"Mototank" MT-25: a draft armored vehicle on a wheel-tracked course
During World War II, the People's Commissariat of Defense regularly received letters with technical proposals for the authorship of initiative citizens. Specialists and ordinary people who wanted to help their army offered various original ideas and projects for weapons and military equipment. Most of these letters, after a brief analysis, were sent to the archive, because the ideas proposed had no practical value. However, some proposals were of some interest from a technical point of view. One such proposal was a draft design of the lung tank MT-25, which appeared at the very beginning of 1943.
At the beginning of February 43-th employees of the Chelyabinsk plant №200 F.F. Gorodkov and A.I. Starodubtsev sent I.S. Stalin received a letter with an explanatory note and a set of drawings on the project MT-25. Wanting to help the Red Army, the Townships and Starodubtsev carried out the conceptual design of a promising combat vehicle. In determining the appearance of the light tank MT-25, the authors of the project pursued several goals. They intended to create an armored vehicle with high speed, low vulnerability and a large radius of action. In addition, a separate point was marked by the "surprise attack on the enemy."
To fulfill all these requirements, the townships and Starodubtsev decided to use the original chassis. According to the project, the MT-25 ("Mototank weighing 25 tons"), according to the project, could move both on wheels and with the help of a tracked propulsion unit. Similar ideas were repeatedly proposed before, but in the MT-25 project, the wheel propulsion was considered as the main one. In addition, it was proposed to make all the support rollers of a promising tank leading.
It was proposed to build a tank with the original chassis using the classical scheme. In front of the armored hull, the driver’s workplace was to be located, in the middle, the fighting compartment with the turret, and it was proposed to install the engine and transmission in the stern. The body thickness up to 45 mm was proposed to be cast. At the same time, the possibility of creating a welded body with similar protection indices was not excluded. In an interesting way, the front part of the body should have looked. For greater convenience of driver placement and to ensure the highest possible level of protection, the relatively narrow front of the case did not have sections placed above the tracks / wheels.
The characteristic form of the cast turret of the MT-25 tank speaks of its “roots”. Apparently, when designing this unit, the engineers of Gorodok and Starodubtsev repelled existing projects of tanks. This feature of the project can be explained by the fact that the plant number XXUMX during the war years was engaged in the production of tank corps. This is probably why the authors of the project MT-200 decided not to develop the original tower, but to adapt the existing one.
The tank was relatively compact. Its length did not exceed 5,3 meters, the width was approximately 2,8 m, height - 2,3 m. Enough thick armor and heavy internal units affected the combat weight. This parameter should have reached 25 tons. Thus, the MT-25 project no longer fully fit into the requirements for light tanks at that time.
As already mentioned, the main feature of the MT-25 project, designed to provide high performance, was the original chassis. On each side of the tank, it was proposed to install six dual track rollers with an individual torsion bar suspension. Driving and steering wheels were missing, which was due to the main mode of operation of the chassis. According to the proposal of F.F. Gorodkova and A.I. Starodubtseva, "Mototank" MT-25 most of the time had to move using the wheels. The transmission of the car was made in such a way that the torque from the engine was transmitted to all 12 track wheels. For a soft ride and to reduce the size of the tank, the support rollers were placed in a staggered manner: three skating rinks should be located closer to the hull, three - farther from it. If necessary, such a chassis could be equipped with a track that can improve the mobility of the armored vehicle on rough terrain.
Despite the relative complexity, the proposed undercarriage, in theory, made it possible to save promising armored vehicles from one of the most serious drawbacks - the loss of mobility when the track was damaged. "Mototank" MT-25, having a combined undercarriage, in case of damage, the tracks could drop them and continue the battle on wheels. Of course, the wheeled propulsion unit could not compete with the caterpillar, but in combat conditions it is better to move at low speed than to stand still.
It was proposed to use a B-2K hp 550 diesel engine as a power plant. The engine was to be located in the stern of the tank, near the stern sheet, and the transmission units were supposed to be moved to the rear wall of the crew compartment. This arrangement of the engine compartment allowed us to simplify the transmission units responsible for the transmission of torque to all 12 driving wheels. The transmission assemblies associated with the engines should have set in motion a set of onboard gear gears located at the sides of the hull. Inside the hollow balancer of the suspension was supposed to install two gears designed to connect the shaft from the onboard transmission and the roller-wheel. To compensate for the loads arising from the movement, this pair of gears had to get spring shock absorbers.
