SU-76I

I briefly mentioned various Soviet re-arming projects in the past, so let's take a closer look at a successful one, the SU-76I. As was the tradition at the time, the 76 index stands for the caliber of the gun. The I stands for Inostrannaya (foreign). The vehicle was also referred to as SU-76 (S-1) after its gun assembly index, or Sturmgeschütz 76 in German intelligence documents.

"Mass production model of a SU-76I SPG on the chassis of a captured PzIII, designed by factory #37"

CAMD RF 38-11369-1

The Red Army experienced a need for light SPGs armed with 76 mm guns as early as Fall of 1941, but that need was not met until December of 1942, when production of the SU-76 SPG began. Sadly, production was dragging slowly, and the vehicle ultimately ended up a bust. The need for a light SPG didn't go anywhere. In order to meet the army's needs, factory #37 converted PzIIIs and StuGs to use an F-34 76 mm gun in a fixed casemate.

"According to GOKO decree #2758 from January 18th, 1943, factory #37 and TsAKB NKV designed and built an experimental prototype of a SU-76I SPG on the chassis of a captured StuG SPG and PzIII tank, using a stock 76 mm F-34 tank gun.

In March of 1943, the vehicle was tested at the Sofrino proving grounds over 280 kilometers of travel and 434 rounds.

The experimental prototype passed trials, and was recommended for service in the Red Army. The SU-76I SPG was accepted into the Red Army by GOKO decree #2758ss from January 18th, 1943."

CAMD RF 38-11369-1

The SU-76I was a continuation of the SG-122 design, along with some improvements, like sloped armour. Originally, the project called for a ZiS-3 gun (which was later installed on the SU-76), but the only way to provide proper mantlet protection was to use an F-34 in a special frame (indexed S-1). Armour reached 50 mm in the front. The SPG kept its 300 hp Maybach engine. Due to the fact that vehicles of different makes and models served as a base for the SU-76I, various SPGs of this type can look slightly different. It is not known exactly how many of these vehicles were made from StuGs and how many were made from PzIIIs. According to M. Svirin, the total amount of SU-76I and SG-122 vehicles built with captured StuG hulls only equalled eight.

An interesting point: the decree that accepted the SU-76I into service pre-dates its trials by a month and a half. The Red Army must have really needed those SPGs. 611 SU-76I vehicles were built (compared to 550 of the original SU-76 production run).

By the end of 1943, there were almost no SU-76Is left in the army, and in the beginning of 1944, the last of them were transferred to training units. To this day, two SU-76Is remain: an authentic one at Sarny, Ukraine, and one with a restored casemate at the Poklonnaya Gora museum in Moscow. LiveJournal user starcom68 took very many photos of the former one.

German Anti-tank Tactics

It is important to know how your enemy fights. Observations are fine, but capturing an enemy document with their descriptions is even better. Let's take a look at one such document, instructing German soldiers how to fight Soviet tanks, dated September 17th, 1941, stored under CAMD RF 38-11355-895:

"In order to fight enemy armoured vehicles (tanks, armoured cars), units must follow these rules of combat:

A: Reconnaissance

Send scout units far ahead and out of open flanks, to observe, track, and listen. The goal is to prevent sudden appearances of enemy tanks. Report the appearance of tanks with rockets or signals.

B: Combat readiness

When tanks are spotted, an order to ready for battle is given.
Junior commanders, on their own initiative, can get into a ready position from a march or from a camp. Run to your ordered positions. A trench should be prepared and camouflaged for the commander, so he can control his unit (or gun crew). Each group (machine gun or gun crew) needs to form a defensive point with 360 degree defenses.
Distances to various parts of the terrain are established. Open fire only upon the orders of a unit commander (battery commander).
Armour piercing rounds should be located close to the gun. It is necessary to have:

• For the 98 rifle: 10 AP bullets SmK |H| 
• For the 34 machine gun: 100 AP bullets SmK |H| in two drums or in belts
• For the 37 mm light AT gun: 20 AP PzGr 40 shells
• For the 50-mm medium AT gun: 32 AP PzGr 40 shells
• For light infantry guns: 24 "38" grenades
• For the 18 light field howitzer: 10 105 mm AP grenades
• 105 mm gun 18: 10 105 mm AP shell

Have close combat weapons ready. Stick grenades, egg-shaped grenades, smoke grenades, grenade bundles, etc.

