The first attempts to create a flamethrower tank were made already at the beginning of the development of domestic tank building - on the basis of the first production tank MS-1, the flamethrower OT-1 was developed, which, however, did not go into production. More precisely, work was widely carried out on “chemical” tanks. The USSR, like all other countries, was preparing for a future war with the widespread use of chemical weapons. And then this included not only chemical warfare agents, but also incendiary weapon, and means of setting up smoke screens. According to the views of the military in the 1930s, chemical tanks were intended “both for chemical attack or defense, and to cover the action of linear tanks. These tanks can be used to organize infection, establish a smoke screen or decontaminate the area. Some of these tanks are used for flame-throwing when operating as line tanks against enemy personnel and firing points. Chemical weapons (smoke launcher or flamethrower) can also be installed on some linear tanks. However, in this case it is difficult to deploy sufficiently powerful chemical weapons and required amount fuel." That is, the role of “flamethrowers” was considered only one of the possible for chemical tanks.
Work on chemical tanks began on the basis of the order of the Chief of Armaments of the Red Army “On the Chemical Weapons System” dated August 28, 1931
Dominant in the 1920s - 1030s. views on the nature of offensive operations required a high rate of advancement into the depths of the enemy’s defense, which required powerful and at the same time sufficiently mobile means to destroy or suppress resistance nodes that hindered the advance. Therefore, by the beginning of the 1930s. Soviet military theorists formulated the idea of the need to create armored vehicles armed with powerful flamethrowers, which could be used to destroy the enemy defending in field fortifications and fortifications, as well as to spray combat agents and set up smoke screens to cover the battle formations of tanks with front or flanks. According to Soviet doctrine, such tanks, although they carried the property of chemical troops, were considered an integral part of armored units.
Chemical modifications with flamethrower equipment were developed for almost all production and most prototype tanks. The first self-propelled flamethrower actually embodied in metal was the HT-27 (OT-27) wedge, built in 1932 and even used by the Red Army.
Flamethrower wedge OT-27 (first version)
Chemical tanks were built on the chassis of amphibious tanks T-37 (ХТ-37 or БХМ-4) and Т-38 (ХТ-38), light tanks for direct infantry support T-26, high-speed wheeled tracked tanks BT.
The flamethrower tank project was also created on the basis of the wheeled-tracked medium tank T-29, and in 1938 SKB-2 Leningradsky Kirov plant developed a project for a tracked tank weighing 30 - 32 tons for mechanized brigades of the Red Army. It was assumed that, in addition to the 76 mm gun and heavy machine gun, it will also have a flamethrower. True, as in the case of the XT-29, the matter did not go further than the project.
The main developer and supplier of “tank flamethrower devices” since the early 1930s. became the Moscow plant "Compressor", which produced a family of pneumatic flamethrowers of the KS brand. They all had the same principle of operation. Highly compressed air came from the cylinders through a reducer, which reduced the pressure to working pressure, into a tank with a combustible mixture. The mixture was supplied by air pressure to the fire nozzle, through which it was released onto the target in a concentrated stream, ignited by a gasoline torch at the outlet. The torch, in turn, was ignited by an electric candle. The final adaptation of the equipment for installation on tanks was usually carried out by the design bureaus of tank factories.
LIGHT FLAME-THROWER TANKS
LIGHT CHEMICAL TANK XT-26
Chemical (flame-thrower) tank XT-26 during testing at the NIBT Test Site in Kubinka. 1932
The T-26 light direct infantry support tank, produced in several modifications in Leningrad by the Bolshevik plant and machine-building plant No. 174 named after K.E. Voroshilov, was in the 1930s. the most numerous in the Red Army. Mass release in combination with the relatively simple and reliable design of the chassis led to its widespread use for experimental development and the creation of special machines based on it. It is not surprising that this tank was considered preferable for the production of serial chemical machines. The project of a two-seat chemical tank T-26 with an installation for flamethrowing and contamination of the area was proposed back in June 1932 by G.E. Schmidt. But it turned out to be more successful experienced tank BKhM-3, made on the basis of a two-turret version of the T-26 model 1931. The KS-2 equipment developed at the Kompressor plant allowed the use of the BKhM-3 for flamethrowing, setting up smoke screens and contaminating the area or, conversely, degassing.
This vehicle entered service under the designation "chemical tank" XT-26 (although often referred to as the flamethrower tank OT-26). The left turret was removed and a hatch was made in its place, and a KS-24 flamethrower with a flamethrowing range of 35 m (noticeably less in a headwind) and a DT machine gun were installed in the right turret. The frontal armor of the turret has changed somewhat. IN fighting compartment of the tank, under the hatch, the rest of the chemical equipment was placed, consisting of a reservoir (tank) for a fire mixture (liquid agent, degassing liquid), three 13.5-liter cylinders with compressed air, a gasoline tank with a capacity of 0.7 liters and an ignition system, hoses, pipelines, valves. The pressure in the cylinders is 150 kg/cm2, the working pressure is 12 kg/cm2. Up to 5 liters of fire mixture were thrown out in one shot. To ignite it, a torch of burning gasoline was used, and an electric spark plug was used to ignite the gasoline. The supply of fire mixture (a mixture of fuel oil and kerosene) was enough for 70 shots. The hose was aimed using a shoulder rest similar to a DT machine gun.
The tank was equipped with a smoke exhaust system for setting up smoke screens. The combination of two “chemical” systems (flamethrower and smoke) on one chassis was rational, since the same combustible mixture was used for smoke generation. The smoke outlet nozzle was mounted at the stern. This vehicle became the first mass-produced flamethrower tank and allowed the development of a number of constructive solutions, but overall it caused a number of complaints. After 1937, the HT-26 (OT-26) remaining in service were modified by installing flamethrower equipment from the HT-130.
Original version the use of a flamethrower on a tank was developed in the Research Department of the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization under the leadership of Zh.Ya. Kotin in 1936. At the stern of the double-turret T-26 tank, a pneumatic flamethrower with a flamethrowing range of 12 - 15 m was installed to protect the tank from the stern from enemy infantry. This option remained experimental (interesting fact: almost 70 years later, this idea was uniquely revived in a “flame-thrower device” patented in South Africa to protect a car from an attack by an armed criminal).
LIGHT CHEMICAL TANK XT-130
Based on the T-26 mod. 1933, with one cylindrical tower in KB-2 of plant No. 174, according to the design of SKB of the Kompressor plant, the chemical tank XT-130 was created. The turret was shifted to the right of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, which freed up space to accommodate the KS-25 flamethrower equipment. The hull contained two tanks for fire mixture with a total capacity of 400 liters (initially a smaller supply of fire mixture was assumed), in the tower there were four cylinders with compressed air of 13.5 liters each and a gasoline tank of the ignition system with a capacity of 0.8 liters. The fire hose with an armored casing was mounted in the same mantlet as the DT machine gun. The flamethrower was aimed using a shoulder rest, and the sight was a periscope TOGI. The elevation angle of the fire hose is up to +10°, the horizontal guidance angle without turning the turret is 20°. The automatic igniter at the end of the fire hose also had an electric spark plug and was protected by an armored casing. To fill the tanks with fire mixture, filler necks in the roof of the turret box to the left of the turret were used. The air pressure in the cylinders is 150 kg/cm2, the working pressure is 18 kg/cm2. In one second shot, the flamethrower threw up to 9 liters of fire mixture (a mixture of fuel oil and kerosene), while the flamethrowing range increased to 45 - 50 m, but the number of shots decreased to 40 (when pouring 360 liters). After the shot, the fire hose was automatically purged of the remaining mixture with compressed air. We simplified the process of cleaning the reservoir (tank) - to drain the remaining mixture; a valve was installed in its bottom instead of a pipe. The same equipment could be used to contaminate the area, while the capture width of one tank was 25 m at a speed of 12 km/h, and the contaminated area was 20,000 m2. There was a smoke exhaust system. XT-130 was equipped with a TPU-3 tank intercom. When modernizing the weapons, the tank was equipped with a second DT machine gun, and the ammunition load was increased to 3,150 rounds.
