How lttb was created. How the lttb lttb light tank with heavy armor was created

Light tanks of the first period of the Great Patriotic War were created as cheap and simple machines, suitable for mass production in the most difficult conditions. By 1943 industry Soviet Union recovered, and the need for good light tank didn't go anywhere. Design bureaus got involved in the work, and by the end of March 1944, a project loomed on the horizon, which can only be called a light tank with heavy armor. It was with this name (LTTB, "light tank with heavy armor") that this car got into World of Tanks.

T-50: a return to a wonderful tank with a disgusting fate

In the spring of 1943, the leadership of the Main Armored Directorate (GABTU KA) had an understanding that development resources light tank T-70s are coming to an end. The result of a deep modernization was the T-80 with a two-man turret and a forced engine, but by the time the tests were completed, this tank was hopelessly outdated. Even the installation of the long-barreled gun VT-43, which remained experimental, poorly solved the problem of increasing firepower. Even worse was the case with the reservation. The T-70 was created with the calculation of protecting the frontal projection from 37-mm fire anti-tank gun, and at the beginning of 1943 the basis of the German anti-tank artillery there was already a 75-mm Pak 40 cannon, which gradually replaced the 50-mm Pak 38 cannon. And even the Pak 38 pierced Soviet light tanks almost right through.

The problem of strengthening the armor of the T-80 turned out to be unsolvable, and how much could the car be upgraded, which in fact was a deep processing of the small amphibious tank T-40? In the end, the T-60, based on the T-40, was just a "budget" addition to the T-50, which weighed almost 3 times more and had much more significant reserves for modernization. Alas, a number of problems, primarily with the power plant, did not allow the full-fledged production of the T-50 to be launched, which is why the T-70 appeared in the winter of 1942. The brainchild of Astrov was inferior to the T-50 in almost all characteristics, but it turned out to be much simpler, without scarce components, and the organization of its production at enterprises that already produced the T-60 was a short-lived affair.

It is believed that after the T-80 was discontinued, the development of light tanks in the USSR ended. Some domestic military historians recall the initiative developments that were offered by the factories that produced the SU-76 self-propelled guns. In fact, there was no stopping. Another thing is that GAZ and other enterprises that produced light tanks and self-propelled guns based on them, no more stakes were made. The T-70 base was not considered promising, since a mass of 10–12 tons was the limit for it, and there was no suitable power plant. In a word, it was necessary to create a new car from scratch.

T-50, the most advanced light tank at the time of creation. Alas, his fate was unfortunate. But 1.5 years after the completion of production, he was again in demand

The first signs of a change in priorities took place at the end of April 1943. At this time, the characteristics and test results of the T-50 were extracted from the archive. The tank, created according to requirements dating back to the beginning of 1940, even in the spring of 1943 surpassed the new T-80 in all characteristics. To make it correspond to the realities of the spring of 1943, only three things were required:

• - replace the 45-mm gun with a more powerful gun;
• - solve the problem with the power plant;
• - to resolve the issue with the production base and the design office.

The first point seemed the least problematic. The dimensions of the T-50 turret theoretically made it possible to install a 76-mm F-34 or 57-mm ZIS-4 cannon inside, however, in this case, the commander would have to be removed from it. On the other hand, no one interfered with redesigning the tower itself and resolving this issue. As for the engine, even here the problem was potentially solvable. At YaAZ, it was supposed to master the licensed production of American GMC-4-71 diesel engines, and the twin installation of such engines made it possible to obtain the necessary power.

Even with the production base and design bureau, the situation did not look critical. In the summer-autumn of 1941, plant No. 174 named after. Voroshilov, the manufacturer of the T-50, was evacuated first to the city of Chkalov (now Orenburg), and then to Omsk. In 1942, after the production of T-50s was abandoned, the plant mastered the production of T-34 tanks. Nevertheless, the team, which had extensive experience in the development and production of light tanks, largely survived. There was also a desire to produce their own tank instead of the “alien” T-34. Among those who were evacuated to Omsk were former constructors experimental plant No. 185, which before the war acted as the main incubator advanced ideas Soviet tank industry. In a word, there were potential conditions for the return of the modernized T-50 to the assembly line.