C: Combat tactics

When tanks appear, stop all movement. 

Aim at the tank ahead of time. 

By shooting sharp-tipped sS bullets, force the tanks to close their hatches.

Open fire from the following distances:

• From 1500 meters, with the 105 mm 18 gun, with 10.5 cm AP shells (red).
• From 1500 meters, with the 105 mm light field howitzer 18: 10.5 cm AP grenade.
• From 1500 meters, with the MG 34 firing heavy sS bullets, to suppress accompanying infantry.
• From 1000 meters, with the medium 50 mm AT gun, firing AP shells.
• From 800 meters, with the MG 34, firing AP bullets mixed with tracers to knock out optics.
• From 600 meters, with the light 37 mm AT gun, firing AP shells.
• From 600 meters, with the light infantry gun 18, firing 7.5 cm 38 grenades.
• From 500 meters, with the heavy AT rifle 41.
• From 400 meters, with the 98 rifle, firing heavy sS bullets.
• From 300 meters, with the light 37 mm AT gun, firing PzGr 40.
• From 200 meters, with the light AT rifle 38 and 39.
• From 150 meters, with the MG 34 and 98 rifle, firing SmK |H| bullets.
• From 9 meters, with hand grenades, grenade bundles, gasoline bottles.

Aim at weak points: suspension, turret ring. Do not aim at the front of the tank, as it is the thickest. Fire at the sides and rear of the tank. Aim for concentrated crossfire. Do not only shoot at tanks right in front of you, but tanks to the left and right of them. When shooting with the heavy 150 mm howitzer, aiming at the suspension should yield satisfactory results.

Be calm. Let the enemy approach. Suddenly open fire as late as possible. The heavier the tank, the later you must fire in order to successfully penetrate. Save AP shells. 

D: Close combat

Blind the enemy crews with smoke grenades. Let the tank approach to 9 meters, then throw a grenade, grenade bundle, or gasoline bottle, and hide. If a tank stops, climb on it, and cover its vision ports. Kill tank crews that leave the tank. 

E: If the enemy breaks through

Defend the position at any cost. Tanks that break through can be destroyed by direct fire artillery or rear forces. Keep fighting approaching tanks and accompanying infantry. Open fire from all weapons. Even if you cannot penetrate, you will have a demoralizing effect on the crew.

Artillery fights tanks with all available guns. Artillery must be positioned far from forests, to be able to fire in all directions at tanks that broke through. Ready at least one AT battery per regiment, and give them more AP shells. Forward observers must be located in regions inaccessible by tanks. Have reliable connections to forward observers, in case they spot tanks.

Rear forces must fight tanks that broke through. This must be prepared in the same way as AA defenses. Supply forces and other non-combat units must be well camouflaged and positioned in regions inaccessible by tanks.

F: Short conclusions

A brave soldier can destroy any tank forces with his weapon, and other supporting weapons. He must aim carefully to penetrate armour. An indomitable will to destroy a tank is a guarantee that a unit will have no fear  when tanks arrive. The unit will always stand before tanks. Will always triumphs over machines."

This is the 1941 or earlier edition, aimed at general tank warfare. Note the abundance of APCR shells, which radically decreased after 1941. Aside from some minor scares, German APCR wasn't really an issue in 1942. Here is another one stored under CAMD RF 204-113-48, specifically about Soviet tanks.

"Translation from German. Captured on 9/1/43.

Summation of Experience of Tank Battles in the East.