LIGHT CHEMICAL TANKS XT-131 - XT-133
Installing a flamethrower in the turret instead of a cannon allowed for all-round firing from it. But a flamethrower - a melee weapon with a range of several tens of meters - is powerless against tanks and anti-tank artillery. This limited the actions of flamethrower tanks and made them almost helpless and useless after the consumption of the combustible mixture (machine gun weapons were already considered auxiliary). Such vehicles required the support of line (cannon) tanks to suppress enemy anti-tank fire and were easily knocked out without their cover. Moreover, flamethrower vehicles differed in appearance from linear ones, which allowed the enemy to determine the direction of attack in advance and concentrate fire on them. Therefore, in 1939 - 1940. flamethrower tanks were created that retained the cannon armament of the base vehicle, although it was necessary to sacrifice the fire mixture supply.
Already in 1939, KB-2 of plant No. 174 developed and manufactured prototypes of chemical tanks XT-131 and XT-132. The HT-131 retained the cannon armament in the turret. But the combined installation of cannon and machine gun weapons with ammunition and KS-25 flamethrower equipment with a tank and cylinders in such a small vehicle simply did not leave the crew any room to work. Therefore, the HT-132 still abandoned cannon armament. A modernized version of this machine in the fall of 1939, i.e. almost immediately after the events on the Khalkhin Gol River and the beginning
World War II, entered service under the designation HT-133. This chemical tank was built on the T-26 chassis mod. 1939 with inclined installation of armor plates of the turret box and a conical turret, carried flamethrower equipment and 2 DT machine guns - coaxial in a single mantlet with a flamethrower and in a ball mount at the rear of the turret. The XT-133 turret was also shifted to the right, and a tank, cylinders and other elements of flamethrower equipment were mounted on the left. Instead of two PTK devices on linear tanks, one was mounted on the XT-133 turret. Chassis improved, as on linear tanks. Serial production, which began in September 1939, proceeded with great difficulties - the XT-133, compared to the T-26, had 370 design changes, some of which reduced the rigidity of the hull and turret elements and complicated the installation of equipment. Like previous flamethrower tanks on the T-26 chassis, the XT-133 tank was not equipped with a radio station, but had a TPU-3. The first XT-133s released went to the troops operating on the Karelian Isthmus, where 17 vehicles received shielding from additional 30-40 mm armor plates to increase protection from enemy anti-tank fire.
LIGHT CHEMICAL TANK XT-134
Flamethrower tank XT-134 during testing at the NIBT Test Site in the summer of 1940. A flamethrower is clearly visible on the upper frontal plate of the hull. The car arrived from the Karelian Isthmus, where it took part in the battles. Additional shielding was preserved only on the turret; it was removed from the hull before testing to reduce weight
In January 1940, Plant No. 174, under the designation HT-134, built on the basis of the T-26 with a conical turret a new version of the chemical (flame-thrower) tank while retaining the cannon armament. The same KS-equipment was used. 25, but now the rotating L-shaped fire nozzle of the flamethrower was mounted in the upper frontal plate of the hull of the standard T-26 model 1939, and one of the two tanks with the fire mixture was mounted outside on the rear plate of the turret box. flammable liquid 145 l provided 15 - 18 short shots. The diameter of the flamethrower nozzle outlet was 14 mm. The total mass of the flamethrower equipment with filled tanks was 568 kg, the working pressure in the mixture tanks was 25 - 27 atm. In addition, the tank was armed with a 45-mm tank gun mod. 1934/38 and two DT machine guns.
Two samples of HT-134, shielded with 30-mm armor plates, were sent to the 210th separate chemical tank battalion. Despite the success of their use, the XT-134 tank did not go into production. Firstly, flamethrower tanks needed much better armor protection, which required the use of medium or heavy tank chassis. Secondly, the flamethrowing range of 50 m was considered insufficient by that time; it was necessary to replace pneumatic flamethrowers with powder ones. And the production of the base tank was completed.
Note that the chemical tank XT-46 was developed on the basis of the T-46, a wheeled and tracked modification of the same T-26.
The total number of chemical tanks produced was: KhT-26 - 552 in 1932 - 1935, KhT-130 - 401 in 1936 - 1939, KhT-133 - 269 in 1939 - 1940, KhT-134 - 2 in 1940.
WHEEL-TRACKED FLAME-THROWER TANK XT-7 (OT-8)
In the USSR, much attention was paid to high-speed wheeled-tracked BT tanks, but chemical (flame-thrower) tanks based on them remained prototypes. Already in 1935, three prototypes of the BKhM-2 with KS-23 flamethrower equipment instead of cannon weapons were built on the BT-5 chassis; in 1937, the KhBT-5 with KS-34 equipment was built at the Kompressor plant. In 1936, the design bureau of the Kompressor plant, on the BT-7 chassis, created a prototype of the KhBT-7 (KhBT-III) tank with KS-40 equipment, capable of throwing a jet up to 70 m.
In 1940, when the XT-134 was built at plant No. 174, Kharkov plant No. 183 named after. The Comintern built several OT-7 flamethrower tanks with a 45-mm cannon and a DT machine gun in the “native” conical turret on the BT-7 chassis model 1937. The KS-63 pneumatic flamethrower from the Kompressor plant was installed in the frontal part of the hull to the right of the driver. Two tanks for the combustible mixture with a capacity of 85 liters each were removed from the tank hull onto the fenders and protected with 10 mm armor. The pneumatic system of the flamethrower consisted of three compressed air cylinders with a capacity of 13 liters; two gearboxes, a pipeline and a control valve. One reducer reduced the pressure to 8 - 10 atm (for supplying gasoline to the torch nozzle), the other (for firing the fire mixture) created a working pressure in the tanks of 20 - 25 atm. The jet throwing range reached 60 - 70 m (in favorable conditions - up to 90 m). The installation of a flamethrower in the body resulted in a dead zone of fire from it of 5.5 m. A supply of flammable liquid of 170 liters was enough for 11 - 17 (according to other sources 10 - 15) short shots, the practical rate of fire was 10 - 12 rounds/min. In this case, the horizontal firing angle was 55°, the elevation angle was +12°, and the declination angle was -9°. The flamethrower was controlled by the driver. His observation device had a built-in device for aiming a flamethrower with aiming marks and an arrow connected to the flamethrower. But they simply did not find an appropriate enterprise for the production of KS-63.