Ever sharper contours

For the first time, the T-50, pulled out of naphthalene and recycled, flashed in the report of the head of the BTU GABTU KA, engineer-colonel S.A. Afonin in July 1943. The report was drawn up immediately after the battle on Kursk Bulge, where the Germans massively used a number of new models of tanks and self-propelled guns. According to the report, it was necessary to master the production of the T-80, but at the same time this tank was characterized as not meeting modern requirements. For this reason, Afonin proposed to allocate a group to work out the technical design of a light tank of a more modern design.

57-mm tank gun ZIS-4 mod. 1943. As a result of the shelling of the "Tiger", this gun was chosen as one of the means of combating the new German tank.

The report was accompanied by tactical and technical requirements for a new light tank, surprisingly intersecting with the T-50. New car was supposed to weigh 15 tons, while the thickness of the armor was assumed to be 45 mm. The crew, as in the T-50, was 4 people. A pair of GMC diesel engines with a total power of 220 hp was offered as a power plant. According to calculations, such a power plant would allow a maximum speed of 45 km / h. True, the transmission was proposed to be placed in front of the car.

Significant differences from the T-50 were the armament and the turret. It was supposed to use the 57-mm ZIS-4 cannon as a weapon, the production of which was restored at factory No. 92, though not for long, in 1943. An alternative was the 76-mm F-34 gun, with which the ZIS-4 was unified in most details. It was planned to install a three-man turret with a turret ring diameter of 1600 mm on the tank, which solved the problem of placing a more powerful gun and three crew members in it. Judging by the requirements, instead of a DT machine gun with a cannon, a GVG (SG-43) machine gun should have been paired, another machine gun was supposed to be installed in the hull next to the driver.

Work on the first version of a promising light tank did not progress beyond the performance requirements. It was the first one, since over the next 2 years the planned light tank changed several times, eventually changing beyond recognition. For the first time, the project was seriously revised in early December 1943. During this time, the ZIS-4 finally disappeared from the list of promising guns, and a serious problem arose with the GMC engines. Due to the bombing, licensed production was never organized, and the engines supplied under Lend-Lease were barely enough for Ya-12 tractors. In addition, the mass of the tank had already grown to 20 tons, and a pair of 110-horsepower engines was clearly not enough to provide acceptable dynamic performance.

According to the new requirements, a light tank had to be equipped with a certain engine with a capacity of 300 horsepower. There was such an engine, it was called B-4. Another thing is that the last unsuccessful attempts to master its production took place in the autumn of 1941. It was the impossibility of establishing production at the new B-4 site and the urgent need for a scarce B-2 that just became the reasons for the removal of the T-50 from production. Where it was supposed to produce the B-4 once again, history is silent. Issue B-4 was eventually mastered, for a long time it was installed on the PT-76 and BTR-50 tanks based on it, but this engine was already called B-6, and this happened after the war.

76-mm cannon S-54, which was offered as a weapon for the second version of a promising light tank

The increase in the mass of a promising tank and the search for a new power plant for it began for a reason. According to the new requirements, the thickness of the frontal sheet increased to 75 mm, and the tower to 60 mm. Just in case, I remind you that we are talking about a light tank, not about the T-43. It was supposed to use a 76-mm S-53 cannon with ballistics as weapons. anti-aircraft gun 3-K. This gun was seriously considered in the second half of 1943 as an alternative to the F-34, it was tested in the T-34 and the SU-76BM self-propelled gun. As a result, the S-54 lost out to the much more promising 85 mm D-5T gun.

