Twin-turret T-26 (with machine-gun armament) crossing a river during combat training of the Moscow Military District forces in 1936. The vehicle has a riveted hull, with welded & riveted turrets.The T-26 tank was a Soviet light infantry tank used during many conflicts of the 1930s as well as during World War II. It was a development of the British Vickers 6-Ton tank and is widely considered one of the most successful tank designs of the 1930s.
A T-26 with a welded hull and welded right-hand turret. Moscow Military District maneuvers. 1933It was produced in greater numbers than any other tank of the period, with more than 11,000 produced. During the 1930s, the USSR developed approximately 53 variants of the T-26, including other combat vehicles based on its chassis. Twenty-three of these were mass-produced.
A T-26 with a welded hull and welded right-hand turret. Moscow Military District maneuvers. 1933The T-26 was used extensively in the armies of Spain, China and Turkey. In addition, captured T-26 light tanks were used by the Finnish, German, Romanian and Hungarian armies.
A twin-turreted T-26 undergoing upgrading. Kubrnka 1940 This photograph gives a good view of the road wheels that were introduced on later model vehicles.Though nearly obsolete by the beginning of World War II, the T-26 was the most important tank of the Spanish Civil War and played a significant role during the Battle of Lake Khasan in 1938 as well as in the Winter War. The T-26 was the most numerous tank in the Red Army's armoured force during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. The Soviet T-26 light tanks last saw use in August 1945, in Manchuria.
T-26 mod. 1931 knocked out by German troops (the vehicle's plate number "8314" is painted white on green background). Uktaine. July 1941.The T-26 was reliable and simple to maintain, and its design was continually modernised between 1931 and 1941. However, no new models of the T-26 were developed after 1940.
The British Vickers Mk.E Type A light tank.British origin
The T-26 was a Soviet development of the British Vickers 6-Ton (Vickers Mk.E) light tank, which was designed by Vickers-Armstrongs company in 1928-1929. The simple and easy to maintain Vickers 6-Ton was intended especially for export to less technically advanced countries: the Soviet Union, Poland, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Thailand, China and many others. Vickers advertised the tank in military publications, and both the Soviet Union and Poland expressed interest in the Vickers design.
Twin-turreted T-26 tank with gun & machine-gun armament during manoeuvres in the Moscow Military district 1934. The tank has riveted hull & turrets.In spring 1930, the Soviet buying committee, under the direction of Semyon Ginzburg, arrived in Great Britain to select tanks, tractors and cars to be used in the Red Army. The Vickers 6-Ton was among four models of tanks selected by Soviet representatives during the visit to the Vickers-Armstrongs company.
According to the contract signed on 28 May 1930, the company delivered to the USSR 15 twin-turreted Vickers Mk.E (Type A armed with two 7.71 mm water-cooled Vickers machine guns) tanks together with full technical documentation to enable series production of this tank in the USSR.
The ability of Type A to turn the two turrets independently made it possible to fire to both the left and right at once, which was considered advantageous for breakthroughs of field entrenchments. Several Soviet engineers participated in assembly of the tanks at the Vickers Factory in 1930.
Double-turreted T-26 tank with mixed armament and equipped with radio transmitter No. 7N type during manoeuvres in 1934. Coil antenna is mounted on the hull of the tank.The first four Vickers 6-Ton tanks arrived in the USSR at the end of 1930. The last tanks arrived only in 1932, when series production of the T-26 was already in progress. The British tanks were issued to Soviet factories for study in preparation for series production and to military educational institutions and training units. Later, some tanks were given to military supply depots and proving grounds.
The first twin turreted T-26 tank equipped with 37-mm B-3 gun. The vehicle incorporates a number of common elements for tanks constructed in 1931.The Vickers-built 6-Ton tanks had the designator V-26 in the USSR. Three British tanks were successfully tested for cross-country ability at the small proving ground near Moscow on Poklonnaya Hill in January 1931. One tank hull was tested for gunfire resistance in August 1931.
Kliment Voroshilov ordered the creation of the "Special Commission for the RKKA new tanks" under the direction of S. Ginzburg to define the tank type suitable for the Red Army. The T-19 8-ton light infantry tank, developed by S. Ginzburg under that programme at the Bolshevik Factory in Leningrad was a theoretical competitor to British Vickers 6-Ton.
Although, the first prototype of the complex and expensive T-19 was not finished until August 1931. Because both tanks had advantages and disadvantages, S. Ginzburg suggested developing a more powerful, hybrid tank (so called "improved" T-19) with the hull, home-developed engine and armament from the native T-19, and the transmission and chassis from the British Vickers 6-ton.
The first twin turreted T-26 tank equipped with 37-mm B-3 gun. The vehicle incorporates a number of common elements for tanks constructed in 1931 - riveted turrets, and visible in this view the muffler fixed with 2 clamps, and lack of jacket above air outlet.However, on 26 January 1931, I. Khalepsky (chief of the Department of Mechanization and Motorization of the RKKA) wrote a letter to S. Ginzburg with information obtained via the intelligence service that the Polish government had decided to purchase Vickers 6-Ton light infantry tanks as well as Christie cavalry tanks and to mass produce them with the assistance of both the British and French.
Because Poland was then considered, in Soviet military doctrine, to be the USSR's main enemy, the Soviet Revolutionary Military Council took this erroneous information into consideration and decided to pass the aforementioned foreign tanks into Red Army service immediately in order to counter possible aggression.
At that time, the RKKA had only several dozen outdated Mk.V, Mk.A and Renault FT-17 tanks, captured during the Russian Civil War, together with various armoured cars and obsolescent domestic MS-1 (T-18) light infantry tanks.
On 13 February 1931, the Vickers 6-Ton light infantry tank, under the designator T-26, officially entered service in the Red Army as the "main tank for close support of combined arms units and tank units of High Command reserve".
A twin-turreted T-26 armed with the PS-1 cannon. The auxiliary gun shield on the weapon is missing.One of the Vickers 6-Ton tanks (equipped with Soviet-made turrets for the T-26) was tested for gunfire resistance in August 1931. The hull was subjected to rifle and Maxim machine gun fire with the use of normal and armour-piercing bullets at a range of 50 m (160 ft).
It was found that the armor withstood gunfire with minimal damage (only some rivets were damaged). Chemical analysis showed that the front armour plates were made from high-quality cemented armour (S.t.a Plat according to Vickers-Armstrongs classification), whereas the homogenous roof and bottom armour plates were made from mediocre steel.
Nevertheless, the British armour was better than armour produced by Izhora Factory for the first T-26s due to a shortage of modern metallurgical equipment in the USSR that time.
The prototype of TMM-1 light infantry tank during tests in spring 1932.At the same time, the Faculty of Mechanization and Motorization of the Military Technical Academy named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky developed two tank models (TMM-1 and TMM-2) based on the purchased Vickers 6-Ton tank design but with an American Hercules 95 hp (71 kW) six-cylinder water-cooled engine, improved front armour (to 15–20 mm), and a driver's position on the left side.
TMM stands for tank maloy moshchnosti or "tank of low power". The TMM-1 was equipped with transmission details from the Ya-5 truck and a ball mount for the DT tank machine gun in front of the hull, whereas the TMM-2 was equipped with an improved gear box, a steering device without clutches and a 37 mm Hotchkiss gun in the right turret.
However, representatives from the main Soviet tank manufacturers together with officials from the RKKA Mobilization Department considered the Hercules engine to be too difficult to produce, and the engine tended to overheat inside the engine compartment. Tests of TMM-1 and TMM-2 prototypes performed in the beginning of 1932 demonstrated no advantage over the Vickers 6-Ton and the T-26 (the TMM-2's maneuverability was found to be even worse).
Maintenance of the T-26 mod. 1931 (with riveted hull and turrets). The tank was produced in the first half of 1932 - note the mounting of exhaust muffler with two clamps and the cover over the air outlet window. The Moscow Military District. Summer 1934.Design
The Soviets did not simply replicate the Vickers Six-Ton. Like its British counterpart, the T-26 mod. 1931 had a twin-turreted configuration and was designed to carry two machine guns, mounting one in each turret.
A major difference between the Soviet T-26 mod. 1931 and the British 6-Ton were higher T-26's turrets, complete with observation slit. Also Soviet turrets had round firing port for DT tank machine gun, as opposed to the rectangular ports used by the original British design for Vickers machine gun. Also the front part of a hull was slightly modified.
T-26 first series of the tank on parade in 1933. One tank is equipped with an earlier version turret (with smaller rear section and single hatch.Hulls of twin-turreted T-26s were assembled using armoured plates riveted to a frame from metal angles. Some tanks, produced in 1931, had sealing zink shims at the hull bottom at the interface between armoured plates for fording water obstacles.
After experiencing problems with precipitation entering the engine compartment, a special cover was installed over an air outlet window after March 1932. A number of T-26s produced in the end of 1932-1933 had riveted-and-welded hull. The T-26 mod. 1931 had two cylindrical turrets mounted on ball bearings, each turret turned independently through 240°.
Both turrets could provide common fire in front and rear arcs of fire (100° each). Nevertheless, the disadvantage of such configuration was impossibility to use all tank fire power per each side. Four technological modifications of turrets existed, and they were mounted on a tank in different combinations (for instance, a tank with riveted hull could have riveted and welded turrets).
T-26M34 tanks on parade. Probably Khabarovsk, Nov. 7 1935.Around 1,627 T-26 tanks with twin turrets were produced between 1931 and 1933; of these, 450 were armed with the 37 mm PS-1 in one of the turrets.
T-26M35 tank equipped with radio transmitter during the Kiev manoeuvres in 1935.In 1933, the Soviets unveiled the T-26 mod. 1933. The Model 1933, with a new single cylindrical turret carrying one 45 mm cannon and one 7.62 mm machine gun, would become the most common T-26 variant. The 45 mm 20K tank gun was based on the German Pak 35/36 cannon acquired in 1930.
The T-26 could carry up to three secondary DT 7.62 mm machine guns in coaxial, rear, and antiaircraft mounts. This increased firepower was intended to aid crews in defeating dedicated anti-tank teams, as the original machine gun armament had been found insufficient. The turret rear ball mounting for the additional DT tank machine gun was installed on the T-26 tanks since the end 1935 till 1939.
Interior of T-26 mod. 1933 turret. Left-side ammunition stowage. Note also the side observation device and the porthole for revolver closed with the plug. Parola Tank Museum in Finland.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. Tanks intended for company commanders were equipped with a radio set and a hand-rail radio antenna on the turret. Later the hand-rail antenna was replaced with a buggy-whip antenna, because the Spanish Civil War and Battle of Lake Khasan demonstrated that the hand-rail antenna unmasked commander tanks for enemy fire.