WHEEL-TRACKED FLAME-THROWER TANK OP-7
In 1941, the KS-63 flamethrower equipment was installed on the BT-7M wheeled-tracked tank (model 1940) with a V-2 diesel engine. This flamethrower tank was designated OP-7. The total weight of the KS-63 with filled tanks was 711 kg. Tanks with a fire mixture of 85 liters each were installed on fenders and protected by 10-mm armor plates. The fire mixture consisted of a mixture of fuel oil MZ (90%) and kerosene (10%), its supply was enough for 10 - 15 short shots. The fire hose was placed in a ball joint in the frontal plate of the hull; the diameter of the outlet hole of its nozzle was 19 mm. The fire hose was controlled by two handles. The mixture was ignited using an electric candle connected to a tank battery. Working pressure 25 - 27 atm. The range is up to 70 m. Like the OT-7, the OP-7 tank remained a prototype. It is, however, interesting as an example of a change in approach to the creation of flamethrower tanks on the eve of the war.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TANK OT-7 (OP-8)
Crew, people 3
Combat weight, t 14.3 (14.65)
Tank length, m 5.6 (5.66)
Width, m 2.29
Height, m 2.4 (2.5)
Ground clearance, m 0.35
Armor thickness, mm:
building 22
tower 15
Engine power, hp 400 (500)
Maximum speed, km/h:
on tracks 51(62)
on wheels 72 (86)
Power reserve, km:
on tracks 510(620)
on wheels 500 (1070)
Armament
Gun 45 mm mod. 1934/38
2x7.62 mm DT machine gun
Ammunition:
188 shots
cartridges 1827
Flamethrower KS-63
fire mixture reserve, l 170
flamethrowing range, m 54 - 60 (70)
FLAMETHROWS ON TELETANKS
A remote-controlled tank (apparently LT1-26), equipped with a flamethrower for testing at the NIBT Test Site. 1936 (left). The same vehicle with dismantled weapons is on display at the tank museum in Kubinka. 2001 (center). Refilling the remote-controlled tank TT-BT-7 with special fluid. 1940 (right)
Flamethrower weapons were considered the main weapon for most experimental and production models of radio-remotely controlled tanks (teletanks) built in the USSR in the 1930s. - TT-26, teletractor T-20, TT-38, BT-TT. They were planned to be used for reconnaissance of minefields and anti-tank obstacles and making passages through them, destroying pillboxes, throwing flames with short range, setting up smoke screens. Thus, a 1935 teletank with TOZ-IV telemechanical equipment carried flamethrower and machine gun weapons of the XT-130 type. Plant No. 174 built 37 telemechanical groups “teletank - control tank”. In 1938, 28 teletanks were also built with TOZ-VI equipment and a KS-25 chemical device for flame throwing or setting up smoke screens. In total, 1933 - 1938 162 TT-26 teletank and TU-26 control tank were produced in several batches.
To the beginning of the Great Patriotic War On most of the teletanks, the telemechanical equipment was out of order, and the teletanks available in the border districts were lost in the first weeks, apparently without having time to take part in the battles.
Flamethrowers were later considered among the weapons of remotely controlled ground vehicles (in particular, the Radio-Craft magazine already in 1945, immediately after the end of the war, published a project for a radio-controlled wedge - a development of the German B-IV - equipped with a pneumatic flamethrower with a flamethrowing range of up to 40 m and a powerful explosive charge).
CHEMICAL TRAILER
To defeat enemy manpower by flamethrowing, produce smoke and contaminate the area with military agents, as well as degass it in 1939 - 1940. At the Vyksinsky DRO plant, the leading designer M.V. Sukhov, under the leadership of the head of the SKV M.U. Miroshin, developed special chemical trailers (CP). The HP-2 trailer was a single-axle trailer on wheels with special equipment, instrumentation and a tank with a capacity of 600 liters, which were protected by armor 6, 9 and 10 mm thick. The special liquid was released using compressed air. A device was installed on the trailer that ensured its coupling to the tank, and, if necessary, uncoupling without the crew leaving the tank. Not mass produced.
COMBAT USE OF CHEMICAL TANKS ON THE T-26 BASE
An XT-130 tank from the 210th separate chemical tank battalion fires at a Finnish pillbox. 1940
Chemical tanks entered service with the combat support companies of tank brigades (9 units - three platoons of three vehicles), and since 1935 - individual chemical tank battalions, which were consolidated into chemical tank brigades of 150 tanks each. By 1939, the Red Army had three such brigades - in the Moscow Military District, in the Volga region and in the Far East.
Back in 1938, 9 HT-26s were used in battles against Japanese troops in the area of Lake Khasan. And in 1939 - 1940. Soviet troops acquired very valuable experience in the combat use of flamethrower tanks both against field (on the Khalkhin-Gol River) and against long-term (on the Karelian Isthmus) fortifications. In the battles on the Khalkhin Gol River in May - August 1939, 10 XT-26 tanks from the combat support company of the 11th Tank Brigade and 9 XT-26 from the 6th Tank Brigade, as well as 18 XT-130 from the 2nd Tank Brigade, operated 1st chemical tank brigade. These tanks were used as flamethrowers to support infantry and destroy the enemy during the assault on fortified positions. Typically, a flamethrower tank was sent to a long-term enemy fire installation, which was key in this sector of defense, and after it was suppressed, it turned around and moved along the trench, burning out manpower from it. At the same time, to cover the flamethrower tanks, linear cannon tanks or armored vehicles were allocated - as a rule, a platoon of tanks or BA-10s per platoon (3 vehicles) of flamethrower tanks. The “Report on the actions of chemical troops during the battles near the Khalkhin Gol River” stated: “Chemical tanks were widely used and fully justified themselves, gaining a strong reputation among rifle units.”
During the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939 - 1940. Chemical tanks of the 201st, 204th, 210th and 218th separate chemical tank battalions, as well as combat support companies for tank brigades, took part in the operations on the Karelian Isthmus. By the beginning of the war, the troops that took part in the battles had 208 XT-26 and XT-130 tanks (the latter made up the majority), subsequently their number was constantly increased, including the supply of XT-133 tanks. Tanks very effectively burned out enemy infantry both in the pillboxes and dugouts of the Mannerheim line, and on open area. K.G. Mannerheim himself, recalling the assault by Soviet troops on Finnish fortifications, noted: “What was new was that in many places the infantry was transported on armored sleighs attached to tanks, or on the armor of tanks. Self-propelled flamethrowers that spew burning oil were also new.” The uniqueness of the theater of military operations and the specifics of the attack on the enemy’s fortified area determined the features of the use of flamethrower tanks in their close cooperation with linear tanks, infantry and artillery. Flamethrower tanks operated most successfully against individual fortifications as part of assault (blocking) groups, into which they were introduced along with linear tanks, infantry and sappers, with artillery support. Tanks, under enemy fire, approached the pillbox within the range of a flamethrower shot and hit the embrasure with a stream of fire mixture, destroying or suppressing the garrison of the structure. However, despite all the effectiveness of flamethrower tanks, they turned out to be more vulnerable - due to the increased fire hazard - and their percentage of losses was almost 2.5 times higher than that of linear T-26s. Of the 446 chemical tanks that took part in the battles on the Karelian Isthmus, 124 were lost. War experience showed that flamethrower tanks become the first target for anti-tank artillery.
Flamethrower teletank TT-26 from the 217th separate chemical tank battalion, knocked out in the area of height 65.5. Karelian Isthmus, February 1940
Fighting 1939 - 1940 made it possible to clarify the role of chemical tanks, the tactics of their use and the requirements for them. Flame throwing became their main purpose. The use of flamethrower tanks to break through enemy defenses was considered, among others important issues. At a meeting of the senior leadership of the Red Army on December 23 - 31, 1940, this was reported by the commander of the Western Special Military District, Colonel General tank troops D.G. Pavlov and the commander of the 5th mechanized corps of the Transbaikal Military District, Lieutenant General M.F. Terekhin. In the “Manual for a Tank Soldier,” published in 1941 on the eve of the war, the action of flamethrowing tanks was briefly discussed: “Flamethrowing is applicable in any situation: by advancing troops, flamethrowing is used against manpower located openly and in shelters, against enemy tanks, rear columns, to set fire to warehouses and structures.”
Thus, by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army had well-established views on the use of flamethrower weapons in battle. It was believed that flamethrowers did not solve independent combat missions, and therefore should only be used in close cooperation with infantry and tanks, artillery and sappers. Flame throwing had to be combined with rifle and machine gun fire and a bayonet strike. The task of flamethrowers in an offensive was to burn out the defending enemy from cover. The practice of using them in battles has shown that after flame-throwing, unaffected manpower, as a rule, left cover and came under fire small arms and artillery. In defense, flamethrowers were supposed to be used suddenly and en masse at the moment when the attacking enemy approached within the range of a flamethrower shot.
