T-100 tank
 | This article includes alist of references,related reading,orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations.(August 2010) |
| T-100 | |
|---|---|
 The Soviet T-100 heavy tank being tested and documented. | |
| Type | Heavy tank |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Soviet Union |
| Wars | World War II Winter War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | OKMO |
| No.built | 2 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 58 tons[which?] |
| Length | 8.38 m (27 ft 6 in) |
| Width | 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) |
| Crew | 6 or 8 |
Main armament | 76.2 mm L-11 gun:120 rounds |
Secondary armament | 45 mm gun 4 ×Degtyaryov machine guns |
| Engine | Mikulin GAM-34BT,water cooledPetrol4-strokeV-12 800 hp (600 kW) |
| Power/weight | 14 hp/ton[which?] |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
Operational range | road: 200 km (120 mi) cross-country: 120 km (75 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 36 km/h (22 mph) |
TheT-100was a Soviet twin-turretedheavy tankprototype, designed in 1938–39 as a possible replacement for theT-35heavy tank. The T-100 was designed by N. Barykov'sOKMOdesign team at S.M. Kirov Factory No. 185 inLeningrad.The T-100 was originally conceived with three turrets and was eventually built with two. It was in competition with a similar design, theSMK,but neither was adopted and instead a single turret version of the SMK was ordered as theKV-1.All three prototypes were tested at the same time in theBattle of Summaduring theWinter Warwith Finland.
Development[edit]
The project was initiated by theRed Army's need to replace the aging five-turretedT-35 tankbased on combat experience in theSpanish Civil War.One of the lessons the Red Army drew from this conflict was the need for heavy 'shell-proof' armor on medium and heavy tanks. Although the T-35 was never used in Spain, its thin armor was vulnerable to the small towed antitank guns and gun-armed tanks encountered there by SovietT-26and BT tanks.
The T-100 was in direct competition against the very similarSMKheavy tank, by Lt-ColonelJosef Kotin's team at the LeningradKirovsky Factory.The original specification was for a five-turreted "anti-tank gun destroyer" which would resist 37–45 mm guns at any range and 76.2 mm artillery at 1,200 m. Both design teams objected to the antiquated multi-turreted design and the requirement was reduced to two turrets before serious design work began. Both tanks had some modern features, including thick, welded armor, radios andtorsion bar suspension(another feature insisted upon by the design teams).
Description[edit]
The T-100 tank had twoturretsone in front of the other requiring a long chassis. The front turret, mounting a 45 mm anti-tank gun had a limited area of fire due to the second turret behind. The second turret, mounting a 76.2 mm gun, was set higher on top of the superstructure than the first and so able to turn a full 360 degrees. The multi-turret concept, usually a mix of cannon and machine gun turrets, had been common in the 1920s, with the British one-offVickers A1E1 Independentinfluencing the Soviet T-35.
Service history[edit]
The prototype T-100 tank was briefly tested alongside the other designs in theSoviet invasion of Finlandin 1939 without success. It was never put into production, due to the archaic design concept, poor mobility and the availability of a far superior alternative, theKV series.
Variants[edit]
SU-100Y– In an attempt to rush into use a tank armed with a large howitzer capable of dealing with Finnish bunkers, one of the T-100s was converted into the SU-100Y self-propelled gun. It did not go into production, although the prototype was used in thedefence of Moscowin 1941.
References[edit]
- Zaloga, Steven J.and James Grandsen (1981).Soviet Heavy Tanks.London: Osprey Publishing.ISBN0-85045-422-0.
- Zaloga, Steven J. and James Grandsen (1984).Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two.London: Arms and Armour Press.ISBN0-85368-606-8.
- Zaloga, Steven J. and Peter Sarson (1996).KV-1 & 2 Heavy Tanks 1939–1945.Oxford: Osprey Publishing.ISBN1-85532-496-2.