At that moment, the team of the Design Bureau of Plant No. 174 began work on a promising tank. Headed the work of G.V. Gudkov, chief designer tank T-50. I.S. was also involved in the new tank. Bushnev, former chief designer of factory #185, who also played an important role in the creation of the T-50. An active correspondence related to the design began between GABTU KA and the plant. According to a letter dated January 26, 1944, it was decided to provide the factory design bureau with the choice of location for the transmission (and it was immediately returned to the rear of the hull). It was also clarified that the armor thickness of 60 mm specified in the TTT for the turret referred to a welded rolled structure. In the case of casting, the thickness of the armor should have increased to 75 mm. Once again, the requirements for power plant. According to the same letter, SKB-75 (Chelyabinsk) began work on the 8-cylinder V-engine V-20, which was a shortened V-2. After the next clarification of the requirements in the design bureau of plant No. 174, work began to boil.

On March 20, 1944, the factory design bureau presented the result of work on a promising light tank. By this time, the hull and, in theory, the chassis had been worked out. The hull length was 5450 mm (more than half a meter more than the T-50). The width turned out to be the most by 10 cm, and the height - by 3 cm. To install a tower with a large shoulder strap diameter (1660 mm - more than that of the T-34-85), the sides of the hull were made of two parts. Despite significant differences from the T-50, the design school of factory #174 was clearly visible in the hull design. As for the undercarriage, the influence of plant No. 185 was more traceable here. Instead of an individual torsion bar suspension, the rollers were supposed to be blocked into carts, two rollers on each, but the cart itself was mounted on a torsion bar suspension. A similar scheme (but with a spring suspension) was originally intended for the T-100 heavy tank developed by factory #185.

Factory sketch of the hull of a new light tank, which was designed by a group of designers from the Design Bureau of Plant No. 174. Despite a number of differences, there is continuity with the T-50

It was supposed to use one of two types of engines: either the B-4, or the promising 8-cylinder V-20 engine. According to the project, at 1750 rpm it was supposed to develop a power of 300 hp. A forced version of the engine was also assumed, the maximum power of which was estimated at 400–450 hp. There were also transmissions to choose from. The base box was a regular manual with six gears forward and two reverse. As an alternative, a 6-speed planetary gearbox with electromagnetic control was developed. The box was supposed to be grouped with a turning mechanism like an IS tank. 2 variants of the planetary rotation mechanism were also worked out. It was planned to make 2 prototype tank, differing from each other in transmissions.

Light tank with heavy armor

But by the time the design of the hull and undercarriage was over, the appetites of the GABTU KA had grown. Reservation of the frontal hull sheet of 75 mm did not suit the customer. According to the amendments, the new light tank was to receive a frontal hull plate 90 mm thick, and the upper side plates should have the same thickness. The thickness of the forehead of the tower first increased to 90 mm, but in subsequent edits a figure appeared in ... 200 mm! The sides of the tower "thickened" from 60 to 90 mm. At the same time, the mass of the designed tank reached 22 tons.

The armament did not suit the GABTU either: instead of the S-54, which was abandoned at the end of 1943, the tank was supposed to be armed with an 85-mm D-5T cannon. In addition, the tank had to be equipped anti-aircraft machine gun GVG, later replaced by DShK. As a result, by the end of March 1944, a project loomed on the horizon that could not be called otherwise than a light tank with heavy armor. For comparison: 90 mm rolled front plate was supposed to heavy tank IS-2, on long distances it was not penetrated by the 88-mm Pak 43 cannon. It was with this name (LTTB, “light tank of heavy armor”) that this vehicle got into World of Tanks, since no indexes were assigned to the potential product.

So the new light tank of factory #174 could be after all the changes requested by the GABTU KA. Reconstruction of Vsevolod Martynenko, on the basis of which a model for World of Tanks was created

After the memorandum dated March 20, 1944, there was no news from factory #174. This was due, among other things, to the fact that the development of a new light tank was going on in their free time from the rest of the work. In the spring of 1944, this time was practically gone. The work of the design bureau concentrated on the T-34-85, and there was no time for light tanks. In addition, in April 1944, SKB-75 actually abandoned work on the V-20 engine. GABTU KA tried to find an opportunity to resume work elsewhere, but to no avail. At that time, the attempt to resume production of the B-4 also ended in nothing. No engine - no tank.