In 1940, the organizational structure of tank forces in our country was revised. The chemical tank brigades were disbanded, and their materiel was transferred from the summer to the tank divisions of the newly created mechanized corps. Each tank division introduced two battalions of chemical tanks with 54 vehicles each, directly subordinate to the division commander. But, according to the 1st Department of the GABTU of the Red Army, on June 22, 1941, in the mechanized corps there were chemical tanks on the T-26 chassis: in the 1st - 104, in the 2nd - 6, in the 3rd - 12 , 4th - 23, in the 5th - 59, in the 6th - 44, in the 7th - 68, in the 8th - 50, in the 9th - 4, in the 10th - 38, in 11th - 20, 13th - 20, 14th - 25, 15th - 9, 16th - 32, 17th - 2, 18th - 12, 19th -m - 47, in the 20th - 3, in the 21st - 30, in the 22nd - 49, in the 24th - 4, in the 27th - 4, in the 28th - 131, in the 30th m - 108. The 57th Tank Division had 42, and the 59th - 48 chemical tanks. As you can see, the staffing levels were very uneven and differed greatly from the standard requirements. Thus, in the mechanized corps of the 5th Army of the Kyiv Special Military District, the shortage of chemical tanks was 84%. In total, the mechanized corps of the Red Army had 994 chemical tanks on the T-26 chassis.
Most of light chemical tanks were lost in the battles of the summer of 1941, and many failed due to technical reasons. Very typical for the beginning of the war, for example, a report on the combat operations of the flamethrower battalions of the 3rd tank division of the 1st mechanized corps: “By the beginning of hostilities, the 5th and 6th tank regiments each had one battalion (24 XT and 8 cannon T -26). The battalions fought their first battle outside the city of Ostrov on July 5, 1941.
The flamethrower battalion of the 6th Tank Regiment operated in the second echelon. At the moment of attack, collected from various parts the infantry fell behind and did not attack, so the tanks acted alone. The battalion was advanced after the heavy tanks, destroying the German infantry fleeing in panic with fire and successfully setting fire to the buildings where anti-tank guns and machine guns were installed. Due to the fact that during the battle the flamethrower tanks lagged behind their heavy tanks and did not have infantry support, 10 flamethrower vehicles and six T-26s were lost.
On July 7, 1941, a flamethrower tank battalion took part in a battle to destroy German landing forces in the area of the village of Chisre. Due to the burning of the forest and moral impact, the enemy motorized infantry was scattered. Due to the fact that the flamethrower tanks were withdrawing from the battle through swampy terrain, five tanks got stuck in the swamp and were blown up by their crews.
In the area of the villages of Brovino, Udokha, Sitnya on July 9 - 10, three flamethrower tanks of the 6th Tank Regiment acted from ambushes, destroying up to 30 motorcyclists and three trucks with infantry. In recent battles, flamethrower tanks acted as line tanks.
On July 5, in the battle for the city of Ostrov, the commander of the 5th Tank Regiment used the battalion criminally. He placed one company in the first echelon with the task of destroying anti-tank guns. This company was completely destroyed within 30 - 40 minutes of battle. The remaining companies, due to the impossibility of flame-throwing, were used as line companies (they fired machine guns).
On the night of July 15, during a joint attack by heavy and light tanks, a flamethrower tank battalion consisting of 10 tanks acted to destroy enemy rear lines in the area of the village of Strokino. Flamethrower tanks were used for flamethrowing, destroying enemy vehicles with ammunition and fuel. The enemy was put into panic flight, leaving 240 vehicles with fuel and ammunition on the battlefield. Among the trophies, a car with secret documents from the 52nd Chemical Mortar Regiment was taken.”
The flamethrower tank XT-26 moves to fighting position. Summer 1941
12th mechanized corps from June 22 to July 7, 1941, he lost all seven chemical tanks withdrawn on alert, three of which were combat losses, and four were left on the battlefield for technical reasons.
And here is an excerpt from the “Report on the actions of the 116th separate tank battalion”: “The 116th separate tank battalion, arriving at the front on September 11, consisted of: a) personnel - 440 people; b) tanks - 31, of which T-34 - 9, T-26 - 4, HT-26 - 18... On September 12, 1941, the battalion... first entered into battle with German fascists... As a result of the first battles with the enemy, the battalion did not complete the assigned task, suffering losses: a) in personnel: 10 killed, 10 wounded, 47 missing, for a total of 67; b) in material and weapons: remained on the battlefield and in areas occupied by the enemy: T-34 tanks - 8, of which ran into their own minefield - 2, got stuck in a swamp and on a bridge - 2, fell into an anti-tank ditch - 1, knocked out by enemy anti-tank artillery - 3, T-26 tanks - 3, XT-26 tanks - 15, total - 26. XT-26 tanks burned out from their own combustible mixture due to shells and armor-piercing bullets hitting them...
The reasons for the large losses of the battalion: a) due to repeatedly changing tasks and starting positions for the offensive, as well as a frivolous attitude towards this most important element of the combat activity of tank crews. The crew personnel did not know their tasks well, and the crews of the 3rd company did not know it at all. The tanks of the 3rd company were not prepared for flamethrowing (pressure was not created)...
b) ... no reconnaissance of enemy firing points was organized...
d) HT-26 flamethrower tanks were used incorrectly, like artillery tanks...”
Soviet flamethrower tanks captured by the German army were designated Flam.Pz.Kpfw. T-26 739 ®, although about them combat use unknown to the Germans. Flamethrower tanks captured by the Finns during the Soviet-Finnish war and at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War were restored and used in Finnish army.
Left: A Soviet tank XT-26 captured by the Finns at a repair plant in Varkaus. Spring 1940. A hole from an anti-tank shell is visible in the front plate of the turret.
Right: Captured Soviet flamethrower tank XT-133 at an exhibition in Helsinki. Spring 1942
As of May 31, 1941, the Finns had 4 KhT-26 and 2 KhT-130 in service; by the fall of 1941, 3 more KhT-133 were added to them. But by the autumn of 1942, the Finns converted these tanks into cannon tanks.
The idea of installing a flamethrower on a tank appeared almost immediately after the appearance of tanks on the battlefield. The Germans carried out their first flamethrower attack on July 30 (according to other sources, July 29, 1915) against British troops, so that by September 15, 1916, when the first British tanks, flamethrowers have already proven themselves to be quite effective in combating enemy positional defenses. However, they were still quite cumbersome for manual use. The range of action of the flamethrower was relatively small, and in order to get closer to the enemy at firing range. protection of weapons and crew was required. An all-terrain armored vehicle seemed to be an excellent means of delivering a flamethrower to an effective targeted flamethrowing range. It is no coincidence that German prisoners reported that the soldiers in the trenches “were especially afraid that they (the tanks) were armed with flamethrowers.” Projects for flamethrower tanks were being developed - one can recall plans to include a flamethrower in the armament of the German A7V heavy tank and the super-heavy K-Wagen, or the American project of Johnson, Rachetsky and Stern of a 50-ton tank armed with a machine gun and flamethrower - but even experimental design work was not completed were completed. That. that the idea remained unrealized then and flamethrower tanks did not appear on the battlefields can be attributed to the imperfections of both the first tanks and the existing flamethrowers, which would rather have turned into a tank and a crematorium for the crew.
During the interwar period, the creation of flamethrower tanks received a lot of attention in a number of industrial sectors. developed countries. However, the first real examples of flamethrower tanks appeared only in the early 1930s... a decade and a half after the end of the First World War. All this time, intensive research and development work was underway to improve existing and develop new types of flamethrower-incendiary weapons.
Regardless of the type and design of flamethrowers, the principle of their operation is the same. Flamethrowers are devices that emit jets of highly flammable liquid at a distance of 15 to 200 m. It is ejected from a tank through a special fire hose by the force of gases - compressed air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, powder gases. The liquid is ignited when it exits the fire nozzle (the metal tip of the ejection arm or hose) by an automatically operating igniter. The working action is determined by the range of ejection of the hot jet and its burning time. The range of the jet is determined by the initial speed of the flowing liquid and the angle of inclination of the tip.