Interior of T-26 mod. 1933 turret, looking forward at the 45 mm 20K tank gun breech. Note the TOP-1 telescopic sight to the left, the coaxial DT tank machine gun and PT-K commander panoramic sight to the right. Parola Tank Museum in Finland.The tank was powered by a T-26 90 hp (67 kW) flat row 4-cylinder air-cooled petrol engine which represented a Soviet full copy of Armstrong Siddeley engine of the Vickers 6-Ton. The engine was located in the rear part of the hull. In the beginning, Soviet-made tank engines were of bad quality, they were improved toward 1934 only.
The T-26 (Armstrong Siddeley) engine did not have overspeed limiter which often resulted in overheat and engine valves breakage (in summer, especially). A fuel tank for 182 L (40 imp gal; 48 U.S. gal) and an oil box for 27 L (5.9 imp gal; 7.1 U.S. gal) were placed alongside of the engine. The engine required top-grade petrol, the use of second-rate petrol could cause a damage of valve unit because of engine detonation.
From mid 1932, a more capacious fuel tank (290 L instead of 182 L) and a simplified oil box were introduced. An engine cooling fan was mounted over the engine in special shroud. From spring 1932, an exhaust muffler was affixed by three clamps instead of two.
T-26 year 1936 production series at the manoeuvres of Moscow Military District. The tank has welded hull and punched gun mask.A transmission of the T-26 consisted of single-disk main dry clutch, gearbox with five gears in front part of the vehicle, steering clutches, final drives and band brakes. The gearbox was connected with the engine by a drive shaft passing through the vehicle. A gear change lever was mounted directly on the gearbox.
General view of T-26M35 tank (produced in 1936) equipped with radio transmitter and welded hull & turret.A tank suspension (for one side) consisted of two bogies, four rubber-covered return rollers, a track driving wheel and a track idler. Each bogie consisted of a cast box, four twin rubber-covered road wheels connected by balancing levers and two one-quarter elliptic leaf springs.
The cast track driving wheel with removable sprocket ring was located in front, and the track idler with a crank lever tightener was located in the rear part of the vehicle. A track made from chrome-nickel steel was 260 mm (10 in) wide and consisted of 108-109 links.
General view of T-26M35 tank (produced in 1936) equipped with radio transmitter and welded hull & turret.The T-26 mod. 1931 did not have a radio set. A tank commander communicated with driver by speaking tube which was replaced with a signalling lamp in 1932. The T-26 was equipped with one fire extinguisher, a kit of spare parts tools and accessories (including a tank jack), a canvas stowage, and a tow chain fixed on the rear of the hull.
General view of T-26M35 tank (produced in 1936) equipped with radio transmitter and welded hull & turret.The T-26 could cross 0.75 m high vertical obstacles and 2.1 m wide trenches, ford 0.8 m deep water obstacles, cut 33 cm thick trees and climb 40° gradients. The T-26 proved to be easy for driving.
General view of T-26M35 tank (produced in 1936) equipped with radio transmitter and welded hull & turret.The hull of the T-26 mod. 1931 had a maximum armor thickness of 15 mm (instead of 13 mm of original Vickers design), which was sufficient to stop small artillery fragments and light machine gun fire, including German 7.92 mm armour-piercing rounds, but would later prove too light against newer German anti-tank weapons in 1941.
In 1938, the T-26 was upgraded to the model 1938 version which had a new conical turret with better anti-bullet resistance but the same welded hull as the T-26 mod. 1933 produced in 1935-1936. This still proved insufficient, and the tank was upgraded once more in February 1939 (after the Battle of Lake Khasan took place in 1938) to have an underturret box with sloped (23O) 20 mm side armoured plates.
The turret featured an increase to 20 mm at 18 degrees sloping. This time it was designated T-26-1 (known as the T-26 mod. 1939 in modern sources). There would be subsequent attempts to thicken the front plate, but T-26 production soon ended in favor of other designs, such as the T-34.
T-26 model 1933 light tanks of the Separate Tank Battalion/36th Motorised Rifle Division. The Khalkhin-gol (Nomonhan) region, late July 1939.Beginning in 1937, there was an effort to equip many tanks with second machine gun in the rear of the turret and anti-aircraft machine gun on the top of it, as well as the addition of two searchlights above the gun for night gunnery, a new VKU-3 command system, and a TPU-3 intercom.
Some tanks had vertically stabilized TOP-1 gun telescopic sight. Ammunition stowage for the main gun was improved from 122 rounds to 147. In 1938, the cylindrical turret was replaced with a conical turret, with the same 45 mm model 1934 gun. Some T-26s mod. 1938/1939, equipped with radio set, had a PTK commander's panoramic sight.
Repair to a T-26 (1933 series) assigned to 24th Separate Tank Regiment. The Crimean Front, April 1942.Series production
The beginning
The only factory suitable for the T-26 production was the Bolshevik Factory in Leningrad which had experience in manufacturing of MS-1 (T-18) light tanks since 1927. It was planned also to use the Stalingrad Tractor Factory which was under construction at that time.
But the production of the T-26 proved to be much more complicated than a semi-handicraft assembly of the MS-1, so a plan to produce 500 T-26s in 1931 became impossible. The Bolshevik Factory needed to convert all tank drawings from inch scale into metric scale, to develop a production technology, special tools and equipment.
The first 10 T-26s were assembled in July 1931 – they were identical to British Vickers 6-Ton tanks except armament. Soviet tanks were armed with the 37 mm Hotchkiss (PS-1) gun in a right turret and the 7.62 mm DT tank machine gun in a left turret. These T-26s from development batch were of low quality and made from unarmored steel, but that was an important test of the new tank production technology.
T-26 tank (1933 version with cylindrical turret) was the most universally used tank in the Red Army before the war. The unit in the photo shows a unit equipped with radio transmitter, handrail style antenna and search lights for night firing.The series production of the T-26, equipped with new higher turrets with observation window, began in August 1931. Such turrets proved to be more suitable for mass production. The production of the T-26 encountered many problems: a lot of armoured hulls and turrets supplied by the Izhora Factory were of low quality (with cracks) and were 10 mm in thickness instead of planned 13 mm.
Poor production standards were the reason of often failures of tank engines, gear boxes, springs in suspension, tracks and rubber-covered road wheels of early T-26s. Thirty-five T-26s from 100 tanks, produced by the Bolshevik Factory in 1931, had hulls and turrets made from unarmoured steel. Later, it was planned to replace these hulls with armoured ones as well as to mount engines of better quality.
Nevertheless, a business plan for 1932 was 3,000 T-26s. For this, a tank workshop of the Bolshevik Factory was reorganized into the Factory No. 174 named after K.E. Voroshilov in February 1932. The director of the tank factory became K. Sirken and the chief engineer - S. Ginzburg.
But the problems with organization of new complicated technological process, poor production planning of parts suppliers, great shortage of qualified engineers and technicians as well as of necessary equipment still resulted in large percentage of flawed tanks which were not accepted by army representatives.
On October 26th 1932, the Trust of Special Machine Industry, consisting of four factories, was established to solve the problem with tank production in the USSR. The plan of T-26's production for 1932 was decreased significantly and a special attention was given to increase the quality of tanks. A production of the new model, single-turreted T-26 armed with the 45 mm gun, was launched in the middle of 1933.
Knocked out T-26. A white stripe is marked on the perimeter of the upper part of the turret. A gap in the stripe enables one to see number "6". Most probably these digits are not tactical numbers, but an element code. Southern Front, Uman area, the 39th Tank Division/16th Mechanised Corps, August 1941.The Factory No. 174 manufactured also a few T-26s for military educational institutions - these were dissected tanks to demonstrate a relative position and function of tank components during training of tankers.
T-26 in winter camouflage. Nevskaya Dubrovka, Leningrad Front, 1942.Production of T-26 tanks at the Factory No. 174 named after K.E. Voroshilov
The production of armoured combat vehicles based on T-26 chassis is not included. Besides, the factory produced 6 dismantled sets of T-26 tanks which were sent to the Stalingrad Tractor Factory. According to the army data - 116 T-26 tanks were accepted from the factory in summer 1941, but such data includes tanks after overhaul with possible mounting of turrets from KhT-133 flame-throwing tanks with 45 mm guns. Including 267 tanks with anti-aircraft machine guns. Including 204 tanks with anti-aircraft machine guns.
The prototype of STZ-25 (T-25) wheeled-tracked light tank during tests at the Kubinka Tank Proving Ground. September 1939.Production in Stalingrad
The Stalingrad Tractor Factory (STZ) was considered as one of the factories for a production of the T-26 from 1932, but the production in Stalingrad started in August 1933 only. This process went very slowly, with great difficulties because of delay with deliveries of machining equipment and press-tools for the new just built factory.
Besides, in 1936-1939 the Design Office of the STZ developed several experimental tanks (6 TK, 4 TG, STZ-25, STZ-35) based on the T-26 tank and the STZ-5 transport tractor. For instance, the STZ-25 (T-25) had the turret, rear part of the hull, engine and some transmission details from the T-26 mod. 1938, but the STZ-25 wheeled-tracked tank weighted 11.7 tonnes (12.9 short tons) and had 16-24 mm sloped armour.
Needless to say that factory managers tried to promote the tanks of own design instead to produce the someone else's T-26. As the result, the STZ failed to organize the series production of the T-26 but this experience helped to bring the T-34 into production in Stalingrad in 1941. The T-26s produced by STZ had no visual differences from other T-26s, but Stalingrad tanks were less reliable and more expensive.
T-26 tank (year 1938 production series) during testing. NIIBT polygon summer 1938.Production of T-26 tanks at the Stalingrad Tractor Factory
15 with a cylindrical turret and a radio, 5 with a conical turret and a radio, and 10 with a conical turret.Modernization and repair
Some number of early T-26 tanks were repaired in tank units or at factories with the use of later production details. This meant replacing all-rubber road wheels (except front wheels) and track idlers with new strengthened ones. In addition, armour was added for the headlight, the driver's hatch lower door of twin-turreted tanks was increased in armour thickness from 6 to 10 mm and armoured PT-1 or PTK observation devices were installed.
Furthermore, a common hatch above the engine, oil tank, and fuel tank was mounted since May 1940. In 1940, 255 T-26s were modernized in this way and in the first half of 1941 - about 85 tanks. A central factory responsible for the T-26's repair and modernization was the Factory of Carrying-and-Conveying Machines named after S. Kirov in Leningrad, and since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War till 1945 - the Factory No. 105 named after L. Kaganovich in Khabarovsk.