On this one could put an end to this story, but not everything is so simple. In July 1945, with the sanction of the GABTU KA, scientific work to study the issue of strengthening the reservation of the T-50. A rough mathematical calculation showed that with an increase in mass to 24 tons, the tank received armor adequate to the heavy tank IS-2. At the same time, its tower, according to the description, was supposed to resemble the IS-3 tower in its shape. And here the most interesting begins further. At the same time, a certain light tank appears in the documents under the T-64 index. There are no pictures of this car. There is only a description, but it is amazing. As planned, the 26-ton machine was supposed to have a thickness of the upper frontal sheet of 45 mm, but at an angle of inclination of only 8 degrees. The thickness of the cast frontal part goes off scale - 200 mm! The thickness of the sides of the hull was estimated at 150 mm, and the stern - at 75 mm. The thickness of the tower was estimated at 220 mm. And this already turned out to be a real “light tank with super-heavy armor”.

It can be assumed that these sketches are nothing more than a rough mathematical calculation, and no serious work has been carried out in this direction. But it's not. On the same base it was supposed to do self-propelled units. These same installations appear in the long-term plans for arming the Red Army, dated October 1945. The first such vehicle was to be an SPG armed with a 100 mm cannon and armored to ensure that the 75 mm German cannon could not be penetrated from all distances. Apparently, they were talking about the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70, which was installed on the Panther and the Panzer IV/70 fighter. One could assume that the description refers to the SU-101 (Uralmash-1), but the combat weight of the self-propelled gun was estimated at 25 tons, which is 10 tons lighter than the Sverdlovsk machine. The second self-propelled gun was supposed to have a mass of 20 tons and be equipped with a 122-mm howitzer. In the plans for the development of self-propelled artillery for 1946–50, plant No. 40 (now MMZ, Mytishchi) was assigned responsibility for these self-propelled guns. The first 50 self-propelled guns of both types were planned to be received in 1947.

8-12-2016, 11:45

hello to all lovers light equipment, with you site! Friends, today we have an amazing machine as a guest, a very frisky, dynamic, and well-armed light tank of the eighth level of the USSR - this LTTB guide.

Not many people know, but the abbreviation of the name of our firefly stands for Light Tank of Heavy Armor. However, in order to figure out whether our firefly is as armored as its name says, you need to consider in detail LTTB characteristics, at the same time we will find out why it is good and how best to use it in battle, especially after the release of update 0.9.18, where LTTB was transferred from the seventh level to the eighth.

TTX LTTB

First of all, everyone who goes into battle on this firefly should understand that it has a standard margin of safety by the standards of the LT-8 (but small in the general sense), as well as not the largest, but a good basic view of 380 meters.

If we consider LTTB TTX booking, here you can say quite a lot, because this unit corresponds to its full name. Let's start with the security of the frontal projection. Initially, it may seem that 90 millimeters is not much, but on our side there are excellent angles of armor, so the VLD has a reduced armor of 180 millimeters, and the turret boasts a reduced armor thickness of up to 200 millimeters, depending on the angle of entry of the projectile.

You will be surprised, but even in the aft projection our light tank LTTB World of Tanks is able to catch ricochets, as the inclined top plate is located at an even more comfortable angle than the VLD in front. True, nominally it is thinner and here the reduction is about 70-100 millimeters, but you must admit that this is very good for LT.

But there is absolutely no hope on board, from this side everything is standard, everyone you meet will pierce you, so it’s better not to turn your side to anyone. Summing up the intermediate result, I want to say that LTTB tank, cannot fully rely on its armor, ricochets will please you quite often.

However, our firefly is not famous for its armor, it has an even stronger side - mobility. As you may have noticed, LTTB WoT has excellent maximum speed, very good maneuverability, but the ratio of horsepower to a ton of weight is simply beyond praise, we have excellent dynamics, the best in the level.

gun

In terms of weapons, this device is also by no means weak, the creators awarded it with a truly long-barreled gun, which will give you the opportunity to deal decent amounts of damage.

LTTB gun has a rather weak alpha strike, but thanks to a good rate of fire, we have decent damage per minute, which is about 2000 units.