Tank flamethrowers were not fundamentally different in design from backpack and trench flamethrowers, but within the framework of the flamethrower tank, the poor maneuverability and bulkiness of flamethrowers were eliminated - one of the biggest disadvantages. preventing the flamethrower from being used as an offensive weapon. Thus, a flamethrower tank is essentially an improved portable flamethrower and, in terms of its design, is not much different from infantry flamethrowers. Initially, designers used the system. based on the displacement of the fire mixture by compressed gas. But then preference was given to high-explosive flamethrowers. They do not contain a cylinder with compressed gas, and the fire mixture is ejected from the tank by the pressure of gases formed during the combustion of the powder charge. Two types of high-explosive flamethrowers were developed - piston and pistonless.
1930s They also provided valuable combat experience - flamethrowers and incendiaries were widely used by Italian troops in the war in Abyssinia. Japanese - in China, Germans and Italians - in Spain, Soviet troops on the river. Khalkhin Gol, as well as in other “small wars” of that time.
Flamethrower (chemical) tank OT-26
USSR
Work on flamethrower tanks was carried out very actively in the USSR. Attempts to create flamethrower tanks were made already at the beginning of serial tank construction - on the basis of the first serial tank MS-1, the flamethrower tank OT-1 was developed. did not, however, go into production. Flamethrower modifications were developed for almost all tanks produced in large series - T-27 wedges (OT-27, built in 1932 and became the first self-propelled flamethrower actually implemented “in hardware”), T-37 amphibious tanks (OT-37 or BKhM -4) and T-38 (OT-38), light tanks for direct infantry support T-26, high-speed wheeled-tracked BT tanks (see below). Became the main developer and supplier of flamethrower equipment for them since the early 1930s. Moscow plant "Compressor", which produced a family of pneumatic tank flamethrowers of the KS brand. They all had the same principle of operation: compressed air was supplied from cylinders through a reducer, which reduced the pressure to working pressure, into a tank with a fire mixture. Air pressure supplied the fire mixture to a fire hose, through which a concentrated jet was released onto the target, and at the exit it was ignited with a gasoline torch, which in turn was triggered by an electric candle. This approach facilitated the supply and maintenance of flamethrower equipment. The adaptation of the equipment for installation on tanks was already carried out by the design bureau of tank factories.
Layout of flamethrower equipment in the XT-26 tank (prototype)
General scheme high-explosive flamethrower with electrical control
Captured flamethrower tanks OT-130 in the Finnish army, 1941.
Diagram of flamethrower equipment KS-63:
1 - tanks for fire mixture, 2.4 - ball joint and nozzle opening device, 3 - air reducer low pressure, 5 - gasoline injector, 6.8 - spark plug and ignition coil. 7 - pipelines, 9 - gasoline tank, 10 - electric valve! II - flamethrower activation button, 12 - battery, 13 - tap 14 - gearbox high pressure. 15 compressed air cylinders. 16-air valve.
Light flamethrower tanks
Light flamethrower tank OT-26(ХТ-26)
Light tank T-26, produced in several modifications in Leningrad by machine-building plant No. 174 named after K.E. Voroshilov, was in the 1930s. the most popular tank of the Red Army. Mass production, combined with a relatively simple and reliable chassis design, led to its widespread use for experimental development and the creation of special vehicles. Based on the two-turret version of the T-26 mod. 1931 in
In 1933, the “chemical tank” HT-26, also known as the flamethrower OT-26, was created. The left turret was removed and a hatch was made in its place, and a fire hose of the KS-24 flamethrower with a flamethrowing range of 35 m was installed in the right turret (at noticeably less in the headwind) and a DT machine gun. The frontal armor of the turret has changed somewhat. fire hose guidance drive - from a DT machine gun. In the fighting compartment of the tank, the rest of the flamethrower equipment, consisting of a tank for fire mixture with a capacity of 360 liters, was placed through a hatch. three 13.5-liter compressed air cylinders, a 0.7-liter gasoline tank and an ignition system. The supply of fire mixture (fuel oil mixed with kerosene) was enough for 70 shots. The pressure in the cylinders is 150 atm, the working pressure is 12 atm (12 kg/cm-’). The flamethrower was aimed using a shoulder rest; up to 5 liters of fire mixture were thrown out in one shot. To ignite the fire mixture, a torch of burning gasoline was used (an electric spark plug was used to ignite the gasoline). The tank was equipped with a smoke exhaust system for setting up smoke screens - the combination of two “chemical” systems (flamethrower and smoke) on one chassis was natural, especially since the same fire mixture was used for smoke generation. The smoke outlet nozzle was mounted at the stern. It was also planned to install equipment for contaminating the area with OM or degassing. This vehicle was produced in a small series in 1933–1934... becoming the first mass-produced flamethrower tank, which made it possible to work out a number of design solutions, but overall it was not successful. After 1937, the OT-26 (HT-26) remaining in service were modified by installing flamethrower equipment from the OT-130.
Light flamethrower tanks OT-130-133
In 1938, based on the T-26 mod. In 1933, the OT-130 tank was released with one cylindrical turret. The turret, as on the base vehicle, was shifted to the right of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Instead of a 45-mm cannon, a KS-25 flamethrower was installed in the turret. The flamethrower equipment was located in the fighting compartment: in the hull there were two tanks for the fire mixture with a total capacity of 400 liters. in the tower there are four compressed air cylinders of 13.5 liters each and a gasoline tank of the ignition system with a capacity of 0.8 liters. The fire hose with an armored casing was mounted in the same mantlet as the D1 machine gun. The igniter here also had an electric spark plug. The flamethrower was aimed using a shoulder rest, and the sight was periscopic. To fill the tanks with fire mixture, filler necks in the roof of the turret box to the left of the turret were used. The air pressure in the cylinders is 150 atm. working pressure - 18 atm. In one shot, the flamethrower threw out up to 9 liters of fire mixture. due to which the flamethrowing range increased to 45–50 m, but the number of shots decreased to 40 (with a fill of 360 l). The design provided for the flamethrower's fire hose to be purged after the shot. There was a smoke exhaust system. Created in 1938–1939 modifications of the OT-131 flamethrower tank. OT-132 and OT-133 differed slightly from OT-130 (turret shape, DT machine guns as auxiliary weapons). OT-133 had two rear and anti-aircraft machine guns. OT-131 and - 132 were released in small batches. OT-133 was built serially. In 1938–1939 built 393 tanks OT-130-133. Like most linear tanks, the OT-130 flamethrowers. 131, 132, 133 did not have a radio station. In total, 1336 flamethrower tanks were produced on the T-26 basis from 1933 to 1939. They were organized into combat support companies for tank brigades (9 chemical tanks - three platoons of three vehicles each). OT-130 tanks as part of the 6th and 11th Tank Brigades were used in battles against Japanese troops in the Khalkhin Gol River area in August 1939. During the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–1940, several battalions participated in operations on the Karelian Isthmus and separate mouths. equipped with OT-130 and OT-133 (there were also several OT-26). Tanks were very effective in burning out enemy infantry both in the pillboxes and dugouts of the Mannerheim line, and in open areas. Tanks, under enemy fire, approached the bunker within the range of a flamethrower shot and hit the embrasure with a jet of fire mixture. Several tanks were captured by the Finns, who eventually re-equipped them with 45 mm cannons.
Layout of flamethrower equipment in the OT-130 tank
Destroyed OT-133 tanks of one tank flamethrower (chemical) platoon, 1941. The OT-133 weapon system is visible.
Captured flamethrower tank OT-133 in the Finnish army.