T-26 mod. 1931 (with welded turrets) after repair and modernization. The Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization named after I. Stalin. 1940.Production in 1941
The Factory No. 174 produced its last T-26 tanks in the beginning of February 1941. After that, the factory began retooling to produce the new and much more complex T-50 light tank. This work was slowed by delays in the delivery of new equipment and series production of the T-50 did not begin on schedule (planned for June 1st 1941). As a result, factory management decided to resume the production of the T-26, using T-26 hulls, turrets, and other parts already in stock.
About 47 T-26 tanks were assembled and 77 were repaired in such a way in July-August 1941 before the factory was relocated from Leningrad to Chelyabinsk in the end of August 1941 and then to Chkalov in the end of September 1941. In addition, the Factory No. 174 produced engines and spare parts for the T-26, installed additional armour plates on some T-26s, replaced flame-throwers with 45 mm tank guns in turrets of 130 KhT-133 flame-throwing tanks, repaired tanks in army units (846 T-26s since the beginning of 1941) and mounted about 75 turrets from the T-26 and the T-50 as bunkers for the defense of Leningrad.
Abandoned T-26 mod. 1938 from the 14th Mechcorps. Kobrin area, June 1941Combat history
Though nearly obsolete by the beginning of World War II, the T-26 was the most important tank of the Spanish Civil War and played a significant role during the Battle of Lake Khasan in 1938 as well as in the Winter War. The T-26 was the most numerous tank in the Red Army's armoured force during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. The Soviet T-26 light tanks last saw use in August 1945, in Manchuria.
T-26 mod. 1938 in the streets of Tavriz (Tabriz), Iran. September, 17 1941.The T-26 was used extensively in the armies of Spain, China and Turkey. In addition, captured T-26 light tanks were used by the Finnish, German, Romanian and Hungarian armies.
T-26 model 1931 light tanks in pre-war Soviet markings (colours of lines stand for corresponding tank unit numbers). The 1st Mechanized Brigade on tactical exercises. The Moscow Military District. 1933.Prewar years
The first unit equipped with the T-26 was the 1st Mechanized Brigade named after K.B. Kalinovsky (the Moscow Military District). Tanks delivered to the Red Army through the end of 1931 were unarmed and intended for training, and the T-26 entered active service in 1932 only. The first series-produced T-26 tanks were showed in public during military parade on Red Square in Moscow on November 7th 1931. New mechanized brigades, each equipped with 178 T-26 tanks, were also organized at that time.[1] The RKKA Staff decided to form larger tank units based on experience gained in military exercises of 1931-1932: so mechanized corps were created in the Moscow Military District, the Ukrainian Military District and the Leningrad Military District in autumn 1932. Each mechanized corps consisted of two mechanized brigades (one equipped with the T-26 and another - with the BT). Since 1935, mechanized corps were equipped with the BT tanks only.
T-26 Mod. 1939 in winter camouflage. Supposingly from the 40th Light Tank Brigade. Karelian isthmus, February 1940. Only the upper part of the hull and turret is painted white, and on the side there is a tactical mark - red «00». The top of the turret hadn't ever been painted white for the sake of air supportWhen series production of the T-26 mod. 1933 started, each tank platoon consisted of three vehicles (one single-turreted mod. 1933 and two twin-turreted mod. 1931 tanks). Later, the majority of twin-turreted T-26 tanks were given to combat training depots and to tank battalions of rifle divisions (in the beginning of 1935 tank battalion of rifle division consisted of 3 companies, 15 T-26 tanks in each).
T-26 tanks convoy assigned to the 150th Rifle Division following an air attack. The unit in the foreground is a 1939 version of the T-26. September 1941 Southern Front.In August 1938 mechanized corps, brigades and regiments were reorganized into corresponding tank units. In the end of 1938 the Red Army had 17 light tank brigades (267 T-26 tanks in each) and 3 chemical tank brigades (equipped with flame-throwing tanks based on the T-26 chassis).
T-26 tank in action in the Spanish civil war.Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War was the first conflict in which the T-26 participated. At the request of the Spanish Republican government, the Soviet government sold weapons and military equipment to Spain and provided military advisers (including tankers) within the framework of Operation X. The first shipment of tanks to Spanish republicans was delivered on 13 October 1936, at the Spanish port city of Cartagena; fifty T-26s with spare parts, ammunition, fuel, and around 80 volunteers under the command of colonel S. Krivoshein, the commander of the 8th Separate Mechanized Brigade. The first German delivery of armoured vehicles to Franco's insurgent Nationalist forces was of (Panzer I light tanks for the Condor Legion), which arrived only a week later. The Italians had begun to provide Nationalists with CV-33 tankettes even earlier, in August 1936.
T-26 mod. 1939.Republican and Nationalist tanks saw their first combat during the advance of Franco's forces towards Madrid, and during the Siege of Madrid, where the Nationalist Panzer I and CV-33 tankettes suffered heavy losses from Republican tanks armed with 45 mm gun. The first Soviet T-26 tanks delivered to Cartagena were intended for Republican tankers training in the Archena training center (90 km from Cartagena), but the situation around Madrid became complicated and fifteen tanks formed a tank company under the command of Soviet captain Paul Arman.
T-26s mod 1938 (foreground) and mod. 1933 (background) organic to the 6th Tank Brigade whose command personnel is preparing to the upcoming combat. South-eastern Front, August 1942.Arman's company engaged in battle on 29 October 1936 near Seseña, 30 km south-west of Madrid. Twelve T-26s advanced 35 km during the ten-hour raid and inflicted significant losses to Francoists (around two squadrons of Moroccan cavalry and two infantry battalions were defeated; twelve 75 mm field guns, four CV-33 tankettes and twenty to thirty trucks with cargo were destroyed or damaged) with the loss of 3 T-26 tanks to gasoline bombs and artillery fire. The first known instance of ramming in tank warfare was made that day when the T-26 tank of platoon commander Lt. Semyon Osadchy encountered two Italian CV-33 tankettes from the Nationalist 1st Tank Company near Esquivias village and overturned one of them into a small gorge. Crewmembers of another tankette were killed by tank machine-gun fire after they abandoned their vehicle. The T-26 of captain Arman was burned by a gasoline bomb; although wounded, Arman continued to lead the tank company. Arman's T-26 destroyed one, and damaged two CV-33 tankettes by tank gun fire. On December 31, 1936 captain P. Arman was awarded with the Hero of the Soviet Union for that tank raid and active participation in the defense of Madrid. On November 17, 1936, Arman's company had five T-26 tanks in operable condition.
T-26 mod. 1933 of the 11th International Brigade advancing during the Battle of Belchite. September 1937.The day before (28 October 1936) Francoist cavalry and Panzer IA tanks from the 88th Tank Battalion met with Rebublican T-26 tanks. The Pz.IA proved to have insufficient armament when pitted against the T-26.
Tanks T-26 of model 1939 from the 18th Tank Division/7th Mechanised Corps. The combat vehicles have a three-colour zebra-like camouflage consisting of light green and brown stripes on medium green background. Belarus, early July 1941.The Krivoshein's tank group, consisting of 23 T-26 tanks and 9 armoured cars, attacked Francoists on 1 November 1936, supporting the main Republican column retreating to Madrid. The Krivoshein's tank group took part in the fighting for Torrejón de Velasco and Valdemoro on 4–5 November 1936, a counter-attack in the suburb of Cerro de los Ángeles on 13 November 1936, and in continuous fighting inside Madrid itself through the middle of December 1936. Soviet military personnel of Krivoshein's group returned to the USSR in the end of November 1936, except for some tankers from Pogodin's company, mechanics from Alcalá de Henares tank repair base and military instructors from the Archena training center.
Tanks T-26 of model 1939 from the 18th Tank Division/7th Mechanised Corps. The combat vehicles have a three-colour zebra-like camouflage consisting of light green and brown stripes on medium green background. Belarus, early July 1941.The 1st Republican Tank Brigade initially consisted of a tank battalion, a Spanish motorcycle company and a transport battalion. It was created in December 1936 on the delivery of about 100 Soviet tanks and military personnel under the command of Soviet brigade commander D. Pavlov at the Archena training center. The Soviet volunteer tank commanders and drivers sent to Spain were from the best tank units of the Red Army: the Mechanized Brigade named after V. Volodarsky from Peterhof, the 4th Separate Mechanized Brigade from Babruysk (commander - D. Pavlov), and the 1st Mechanized Corps named after K.B. Kalinovsky from Naro-Fominsk. The tank gunners were usually Spanish.
T-26 Model 1933 tank in service during the Spanish Civil War. Note partially welded hull construction and anti-aircraft DT machine gunThe 1st Republican Tank Brigade (1.a Brigada Blindada) first saw action near Las Rosas and Majadahonda (north-west of Madrid) in the beginning of January 1937, supporting the 12th and 14th International Brigades. This action broke up the second Nationalist assault on Madrid.
Destroyed tanks T-26 of various modifications (of models 1933 and 1939) from the 6th Mechanised Corps. The pictures were taken in 1944, already after liberation of Byelorussia by the Soviet troops. In the background are westbound moving tanks T-34/85There were around 70 T-26s in the Republican Army in the beginning of 1937. In February 1937, company-sized detachments of the Tank Brigade participated in the Battle of Jarama. On 14 February 1937 the Tank Brigade, together with the 24th Infantry Brigade, took part in a counterattack and overcame a major Nationalist force, causing about 1000 Nationalist casualties. On 27 February 1937, the Tank Brigade launched five attacks on Nationalist positions without infantry support, but took heavy losses from anti-tank guns (35 to 40 percent of its tanks in some attacks). Nevertheless, the T-26 was used with great success during the Battle of Guadalajara in March 1937 after the 1st Tank Brigade was finally formed (its HQ was in Alcalá de Henares). For example, a platoon of two T-26 tanks under the command of Spaniard, E. Ferrera destroyed or damaged twenty-five Italian tankettes on 10 March 1937. In September/October 1937 the Republican 1st Tank Brigade was disbanded. Some volunteers returned back to the USSR, while others joined with the International Tank Regiment under the command of Soviet major S.A. Kondratiev.
