Before the start of World War II, the Soviet Union had extensive experience in creating floating armored vehicles. In the forty-first year, the Red Army had the largest fleet of such equipment, but during the hostilities, the vast majority of copies destroyed the enemy troops. The remaining vehicles clearly did not meet the goals of the government and could little strengthen the army. The model PT-76 is a floating tank, the serial production of which was established in the post-war years. Based on it, several modifications have been released. Consider the characteristics and features of amphibian.
History of creation
The floating tank PT-76 was planned to be equipped with a 76 mm caliber gun. He should have been able to transport a solid stock of ammunition and be able to transfer up to two dozen paratroopers on armor. The design bureau of the shipyard in Nizhny Novgorod (Krasnoye Sormovo) took up the development of new equipment.
The first pair of prototypes was made in 1948. Unfortunately, the models did not pass the test, after which the Research Institute of Transport Engineering in St. Petersburg (Leningrad) took up the development. The manufacturing company was assigned the Stalingrad Transport Plant. General management of the project was carried out by J. Ya. Kotin. At one time, under his control, heavy self-propelled artillery mounts were created . In the role of lead designer was Shamshurin N.F.
The new project received an index of 740. By the summer of 1950, prototypes were released. In difficult trials, the new combat vehicle surpassed its competitor by head (K-90 from Moscow manufacturers), having successfully passed all obstacles. In August 1951, the facility received the name "PT-76 amphibious tank" and was put into service.
Design features
The war machine in question has a classic layout, belongs to the light class. The armored hull is equipped with three compartments:
- Management Department, located in the bow.
- The combat compartment located in the center of the hull, equipped with a conical-shaped tower.
- The power compartment in the stern of the hull. Here is a diesel engine and a pair of water jets (first used on the basis of such equipment).
The machine was launched into serial production already in 1951. Mass production continued until 1967. In total, about four thousand copies left the assembly line. In 1967, the equipment was withdrawn from service.
Tank PT-76: characteristics
The following are the characteristics of the tactical and technical plan:
- Type of machine - amphibious tank.
- Year of issue - 1951.
- The crew consists of three people.
- The layout scheme is classic.
- Length / width / height - 6.91 / 3.18 / 2.19 m.
- The thickness of the armor is from 5 to 13 mm, depending on the location (nose, sides, bottom, tower).
- Base - 4.08 m.
- Track - 2.74 mm.
- Road clearance - 37 cm.
- Armor type - rolled homogeneous from steel of increased strength.
- Armament - rifled gun with a caliber of 76 mm, machine gun SGMT with a caliber of 7.62 mm.
- Shot range - up to 12 km.
- Type of sight - telescopic brand TShK-66.
- The power plant is a V-6 diesel engine with a capacity of 240 horsepower.
- Speed indicator (maximum) - 44 km / h on land, 10.2 km / h - afloat.
- Weight - 14 tons.
- The overcome ditch - 2,8 m.
- Cruising cross country / afloat - 210/70 km.
- Suspension - individual torsion type.
- Power specific - 17.1 liters. s / t
Surveillance and Communications Devices
Light tank PT-76 is equipped with three periscope devices, which are located in the rotating turret of the commander. The devices are mounted tightly and provide a high-quality overview of a fairly narrow sector.
The devices have a five-fold increase and a field of view of 7.5 degrees horizontally. On the sides are periscopes of consumer goods with a single increase. Charging for the review of the terrain can use only one rotary device of a single increase MK-4. It is located in front of the hatch in the tower roof.
In non-combat conditions, the driver observes the terrain through an open hatch. In combat conditions, three devices of the TNP type are used for viewing. To control the machine in conditions of poor visibility or at night, a binocular night vision device TVN-2B is provided. It includes an infrared filter, electronic filling and optics. The range of vision is about 60 meters, while the viewing angle is not more than 30 degrees.
Tank PT-76: description of the engine and chassis
By and large, the power unit of the amphibian in question is a modernized engine of the T-34 tank. The gearbox is also borrowed from this model. Decent speed and good maneuverability on the water provide jet propulsion. Thanks to these elements, the PT-76 amphibious tank could easily overcome ponds overgrown with shrubs.
At the same time, the low specific pressure of the trucks on the soil is noted, which guaranteed the machine easy crossing of very wetlands. The combat amphibian has become more compact and easier to maintain, and also received hydraulic shock absorbers that interact with an individual torsion bar suspension. These units provided the technique with improved ride and increased cruising speed. The PT-76 S 60 amphibious tank was equipped with a WMD protection system and an automatic fire fighting device. The technique proved to be excellent in forced marches with a range of up to 500 kilometers.
Modifications
Based on the car in question, several modifications were released. Among them:
- Model with a 76-mm gun D-56TM with a two-chamber muzzle brake. In addition, she had an ejector, an internal walkie-talkie, a night vision device, and a smoke-proof thermal device. Case height increased by 13 millimeters. Year of improvement - 1957.
- The modernized tank PT-76B was launched in 1959. It is equipped with a two-plane gun D-56TS, a stabilizing device STP-2P, a ventilation unit with filters. In later versions, a gyro-feed was installed.
- In 1967, a PKT course machine gun and an intercom R-123 were installed on the tank in question. The machine was in service with the intelligence corps and the marine corps.
- On the basis of the PT-76, an armored personnel carrier BTR-50, launchers for the Luna missile systems, and a divisional mine clearing system UR-67 were created.
Interesting Facts
The first serious combat clash of the PT-76 took place in March of the 69th year in Vietnam. A team of twelve vehicles and armored personnel carriers attacked the American Ben-Hat base to destroy the cannon battery. The lead PT-76 was blown up by a mine, but the crew did not fail and continued to fire. The remaining vehicles entered into a confrontation with a Patton platoon and a pair of self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles. Losses suffered on both sides, but the attack did not continue after the loss of two tanks and one armored personnel carrier.
In the spring of the 65th, India turned to the USSR for help in order to obtain protection against the possible invasion of Pakistan. India received the first batch of amphibians in the summer of the 65th. In total, the country had two regiments of such vehicles with a total number of about 90 units.
In September 1965, the PT-76 brigade, as part of the seventh Indian Engine Regiment, attacked a village captured by Pakistanis. As a result, the enemy managed to knock out, losing one tank on its part. During the war, India lost about PT-76 company, some of which were captured by the army of Pakistan.
Participation in other military conflicts
Among the most famous confrontations involving the car in question, the following armed conflicts can be noted:
- The war between India and Pakistan in 1971. In fourteen days of fighting, 13 PT-76 tanks were destroyed and damaged, and Pakistanis lost all their heavy vehicles. It was one of the most significant contributions to the victory.
- The 1967 war (six days) between Egypt and Israel. The Egyptians had 29 vehicles under consideration in their arsenal. However, they were used for other purposes. As a result, two units were destroyed, 7 - thrown. The Israelis redesigned the captured models and installed American weapons on them.
- The Doomsday War of 1973. The PT-76 participated in it both from Egypt and from Israel.
- In addition, cars took part in the Yugoslav wars and confrontations in Chechnya.
In conclusion
Now the light floating tank PT-76 and BTR-50 are magnificent and unnecessary “floats”. In the USSR they were withdrawn from service in 1967. Nevertheless, decommissioned cars gained popularity among the countries of the Middle East and were actively used. For its time, this technique proved to be very successful, both on land and on water.
Light amphibious tanks were actively exported to the Warsaw Pact states, as well as most pro-Soviet African and southeastern countries. The captured Egyptian cars were modernized by Israeli engineers, and China produced its own counterpart under the type-63 index.