According to pre-war views, the role of “flamethrowers” was not considered the main one for chemical tanks - it was believed that they were intended mainly to organize a chemical (gas) barrier (for this purpose, they even formed separate chemical tank brigades). setting up a smoke screen, degassing the area, and only “some of these tanks are used for flame-throwing during operations of linear tanks against enemy personnel and firing points.” At the same time, “the installation of special chemical equipment in the tank does not allow the placement of artillery weapons.” unless a smoke exhaust device or flamethrower was installed as an auxiliary device. OT-26 and OT-130-133 carried a flamethrower as their main armament and only had machine guns for self-defense. The role of chemical tanks remained insufficiently defined - for example, in the 1940 works on the tactics of breaking through fortified zones, “sweeper tanks” were mentioned. engineer tanks,” but no mention was made of the location of “chemical tanks.”
Installing a flamethrower in the turret instead of a cannon allowed all-round fire, but already the experience of battles on Khalkhin Gol and the Karelian Isthmus showed the low effectiveness of such tanks in battle: after all, a flamethrower is a melee weapon (range of action is several tens of meters), it is powerless against tanks and anti-tank weapons artillery. This limited the actions of the tanks and made them helpless and useless after using up the flamethrower mixture. Such vehicles required the support of linear (cannon) tanks to suppress enemy anti-tank fire; when separated from them, they were easily knocked out. Moreover, flamethrower vehicles differed in appearance from linear ones. which allowed the enemy to determine the direction of attack in advance and concentrate fire on them. At Khalkhin Gol, to support and cover a platoon of flamethrower tanks, it was necessary to allocate a platoon of linear tanks or BA-10 cannon armored vehicles. Therefore, in 1940, flamethrower tanks were created. retaining the cannon armament of the base vehicle, although this meant sacrificing the fire mixture supply.
| Model of tank | OT-26 | OT-130 (0T-131.0T-132) | OT-133 | T-134 |
| Crew, people | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Combat weight, t | 9.0 | 10,0 | 10,5 | 10.73 |
| Tank length. mm | 4620 | 4650 | 4650 | 4650 |
| Width, mm | 2440 | 2440 | 2440 | 2440 |
| Height, mm | 2150 | 2240 | 2330 | 23& |
| Armor thickness, mm: | ||||
| frame | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| tower | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Weapons: | ||||
| cannon (ammunition) | * | * | * | 45 mm mod. 1932/1938(145) |
| flamethrower | KS-24 | KS-25 | KS | KS-25 |
| fire mixture reserve, l | 360 | 360 | 145 | |
| Auxiliary weapons: | ||||
| 7.62 mm machine gun | 1xDT | 1xDT | 2хDT | 2хDT |
| Engine power, hp | 90 | 95 | 95 | 95 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Cruising range, km | 150-200 | 130-170 | 150-200 | 150-200 |
T-134 flamethrower tank with a shielded turret
Diagram of ATO-41 flamethrower equipment:
1 - flamethrowing control release lever, 2 - gas valve with switch, 3 - battery, 4 - gearboxes. 5 - control pressure gauge, 6 - pressure release valve, 7 - reservoir, 8 - shut-off check valve, 9 - air cylinder, 10 - reels, 11 - aiming angle lever. 12 - igniter.
Diagram of ATO-42 flamethrower equipment
Light flamethrower tank T-134 (OT-134)
It was created on the basis of the T-26 with a conical turret, retaining the 45-mm cannon, coaxial and DT anti-aircraft machine guns. The KS-25 flamethrower was mounted in a ball joint in the inclined frontal plate to the left of the driver. The supply of fire mixture was 145 liters (15–18 short shots), let’s say one of the two tanks with fire mixture had to be located outside the hull. The flamethrower's fire nozzle was mounted in a ball mount, which made it possible to change the direction of the shot; a handle was used for control. The diameter of the flamethrower nozzle outlet was 14 mm. Total weight flamethrower equipment with filled fire mixture tanks was 568 kg, the operating pressure in the fire mixture tanks was 25–27 atm. The flamethrowing range of 50 m was considered insufficient by that time, and production of the base tank was nearing completion. All this determined the fate of the car - it did not go into production.
OT-130 tanks also found use in the initial period of the Great Patriotic War. In 1940, the organizational structure of tank forces in our country was revised; as part of this reorganization, flamethrower tanks were reduced to separate battalions of 54 cars. They were part of tank divisions with direct subordination to the division commander. That is, by the beginning of the war, a tank division with a staff of 375 tanks should have had 54 flamethrower (chemical) tanks, but the incompleteness of the reorganization took its toll. An example of this is the mechanized corps of the 5th Army of the Kiev Special Military District: on June 22, 1941, the 41st tank division of the 22nd mechanized corps had 41 OT-130 tanks, the 20th tank division of the 9th mechanized corps had 3, and in the 35th division - one. The shortage of flamethrower tanks was 84%.
Wheeled-tracked flamethrower tank OT-7
In 1940, the Kharkov Locomotive Plant (plant No. 183 named after the Comintern) based on the BT-7 mod. 1937 built several flamethrower tanks OT-7 with a 45-mm cannon and a DT machine gun in the tank’s “original” conical turret and a flamethrower mounted on the turret box, to the right of the driver, in a ball joint. Flamethrower tanks were also developed on the basis of earlier models of wheeled-tracked BT tanks - KhBT-2 based on BT-2, BKhM based on BT-5, KhBT-7 based on BT-7 with a cylindrical turret - the latter two retaining a 45 mm gun, but they remained experienced. The OT-7 was equipped with a KS-63 pneumatic flamethrower with a flamethrowing range of up to 70 m (in favorable conditions - up to 90 m), installation in the hull resulted in a dead zone of fire from a flamethrower of 5.5 m. To accommodate the flamethrower installation, the design of the front part of the turret box had to be changed . Two fire mixture tanks with a capacity of 85 liters each were removed from the tank hull onto the fenders and protected by 10 mm armor. The pneumatic system of the flamethrower consisted of three compressed air cylinders with a capacity of 13 liters, two reducers that reduce the pressure to 8-10 atm (for supplying gasoline to the torch nozzle), and 20-25 atm (for firing the fire mixture), a pipeline and a control valve. The working pressure in the fire mixture tank was 20–25 atm. A supply of 170 liters of fire mixture was enough for 11–17 (according to other sources - 10–15) short shots, the practical rate of fire was 10–12 rounds/min. The flamethrower was located in the roof of the turret box to the right of the place driver mechanic. In this case, the horizontal firing angle was 55", the elevation angle was 12°, the declination angle was 9°. The flamethrowing was controlled by a driver; his observation device had a built-in sighting device for aiming the flamethrower with aiming marks and an arrow connected to the flamethrower.
In 1941, flamethrower equipment was installed on a wheeled-tracked tank BT-7M (model 1940) with a V-2 diesel engine - this flamethrower tank received the designation OP-7. The total mass of the flamethrower equipment with filled fire mixture tanks was 711 kg. The tank capacity of 170 liters of fire mixture (the tanks are located outside the body) was enough for 10–15 short shots. The fire mixture consisted of a mixture of M3 fuel oil (90%) and kerosene (10%). The fire nozzle is placed in a ball joint in the frontal plate of the hull, the diameter of the outlet of the flamethrower nozzle is 19 mm. Working pressure - 25–27 atm. The flamethrower was controlled by two handles. The mixture was ignited by a spark from a tank battery. Like OT-7. the OP-7 tank remained experimental. It is, however, interesting as an example of a change in the approach to the creation of flamethrower tanks immediately on the eve of the war.
Tactical and technical characteristics of tanks OT-7 (OP-7)
Crew 3 people
Combat weight 14.3(14.65)7
Tank length 5.6 (5.66) m
Height 2.4 (2.45) m
Armament: main 45 mm tank gun ob. 1934/38. flamethrower KS-63
auxiliary two 7.62 mm DT machine guns
Armor thickness up to 22 mm
Engine power 400 (500) hp.
Maximum travel speed
51 (62) km/h on tracks.