Destroyed tanks T-26 of various modifications (of models 1933 and 1939) from the 6th Mechanised Corps. The pictures were taken in 1944, already after liberation of Byelorussia by the Soviet troops.From autumn 1937, all T-26 tank crews were Spanish. In summer 1938, the Republican Army had two armoured divisions, formed with Soviet help. Turrets from irreparable T-26 and BT-5 tanks and from BA-6 armoured cars were mounted on Chevrolet 1937s and other armoured cars developed and produced by the Republicans. It should be noted that Republican armour and infantry often suffered from cooperation problems throughout the war. T-26 tanks often attacked enemy trenches or defense positions in the narrow streets of Spanish towns without support, where they met strong resistance. Nationalist infantry, the Moroccans especially, defended courageously despite heavy casualties, throwing hand grenades and gasoline bombs, which are dangerous to tank engines.
Destroyed tanks T-26 of various modifications (of models 1933 and 1939) from the 6th Mechanised Corps. The pictures were taken in 1944, already after liberation of Byelorussia by the Soviet troops.Ultimately, the Soviet Union provided a total of 281 T-26 mod. 1933 tanks, which were used by the Republicans in almost all the battles of the Spanish Civil War. Many sources state that a total of 297 T-26s were delivered to Spain but this probably includes the first planned delivery of 15 T-26s on 26 September 1936.
Light tank T-26 of the 1939 model evidently belonging to the 39th Tank Division/16th Mechanised Corps. Vicinity of Uman, early August 1941.Approximately 40 percent of T-26s fell into Nationalist hands by the end of the war, mostly after the defeat of the Republicans. In March 1937, a tank company of captured T-26 tanks was included into Panzergruppe Drohne, a tank unit of the German Condor Legion in Spain. The Nationalists prized the Soviet tanks, even offering a bounty of 500 pesetas for each tank captured intact. In August 1937, a reorganization of the Drohne Group into Spanish control started, which resulted in the formation of Bandera de Carros de Combate de la Legion, a part of the Spanish Foreign Legion, in March 1938. The Bandera consisted of two battalions (1. and 2. Agrupacione de Carros). One was equipped with Panzer I tanks and the second with captured T-26 tanks. Approaching 1939, both battalions had similar organization, their third companies equipped with T-26 tanks. The Nationalists used captured T-26 tanks in the Battle of Teruel, Battle of Brunete, Battle of Bilbao, Battle of the Ebro and the Catalonia Offensive. The Nationalists developed their own light tank prototype (Verdeja) during the war, with the wide use of elements from Panzer I, and especially the T-26. Later, T-26s formed the base of the Spanish Brunete Armoured Division, serving until 1953.
T-26 Mod. 1939. Ukraine 1941.The T-26 was the most widely used tank of the Spanish Civil War in both armies. It was referred to as "the tank of the Spanish Civil War" in the title of one of Lucas Molina Franco's articles. "Out-gunned, out-manoeuvred, and hard-pressed, the Spanish had no effective answer to the tank", sparking several interesting developments within the context of tank design and anti-tank tactics. This was especially true regarding the T-26, given that there was no other tank in the field able to knock it out. Despite the T-26's superiority over the German Panzer I light tanks and Italian CV-33 tankettes (armed only with machine guns), the Spanish Civil War uncovered a vulnerability of the T-26: weak armour. Even the frontal armour of the T-26 was easily penetrated by German and Italian anti-tank guns. Not all Soviet military commanders recognized the T-26 light infantry tank's obsolescence in the mid-1930s. Work to design tanks with antiprojectile armour was slow in the USSR at that time.
The T-26-1 tank on the road to battle. Western Front, December 1941.Soviet-Japanese border wars 1938-1939
The first military operation of the RKKA in which T-26 light tanks participated was the Soviet-Japanese border conflict, the Battle of Lake Khasan in July 1938. The Soviet tank force consisted of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade and two separate tank battalions (the 32nd and the 40th). These included 257 T-26 tanks (with 10 KhT-26 flame-throwing tanks), 3 ST-26 bridge-laying tanks, 81 BT-7 light tanks, and 13 SU-5-2 self-propelled guns. The 2nd Mechanized Brigade had new command staff as 99% of its previous command staff (including brigade commander A.P. Panfilov) were arrested as "enemies of the nation" three days before marching off. That had an adverse effect on brigade actions during the conflict (for example, its tanks spent 11 hours to finish 45-km march because of ignorance of the route). During the assault of the Japanese-held Bezymyannaya and Zaozernaya bald mountains, Soviet tanks met with a well organized antitank defense. As a result, 76 T-26 tanks were damaged and 9 burnt. After the end of combat operations, 39 of these tanks were restored in tank units and others were repaired in workshop conditions.
T-26 on patrol on Kildyn island, 1942.There were only 33 T-26s, 18 KhT-26 flame-throwing tanks and 6 T-26T artillery tractors in tank units of the 57th Special Corps on 1 February 1939. For comparison, the corps had 219 BT tanks. The situation with the T-26 remained as before in July 1939: the 1st Army Group, which participated in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in Mongolia, had only 14 T-26s (in the 82nd Rifle Division) and 10 KhT-26 flame-throwing tanks (in the 11th Tank Brigade). The amount of T-26 tanks (flame-throwing variants mainly) increased somewhat in time for combat actions in August, but they always remained a small fraction of all tanks that participated in the conflict. Nevertheless, the T-26s were used extensively in action. The T-26 proved to be a very good tank during the Battle of Khalkhin Gol according to army reports: its cross-country capability in desert conditions was excellent and, despite thin armour (which was easily penetrated by Japanese 37 mm guns), the T-26 exhibited high survivability. Some T-26 tanks continued to fight after several 37 mm hits and did not catch fire, as happened more frequently with BT tanks.
T-26 tank with additional armor (with cylinder turret and straight under turret box). 1940. The vehicle was screened by the scheme of the plant No. 174 that had been developed for T-26-1 and KhT-133 tanks.Second World War
Soviet T-26 light tanks (mod. 1931 and mod. 1933) on the march in Poland. 17 September 1939.Soviet invasion of Poland
On the eve of World War II, the Red Army had around 8,500 T-26s of all variants. These served mainly in 17 separate light tank brigades (each brigade had 256–267 T-26s in four battalions, including 10–11 flame-throwing tanks) and in 80 separate tank battalions of some rifle divisions (each battalion had 10-15 T-26 light tanks in the first company and 22 T-37/T-38 amphibious tanks in the second one). Such types of tank units participated in the Soviet invasion of Poland (or, as it is called in Russian historiography, "the liberation march" to West Ukraine and West Belarus), sixteen days after the beginning of the German Invasion of Poland (1939).
T-26 tank with additional armor (with cylinder turret and straight under turret box). 1940. The vehicle was screened by the scheme of the plant No. 174 that had been developed for T-26-1 and KhT-133 tanks.On 17 September 1939, 878 T-26 tanks of the Belorussian Front (the 22nd, the 25th, the 29th and the 32nd Tank Brigades) and 797 T-26 tanks of the Ukrainian Front (the 26th, the 36th and the 38th Tank Brigades) crossed the Polish border. Combat losses in Poland amounted to 15 T-26 tanks only. However, 302 T-26s suffered technical failures on the march.
Soviet T-26 light tanks (mod. 1939 and mod. 1933), GAZ-M1 car and GAZ-AA trucks of the 7th Army during its advance on the Karelian Isthmus. 2 December 1939.The Winter War
The following tank units, equipped mainly with the T-26, participated in the war with Finland: the 35th, the 39th and the 40th Light Tank Brigades, eight separate tank battalions (OTBs) of rifle divisions of the 8th and the 14th Armies. In the course of the war, the 29th Light Tank Brigade, tank units of the 28th Rifle Corps (four tank regiments, a dozen OTBs of rifle divisions, six separate tank companies of rifle regiments), and five OTBs included into the 9th Army arrived to the front.
Finnish version of T-26 tank - a conical turret of line tank is mounted on the hull of OT-130 with spherical mount for DT machine-gun. Autumn, 1942.Light tank brigades in the Winter War were equipped a variety of T-26 tanks, including both twin- and single-turreted tanks produced from 1931 to 1939. Separate tank battalions of rifle divisions had old tanks mainly, produced in 1931-1936. But some tank units were equipped with new T-26 mod. 1939 tanks. A total of 848 T-26s were in tank units of the Leningrad Military District by the beginning of the war. Together with the BT and T-28, the T-26 was part of the main strike force during the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line, in which tanks shelled antitank teeth, Finnish pillboxes, machine-gun nests, and other fortifications.
Screened T-26 tank. Leningrad Front, Feb. 1944.The war experience forced change in the structure of Soviet tank units. T-37 and T-38 amphibious tanks proved to be useless under the conditions found in the northern theatre of operations. In accordance to the letter order of the General Military Council of the RKKA from 1 January 1940, each rifle division should have a tank battalion consisting of 54 T-26 tanks (including 15 flame-throwing tanks) and a rifle regiment should have a tank company of 17 T-26s. The organization of seven tank regiments (164 T-26s in each) for motor rifle and light motorized divisions began at that time also, but only two light motorized (motor cavalry) divisions were formed - the 24th and the 25th.
T-26 mod. 1933 light tanks from the 35th Light Tank Brigade advanced towards an attack line together with infantry. The Winter War, Karelian Isthmus. February 1940.Old, twin-turreted T-26 tanks were also used during the Winter War, mainly in OTBs of rifle divisions. These tanks did not participate in active combat operations but were suitable for protecting communication lines and used in signal service. Nevertheless, some T-26 mod. 1931 tanks were used in combat on the Karelian Isthmus. For instance, the 377th OTB of the 97th Rifle Division arrived at the front on 28 January 1940 with 31 T-26s (including 11 twin-turreted) and 6 KhT-26 flame-throwing tanks.
Captured screened T-26. Leningrad vicinities, 1942.Among tank units, equipped with the T-26, the actions of the 35th Light Tank Brigade (commander - colonel V.N. Kashuba, from January 1940 - colonel F.G. Anikushkin) were the most noteworthy. The brigade had 136 T-26 tanks of different models, 10 KhT-26 flame-throwing tanks and 3 ST-26 engineer tanks on 30 November 1939. In the beginning, the brigade was involved into combat for Kiviniemi and later it was redeployed to Hottinen area where its tanks, suffering high losses and shortage of repair facilities, supported the attacks of the 123rd and the 138th Rifle Divisions till the end of December. On 17 December 1939, colonel V.N. Kashuba was heavily wounded while raised infantrymen hitting the dirt during the attack of Finnish defense line. In January tankers of the 35th Brigade evacuated and repaired their T-26s, practised in cooperation with artillery, engineer and rifle units (the last ones often retreated under enemy fire and left tanks alone), manufactured wooden fascines for trench crossing which were placed in special towed sleds. By the breakthrough of the main defensive positions of the Mannerheim Line, battalions of the brigade were attached to the 100th, the 113rd and the 123rd Rifle Divisions.