1. Soviet tanks

Is it difficult to destroy the following tanks: medium T-34 (26 tons), heavy KV-1 (44 tons), KV-1 (reinforced), KV-1 mod. 1942 (120 mm of armour), KV-2 (52 tons). Light T-26 and BT tanks are of an obsolete design. T-40 and T-60 tanks have light armour.

Resistance of Russian tanks to AT guns is caused not only by armour thickness, but by its angle. The T-34 has high off-road ability. Special measures must be taken when fighting it, especially measures that use terrain impassable by tanks.

The main weakness of the Russians is poor visibility. This must be exploited in order to suddenly open fire from close ranges with AT guns.

2. Significance of tank reconnaissance. (Order 469/2A)

Reconnaissance is the first step in combat with all enemy tanks. In order to destroy a tank with powerful armour, the range, aim point, shell type, all depend on the tank (see order 489/3A "table for shooting a tank").

3. Tactics of Russian tanks

Russians have two main ways of using tanks:
1. Tanks are used as armoured guns (especially on flat ground). The tanks open fire from 1500 meters.
Countermeasures: it is pointless to open fire from light and medium AT guns, the StuG, the PzIII, or the PzIV (with the 75 L/43 gun). At this distance, tanks can only be destroyed by the 88 mm AA gun, artillery guns, heavy AT guns (AT gun model 1941 and 7.62 cm caliber guns, from a distance of no more than 1300 meters).

Infantry, and accompanying heavy weapons, when fired upon, must remain in the trenches, hide themselves, and cease all movement.

2. Tank attack (infantry attack support)
a) Due to insufficient radio equipment, attacking tanks follow the example of the leading tank.
Countermeasures: destroy leading tanks first.
German infantry lets Russian tanks move unimpeded.
b) Infantry escorts follow the tanks closely.
Countermeasures: separate the infantry from the tanks by opening suppressing fire.
c) Tank attacks are performed by moving up line by line.
Countermeasures: try to use cover, constantly change positions of AT guns, and attempt to deflect the tank attack in close combat."

The next section of the document is fairly self-evident (shoot at flat armour when possible, use APCR on highly armoured targets, use guns with weak penetration at point blank ranges, shoot at the sides, etc). A section on infantry repeats the previous orders: when tanks get close, conceal yourself in cracks and trenches, do not open fire. It also mentions some infantry AT devices:

• Rifle grenade model 1940: penetrates 60 mm of armour at a distance of 50-100 meters.
• 250 gram smoke grenade, used to block off the tank crew's vision.
• AT mine, attached by a magnet or a hook, capable of penetrating 140 mm of armour.

That document predates the Panzerfaust and Panzerschrek, so let's see how effective those were. A Soviet document on battle damage to tanks, stored under CAMD RF 233-2309-162, states: "Since the beginning of the operation, a very large amount (hundreds of thousands) of anti-tank grenades "Faust" (large and small) and "Ofenrohr" was discovered. Their application is negligible, barely 3% of all knocked out tanks fell to them. This is explained by the weak morale of the German infantry, shocked by our rapid advances. They run when our tanks are within 200-300 meters (the range of "Faust" is 40-50 meters)."

"Faust", of course, is a nickname for the Panzerfaust, and "Ofenrohr" refers to the Panzerschreck. Seems that the "indomitable will to destroy a tank" from 1941 has been broken by 1944. 

Rare T-70

Here's a pretty standard photo of some tanks being shipped by railroad.

But wait, what is this? Zoom, enhance!

It's a T-70. But no ordinary T-70! It's a very rare T-70 with a cast turret. Only three such turrets were made. The turret was discovered to be inferior to the welded one, and no one had the resources to develop (or even produce) a better version. 

The tank was originally to be manufactured with a cast turret designed by Dedkov, but it was replaced with a welded one before the tank entered production.

World of Tanks History Section: Type 89

In 1927, the Osaka Rikugun Zoheisho arsenal began construction of the "#2 light tank" (Type 87). After trials, the Japanese decided that the tank needs more armour and firepower. The design was completed in 1929, and resulted in the medium tank #2589, or "Type 89 I-Go".