72 (86) km/h on wheels
Cruising range 510 (620) km
Wheeled-tracked flamethrower tank OP-7
Note that in 1935–1941. In the USSR, several experimental unmanned remotely controlled radio tanks (“teletanks”) were built, armed with flamethrowers - TT-26, “teletractor” T-20. TT-38. BT-TT. TT-26 teletanks were even produced in a small series in 55 vehicles, but there is no information about their combat use. Flamethrowers were later considered among the weapons of remotely controlled ground vehicles (in particular, the Radio Craft magazine already in 1945, immediately after the end of the war, published a project for a radio-controlled wedge - a development by the German B-IV - equipped with a pneumatic flamethrower with a flamethrowing range of up to 40 m and a powerful charge B B).
Light flamethrower tank T-40 (T-4 °C)
In 1935–1936 Moscow plant No. 37 built 75 OT-37 (BKhM-4) flamethrower tanks with a KS-23 flamethrower on the chassis of small amphibious tanks, and in 1937 - experimental OT-38s with a KS-40 flamethrower. Machine gun turrets were left on the tanks, and a flamethrower was mounted on the hull. But the machines were not used. Before the war, the T-40 amphibious light tank from the same plant entered service ( chief designer- ON THE. Astrov), and in July 1941 its land version T-4 °C was created. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic Red Army lost almost all flamethrower tanks. At Plant No. 37, a tank with an ATO-41 flamethrower was urgently developed on the basis of the T-40 and T-4 °C (the tank was not assigned a separate index). The fire hose was mounted in a ball joint on the right side of the front hull plate, a tank with a fire mixture and a compressed air cylinder were installed in a niche in the hull stern in place of the propeller and rudder. The 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm machine guns were retained in the turret. It was reported about the participation of such vehicles and battles in the Naro-Fominsk area on the front of the 1st Guards Rifle Division.
Performance characteristics of tank flamethrowers ATO-41 and ATO-42
| Model | ATO-41 | ATO-42 | |
| Flamethrower type | Automatic piston | ||
| Type of fire | Single or automatic bursts of 3–4 shots | ||
| Flame throwing range. m | |||
| standard mixture | 60-65 | 60-70 | |
| viscous mixture | 90-100 | 100-130 | |
| Consumption of fire mixture per shot, l | 10 | ||
| Working pressure, kg/cm²: | |||
| in the tank | 4,0–4,5 | 3,540 | |
| in a cylinder | 25-30 | 35 | |
Armament of flamethrower tanks
The initial period of the war confirmed the need for flamethrower tanks. Their absence forced tank units to assign units of backpack or portable high-explosive flamethrowers, whose interaction with tanks in battle was difficult, to attack fortified positions. The fire fighters suffered heavy losses. On the other hand, the flamethrowing range of up to 90 m, achieved in pneumatic flamethrowers by the end of the 1930s... was no longer satisfactory to the military, since it required flamethrower vehicles to approach enemy defensive positions saturated with anti-tank weapons.
An important step The development of domestic flamethrower weapons was the introduction in 1941 of viscous fire mixtures based on powdered thickeners OP-2 according to a recipe developed in 1938–1940. engineer A.P. Ionov to increase the range of jet flamethrowers from tank, trench, high-explosive and hand-held flamethrowers. When tested with a standard tank flamethrower, the use of viscous fire mixtures almost doubled the flamethrowing range. In 1941, mass production of the OP-2 thickener and viscous mixtures began at the enterprises of the People's Commissariat of Food Industry. Ionov’s viscous fire mixtures were used by the Red Army in flamethrowers of all types.
Another way to increase range was the transition from using compressed air pressure to using powder gas pressure, i.e., replacing pneumatic flamethrowers with high-explosive (powder) ones. GSKB 47 of the People's Commissariat of Ammunition and Leningrad Plant No. 174 worked on the creation of high-explosive tank flamethrowers. The special design group of Plant No. 174, headed by I.A. Aristov and D.P. Elagin developed an automatic tank piston flamethrower, which, after comparative tests carried out in May 1941 with a flamethrower developed by NATI, was - literally on the eve of the war - adopted for service under the designation ATO-41. The production of ATO-41 was carried out by the Lyubertsy Agricultural Machinery Plant. Powder charges of a cartridge for a 45 mm cannon were used. The powder gases of the charge pressed on the piston, which pushed the fire mixture out of the cylinder, which was ignited at the outlet by a gasoline torch, ignited by an electric spark plug (from a tank battery). Gasoline was supplied to the torch nozzle by compressed air pressure supplied from a special cylinder through a reducer. Reloading the flamethrower and supplying the next cartridge was carried out automatically by the hydraulic pressure of the fire mixture. created in the tank using compressed air. When firing a flamethrower, a standard mixture consisting of 60% fuel oil and 40% kerosene was mainly used, but a viscous fire mixture (a solution of OP-2 powder in motor gasoline), crude oil, motor fuel, both in pure form and in a mixture, could also be used with kerosene. The tanks were filled with fire mixture using an ARS-6 automatic filling station or manually using buckets. At the end of 1942, a modernized version of the automatic tank flamethrower ATO-41 was adopted for service under the designation ATO-42 with a flamethrowing range of 60–70 m with a standard mixture of fuel oil and kerosene and 100–130 m with a viscous special mixture and a rate of fire of 24–30 rds/min . which was produced virtually unchanged until the end of the war. Since 1943, it was installed on flamethrower tanks. The automatic flamethrower had an increased flamethrowing range compared to the ATO-41.
To be continued
Alexey Stepanov
Perhaps a flamethrower jet bursts directly from the cannon barrel, capable of hitting various targets in battle? No, this is a real artillery gun of 100 mm caliber, which is designed to perform its direct functions: destroying tanks, self-propelled artillery units and other armored targets of the enemy, suppressing his artillery, various fire weapons, and destroying manpower.
Structurally, the flamethrower is located in the tank turret in the place where a machine gun coaxial with a cannon is usually installed. And the flamethrower equipment is mounted in the tank hull - in the fighting compartment and control compartment. If we adhere to the exact terminology, then we should say that the TO-55 is equipped with an automatic tank-type powder piston flamethrower of multiple actions with pyrotechnic ignition of the jet. This flamethrower consists of a liquid part, a gas part with automation, a pyrotechnic ignition system and a safety system.
In turn, the liquid part of the flamethrower includes: a valve with a movable needle, a cylinder with a front cover and a supply pipe, a return pipe and a piston.
The basis of the gas part is the gas cavity of the cylinder, that is, the space located between the rear cover and the piston. All parts and assemblies that are mounted here are elements of automation. The pyrotechnic ignition system is designed to ignite a jet of fire mixture at the moment it leaves the flamethrower nozzle with a burning torch of an incendiary cartridge.
To activate the flamethrower, two release buttons are provided, one is located on the control panel, and the other is on the flywheel of the rotary mechanism, which greatly facilitates the actions of the crew when firing. Automatic firing from a flamethrower is ensured by several systems and mechanisms. The main ones are a chamber drum, equipped with powder cartridges, and a pyrotechnic ignition system drum, which houses incendiary cartridges. In the chambers and nests of these drums, twelve cartridges are installed, respectively, since the flamethrower consists of twelve flamethrower shots. The capacity of the fire mixture tank is 460 liters, and the fuel consumption per shot is 35 liters.
The powder consists of a steel casing into which an electric capsule sleeve is screwed. A charge of nitroglycerin powder weighing 460 g and a combined igniter is placed inside the cartridge case. The weight of the finally loaded cartridge reaches 1.34 kg. The incendiary cartridge is a sleeve in which a squib with an electric igniter and a pyrotechnic element are placed.
How does a flamethrower shot occur? When you press the release button, voltage is simultaneously applied to the timer and to the next incendiary squib. The latter ignites and throws a torch of flame in front of the nozzle. Thus, the pyrotechnic ignition system is brought into a state of readiness and is now only “waiting” for the supply of fire mixture.