The original chassis promised the MT-25 high mobility characteristics. According to the calculations of the authors of the project, “mototank” on wheels could reach speeds of up to 100 km / h. In this case, the recommended speed of movement was more than two times less. Fuel reserves should have been enough for 400-450 kilometers.
A crew of three or four had to use a 47-mm cannon and three rifle-caliber machine guns. For whatever reason, Gorodok and Starodubtsev decided to use an instrument of caliber so unusual for Russian tanks - it is not known. It can be assumed that the choice weapons It was associated with the balance of the tank's combat mass and its firepower. However, the true reasons for the proposal for a gun of the 47 caliber mm remain unknown. To the left of the driver in the front of the hull was the gunner-radio operator, at whose disposal there was a DT machine gun in a ball mount. The second machine gun of the same type was supposed to be installed in a twin-cannon with a cannon, and the third - in a ball mount on the rear stern of the turret. The design of the tower suggests that the MT-25 tank in the future could receive an instrument of a larger caliber, for example, 76 mm.
With all its advantages, the MT-25 project had several serious flaws that determined its further fate. First of all, it is necessary to note the complexity of the undercarriage and transmission. Despite the seeming advantages, the original all-wheel drive transmission was too complicated for mass production. In addition, the twelve leading rollers-wheels would complicate the repair of the machine in the conditions of field workshops. The small length of the torsion suspension balancers limited the vertical movement of the rollers, which in practice did not contribute to an increase in the softness of the course over rough terrain. The commencement of the serial construction of the MT-25 tanks would entail a high expenditure of rubber needed for the manufacture of tires of the road wheels. Finally, the absence of a highly positioned steering wheel made it impossible for a tank to climb vertical walls of even a small height.
According to the analysis of the proposed project “mototank” MT-25, the specialists of the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army rendered their verdict. The MT-25 project was of some interest, but was not recommended for further development. The combination of the expected characteristics, the complexity of the design and the estimated combat prospects was not in favor of the new project. The documents sent to Moscow went to the archives and lay unclaimed for several decades. Only a few years ago, an interesting project of a wheeled-tracked "mototank" attracted the attention of the authors of a well-known computer game, thanks to which the general public was able to learn about it.
On the materials of the sites:
http://alternathistory.org.ua/
http://yuripasholok.livejournal.com/
http://wiki.worldoftanks.ru/
At the beginning of February 43-th employees of the Chelyabinsk plant №200 F.F. Gorodkov and A.I. Starodubtsev sent I.S. Stalin received a letter with an explanatory note and a set of drawings on the project MT-25. Wanting to help the Red Army, the Townships and Starodubtsev carried out the conceptual design of a promising combat vehicle. In determining the appearance of the light tank MT-25, the authors of the project pursued several goals. They intended to create an armored vehicle with high speed, low vulnerability and a large radius of action. In addition, a separate point was marked by the "surprise attack on the enemy."
To fulfill all these requirements, the townships and Starodubtsev decided to use the original chassis. According to the project, the MT-25 ("Mototank weighing 25 tons"), according to the project, could move both on wheels and with the help of a tracked propulsion unit. Similar ideas were repeatedly proposed before, but in the MT-25 project, the wheel propulsion was considered as the main one. In addition, it was proposed to make all the support rollers of a promising tank leading.
It was proposed to build a tank with the original chassis using the classical scheme. In front of the armored hull, the driver’s workplace was to be located, in the middle, the fighting compartment with the turret, and it was proposed to install the engine and transmission in the stern. The body thickness up to 45 mm was proposed to be cast. At the same time, the possibility of creating a welded body with similar protection indices was not excluded. In an interesting way, the front part of the body should have looked. For greater convenience of driver placement and to ensure the highest possible level of protection, the relatively narrow front of the case did not have sections placed above the tracks / wheels.
The characteristic form of the cast turret of the MT-25 tank speaks of its “roots”. Apparently, when designing this unit, the engineers of Gorodok and Starodubtsev repelled existing projects of tanks. This feature of the project can be explained by the fact that the plant number XXUMX during the war years was engaged in the production of tank corps. This is probably why the authors of the project MT-200 decided not to develop the original tower, but to adapt the existing one.