The Type 89 had a classic layout: driver's compartment in the front, fighting compartment in the center, engine in the rear of the vehicle. The hull of the I-Go was riveted, and, at least on initial vehicles, was a re-built Vickers MkC hull, also tested by the Japanese at the time. The turret, also riveted, was equipped with a 47 mm, and later 57 mm, gun. The turret was turned manually. The I-Go also had two machine guns, one in the front of the hull, and one in the back of the turret.

The Type 89 had a Daimler gasoline engine. Later vehicles used a domestic Mitsubishi engine. The tank could accelerate to 27 kph, and had a range of 160 km.

The first I-Go tank was built in 1931. The main producer of the tank was the arsenal in the city of Nagoya.

Soon after entering production, the Type 89 received a turret upgrade, with a commander's cupola and rear bay for the machinegun. This variant is known as Type 89A.

In 1935, after experience in Manchuria, the tank was modernized. The tracks were replaced with sturdier ones, with smaller track links, the front hull plate was improved, the observation devices were better protected. The commander's cupola grew in size, and the gun mantlet changed shape. This vehicle was indexed "Type 84B Otsu". The Otsu was mainly produced by Mitsubishi. Type 89A and Type 89B tanks were used by the Army and special landing groups of the Imperial Navy. Production continued until 1937, when they were replaced by the Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank.

Original article here.

World of Tanks History Section: Soviet-Japanese War

1. Introduction

In February of 1945, at the Yalta conference, the USSR promised to declare war on Japan three months after the defeat of Hitler's Germany. In exchange for this aid, the Soviet Union would gain Sahalin and the Kuril islands, lost in the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905.

At that moment, Japan and USSR had a neutrality pact, signed in 1941, lasting 5 years. In April of 1945, the Soviet Union declared a one-sided annulment of the pact, citing Japan's alliance with Germany and military action against allies of the USSR. “In this situation, a neutrality pact between Japan and the USSR has become meaningless, and there is no point in prolonging it,” claimed the Soviets. The sudden annulment of the pact sent the Japanese government into a panic, and for a good reason. The war situation was becoming critical. Allied forces dealt a series of crushing blows in the Pacific theater. Japanese cities and industrial centers were constantly bombed. No reasonable person remained in the Japanese government that believed in victory. The only remaining choice was to tire out the Americans until acceptable conditions for surrender can be negotiated.

America understood that a victory over Japan would not be easy. A handy example would be the battles for Okinawa. Japan had 77 000 soldiers on the island. America sent 470 000 against them. The island was taken, but America lost 50 000 soldiers. The Minister of Defence estimated that a final victory over Japan without the involvement of the Soviet Union would cost one million killed and wounded.

A declaration of war was handed to the Japanese ambassador at 17:00, on August 8th, 1945. It declared that combat will start the next day. Considering time zone differences, this left the Japanese effectively one hour before the Red Army marched into battle.

2. Resistance

The Soviet strategy included three stages: the Manchurian, South-Sahalin, and Kuril. The first stage was the largest and most important, and it deserves a detailed description.

The Kwantung army, led by General Otsudzo Yamada, opposed the USSR in Manchuria. It contained about one million soldiers, over 6000 artillery and mortars, about 1500 planes and over 1000 tanks.

The Red Army started the operation with a pretty significant numerical advantage: 1.6 times as many soldiers, 5 times as many tanks, 10 times as many artillery pieces, more than 3 times as many planes. The advantage was not only quantitative; the Red Army's machinery was significantly more modern and powerful than that of the enemy.

The Japanese understood long ago that a war with the Soviet Union is unavoidable. For this reason, they created numerous fortification regions. Let us examine one of these: the Hailar region, which was to counter the advance of the left flank of the Trans-Baikal Front. Reinforcements were built up for 10 years. In August of 1945, it consisted of 116 bunkers, connected with concrete trenches, and a large amount of defensive engineering structures. This region was held by a division of soldiers.

It took several days to drive the enemy out of this region. This does not seem like a long time, it's not like the troops were stuck for months. However, in this time, other sections of the Trans-Baikal front moved forward as much as 150 kilometers. By the standards of that war, the delay was significant. Even after the main forces of the Hailar region surrendered, separate groups of Japanese continued to fight, showing fanatical bravery. Soviet reports constantly mention soldiers that chained themselves to their machine guns in order to prevent retreat.

Among the Red Army's successful operations, one must pay special attention to the 350 kilometer march of the 6th Guards Army through the Gobi desert and Hingan Mountains. The peaks of Hingan seemed an impenetrable barrier for tanks. Soviet tanks traveled on a road as high as 2000 meters above sea level, on slopes as steep as 50 degrees, forcing the tanks to zig-zag. Conditions were further complicated by nonstop rain, impassable mud, rushing mountain rivers. Regardless, Soviet tanks moved forward. By August 11th, they passed through the mountains and found themselves deep in the rear of the Kwantung army, on the Central Manchurian Plains. The army was lacking fuel and armament, and had to be supplied by air. 900 tons of tank fuel alone was supplied. As the result of this incomparable feat, the Red Army managed to capture 200 000 prisoners, and a large amount of guns and armour.

The First Far-East Front of the RKKA was met with brutal resistance from soldiers entrenched on hills designated “Sharp” and “Camel”, which were included in the Hotou fortified region. The approaches to those hills were swamps, scarred with small rivers and streams. The slopes were covered in trenches and barbed wire. The Japanese carved hardpoints into the mountain granite. Bunkers were covered in concrete up to 1.5 meters thick.

Defenders of “Sharp” rejected all offers for a surrender. The Japanese commander beheaded the local villager used as a translator. The Japanese were always unwilling to negotiate with the Red Army. When Soviet soldiers breached the fortifications, they discovered no remaining people, only corpses. Among them were not only men, but women, armed with grenades and daggers.

In the battle for the Mudandzyan city, the Japanese actively used suicide bombers. They threw themselves on Soviet tanks and soldiers with grenades strapped to them. On one section of the front, 200 of these “living mines” lay down in front of advancing tanks. Suicide attacks only initially had results. Red Army soldiers quickly learned to remain vigilant, and the attacker was usually shot before he could get in range and harm infantry or tanks.

3. Finale

On August 15th, Emperor Hirohito addressed his country by radio, informing the population that Japan accepts the conditions of the Potsdam conference and surrenders. The Emperor called his people to display courage, patience, and unite their strength to build a new future.

Three days later, on August 18th, 1945, at 13:00 local time, a radio message was issued from the Kwantung army general staff to its soldiers, which informed them that the decision to surrender was made, as continued resistance was futile. Over the next few days, forward detachments of the Kwantung army with no radio link were informed by messengers.

Most soldiers accepted surrender without any objections. Furthermore, in the city of Chanchun, where Soviet forces were insufficient, the Japanese themselves guarded military installations. Even so, a small number of fanatical soldiers and officers continued to resist, refusing to accept a “cowardly” order to cease fire. Their war only ended when they died.

On September 2nd, 1945, the act of unconditional surrender of Japan was signed aboard the American battleship Missouri. This date marks the official end of the Second World War.

Original article available here.

T is for Tschechisch

The Wehrmacht was pretty big on using enemy equipment whenever possible, appending it with the first letter of the country of origin. French equipment had the (f) suffix (Französisch), Soviet equipment had (r) (Russisch), etc. Some of the most frequently used captured tanks were Czech, the Pz 35(t) and Pz 38(t) (Tschechisch). However, in tank names, "t" following a number usually indicates mass. Naturally, some people were confused.

One such person was the translator of Franz Halder's diaries, as a result of which, the Russian version has the following line: "Reinforcements for tank units: Tanks will be sent from Germany ( PzIII - 100, 38-ton tanks - 40, PzIV - 40)"

Seeing as how this is August of 1941, and Germany didn't have anything close to a 38 ton tank, this is clearly a Pz 38(t). These mistakes also appear in several other non-German sources. The mistake is even common enough to be made fun of in the "Girls und Panzer" cartoon.

