T-46

History

Extensive Soviet testing of main battle tanks began in the mid-1920s and continued into the Cold War (1947-1991). Various attempts have been made to perfect the locally created battle platform, with mixed success through several notable and other less valuable designs. One of the major contributions of Soviet engineers in the 1930s was the "T-26" light infantry tank, production of which exceeded 10,000 before reaching the finish line (this tank is detailed elsewhere on this site).

The series fought throughout the pre-World War II period until World War II (1939-1945), culminating in its final action.

In order to improve the inherent performance of this successful tank, Soviet engineers attempted to adapt the American "Christie" suspension system to the existing T-26, and this work continued to produce the "T-46" which was eventually scrapped. The original bogie-style leaf spring wheel arrangement has been eliminated in favor of a more traditional (and rather modern) track and wheel arrangement consisting of four wheels on one side of the body, a drive sprocket at the front and a rear track idler. Two chain return rollers were installed to support the chain link section around the upstream side of the fuselage.

Also unique to this design is the tank's ability to remove the track links and run on wheels like a car (like the Soviet "BT" series of fast tanks detailed elsewhere on this site). For this sporty style, the driver can steer the front pair of wheels while the rear pair provides power.

Design work on the new vehicle was carried out in 1933, and the construction of the pilot vehicle was carried out at the eh Kirov Plant No. 185 in Leningrad. As the initial pilot form proved too weak, a second prototype was called "T-46-1" in November 1935.

When completed, the 10.3-ton vehicle measures 5.5 meters long, 2.3 meters wide and 2.3 meters high. Its operator consists of three people, and its weapons are mounted in a movable turret mounted above the hull (same as the T-26 light tank).

Primary armament consists of a 1 x 45mm 20K L/46 main gun supported by a 1 x 7.62mm DT machine gun on a coaxial mount. A second 7.62mm DT machine gun was mounted on a bracket at the rear of the turret to provide all-around protection for the crew.

Can also carry a flamethrower that fires up to 12 long-range explosions at 20 meters. Armor reaches 15mm on the thickest panels for basic protection against small arms fire.

Driven by a 330 hp GAZ MT5-I 12-cylinder petrol engine. This gives the vehicle a range of up to 500 km, but more importantly, a speed of nearly 55 km/h on the track and 72 km/h on the wheels.

The T-46 initially performed well in 1936, so the Soviet Army commissioned 50 vehicles to pre-production standards. However, production was soon halted after only a few examples were completed, as the design proved to be as expensive as the more valuable T-28 medium tank series (detailed elsewhere on this site). The T-46's lack of armor protection and firepower, while costing the same as its medium counterpart, led to the T-46's demise and abandonment. The few completed examples were operations in the "Winter War" with neighboring Finland in 1939-1940, and then a dead end when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union through "Operation Barbarossa" in June 1941.

A small number of T-46 tanks have since been discontinued.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes