD snipper and 1 HMG stand in ambush.
The German river assault Platoons were allowed to set up in any of the three forest sections just west of the Bug River. The 209th Engineer Co & Bridging Column were allowed to start behind any of the three forest areas west of the River. There was also a platoon of 3 Tauchpanzers (Mk III amphibious) allowed to start on the table as well as the 2 batteries of artillery. The remainder came on board turn #1 along the track near the village of Patulin.
German strategy called for the building of the pontoon bridge just to the north of the northern most forest area, thus being out of range from the pillbox and T-26 Turret. The Tauchpanzers and 1 platoon of the 52nd motorised grenadiers forced their way across on either side of where the bridge was being constructed. Almost all of the action took place north of the main E/W road with the Germans keeping the Russian HMG fire and FO spotting limited to heavy smoke bombardment.German infantry and the TPs inched their way up their left flank, passed the hill and in the end came crashing towards the town of Matykaly along with other panzers that had made it across the now completed pontoon bridge. Russian armored rolled 'late' and when they did arrive, were greeted with two attacks by the Luftwaffe.The game went 11 of the 12 scheduled turns. The Objectives for the Germans were to A - Build a pontoon bridge over the Bug River, B -- Capture the town of Matykaly, and C -- Capture the bridge leading over the Ljashaja River. Russians were trying to deny them the objectives. The Germans took few casualties, but needed to be more aggressive on the left flank and eventually up the middle in order to have any chance of achieving at least OBJ B and an outside chance of C.

If players from either side would like to add their comments, they are more than welcome. I will be uploading the pics momentarily.

First chance to use my OT-26's

This past Friday I had a chance to use my OT-26's for the first time.
A game was held at Games plus in Mt Prospect that represented the first day(s) of Barbarossa. I ran a company of Russian infantry along with 4 x OT-26 tanks. Behind me were additional Russian forces defending other objectives.
Attacking were the main invasion forces of the German army.
The German Objectives were to
- 1 Build a bridge across the Bug river
- 2 Take full control of the town (3 buildings)
- 3 take the bridge crossing a second river
My objective was to delay the attacking force and if possible stop them from taking any of their three objectives.
I was rather disappointed in my tanks performance. Three of the four died without ever getting in range to shoot and the crew of the fourth was forced to abandon their tank. They did make the invading army slow down and be cautious in their attack but never got to shoot at the attackers at all.
The Germans made their first objective of crossing the river but didn't have the time required to take their second objective.
Overall it was a Russian victory for the game.

I saw a full after action report on the game in the groups newsgroup and will paste that here when time permits.

Russian Copyright Law

I found several sites over the weekend with comments to the effect of:
"Right now Russian copyright law changed and libraries refuse to make digital copies of the sources published later than in 1938."
You can click on the link and read about it yourself as it is in english but it is not the law itself. It is however effecting what is being posted on the web though today and how people are sharing things from Russia.