However, it seems it was more common than originally though.

Seeing as how the PzIII was not even close to weighing 35 tons, clearly some confusion with the Pz35(t) is taking place.

KV-4 Armour Thickness

Monsters like the KV-4 were built for a reason. The USSR knew of powerful German AA guns that could be used in anti-tank roles, and wanted to be ready for them.

CAMD RF 38-11355-14

The first column is the caliber of the AA gun, second is the thickness of the armour in question, third is the angle of the armour, fourth and sixth are the quality of the armour for penetration and nonpenetration, respectively. Columns five and seven contain the speed at which the penetration or nonpenetration would occur. The last column indicates the type of the armour: the armour is homogeneous in all cases except 2-5, where it is surface hardened with high frequency current.

The conclusions are as follows: "In order to protect the tank from the 105 mm AP shell at all distances, it is necessary to have 130 mm of armour minimum, with high hardness (2.8-3.2) or surface hardened with high frequency current. Even under these conditions, the armour will be breached when hit at 800 m/s at normal."

Inside the IS Turret

Getting measurements of the outside of a tank is easy, just go to a museum with a tape measure. Getting inside is harder. Thankfully, there are blueprints we can look at!

"Diagram of equipment locations in the fighting compartments of the IS tank and KV tank with IS turret, armed with a D-5 gun"

CAMD RF 38-11355-1529

The gunner sits on the left, the loader sits on the right. The commander sits behind the gunner, underneath the cupola. A radio is positioned right next to him. Ammunition is stored in a case behind the crew, in the rear of the turret. The rectangle in the center is the gun. 

The images on the bottom are views from the side, showing the "KV-D5" (left) and "IS-D5" (right). 

"Diagram of equipment positions in the KV tank with an S-31 gun"

The layout of the KV with an S-31 (Object 238) is similar to that of the IS tank. However, you can see one major difference that proved fatal to the project: the gun is only 75 mm away from the turret ring, unlike the D-5, which enjoys 430 mm of clearance. Because of this, the commander's position must be shifted to the left, leaving no room for his radio. 

Intelligence Gathering

Capturing enemy soldiers is a good source of intelligence on the eve of a battle. However, sometimes the intelligence is not so good.

CAMD RF 38-11355-1712

"A captured unteroffizier of the 226 infantry division Frmake Max said that he overheard other soldiers and officers discussing a new German super-powerful tank called "Panda-S", which, compared to a Tiger, has higher speed, thicker armour, and more powerful armament."

Soviet Intelligence is, as always, skeptical. Notes are made on the file: "Voroshilov: we need to confirm this report" and "we need to obtain through Sidorovich". What needs to be obtained is not written. Presumably the tank in question.

This is likely a misheard interpretation of the Panther. It was faster, had more armour (in the front), and a gun with higher penetration.

CAMD RF 38-11355-939 uncovers more German secrets: "Gefreiter Strembel Helmut reports that the German army has new tanks, that have armour that cannot be penetrated by any AT gun. Air is compressed between two steel walls, drastically increasing effective armour without increasing weight or decreasing speed."

This is, of course, spaced armour. Spaced armour does use air in between armour plates, but it is not compressed.

The following discoveries, on the other hand, are not at all linked to reality.

"To the head of GABTU: Lieutenant-General of the Tank Forces, comrade Fedorenko.

German sources report that the German army knows of a tank in the Red Army that weighs 115 tons.

Acting head of the communications department of the General Staff of the Red Army
Brigadier-Engineer Panfilov

May 5th, 1941"
CAMD RF 38-11355-298

"To the deputy chief of GABTU, Major-General of the Technical Forces, comrade Lebedev

According to obtained documents, the Germans, as a result of interrogating prisoners, are aware of a tank that is allegedly being produced at the Chelyabinsk factory:

Mass: 125 tons
Side armour thickness: 20 mm
Length: 750 cm
Width: 370 cm
Height: 380 cm
Speed: 30-40 kph

The German high command is very interested in obtaining more details on this tank.