The T-26 tank is being screened at one of the Leningrad's facilities. Autumn 1941. Slots for muffler and towing line placing are welded to the additional armor.On 26 February 1940, six Finnish Vickers 6-Ton tanks (armed with 37 mm 37 psvk 36 gun) from the 4th Tank Company (4./Pans.P) suddenly met with three T-26 mod. 1933 tanks from the 35th Light Tank Brigade (these were tanks of the 112th Battalion's company commanders going on the reconnaissance) and vanguard of Soviet rifle battalion near Honkaniemi. As the result of the combat, one Finnish tank was damaged by hand grenades and evacuated by the Finns soon whereas five others were knocked out by T-26s, which suffered no losses in actual fact (the Finns claimed that three from dozens of Soviet tanks were hit in combat). The T-26 of captain V.S. Arkhipov knocked out three Vickers tanks from these five, and was lightly damaged in combat (Finnish shell from Vickers No. 667 hit the main fuel tank but Soviet tank driver switched to the small fuel tank).
Finnish soldiers inspecting an abandoned Soviet T-26 mod. 1933 at Raate. January 1940.The 8th Army, which fought north of Lake Ladoga, had 125 T-26s in separate tank battalions (OTBs) of rifle divisions on 30 November 1939. Tank platoons suffered significant losses because of poor infantry reconnaissance of Finnish positions and ambushes, and absence of engineer support. For instance, on December 19th 1939 six T-26s with 50 infantrymen from the 75th Rifle Division were sent to attack the Finns, the tanks fell into a Finnish ambush on the road and were destroyed. The situation with arms cooperation became somewhat better toward the end of the war, nevertheless. But if the actions were planned well, tank attacks were often successful - for instance, the platoon of the 111th OTB broke through enemy defense and rescued the encircled infantry battalion without losses on 9 December 1939. The combat losses of the 8th Army included 65 T-26s during the war (56 tanks were lost to artillery fire and 9 - to landmines).
A Japanese army officer inspecting a destroyed T-26 tank in the vacinity of Lake Khasan in 1938.The 9th Army (Repola, Kandalaksha and Suomussalmi area) received tank units, equipped with T-26s, in the course of the war only - for example, the 100th and the 97th OTBs had 47 T-26s each (including twin-turreted T-26 mod. 1931 armed with the 37 mm Hotchkiss gun for which there were no ammunition), the 302nd OTB was equipped with 7 twin-turreted T-26s. Despite of unexperienced personnel and worn T-26s of old models tank battalions of the 9th Army fought very well. Thus, two tanks from the 100th OTB broke into Mjärkjärvi, pursuing retreating Finns, on 11 December 1939. The tank company from the 100th OTB together with infantry group crushed the Finnish ambush near Kuokojärvi on 8 December 1939, encircled and captured the town next day. The platoon from the 97th OTB destroyed Finnish firing-points between Alasenjärvi and Saunojärvi lakes, which helped Soviet rifle regiment to enter the last one.
German soldiers examine a knocked out T-26 tank, the burnt bodies of members of it's crew lay on the ground.The favourable experience of the 100th OTB which successfully performed independent missions cross-country was not taken into consideration, and many Soviet commanders believed till the end of the war that tanks could be used along the roads only. Poor reconnaissance and absence of artillery preparation often resulted in tragic circumstances - in such a way, the platoon of the 100th OTB lost five tanks to single Finnish anti-tank gun near Kursu (Lapland) on 14 December 1939, battalion executive officer was among 9 men killed in action. The combat losses of the 9th Army were 30 T-26s during the war.
A disabled Russian T-26 tank, with its turret turned round and facing the rear.In the polar Murmansk region, the 14th Army had the 411th OTB, equipped with 15 T-26 and 15 T-38 tanks from the Belorussian Military District, and the 349th OTB, equipped with 12 T-26 and 19 T-37/T-38 tanks from the Training Regiment of the Leningrad Armour Technical School. The narrow terrain only allowed the use of two or three T-26 tanks in co-operation with a rifle company or battalion. Tanks of 411th OTB attached to the 52nd Rifle Division were used the most actively. The 349th OTB concentrated in Petsamo on 13 December 1940 where it joined the 104th Rifle Division. The 14th Army lost three tanks to artillery fire, two to landmines, and two drowned.
T-26 light tank set on fire in an attack by Finnish tank hunters.At the Battle of Tolvajärvi and afterwards, the Finnish managed to capture or destroy nearly 12 T-26 tanks during the defeat of the 75th Rifle division. At the battles of Suomussalmi and Raate, the Soviet 44th Rifle Division was encircled and lost all armour of its 312th OTB, including 14 T-26s. Altogether, the Finns would capture almost 70 T-26 tanks of different models, including KhT-26 and KhT-130 flame-throwing tanks, during the Winter War, a number equal to the entire pre-war Finnish armoured force.
Red Army infantry following light tank T-26 - assault of the 138rd Rifle Division with support of 35th Light Tank Brigade at Summa, December 19, 1939The combat and technical losses of the 7th Army in action on the Karelian Isthmus from 30 November 1939 to 13 March 1940 were 930 T-26 tanks of all variants, with 463 of these repaired during the war.[40] All told, losses of T-26 tanks exceeded the number in inventory at the beginning of the war, but the number of T-26s at the front did not decrease due to reinforcements received from factory and tank workshops and new tank units arriving at the front. There were 1,331 T-26, BT and T-28 tanks at the Northwest Front in the beginning of February 1940, which increased to 1,740 tanks on 28 February 1940 when the breakthrough of the second Finnish line of defense began. For example, the 29th Light Tank Brigade (commander - brigade commander S. Krivoshein) with 256 T-26s was redeployed from Brest to the Karelian Isthmus in February 1940. The brigade played a key role in the assault of Vyborg on 12–13 March 1940.
Soviet T-26 mod. 1939 of the 40th Light Tank Brigade in winter camouflage on the way to battlefront. Note a small fascine for trench crossing, a canvas stowage and a tactical marking "00" on turret side. Karelian Isthmus. February 1940.In the end, the Winter War proved that the T-26 was obsolete and its design reserve was totally depleted. Finnish anti-tank guns easily penetrated T-26's thin antibullet armour, and its cross-country ability in the rough terrain, covered with deep snow, was mediocre because of low-powered engine. It was decided to withdraw the outdated T-26 from production in 1940 and replace it with a completely new model, the T-50 light tank.
A T-26 mod. 1933 crewmember surrenders to advancing German forces. Army Group Centre, August 1941.The Great Patriotic War
The T-26 formed the backbone of the Red Army's armoured forces during the first months of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. On June 1, the Red Army had 10,268 T-26 tanks of all models, including armoured combat vehicles based on the T-26 chassis. The T-26 made up 39.5 percent of the tank strength, by number. T-26s composed a majority of fighting vehicles in Soviet mechanized corps of border military districts.
For example, the Western Special Military District had 1,136 T-26 tanks on June 22, 1941 (52% of all tanks in the district). Mechanized corps of the Southwestern Front (formed from units of Odessa Special Military District and some units of Kiev Special Military District after the beginning of the war) were equipped with 1,316 T-26 tanks, making up 35% of all tanks on the front.
All in all there were 4,875 T-26 tanks in western military districts on June 1, 1941. However, some T-26 tanks were not operationally ready because of shortages of parts like batteries, tracks, and road wheels. Such shortages left around 30% of available T-26 tanks disabled. Additionally, about 30% of the available T-26 tanks had been produced in 1931-1934 and had limited service life.
Thus five Soviet western military districts had about 3,100–3,200 T-26s of all models in good order (approximately 40% of all tanks in the districts in question), which was only slightly less than the number of German tanks intended for invasion of the USSR.
T-26 based "Commander Tank" in action. Leningrad vicinity, 1941The planned replacement for the T-26 was the T-50 light tank, adopted for the Red Army in February 1941. The sophisticated T-50 was developed keeping in mind the experience gained in the Winter War and Soviet tests of the German Panzer III tank.
However, the new and complicated T-50 and its diesel engine encountered production problems and the new tank had not entered series production before the Great Patriotic War.
T-26 based "Commander Tank" equipped with antenna. Leningrad area, July 1941The majority of the Red Army's T-26 tanks in European military districts were lost in the first months of the Great Patriotic War, mainly to enemy artillery and air strikes.
In addition, the limited availability of recovery vehicles and spare parts meant that broken down tanks and other non-combat losses often could not be repaired. Tanks with even insignificant technical failures had to be blown up or burned by their crews upon retreat. The 12th Mechanized Corps, deployed in Baltic Special Military District, had 449 T-26 tanks, 2 flame-throwing tanks and 4 T-26T artillery tractors on June 22, 1941. The corps lost 201 T-26 tanks and all flame-throwing tanks and artillery tractors by July 7, 1941. A further 186 T-26 tanks were lost to technical failures.
Dead tank crewHowever, many T-26 crews did their best to combat the enemy's advance. For example, a composite battalion of the 55th Tank Division (made up of 18 single-turreted T-26 tanks and 18 twin-turreted T-26 tanks) supported the retreating 117th Infantry Division near Zhlobin. Single-turreted T-26 tanks destroyed 17 German tanks. Nine tanks of the battalion crossed the Dnieper River but eleven remained in enemy territory after the bridge was destroyed, with the remainder having been lost in combat.
A column of T-26 mod. 1939 and T-26 mod. 1933 light tanks from the 20th Tank Brigade moved towards a front line. The Western Front, Battle of Moscow. December 1941. The 20th Tank Brigade was equipped with 20 T-26 tanks.The T-26 light tank was inferior to the German Panzer III and Panzer IV medium tanks in gun calibre, speed, manoeuvrability, armour but the T-26's armament was superior in comparison with the Panzer I, Panzer II, Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t), which formed about 50% of the German panzer forces in June 1941. The Soviet 45 mm 20K tank gun could also penetrate the armour of Panzer III and Panzer IV at combat distances. The main reasons for the high loss rate of Soviet light tanks in June-July 1941 were the low production quality of 45 mm armour-piercing shells (which were themselves in short supply in tank units), the insufficient power of 45 mm 20K tank guns produced in 1932-1934, and poor coordination between different units of the Red Army. German air superiority and frequent technical problems with older tanks also plagued Soviet forces.
The front end of aT-26 Model 1939 light tank (identifiable by the sloping sides of the superstructure), being used to transport ski troops into action over the winter of 1941-42. The soldiers are seated on the sloping front of the hull. Ahead of the T-26 is a T-34 towing a sledge full of soldiers.Despite high losses, T-26 tanks still formed a significant part of the Red Army's armoured forces in autumn 1941 (many tanks arrived from inner military districts - Central Asia, Ural, Siberia, partially from the Far East). Tank units of the Western Front were equipped with 298 T-26 tanks on October 1, 1941, equivalent to 62% of total tank forces. However, many old T-26 tanks received by tank brigades from repair workshops were in poor technical condition and as the result there were only 50 T-26 tanks (14 of them under repair) available during the German advance in the Battle of Moscow. T-26 tanks participated in the Liberation of Rostov in December 1941 also.
T-26 tanks participated in combat at the Leningrad Front in 1941. For example, the 86th Separate Tank Battalion, equipped with the T-26, supported attacks of Soviet infantry from Kolpino towards Krasny Bor and Tosno on December 20–26, 1941. One case of T-26's use there is well-documented: during six days of continuous attacks and counterattacks, platoon commander junior lieutenant M.I. Yakovlev's T-26 destroyed two pillboxes, three anti-tank guns, four machine-gun nests, three mortars and an ammunition depot in Krasny Bor, in addition to killing about 200 enemy soldiers. Yakovlev’s T-26 was penetrated by nine shells, but was never taken out of action. Lt. Yakovlev received Hero of the Soviet Union award.
T-26 tanks continued to be used in combat throughout the Soviet-German front from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea (Battle of the Crimea) in 1942, but in lesser numbers than in 1941. During the Second Battle of Kharkov some tank units of the 22nd Tank Corps of the Southwestern Front were equipped with the T-26 (for example, the 13th Tank Brigade had six T-26 tanks on May 9th 1942). On May 13th 1942, German forces counterattacked the flank of the Soviet 38th Army, then on the offensive. Every available tank unit engaged the German battle group consisted from about 130 tanks of the 3rd and the 23rd Panzer Divisions. Three Soviet tank brigades lost all of their tanks, but inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.
The last major operations of the Great Patriotic War which involved substantial numbers of T-26 tanks were the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of the Caucasus in 1942.
Dead tank crewThough the T-26 saw no active action on the Soviet-German front in 1943, the T-26 still equipped some rearward units. Thus T-26 tanks of the 151st Tank Brigade (the 45th Army, Transcaucasian Front), equipped with 24 T-26s and 19 British Mk VII Tetrarch light tanks, guarded the Soviet-Iranian border. This tank brigade was redeployed to Tuapse (47th Army) in January 1943.
Knocked out Soviet T-26 mod. 1933 light tank and abandoned KV-1 heavy tank with additional appliqué armour in the background. Summer 1941.Some tank units of the Leningrad Front used their T-26 tanks till the beginning of 1944 when the breaking of Leningrade Blockade began (for example, the 1st and the 220th Tank Brigades each had 32 T-26 tanks on January 1, 1944). T-26s with applique armour were used there till summer 1944. In Karelia and Murmansk area (another stabilized part of the Soviet-German front) T-26s served even longer, until the summer of 1944, too.
T-26 mod. 1939 tanks and BA-10 armoured cars in Iran. September 1941.Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran
T-26 tanks from the 6th and the 54th Tank Divisions of the 28th Mechanized Corps (which had 717 T-26 and BT light tanks on May 1st 1941) participated in Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in August-September 1941.
Captured T-26 tank that has been screened in Sevastopol, Summer 1942.Soviet-Japanese War 1945
The Soviet invasion of Manchuria (1945) was the last military operation in which Soviet T-26 was used. The Red Army had 1,461 T-26s in the far east on 5 August 1945 (1,272 of these were in operable condition). There were many old tanks (mainly T-26 and BT-7 tanks) in far eastern separate tank brigades; these had remained on the Manchurian border during the entire Great Patriotic War. To increase the combat effectiveness of these tank units, 670 new T-34-85 tanks were issued to one battalion of each brigade in summer 1945, leaving the other two battalions with their T-26 or BT-7 light tanks as before. For example, the 1st Far Eastern Front had 11 separate tank brigades (80-85 tanks in each, half T-26 or BT) at that time. There were some number of T-26s in 2 tank divisions and 5 tank brigades of the Transbaikal Front. Such tank units participated in the defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army in August 1945. T-26s often demonstrated better cross-country ability in the far eastern theater of operation than much heavier T-34-85 and Lend-Lease M4 Sherman medium tanks. Also, the T-26's performance was still sufficient to fight against Japanese armoured vehicles. T-26 tanks participated in the victory over Japan parade in Harbin in September 1945.
T-26 mod. 1933 displayed in Parola Tank Museum. This captured tank was used by the Finns during the Continuation War. The vehicle has been restored to drivable condition.Outside the Red Army
After the end of the Spanish Civil War and the capture of Spanish Rebublican military equipment including T-26s, Franco's Spain received some additional T-26s from France which had been taken from retreating Republican forces and interned in French warehouses. In 1942, the Spanish Army had 139 T-26 mod. 1933 light tanks in service. After the end of World War II, Spain had at least 116 T-26s, mainly in the Brunete Armoured Division. The T-26 tanks would not be replaced until 1953, when Spain and the United States signed an agreement for open shipments of new military materiel to Spain. The first twelve M47 Patton tanks, dedicated to replace the old T-26 tanks, arrived at Cartagena in February 1954.
Screened T-26-1 tank (early 1940 production series). This tank was captured by Finns in the summer of 1941 in Karelia.The Finns captured and evacuated nearly 70 T-26 tanks of different models (including KhT-26 and KhT-130 flame-throwing tanks) during the Winter War. Of these, 10 T-26 mod. 1931, 20 T-26 mod. 1933, 2 T-26 mod. 1938/1939, 2 KhT-26 and 4 KhT-130 were repaired at the Varkaus Tank Workshop and put into service until June 1941. The Finns also rearmed their Vickers 6-Ton tanks with the Soviet 45 mm 20K gun and the coaxial DT tank machine gun for ammunition standartization with captured T-26s. These modified Vickers tanks under designator T-26E were used by the Finnish Army during the Continuation War for infantry support.
During the offensive phase of the Continuation War in summer and autumn of 1941, the Finns captured more than 100 T-26s of different models (including several tanks with applique armour). Of these, 35 were fully repaired and sent to the Armoured Battalion, 21 were stored for later refurbishment, and the remainder were scrapped. There were 102 T-26s in the Finnish Army on 1 January 1942 (twin-turreted and flame-throwing tanks were used as training vehicles). The Armoured Battalion was reorganized into the Armoured Brigade (consisting of two battalions) on 10 February 1942.
The Finns modernized their T-26s in 1942-1943. Eight T-26 mod. 1931 tanks received turrets from the single-turreted T-26 or BT tanks. Additionally, turrets from irreparable T-26s or BTs of different models were mounted on KhT-26s, KhT-130s and KhT-133s, which had flame-throwing equipment removed. A ball mount for the DT tank machine gun was installed on some of these tanks in the front armoured plate of the underturret box. In addition, some Finnish T-26s had a modified driver's hatch opened to the left as well as a different kit of spare parts tools, and many tanks were equipped with a special rear beam for towing guns and damaged vehicles.
The T-26 remained the main tank of the Finnish Armoured Division throughout the war, although the German StuG III began to replace it in 1943. Peak numbers in Finnish service occurred during the summer of 1944, when the Finns kept up to 126 various T-26 tanks, including 22 rebuilt Vickers 6-Ton (T-26E), 2 T-26 mod. 1931, 1 KhT-26, 63 T-26 mod. 1933, 36 T-26 mod. 1938/1939, and 2 T-26T artillery tractors. About 75 T-26s and 19 T-26Es continued in service after the end of the World War II. Some of these tanks were kept as training vehicles until 1960, when they were finally phased out and replaced by newer British and Soviet tanks. In January 1960, the Finnish Army still had 21 T-26 tanks of various types in service, and the last Finnish T-26 was officially retired in 1961.
In August 1937, the Chiang Kai-shek's government negotiated with the Soviet government for military aid for the War of China's Resistance Against Japan (1937-1945) during a signing of a Treaty of Non-Aggression between the Republic of China and the Soviet Union. The USSR sold 82 T-26 mod. 1933 tanks to China. These tanks were shipped to Guangzhou harbour in the spring of 1938, and used to set up the 200th Infantry Division of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army. The 200th Infantry Division was actually a mechanized division consisting of four regiments, including a tank regiment equipped with 70 or 80 T-26s, an armoured car regiment, a mechanized infantry regiment, and an artillery regiment.
Soviet officers inspecting knocked out Finnish KhT-133 tank, which was rearmed with 45 mm 20K gun and DT tank machine gun. Karelia. 1944.Chinese tank crews were trained under the supervision of Soviet specialists. T-26 tanks of the 200th Infantry Division were used in the Battle of Lanfeng in 1938, the Battle of Kunlun Pass in 1939, the Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road in the Burma campaign in 1942 and some other combat against the Japanese until 1944. After World War II, the remaining Chinese T-26 tanks equipped the First Armoured Regiment of the Army of the Chinese Kuomingtang government, which saw service in East China during the Chinese Civil War (1946–1950). Finally, several T-26 tanks were destroyed or captured by the People's Liberation Army during the Huaihai Campaign in 1949.
In 1935, Turkey purchased 60 T-26 mod. 1933 light tanks from the USSR (also, two twin-turreted T-26 mod. 1931 were presented to Turkish government in 1933-1934), along with about 60 BA-6 armoured cars to form the 1st Tank Battalion of the 2nd Cavalry Division at Lüleburgaz. The Armoured Brigade of the Turkish Army consisted of the 102nd and the 103rd Companies armed with the T-26 mod. 1933 tanks (four platoons in a company, five tanks in platoon) in the end of 1937. The reserve group of the brigade had 21 T-26 tanks also. In the beginning of 1940, the Turkish Army had the Armoured Brigade in Istanbul, which belonged to the 1st Army, and the 1st Tank Battalion, which belonged to the 3rd Army. Turkish T-26 tanks were taken out of service in 1942.