The tank was relatively compact. Its length did not exceed 5,3 meters, the width was approximately 2,8 m, height - 2,3 m. Enough thick armor and heavy internal units affected the combat weight. This parameter should have reached 25 tons. Thus, the MT-25 project no longer fully fit into the requirements for light tanks at that time.
As already mentioned, the main feature of the MT-25 project, designed to provide high performance, was the original chassis. On each side of the tank, it was proposed to install six dual track rollers with an individual torsion bar suspension. Driving and steering wheels were missing, which was due to the main mode of operation of the chassis. According to the proposal of F.F. Gorodkova and A.I. Starodubtseva, "Mototank" MT-25 most of the time had to move using the wheels. The transmission of the car was made in such a way that the torque from the engine was transmitted to all 12 track wheels. For a soft ride and to reduce the size of the tank, the support rollers were placed in a staggered manner: three skating rinks should be located closer to the hull, three - farther from it. If necessary, such a chassis could be equipped with a track that can improve the mobility of the armored vehicle on rough terrain.
Despite the relative complexity, the proposed undercarriage, in theory, made it possible to save promising armored vehicles from one of the most serious drawbacks - the loss of mobility when the track was damaged. "Mototank" MT-25, having a combined undercarriage, in case of damage, the tracks could drop them and continue the battle on wheels. Of course, the wheeled propulsion unit could not compete with the caterpillar, but in combat conditions it is better to move at low speed than to stand still.
It was proposed to use a B-2K hp 550 diesel engine as a power plant. The engine was to be located in the stern of the tank, near the stern sheet, and the transmission units were supposed to be moved to the rear wall of the crew compartment. This arrangement of the engine compartment allowed us to simplify the transmission units responsible for the transmission of torque to all 12 driving wheels. The transmission assemblies associated with the engines should have set in motion a set of onboard gear gears located at the sides of the hull. Inside the hollow balancer of the suspension was supposed to install two gears designed to connect the shaft from the onboard transmission and the roller-wheel. To compensate for the loads arising from the movement, this pair of gears had to get spring shock absorbers.
The original chassis promised the MT-25 high mobility characteristics. According to the calculations of the authors of the project, “mototank” on wheels could reach speeds of up to 100 km / h. In this case, the recommended speed of movement was more than two times less. Fuel reserves should have been enough for 400-450 kilometers.
A crew of three or four had to use a 47-mm cannon and three rifle-caliber machine guns. For whatever reason, Gorodok and Starodubtsev decided to use an instrument of caliber so unusual for Russian tanks - it is not known. It can be assumed that the choice weapons It was associated with the balance of the tank's combat mass and its firepower. However, the true reasons for the proposal for a gun of the 47 caliber mm remain unknown. To the left of the driver in the front of the hull was the gunner-radio operator, at whose disposal there was a DT machine gun in a ball mount. The second machine gun of the same type was supposed to be installed in a twin-cannon with a cannon, and the third - in a ball mount on the rear stern of the turret. The design of the tower suggests that the MT-25 tank in the future could receive an instrument of a larger caliber, for example, 76 mm.
With all its advantages, the MT-25 project had several serious flaws that determined its further fate. First of all, it is necessary to note the complexity of the undercarriage and transmission. Despite the seeming advantages, the original all-wheel drive transmission was too complicated for mass production. In addition, the twelve leading rollers-wheels would complicate the repair of the machine in the conditions of field workshops. The small length of the torsion suspension balancers limited the vertical movement of the rollers, which in practice did not contribute to an increase in the softness of the course over rough terrain. The commencement of the serial construction of the MT-25 tanks would entail a high expenditure of rubber needed for the manufacture of tires of the road wheels. Finally, the absence of a highly positioned steering wheel made it impossible for a tank to climb vertical walls of even a small height.
According to the analysis of the proposed project “mototank” MT-25, the specialists of the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army rendered their verdict. The MT-25 project was of some interest, but was not recommended for further development. The combination of the expected characteristics, the complexity of the design and the estimated combat prospects was not in favor of the new project. The documents sent to Moscow went to the archives and lay unclaimed for several decades. Only a few years ago, an interesting project of a wheeled-tracked "mototank" attracted the attention of the authors of a well-known computer game, thanks to which the general public was able to learn about it.
On the materials of the sites:
http://alternathistory.org.ua/
http://yuripasholok.livejournal.com/
http://wiki.worldoftanks.ru/
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