Chief of the 1st department of the 2nd directorate
GRU, General Staff of the Red Army
Colonel Hlopov

June 2nd, 1942"
CAMD RF 38-11355-651

"An Azerbaijani from the 68th Tank Brigade ... was at a theoretical tank lecture, where Captain Motovalov told of new Soviet tanks. The tanks had 2, 3, and 5 turrets, and were soon to be included in the Red Army's tank forces. The facts revealed at the lecture were top secret, and were not to be repeated. Captain Motovalov said that the 68th brigade was the most reliable, and will get the new tanks for combat trials. In November/December, the brigade received two new tanks: a two-turret with a rocket battery on the roof and a five-turret.

The man reports that the tanks look like this: the two-turret tank is slightly bigger than a KV, the central turret is oval, and has a 76 mm gun and two machine guns. The top of the turret has 8 rockets, each mounted on a rail. The rocket rails can spin independently of the turret, 360 degrees. There are armour piercing rockets.

The second turret is to the left, has a 78 mm gun, and a coaxial machine gun. The turret can turn 150 degrees. There are two machine guns in the front of the tank, and the tracks are protected with armour. The tank can reach a speed of 45 kph. The tank has a plate with the name of the manufacturer: "Kaganovich factory".
NARA T-78-R579-F0887

I guess the "KV-VI Behemoth" has a historical basis after all!

T-26 Upgrades

The Red Army was very impressed with the Vickers 6-ton, and had very big plans for it. Aside from the plain copy with machine-gun turrets, the following were planned in 1931:

"Enumeration of artillery systems.

1. Artillery support weapons

37 mm AA guns: chassis: T-26, mass: 7-7.5 tons, speed: 30-35 kph, gun range, in degrees: vertical: -5 to +80, horizontal: 360, carries 200 shells. Crew: 3

...

2. Reconnaissance support weapons

...

76 mm SPG (direct support weapon). Chassis: T-26, mass: 6-7 tons, speed: 30-35 kph, armour: 10 mm, gun range, in degrees: vertical -5 to 30, carries 180, transports 40-50 shells. Crew: 3.

3. Infantry support guns.

45 mm anti-tank gun. Chassis: T-26, mass: 6-7 tons, speed: 30-35 kph, armour: 10 mm, gun range, in degrees: vertical -5 to 30, horizontal 360, carries 100 shells. Crew: 3.

122 mm mortar. Chassis: T-26, mass: 7-8 tons, speed: 30-35 kph, gun range, in degrees: vertical 0 to 75, horizontal 60, carries 20-30 shells. Crew: 3.

4. Tank unit guns.

45 mm semi-automatic SPG. Chassis: T-26, mass: 6-7 tons, speed: 50 kph, armour: 10 mm, gun range, in degrees: vertical -5 to 30, horizontal 360, carries 100 shells. Crew: 3. The gun is identical to that used by anti-tank infantry units.

76 mm SPG. Chassis: T-26, mass: 6-7 tons, speed: 30-35 kph, armour: 10 mm, gun range, in degrees: vertical -5 to 30, horizontal 360, carries 100 shells. Crew: 3. The gun is identical to that used by reconnaissance units, but with reduced armour."

In 1933, some more ideas.

"Report on experimental works at OKMO for January

TR-1: APC on the T-26 chassis. "Hercules" 90 hp engine. Project 100% completed, working blueprints 95% completed, copying 90% completed.

TR-4: APR on the T-26 chassis, with a new hull. Project 95% completed, working blueprints. 

Development of the second T-26 series: experimental blueprints completed 100%, replication of blueprints completed 75%.

Two 76 mm gun systems are being explored. The main, which the turret was designed for is the semi-automatic short PS-3 and, temporarily, the short regimental model 1927 cannon with shortened recoil."