The German Wehrmacht used around 40 captured T-26 tanks of different models under the designation Panzerkampfwagen 737(r), 738(r), or 740(r), depending of the model. KhT-130 flame-throwing tanks had the German designation Flammenwerfer Panzerkampfwagen 739(r). Only a very small number of captured T-26 tanks were repaired by German army workshops by the end of 1941; hundreds of Soviet tanks abandoned in summer-autumn 1941 during the Soviet retreat were badly damaged in combat or had technical failures which were impossible to repair because of the absence of spare parts, and Germany's own tanks were a higher maintenance priority. A small number of German T-26 tanks participated in the Battle of Smolensk (1941), the Battle of Moscow, Battles of Rzhev, combat near Leningrad and Bryansk, in the Minsk Offensive and even the Warsaw uprising in 1944. They were used by several rifle and tank units including the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf. Also German police tank companies (Polizei-Panzer-Kompanien) used a few captured T-26s, including obsolete twin-turreted tanks, in Soviet and Polish occupied territories.
T-26M33 on display as a monument in Korovitino village (Novgorod region).In autumn 1943, ten German T-26 tanks were rearmed as self-propelled guns (the turrets were removed and ex-French 7.5 cm guns Pak 97/38(f) with shields were installed instead). Those 7,5 cm Pak 97/98(f) auf Pz.740(r) self-propelled guns served in the 3rd Company of the 563rd Anti-tank Battalion (3 Kp. Pz.Jg.Abt. 563) but all of them were replaced soon with the Marder III on March 1st 1944.
The Royal Romanian Army had 33 captured T-26s of different models as of 1 November 1942, mainly donated by Germany. However, the Romanians could not repair most of the captured vehicles and so not all were used in combat. For example, the 1st Tank Division had only 2 T-26 tanks in September 1942. The Hungarian Army also used a few captured T-26 mod. 1933 tanks.
NRA T-26 Tanks at Hunan. Notice the long barreled guns, similar Vickers 6-Ton tanks also in Chinese service had short gun barrels.It is probable that 2 twin-turreted T-26 mod. 1931 light tanks were sold to Afghanistan in 1935, but this information is unconfirmed.
Variants
Specifications of the T-26 of different models (according to the Factory's No. 174 data).
Twin-turreted tanks
T-26 model 1931 — twin-turreted version armed with two DT tank machine guns. The first series-produced variant of the T-26 which was equipped with turrets differ from the initial Vickers design (Soviet turrets were higher and had an observation window). Tanks produced from 1931 to the March 1932 had riveted hull and turrets, a muffler affixed with two clamps, and lacked any cover over the air outlet window. About 1,177 T-26 mod. 1931 tanks armed with machine guns were accepted by the Red Army, which had 1,015 such twin-turreted tanks on 1 April 1933.
T-26 model 1931 with gun plus machine gun armament — twin-turreted version with a 37 mm gun in the right turret (some modern sources mention this tank as T-26 model 1932). There were two models of 37 mm guns in the USSR suitable for mounting in light tanks that time - the Hotchkiss gun (or its Soviet improved variant PS-1), and the more powerful PS-2 gun developed by P. Syachentov. The latter was superior, but only experimental models existed. Therefore, the first 10 pre-production T-26s, which had design identical to Vickers 6-Ton, were equipped with the Hotchkiss gun in the right turret to increase fire power compared to the machine gun armed Vickers tank. The experimental PS-2 gun was mounted on three T-26 tanks only, the right turrets of which were replaced with small gun turrets from the T-35-1 (prototype of the T-35 heavy tank).
Twin-turreted T-26 mod. 1931 with riveted hull and turrets, armed with the 37 mm Hotchkiss gun (PS-1) in the right turret. Battle of Tolvajärvi. December 1939.As the series production of the PS-2 gun was delayed, the Main Artillery Agency of the RKKA gave preference to a new gun. That was a development of the Artillery Design Office of the Bolshevik Factory constructed from parts taken from the previously purchased German 37 mm anti-tank gun developed by Rheinmetall and the PS-2 gun. This system was successfully tested and the Artillery Factory No. 8 named after M. Kalinin started its series production under the designator B-3 (5K). The B-3 gun had less recoil and smaller breech compared to the PS-2, so it could be easily mounted in the normal machine gun turret of the T-26. The first twin-turreted T-26 was armed with the B-3 gun in the right turret in autumn 1931. Unfortunately, series production of the B-3 gun proceeded slowly due to poor production standards (none of 225 guns produced in 1931 were accepted by army representatives; it took until 1933 to complete the original order for 300 guns placed in August of 1931). In addition, completed B-3 guns would be mounted on BT-2 light tanks after summer 1932. This meant that twin-turreted T-26 tanks would continue to be equipped with old 37 mm Hotchkiss (PS-1) guns. As production of the PS-1 gun had ended, some guns were taken from military supply depots and scrapped MS-1(T-18) tanks.
The initial plan was to arm every fifth T-26 with the 37 mm gun in the right turret, but the final proportion was somewhat higher. About 450 twin-turreted T-26 mod. 1931 tanks mounting the 37 mm gun in the right turret were produced in 1931–1933 (including only 20-30 tanks with the B-3 gun). There were 392 T-26 mod. 1931 tanks with gun plus machine gun armament in the Red Army on 1 April 1933.
Twin-turreted T-26 armed with the 76.2 mm recoilless gun designed by L.V. Kurchevsky in the right turret. 1934.T-26 (BPK) (BPK stands for batal'onnaya pushka Kurchevskogo or "battalion gun by Kurchevsky") - twin-turreted version with a 76.2 mm recoilless gun (or "dynamic reaction gun", as it was called at the time) in the right turret. At the end of 1933 M. Tukhachevsky suggested equipping some T-26 mod. 1931 tanks with the 76.2 mm BPK recoilless gun designed by L.V. Kurchevsky in a right turret to increase a fire power. One prototype of such a tank was built in 1934. BPK had a muzzle velocity of 500 m/s (1,640 ft/s) and a range of 4 km (2.5 mi). The tank was able to carry 62 4-kg rounds. The test performed on 9 March 1934 demonstrated a significant increase in firepower, but the recoilless gun proved difficult to reload on the move and the powerful jet blast projected behind the weapon when fired would be dangerous to infantrymen behind the tank. Shortcomings were also observed in the design of the gun itself, and so the planned rearmament of twin-turreted T-26 tanks with recoilless guns did not take place.
Twin-turreted T-26 (with the 37 mm Hotchkiss gun (PS-1) in the right turret), equipped with the radio station No. 7N and the hand-rail frame antenna on the hull. Military exercises. 1934.T-26TU (TU stands for tank upravleniya or "command tank") - twin-turreted version with a simplex radio station No. 7N (communication range - 10 km) and a hand-rail frame antenna on the hull. Antenna lead located in front part of underturret box roof between turrets. The vehicle was intended for platoon (and higher) commanders. Three such tanks were successfully tested in September 1932 and seven more radio stations were delivered to the Factory named after K.E. Voroshilov, but it is unknown whether they were mounted on twin-turreted T-26 tanks or not. Series production of twin-turreted command radio tanks was scheduled to begin on January 1st 1933, but this did not occur because radio stations No. 7N were in short supply and introduction of single-turreted T-26s with radio stations.
Additionally, one twin-turreted T-26 was given to the Research Institute of Communication in March 1932 to develop special tank communication devices. The plan was to equip each tank with a keyphone, while a platoon commander's tank would be equipped with a telephone switch for 6 subscribers (4 tanks in platoon, communication lines with infantry and higher headquarters). A special terminal block was mounted on the rear of the tank so that communication wires could be connected. The work remained experimental.
Single-turreted tanks
Twin-turreted T-26 mod. 31 and T-26 mod. 33 with radio station and night lights. The 35th Light Tank Brigade, Winter War, February 1940.T-26 model 1933 — single turret version armed with 45 mm 20K tank gun and DT tank machine gun. A new cylindrical turret with a large rear niche. Some tanks were equipped with 71-TK-1 radio station with a hand-rail antenna around the turret. Upgraded in 1935 with a welded hull and turret, and again in 1936 with a rear DT tank machine gun in the turret. In 1937, some tanks were equipped with an anti-aircraft machine gun and a searchlight. The model 1933 was the most numerous variant.
T-26 mod. 1938T-26 model 1938 — new conical turret, small changes in hull parts, increased volume of fuel tanks. Tank gun mod. 1937 and mod. 1938 were equipped with an electric breechblock and a vertically stabilized TOP-1 telescopic sight (or a TOS telescopic sight on the 1938 model).
T-26 model 1939 (T-26-1) — underturret box with sloped armoured plates, rear machine gun removed on some tanks, 97 hp engine. Tanks built after 1940 were equipped with an underturret box made from 20 mm homogeneous armour, a unified observation device, and a new turret ring. Some tanks were equipped with armoured screens. About 1,975 T-26 tanks with conical turret (T-26 mod. 1938, T-26 mod. 1939) were produced.
T-26 mod. 1933 with applique armour after running trials. Spring 1940.T-26 screened - tank with additional armour plating (applique armour). Some modern sources mention this tank as T-26E (E stands for ekranirovanny or "screened"). The Factory No. 174 developed the design of 30-40 mm applique armour for all types of single-turreted T-26s during the Winter War. On 30 December 1939, the factory tests proved that the T-26 with applique armour successfully resisted fire from 45 mm anti-tank gun at a range from 400-500 m. Side and front armoured plates were mounted with the use of blunt bolts and electric welding. Toward the middle of February 1940, the RKKA received 27 screened T-26 mod. 1939 tanks and 27 KhT-133 flame-throwing tanks, additional 15 T-26 mod. 1939 tanks were armoured by workshops of the 8th Army in Suoyarvi in the beginning of March 1940. All in all, 69 T-26s with applique armour were used during the Winter War and 20 more were delivered to tank units after the end of the war. The combat proved that Finnish light anti-tank guns could not penetrate armour of these tanks.
The T-26 mod. 1939 with applique armour weighted 12 tonnes (13 short tons) which caused strong overload of chassis, transmission and engine of the light tank. It was recommended for drivers to use low gears only.
During the Great Patriotic War, a mounting of 15-40 mm applique armour on some amount (about a hundred) of different T-26s was performed by local factories in Leningrad in 1941-1942, during the Siege of Odessa (1941), the Battle for Moscow and the Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942). A cutting of armoured plates was more rough than developed during the Winter War, the majority of such tanks did not have moving armoured gun mask in contrast to the Factory No. 174's original design and some tanks had front applique armour only.