After the release of patch 0.9.18, the armor penetration parameters of all light tanks became average, but LTTB World of Tanks here, against the background of some, the LT-8 is slightly behind. However, our firefly can still penetrate even tanks of the tenth level, but you have to aim vulnerabilities and we won't be able to damage everyone, so take at least 15 gold sub-calibers with you to feel more comfortable in battle.

But in terms of accuracy, our gun is one of the best among classmates. You will find a comfortable spread, fairly fast convergence and even stabilization will allow you to hit the target well on the move at medium distances. But light tank LTTB Bort WoT got very modest angles vertical aiming, down the gun practically does not bend, only by 3 degrees, and it lifts up rather weakly, by 15 degrees.

Advantages and disadvantages

To understand the whole essence of the machine, to realize how fun and dynamic gameplay awaits you, you need to clearly understand what advantages LTTB World of Tanks it is worth emphasizing and what shortcomings need to be leveled, so let's highlight these nuances separately.
Pros:
Ricochet armor;
good review;
Excellent mobility (maximum speed, dynamics, maneuverability);
A very worthy DPM;
Comfortable accuracy.
Minuses:
Nominally weak booking;
Quite large dimensions;
Small alpha strike;
Poor elevation angles.

Equipment for LTTB

A good way to increase the efficiency of the machine and make it easier for you to stay in combat is to install additional modules. Accordingly, this issue should be taken seriously and LTTB equipment the following will do:
1. - a good assistant to us in the kit, which will make the already existing worthy DPM even more formidable.
2. - nowhere without it, because one of our main duties is reconnaissance, and the greater the overview, the more feasible this task.
3. - everything is simple here, this module gives a massive increase in performance, it will perfectly complement the assembly.

If, after several fights, you lack accuracy, there is an alternative to the third paragraph - which will increase the speed of information. However, the above list of equipment, I would call the most relevant.

Crew training

In order to fully unleash the potential of the tank, it is extremely important to properly pump the crew sitting inside. A lot will depend on the skills you choose, and for a firefly like this, it is important not only to increase stealth, survivability and vision, but to make a good bet on the comfort of dealing damage, so for LTTB perks should be taught in the following order:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner - , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Loader (radio operator) - , , , .

Equipment for LTTB

Consumables are partly responsible for your safety in battle, but in order to save money or if you don’t have enough silver in stock, it’s better to stick with the standard gentleman’s set of , , . However, for a light tank, every grain of safety margin is important, every second counts, and for this reason it is much more reasonable to carry LTTB gear as , , . Of course, instead of the last option, you can take it, the tank burns infrequently.

Tactics of the game on LTTB

We have a very dynamic tank in our hands, it has everything a good firefly needs, and in addition we got armor that can ricochet and very good weapons, the only question is how to use it.

For LTTB tactics behavior in battle can be very diverse, but do not forget that your main task is to obtain intelligence for your team. In view of this, at the beginning of the battle, you can occupy some bush and shine passively, but do not stay too long, our stealth is not the best among LT-8s and it is better to leave the dangerous point in advance.

The rest of the fight won't be boring light tank LTTB WoT never stands still, you must constantly move, periodically stepping over the "line" when enemy shells whistle overhead, but our equipment will be able to send someone to the hangar.

Don't forget your gun LTTB tank quite capable of showing his teeth and doing it very hard. Thanks to excellent mobility, you can call on the enemy from the most unexpected sides and fire 1-2 shots with impunity while he is trying to understand what is really happening.

For the rest, feel free to use your frantic dynamics. Even if the enemy sees you, but the position allows, you can LTTB World of Tanks able to quickly lean out from behind cover, make a shot and hide back. Such a trick can be done many times, just act wisely, wait until the opponent is distracted or if he misses, it is advisable to know the reload time of his gun.

Frankly speaking, until you sit down at the lever of this tank, it is difficult to understand how good it is. Soviet light tank LTTB reveals itself during the game, however, you must remember to play carefully. Take care of your health margin, tirelessly monitor the mini-map and use all your attentiveness, creativity is also welcome.