Soviet "Scout"

14

BTR-40 in Israeli Yad la-Shiryon Museum

As you know, during the Second World War, armored personnel carriers were not produced in the USSR. In this respect, the Red Army was significantly inferior to the Wehrmacht. To some extent, the acuteness of the problem was mitigated by the supply of British and American armored personnel carriers under Lend-Lease, however, to fully equip at least motorized rifle battalions tank and there were clearly not enough mechanized brigades. The main means of transporting motorized infantry in the Red Army until the end of the war were cars and tanks.

Soviet "Scout"

MZA1 Scout Car

The construction program of the Soviet Armed Forces in the post-war period provided for the creation of several types of armored personnel carriers, both tracked and wheeled, at once. As a prototype for a light wheeled armored personnel carrier was taken the American sample Scout Car MZA1. This all-wheel drive armored vehicle was supplied to the USSR under lend-lease and was considered, perhaps, the most popular among the soldiers and commanders of the Red Army. MZA1 was widely used as a staff vehicle for reconnaissance, communications and support. All the prerequisites for the creation of a domestic version of such a machine have already been - since 1944, a new all-wheel drive truck GAZ-63 has been tested. A characteristic feature of the latter were wide tires 9,75-18 and lean-to rear wheels, which had the same track as the front. When driving through mud, snow, sand, all wheels went “next to the next”, without experiencing additional rolling resistance due to the difference in gauge. On the state tests of all-wheel drive cars GAZ-63 showed, as noted in the report of the Main Automobile and Tractor Office of the Red Army, "record-breaking patency."


The wheeled armored personnel carrier '141 Object' was developed from 1947 year

At the beginning of 1947, the design bureau of a two-axle 141 object, designed to carry eight infantrymen, a Soviet-style scooter, began in the OKB of the Gorky Automobile Plant, led by V.A. Dedkov. V.Kubtsov was appointed the lead designer. GAZ-63 chassis was used for this car, reducing the base by mm 600 and increasing the engine power by hp 10. Prototypes of armored personnel carriers, in the creation of which designers L.V. Kostkin, P. I. Muzyukin and others took part, were made at the end of the 1947 of the year. The prototype of the first version had a bearing armored body, which was closed on top with a canvas awning. The second variant differed from the first with the installation of machine guns KPV and SGM of caliber 14,5 mm and 7,62 mm, respectively, mounted on the bollard and allowing firing at both ground and air targets. The design of the case in both variants was the same. The sides had large angles of inclination, and in the lower part - the reverse angles, like in German armored personnel carriers. In the future, such armor plates were abandoned, using armored hulls with vertical sides — more capacious and easier to manufacture, although less bullet-proof.

Smaller than on the truck, the size of the engine compartment forced the designers to position the engine units in a different way. Due to almost equal load on the axles, the front and rear springs were made the same, equipping them first with four and then eight hydraulic shock absorbers. All cars equipped with winches.


BTR-40

In 1949, the armored personnel carrier successfully passed state tests and was adopted by the Soviet Army under the designation BTR-40. At the end of 1950, the mass production of the car began at the Gorky Molotov Automobile Plant, and its creators were awarded the Stalin Prize. The armored corps was manufactured by the Murom steam engine repair plant.

The layout of the BTR-40 is a classic car (with cab behind the engine). The armored personnel carrier has three compartments - the engine, control and combat (airborne). The engine compartment is located in the front of the case. It contains: an engine with a fan and electrical equipment, water and oil radiators, starting heater, oil and fuel filters, winch. Access to the engine compartment is carried out: to the engine and radiator - through the upper hatch, to the winch - through the front in an inclined housing sheet. Both hatches are closed with armored covers. In the cover above the engine and in the side inclined sheets of the housing there are louvers for the hot air to exit from the engine compartment, in the lower front part of the engine compartment there are louvers through which the main air flow for cooling the radiator enters.

Office of management is located behind the engine, in the open part of the case. It contains: controls of an armored personnel carrier, surveillance devices, instrumentation, a radio station, driver's seats (left) with a battery under it and a commander (right), with a gas tank in a niche under the seat, a tank with spare engine oil, a fire extinguisher and air cleaner. To the right of the commander and to the left of the driver in the lower zone of the hull there are side doors that open with hinges to the outside.

Combat (amphibious) branch is located in the middle and aft parts of the hull. In the fighting compartment of the serial BTR-40 there are: the machine gun SGMB, brackets for the installation of machine guns SGMB and DPM (installed with a special adapter), rocket launcher, clips for mounting two AK-47 submachine guns, as well as the laying of ammunition kit, seats for eight people landing, spare parts, first-aid kit and rear tank (at the right side under the seat of the landing).

The body of the armored personnel carrier is welded from rolled armor plates. The thickness of the front sheets is 10 - 15 mm, onboard 8 - 9 mm, feed - 7 mm. In the inclined sheets of the front of the case above the doorways there are viewing slots that are closed from the inside by the car armor valves. In the vertical side sheets, there are two round hatched covers for observation and firing from personal weapons landing. In the front sheet in front of the driver and commander there are hatches with armor covers attached to the sheet on two hinges. Surveillance devices with triplex glass blocks are installed in the covers. In the stowed position, manhole covers can be opened and secured on vertical posts. For observation outside the combat situation with open covers, windshields in metal frames with rubber seals and fitted with electric wipers are installed on the hatches. With the covers closed, the windshields are placed in special pockets located inside the armored personnel carrier. For landing and landing troops in the aft hull sheet has a double rear door.

The 7,62-mm machine gun SGMB is mounted using a standard machine consisting of a swivel, a sector and a bed. For mounting a machine-gun unit on an armored personnel carrier, there are four swivel arms: frontal (main), placed on the frontal sheet, lateral - on the right and left sides and rear - on the aft sheet of the hull. The ammunition of the machine gun (1250 cartridges) is loaded into ribbons and packed in five cartridge boxes. Four boxes are placed in a special piling in the fighting compartment at the starboard side of the hull, and one in the nest of the basket on the swivel of the machine-gun installation.

An 6-cylinder four-stroke carburetor engine of liquid cooling GAZ-40 with 78 power - 80 hp is installed on the armored vehicle. at 3400 rpm

The mechanical power train includes a single-plate dry-friction clutch, a four-speed gearbox, a transfer box with a dual-shift gearbox, two main gears with differentials and fully unloaded axles of the front and rear wheels. Front axles have hinges of equal angular velocity. A hydraulically actuated foot brake acts on all four wheels. Manual disc or drum brake mounted on the shaft of the transfer case and has a mechanical drive. The steering mechanism is a globoidal worm with a double roller.

Single disc wheels with removable side rings are equipped with 9,75-8 pneumatic tires. Wheel formula 4x4. The suspension consists of four semi-elliptic springs and four hydraulic piston double-acting shock absorbers.

In front of the armored vehicle mounted winch with power take-off from the gearbox. Winch winch - 4500 kgf, cable length - 75 m.
External communication is supported by the 10-PT-12 radio station.

The combat weight of the machine is 5,3 T. Crew - 2 man, landing - 8 man. The maximum speed of 80 km / h, the range on the highway - 285 km.
The first demonstration of the public armored personnel carrier took place during the military parade in Moscow on November 7 1951. To participate in the parade, armored personnel carriers were armed, apparently, to give a more impressive appearance. The 12,7-mm DShK machine gun was mounted on the front swivel bracket, and the SGMB machine gun was mounted on the two side arms.

Almost simultaneously with the BTR-40, there was a development of its modification, which received the designation BTR-40А. In fact, it was an anti-aircraft self-propelled unit.

Anti-aircraft installation ZTPU-2 with two machine guns KPV caliber 14,5 mm mounted on a pedestal in the troop compartment. The maximum angle of elevation of machine guns + 90 °, declination - 5 °. For firing at ground targets there was an OP-1-14 telescopic sight, an aerial one - a VK-4 collimator sight, an ammunition load - 1200 cartridges. The installation was controlled by a single gunner using a mechanical manual drive. The composition of the calculation included two loaders (one per machine gun). Effective fire was provided by air targets flying at speeds up to 600 km / h at altitudes up to - 1000 m. The horizontal range of effective fire was 2000 m.


BTR-40A

BTR-40А was adopted in the 1951 year, and a year later launched into mass production. On the basis of the BTR-40, the BTR-40PX chemical reconnaissance vehicle was produced. It differed from the base machine by the installation of the corresponding equipment. BTR-40 quickly gained popularity among the troops. Simple according to the instructions, a small, but mobile, multi-purpose armored vehicle, created by automotive aggregates mastered by industry, was widely adopted in the army. It was used for the transport of infantry, was used as a tractor in anti-tank artillery, as well as a commander, communications and reconnaissance vehicle. BTR-40 operated in border and internal troops.


BTR-40B

The baptism for the BTR-40 became events in Hungary in the 1956 year. After another version appeared - the BTR-40B, which had a welded hull with an armored roof. For landing and landing troops in the roof there were two large hatches, closed with covers. Body height increased by 130 mm. Side brackets were installed to install the machine gun and two additional embrasures were introduced in the inclined roof sheets. Thanks to the roof, the survivability of the armored personnel carrier has increased, especially when conducting street fighting. However, the number of landing places had to be reduced to six.


BTR-40 in the Israeli Museum Batey ha-Osef

At about the same time, the 1 modification of the BTR-40В, equipped with a centralized system for regulating air pressure in tires, appeared. The booster system included a compressor mounted on the engine, a receiver, a distribution valve and several pipelines. Air was supplied to each wheel from the outside through the dumbass. Using) the same system, the phenomenon was reduced in tires in order to improve the patency of the armored personnel carrier. The introduction of a system for regulating air pressure in tires increased the machine’s permeability and the bulletproof wheels. However, the outdoor air supply had low reliability, especially when driving through wooded areas. BTR-40V was not accepted for service and was not in serial production.

It is necessary to mention another modification of the BTR-40 - railway. This machine was a kind of armored rubber. It was equipped with steel rollers with internal flanges, which were attached to the reclining levers with spring shock absorbers. Movement on rails provided the main wheels, and lateral stability - rollers. The time required to go to the rails was 3 - 5 minutes. In the 1969, several BTR-40 and BTR-40А were converted into the rail version. A number of these machines still in 1997 year continued to serve in the Trans-Baikal Military District.

Serial production of the BTR-40 ended in the 1960 year. In addition to the Soviet Army, the BTR-40 was in service with the armies of the countries participating in the Warsaw Pact, as well as a number of non-member states, such as Albania, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Israel, Indonesia, Iran, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Laos, Mongolia, Ethiopia and many other countries in Asia and Africa. In the armies of these countries, the BTR-40 and BTR-40A were actively used in local conflicts in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.

In some countries, modified armored personnel carrier. In particular, it sometimes installed a large-bore machine gun DShK or machine guns of other systems of foreign production. In the National People's Army of the GDR, the 9P110 launcher with ATGM "Malyutka" was mounted on parts of machines. In Indonesia, the BTR-40 was also upgraded quite significantly. The hull was covered with a roof, while its height was significantly increased. slits with glass blocks, installed smoke grenade launchers.In Egypt, in 1960-ies, under the obvious influence of the BTR-40, the Va-Leid armored personnel carrier, which looked very much like it, was developed. ka Magirus, slightly larger in size.

As the Soviet Army entered into its service, more modern BTR-40 armored personnel carriers were transferred from motorized rifle troops to other types of troops for use as combat support vehicles, as well as for training purposes. In the internal military districts, the latest modifications of these machines carried service until the beginning of the 1970-s. Armored personnel carriers have already been removed from service in the Russian Army in 1993.
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    1. +13
      12 January 2013 09: 19
      Always liked this car, simplicity and grace. Of course, the later 8-wheelers are more efficient, but outwardly this one is prettier, in my opinion. It is a pity that during the war it did not work out with them, no matter how much soldier sweat and blood would be saved.
      1. Uncle Serozha
        0
        13 January 2013 17: 44
        Quote: Mikhado
        Always liked this car, simplicity and grace. Of course, the later 8-wheelers are more efficient, but outwardly this one is prettier, in my opinion.

        I also consider it a very elegant car. The impression is that the designer was doing. I remember that at the training ground near Luga, where my father worked, BTR-40s were nicknamed "rats". Something like really ... smile
    2. +6
      12 January 2013 10: 18
      Put diesel engine MMZ on it and still in the riot police, explosives, reserve would serve.
      1. +18
        12 January 2013 10: 56
        Quote: Alekseev
        would serve


        But this KAMAZ little thing does not resemble anything?

        KAMAZ-43269 "Shot"
        1. slava.iwasenko
          0
          12 January 2013 20: 28
          Very good, impressive !!!
        2. aleksandrik
          0
          15 January 2013 21: 49
          Reminds :) even more this miracle from the BTR-40 is not far away! Yes, only by modern standards, this is the only thing to do that to carry from one exhibition to another and to impress the townsfolk at the training ground.

          But I will not explain without reason why ...

          With a weight of 10 tons, the car is not only weakly armored, but it’s necessary to pay tribute to all the same a little better than the BTR-80, there’s no mine protection either ... And it’s something with its 6,5 tons))) and holds 6 kg of TNT )))) Yes, and bulletproof will be better!

          Actually, the only reason why this miracle was born was because the BTR-80 can not independently travel on roads without police escort because the dimensions are large! A shot with its width of 2500mm just fits into traffic rules!
        3. GTI
          GTI
          0
          25 January 2013 22: 37
          Grandson went to grandfather laughing
      2. borisst64
        +1
        14 January 2013 10: 45
        For today's driver it would be a revelation of the lack of power steering (seven sweats on sand and mud) and hydraulic brakes without an amplifier (the back of the seat bends, but the car still rides).
    3. tm70-71
      +3
      12 January 2013 11: 20
      Everything is new, forgotten old, and in the current local conflicts in Libya, in Syria, the movement goes to pickup. This car would be more efficient than a pickup.
      1. Akim
        +4
        12 January 2013 12: 17
        Quote: tm70-71
        that in Libya, that in Syria, the movement goes to pickup.

        Pikat - this is also our tachanka of the Civil era. What was at hand. This BTR- does not belong to this class.
    4. AK-47
      +5
      12 January 2013 12: 21
      It is necessary to mention one more modification of the BTR-40 - railway.
    5. +3
      12 January 2013 15: 36
      As is known, during the Second World War no armored personnel carriers were produced in the USSR. In this regard, the Red Army was significantly inferior to the Wehrmacht. To some extent, the problems were mitigated by the supply of British and American Lend-Lease armored personnel carriers, but to fully equip at least motorized rifle battalions of tank and mechanized brigades was not enough. The main means of transporting motorized infantry in the Red Army until the end of the war were cars and tanks.
      So from the word "armored car" they threw out the root "armor-". With a flick of the pen, the armored infantry transporter transforms into a wooden truck

      "BA-20 - light reconnaissance communications armored car, 1936
      BA-21 - light three-axle armored car, 1938
      BA-64 - light armored car, 1941
      D-8 - light armored car 1930
      D-12 - light armored car, 1931
      LB-23 - light armored car, 1939
      LB-62 - lightweight four-wheel drive armored car, 1941
      LB-NATI - light four-wheel drive armored car, 1939
      FAI - light armored car, 1933
      Ford-A - semi-armored reconnaissance vehicles, 1929 - 1931
      FROM - improvised armored vehicles of the Izhora plant, 1941
      BAI - medium armored car, 1932
      BA-3 - medium armored car, 1934
      BA-6 - medium armored car, 1935
      BA-9 - medium armored car, 1937
      BA-10 - medium armored car, 1937
      BA-11 - medium armored car, 1939
      BA-13 - medium armored car, 1939 (draft)
      BA-27 - medium armored car, 1927
      GAZ-TK - medium armored car, 1935
      D-13 - medium armored car, 1931
      BA-5 - heavy armored car, 1935
      D-9 - heavy armored car, 1931
      BAA-1 - medium floating armored car, 1932
      BAA-2 - medium floating armored car, 1933
      BHM-800 \ BHM-1000 - chemical armored car, 1933
      D-18 \ D-39 - chemical armored car, 1932
      KS-18 - chemical armored car, 1936
      PB-4 - medium floating armored car, 1933
      PB-7 - medium floating armored car, 1937
      B-3 - armored personnel carrier, 1944
      BA-22 - landing armored car, 1938
      TB-42 - armored personnel carrier, 1943 "
      Made in USSR
    6. predator.3
      +6
      12 January 2013 16: 46
      Here he is the first armored personnel carrier he is BMP! good
      1. +6
        12 January 2013 17: 24
        Well, actually the first ones like these were -
        1. Harleone
          +1
          12 January 2013 23: 28
          such infantry was not transported smile
    7. zmey
      +2
      12 January 2013 19: 43
      Great car!
      Install the engine and transmission new and the roof - and you can safely use it in police operations.
      In appearance, KAMAZ did not offer something similar for a long time.

      Dear SANCHES!
      The list of vehicles you provided and the picture are NOT intended for transporting infantry. This is all ARMORED CARS, and this is the Armored Transport.
      1. +3
        12 January 2013 22: 55
        Dear Nicholas, look carefully:
        "... B-3 - armored personnel carrier, 1944
        BA-22 - landing armored car, 1938
        TB-42 - armored personnel carrier, 1943 "
        And in the article:
        "As you know, during the Second World War, armored personnel carriers were not produced in the USSR. In this respect, the Red Army was significantly inferior to the Wehrmacht."
        A discrepancy however. In addition, the same "Ukrainian" I mentioned looks even more impressive and more spacious than the BTR-40. If we consider that during the First World War and after it, the armored personnel carrier was classified as a transport tank or a transporter tank, and according to the Soviet classification of 1933 "On the Red Army tank armament system" it was called an infantry transporter, then we can safely say that the only difference is in the name ... Any armored car / armored personnel carrier / transport tank is equally suitable for reconnaissance and landing. Well, we did not fight in bast shoes and balalaikas
    8. +3
      12 January 2013 20: 23
      BTR-40 was a good car and was developed by people who fought. My personal opinion is that BTR 60 and the next. It was a dead end branch of development, and in fact their descendant BTR 90 became just a wheeled BMP.
      it was necessary to develop armored personnel carrier 40, to improve mine protection, to make a roof, etc. it would be an indispensable machine for explosives and special operations.
      1. +2
        13 January 2013 02: 29
        Quote: pinachet
        make a roof
        Not a bad car in its class, and for its time, perhaps, with modernization, it would be useful even now. I don’t think, only that the “dead-end branch” began with the BTR-60. Wheeled armored personnel carriers are needed different, including floating ones, different classes, different tasks, simply, the equipment must be used for its intended purpose and applied correctly.
      2. +1
        13 January 2013 13: 17
        Well, the USSR did not intend to wage partisan wars or minor local conflicts. They thought globally and prepared for nuclear wars. Accordingly, the equipment was multi-axis with protection from WMD. It later became clear that they were not getting ready for that.
    9. 0
      13 January 2013 02: 22
      Well, I don’t know ... the greatest joy for me was when I talked to the company commander not to take this rarity "on the road", for with such a weight of horses the armored car was clearly not enough. And such a grief had to happen, the only BTR-40 and BRDM-1 for the entire battalion went to me in the reconnaissance group. request However, they almost always remained in place. He crossed himself three times when they were "written off".
      1. 0
        13 January 2013 13: 21
        Yes, domestic engines (gasoline), a weak spot, a small diesel engine (150-200hp) would not hurt.
    10. 0
      13 January 2013 11: 18
      I have always been interested in one question - why is the machine gunner not covered by any protection on ALL of our first armored personnel carriers?
      1. Akim
        +1
        13 January 2013 11: 38
        Quote: Kukota
        our first armored personnel carrier is not covered by any protection?

        This is so that the enemy sees the brutal face of the machine gunner and runs away from fright. angry
        Well, in general, I saw the BTR-152 institute. He had a flap.
      2. 0
        14 January 2013 16: 18
        And you look at the photo of the Amer’s Hammers of the 1st Iraq War, the same machine gun or grenade launcher but no protection. It seems everything comes with experience in combat use.
        1. Akim
          0
          14 January 2013 16: 31
          komsomolets,
          When they designed the first generation of our armored personnel carriers, we had more than enough combat experience.
    11. chaban13
      0
      14 January 2013 18: 38
      I want to connect life with the armored industry. Which university should I enter?
    12. Alf
      0
      14 January 2013 22: 54
      Quote: Sanches
      Dear Nicholas, look carefully:
      "... B-3 - armored personnel carrier, 1944
      BA-22 - landing armored car, 1938
      TB-42 - armored personnel carrier, 1943 "
      And in the article:
      "As you know, during the Second World War, armored personnel carriers were not produced in the USSR. In this respect, the Red Army was significantly inferior to the Wehrmacht."
      A discrepancy however. In addition, the same "Ukrainian" I mentioned looks even more impressive and more spacious than the BTR-40. If we consider that during the First World War and after it, the armored personnel carrier was classified as a transport tank or a transporter tank, and according to the Soviet classification of 1933 "On the Red Army tank armament system" it was called an infantry transporter, then we can safely say that the only difference is in the name ... Any armored car / armored personnel carrier / transport tank is equally suitable for reconnaissance and landing. Well, we did not fight in bast shoes and balalaikas

      Please specify how many of the 3 types of armored personnel carriers that you quoted were issued quantitatively. I think that after bringing the numbers, the question of equipping the Red Army with domestic armored personnel carriers can be closed.
    13. Akim
      0
      15 January 2013 10: 31
      dhgdhbnsfgjnsgm

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