Artillery tanks
T-26 mod. 1931 with the A-43 welded turret developed by N. Dyrenkov. Note a ball mount for the DT tank machine gun. Leningrad. 1933.T-26 with the A-43 turret - artillery T-26 or "tank of fire support" with a turret developed by self-taught inventor N. Dyrenkov at the Experimental Design Office of the Department of Mechanization and Motorization of the RKKA (UMM RKKA). Two types of turrets, armed with the 76 mm regimental gun mod. 1927 and DT tank machine gun in a ball mount, were assembled by the Izhora Factory: partially pressed and welded. The first one was installed on the T-26 mod. 1931 in February 1932 and the second one – in November 1932 (in the last case, the rear armoured plate of underturret box was made sloping).
It was found that the A-43 turret was very tight for two crewmembers, it had insufficient observation field, there was no any turret ventilation which made continuous gun fire difficult and it was hard to rotate the turret manually. In the beginning of 1933, a new 76 mm KT tank gun mod. 1927/32 with reduced (from 900 mm to 500 mm) recoil length was installed into the A-43 turret. Nevertheless, it was proved again that the turret still had a very tight place for crewmembers. In addition, the ammunition stowage for 54 rounds was unsuccessful. As the result, the military refused the A-43 turret.
T-26-4 — artillery tank with enlarged turret armed with the 76.2 mm KT tank gun mod. 1927/32 (some modern sources mention this tank as T-26A, A stands for artilleriysky or "artillery"). The turret was developed by the Bolshevik Factory (since February 1932 - by the Design Office of the established Factory No. 174) in 1931-1932, it was installed on the T-26 mod. 1931 in November 1932. Unlike the A-43 turret, the turret by Factory No. 174 was much more convenient for the crew. The turret of the T-26-4 was quite similar to main turret of the T-28 medium tank.
The T-26-4 with the KT tank gun passed tests successfully and five vehicles were built in 1933-1934 as pilot batch. Initially it was planned to arm three of these T-26-4 with the 76.2 mm KT tank gun mod. 1927/32 and two tanks - with the 76.2 mm PS-3 tank gun. The PS-3 tank gun was developed at the Experimental Engineering-Mechanical Department (OKMO) of the Factory No. 174 by engineer P. Syachentov. The PS-3 had better specifications in comparison with the series-produced KT tank gun and also had several technical innovations (foot firing switch, original training gear, travelling position fixing, binocular optical sight). The T-26-4 armed with the PS-3 tank gun was tested in October 1933 but it was found that the PS-3 was too powerful for the T-26 light tank - turret's race ring and hull roof were deformed during gun fire, suspension springs were damaged also. It was decided to arm the T-26-4 with the 76.2 mm KT tank gun only. All five experimental T-26-4 artillery tanks were tested during military exercises near Leningrad in September 1934 before scheduled series production of 50 such vehicles in 1935. But on September 19th, 1934 the incident with one T-26-4 took place (a blow-back because of shell case destruction during gun fire). Despite the fact that this defect was unrelated to turret design, the military representatives cancelled the order to produce T-26-4. Also the work to design turretless AT-1 artillery tank armed with the powerful 76.2 mm PS-3 tank gun started at that time. Nevertheless, the T-26-4's turret construction was used to design the series-produced BT-7A artillery tank.
In 1939, the Armored Directorate of the Red Army (ABTU RKKA) ordered to develop for the T-26 a new conical turret similar to the BT-7's turret and to arm it with the 76.2 mm L-10 tank gun. But engineers of the Factory No. 174 substantiated the impossibility to implement a project because of serious redesign of the T-26 and significant overload of its chassis in that case.
Armoured combat vehicles
A large amount of different armoured combat vehicles were developed on the T-26 chassis in the 1930s. Among them were KhT-26, KhT-130 and KhT-133 flame-throwing tanks (552, 401 and 269 vehicles were produced, correspondingly); T-26T artillery tractors (197 were produced); TT-26 and TU-26 radio-controlled tanks (162 radio-controlled tanks of all models were produced), ST-26 bridge-laying tanks (71 were produced), SU-5 self-propelled guns (33 were produced), experimental armoured cargo/personnel carriers, reconnaissance vehicles and many others. Also different vehicle-mounted equipment was developed for the T-26, including tank mine sweeps, inflatable pontoons and snorkel for fording water obstacles.
Survivors
There are about 45 T-26 tanks of various models preserved in different museums and military schools (Russian, Spanish and Finnish mainly). The most notable of them are:
T-26 mod. 1931 with riveted hull and turrets. Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, Russia.Twin-turreted T-26 mod. 1931 in the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow (Russia) - this tank from the 115th Rifle Division with shell holes was raised from a river bottom on the site of river crossing at Nevsky Pyatachok in July 1989 by Katran diving club. The vehicle was restored in the Pyarnu Training Tank Regiment of the Leningrad Military District, it was donated to the museum in February 1998. Only two such vehicles are preserved at the moment.
Twin-turreted T-26 mod. 1931 with gun plus machine gun armament and riveted hull in the Kubinka Tank Museum in Moscow Oblast (Russia). The single survived twin-turreted T-26 armed with the 37 mm gun.
T-26 mod. 1933 in the Central Armed Forces Museum in Moscow (Russia) - this tank of late production variant was transferred from Kubinka Tank Museum in 1980s.
T-26 mod. 1933 at the museum "Breaching of the Leningrad Blockade" near Kirovsk, Leningrad Oblast. This tank was raised from a river bottom at Nevsky Pyatachok in May 2003.T-26 mod. 1933 in the Museum-Diorama "Breaching of the Blockade of the Leningrad" in Mar'ino village near Kirovsk, Leningrad Oblast (Russia) - this tank with a large shell hole on the right side of the hull and without turret was raised from a river bottom at Nevsky Pyatachok in May 2003.
T-26 mod. 1933 in the Museum of the Northwestern Front in Staraya Russa, Novgorod Oblast (Russia) - this tank was raised from the Lovat River in 1981 and became a monument to Soviet tankers in Korovitchino village (Novgorod Oblast). The vehicle was given to the museum in May 2004. The tank has inauthentic tracks.
T-26 mod. 1933. El Goloso Museum in Madrid, Spain.T-26 mod. 1933 in the El Goloso Baracks Museum in Madrid (Spain) - the tank (Spanish tactical number 135) in Nationalist Spanish markings with pressed gun mask is armed with Hotchkiss machine gun instead of DT tank machine gun. Produced in 1936. The anti-aircraft machine gun and the hand-rail radio antenna are late dummies.
T-26 mod. 1933. Parola Tank Museum, Finland.T-26 mod. 1933 in the Parola Tank Museum (Finland) - Finnish tactical number Ps 163-33, in drivable condition.
T-26 mod. 1933 in the Parola Tank Museum (Finland) - this tank is described in many sources as early version of the T-26 mod. 1933. But in reality this is the Finnish war-time modernization (Finnish tactical number Ps 163-16) of a hull from KhT-26 flame-throwing tank (which can be identified by rivets for mounting of a burning mixture tank, rivets for hinges of a filling hatch on the left side and a welded drain port on the right side behind a front track bogie) with a mounted riveted turret with a small rear niche from the early BT-5 light tank.
T-26 mod. 1933 in the Parola Tank Museum (Finland) - the Finnish war-time modernization (Finnish tactical number Ps 163-28) of a hull from KhT-26 flame-throwing tank with a mounted turret from the BT-7 light tank.
T-26 mod. 1939 in the Kubinka Tank Museum, Moscow Oblast (Russia) - this tank with pressed gun mask is in drivable condition (the GAZ-41 engine from the BRDM-2 was installed in 2005). The tank has combat damages taken during the Great Patriotic War (many marks from armour-piercing bullets and a welded hole on the right side of the turret from 50 mm shell).
T-26 mod. 1939 in the Parola Tank Museum, (Finland) - the Finnish war-time modernization (Finnish tactical number Ps 164-7): a hull from KhT-133 flame-throwing tank with a mounted turret from the T-26 mod. 1938/1939 and a ball mount for the DT tank machine gun in a hull front armoured plate.
KhT-130 flame-throwing tank in the Kubinka Tank Museum, Moscow Oblast (Russia) - in reality this is the TU-26 teletank control vehicle with a dummy flame-thrower.
KhT-130 flame-throwing tank in the Military Unit No. 05776 in Borzya, Chita Oblast (Russia) - monument (since 1995) with an incomplete chassis (one track bogie is lacking, tracks and driving wheels were taken from the M3 Stuart American light tank). Before 1990 the vehicle stood in the territory of one of military units of the Soviet 39th Army (located in Mongolia) of the Transbaikal Military District. The single preserved KhT-130 at the moment.
T-26
Type Light infantry tank
Place of origin Soviet Union
Service history
In service 1931–45 in USSR, –1953 in Spain, –1961 in Finland
Used by Soviet Union, Spain, Finland, China, Turkey, Nazi Germany, Romania, Hungary, Afghanistan
Wars Spanish Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War, Soviet–Japanese Border Wars, Soviet invasion of Poland, Winter War, Great Patriotic War, Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, Soviet-Japanese War 1945, Chinese Civil War
Production history
Designer Vickers-Armstrongs, OKMO of Bolshevik Factory in Leningrad
Designed 1928–1931
Manufacturer Factory No. 174 named after K.E. Voroshilov in Leningrad, Stalingrad Tractor Factory
Produced 1931–41
Number built 10,300 tanks and 1,701 other vehicles
Specifications (T-26 mod. 1933)
Weight 9.6 tonnes (10.6 short tons)
Length 4.65 m (15 ft 3 in)
Width 2.44 m (8 ft 0 in)
Height 2.24 m (7 ft 4 in)
Crew 3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Armour 6 mm (0.24 in) bottom, 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) roof, 15 mm (0.59 in) hull (front, rear, sides) and turret
Primary armament 45 mm 20K mod. 1932/34 tank gun (122 rds.)
Secondary armament 7.62 mm DT tank machine gun (2,961 rds.)
Engine 4-cylinder gasoline flat air-cooled T-26 (Armstrong Siddeley type); engine volume 6,600 cc 90 hp (67 kW) at 2,100 rpm
Power/weight 9.38 hp/t
Transmission single-disk main dry clutch, drive shaft, gearbox with five gears, steering clutches, final drives
Suspension leaf quarter-elliptic springs
Ground clearance 380 mm (15 in)
Fuel capacity 290 L (64 imp gal; 77 U.S. gal) [with additional 110-L fuel tank]
Operational range 220–240 km (140–150 mi) - high-road; 130–140 km (81–87 mi) - off-road;
Speed 31.1 km/h (19.3 mph) - high-road; 22 km/h (14 mph) - by-road; 16 km/h (9.9 mph) - off-road
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