After 0.1...0.2 s, the time relay supplies voltage to the electric capsule sleeve of the powder cartridge, which instantly fires. The pressure of the powder gases in the cylinder quickly increases, and when it reaches 15 kgf/cm2, the valve needle begins to move back and opens the hole connecting the liquid cavity of the cylinder with the valve nozzle.
The piston, under the influence of powder gases, sharply moves forward and pushes the fire mixture out of the cylinder through the nozzle. The pressure at which the bulk of the fire mixture is ejected at a speed of 100 m/s reaches 50...75 kgf/cm2. Flying through the torch of an incendiary cartridge, the jet ignites and flies to the target in this form.
At the end of the piston stroke, the valve system is activated: the nozzle is purged - the remaining fire mixture is removed from it, the piston under the pressure of the fire mixture in the tank returns to its original position, both drums rotate, feeding the next cartridges. The flamethrower is ready for a new shot.
Such a successful design of a flamethrower naturally determines its tactical and technical characteristics. Let's start with the most important thing - flamethrowing range. The tank commander and gunner often have to solve the problem: will the flamethrower or another target be “reached”? Of course, you need to think quickly, and your eye must be excellent. In any case, with such powerful jet parameters maximum range flame throwing is quite large and reaches 200 m.
The flamethrower fully lives up to its definition - “automatic”. The practical rate is seven rounds per minute. In other words, the entire flamethrower “ammunition”, all 460 liters, can be “shot” in less than two minutes.
The automatic flamethrower works quickly and accurately. Moreover, if there is a need to quickly create a zone of continuous fire in a given area, then the gunner does not have to press the trigger button every time. Automation allows, with the button constantly pressed, to conduct continuous shooting in the form of a burst of flamethrower shots until the fire mixture is completely used up. It is not difficult to imagine the powerful effect such a unique fire attack has on the enemy.
As you can see, the flamethrower installed on board the tank significantly complemented its combat qualities. However, let's not forget that a tank remains a tank in all cases; it is a formidable combat vehicle, with powerful weapons, reliable armor protection and high maneuverability. Greatest sighting range A 100 mm cannon with a standard sight is 6900 m. But, if necessary, the tank can also be used for firing from closed firing positions. Then it becomes like the classic artillery gun, shooting is carried out using a side level at a range of up to 14,600m. In the vast majority of cases, shooting is carried out at direct fire. Of course, it is the most effective, accurate and efficient: after all, the gunner sees the target right in front of him. Direct shot range armor-piercing projectile is 1000 m, and with a high-explosive fragmentation grenade - 1100 m. It is noteworthy that direct fire can be fired at night: with the help of an infrared sight, the gunner takes any target “at gunpoint” at a distance of up to 800 m.
The gun's rate of fire of up to seven rounds per minute is achieved by the fact that loading is carried out with unitary cartridges, in which the projectile and cartridge case are connected into one unit. The loader sends an artillery shot into the breech of the cannon in one motion. This is simple and convenient, despite the fact that the mass of the projectile is 15 kg, and the mass of the unitary cartridge as a whole is 30 kg.
High accuracy shooting is ensured not only by perfect sights, but also a weapon stabilization system. The gunner hits the target on the move with almost the same accuracy as from a standing position. The considered tank armament is complemented by a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun with 750 rounds of ammunition, Kalashnikov, 12 hand grenades F-1.
The tank gun and the flamethrower paired with it rotate together with the turret in a circle. This is very important in modern combat, since the crew can hit any target that appears in front of the tank, from the side or even from behind, using various types of weapons: a cannon, a flamethrower or a machine gun. To quickly rotate the turret, motor drives are used, which, in addition, can smoothly aim the cannon and flamethrower at the target.
The low vulnerability of a tank in battle is ensured by many factors: speed and maneuverability characteristics, its dimensions, the shape of the hull and turret, armament, and finally, the degree of training of the crew. And yet, the most important thing is the reliability of the armor, which, in addition, protects the crew from the effects of the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion, toxic and radioactive substances.
The flamethrower tank weighs 36 tons and, despite this, it has good maneuverability. He is able to move on a dirt road with average speed up to 27 km/h, and on the highway - 32...35 km/h. The maximum speed that can be achieved on the highway is 50 km/h. Power reserve is up to several hundred kilometers. The tank also has good cross-country ability. It can, for example, immediately overcome a ditch up to 2.7 m wide, “take” a vertical wall 0.8 m high, and force a ford of a water barrier if its depth does not exceed 1.4 m.
To overcome more serious water hazard The flamethrower tank is equipped with equipment for underwater driving OPVT, which ensures reliable tightness of the combat vehicle and normal air supply to the crew and engine. The width of the water barrier to be overcome is 700 m, and the depth reaches 5 m. The tank is significantly enhanced by an automatic anti-nuclear protection system and fire-fighting equipment, which also operates automatically. As a means of camouflage, the tank can use a smoke screen, for which a smoke exhaust system is provided, operating on the same diesel fuel, that and . The invisible length of the smoke screen can be in the range of 250...400 m, and its durability is from two to four minutes.
Thus, a successful combination of many tactical and technical characteristics makes the TO-55 flamethrower tank a truly formidable combat vehicle, capable of delivering fire strikes to for various purposes and take part in various types of combat.
radio station antenna; 6 - guns; 7-barrel; 8-caterpillar; 9- building; 10- support roller; 11 - nozzle: 12 - valve body; 13-cylinder; 14-chamber drum; 15 - back cover. 16-switch; 17 - slider; 18 - fork; 19 - check valve; 20 - supply pipe; 21 - gas valve ">
Flamethrower tank TO-55: a-general view; b-flamethrower; 1-tower; 2- flamethrower; 3, 5 - infrared light spotlights; 4- radio antenna; 6 - gun barrel; 7-barrel brake; 8-caterpillar; 9- building; 10- support roller; 11 - nozzle: 12 - valve body; 13-cylinder; 14-chamber drum; 15 - back cover. 16-switch; 17 - slider; 18 - fork; 19 - check valve; 20 - supply pipe; 21 - gas valve
Bibliography:
Material provided by Sergey Zykov
Encyclopedia of tanks. 2010 .
In the thirties, the Soviet Union began work on flamethrower tanks, and by the time the Great Patriotic War began, units had a number of such combat vehicles. After the start of the war, work in this direction continued, resulting in the appearance of several new models of flamethrower tanks, produced in a fairly large series. Tanks armed with flamethrowers turned out to be useful for performing a number of specific tasks, thanks to which interest in them continued even after the end of the Great Patriotic War. Already in the second half of the forties, the first projects were launched, during which it was planned to create flamethrower tanks that would meet modern requirements. As it turned out later, three projects of similar equipment created in the fifties turned out to be the last in Soviet tank building.
“Object 481” – OT-54
Attempts to equip medium tank T-54 flamethrower use began back in 1946. Initially it was planned to use the ATO-42 automatic flamethrower, created for existing tanks. Two options for placing this were considered: in the tower or in the building. The first option provided greater efficiency, but at the same time complicated the layout of the fighting compartment, while the second was simpler, but did not allow the fire to be transferred quickly. As a result of analyzes and comparisons, it was decided to install a flamethrower in the tank turret. In addition, the customer, the Ministry of Defense, wished to receive a new flamethrower.
In mid-1948, a special design bureau SKB-1 was formed at Kharkov plant No. 75, whose tasks included the creation of promising projects, including flamethrower tanks. Further work in this direction were carried out by Kharkov designers with the active participation of related enterprises. Already in February 1951, two prototypes of the Object 481 flamethrower tank were presented for testing. Tests have shown that further refinement of the project is required.
During development, the new flamethrower tank retained the main features of the first version of the project, which eventually reached mass production. At the same time, it had a number of differences, primarily related to weapons and related systems. When converting the T-54 medium tank into a flamethrower version, the design of the combat vehicle underwent minimal changes, affecting only the layout of the internal volumes. Thus, in place of the front ammunition rack for 20 shells and an additional fuel tank, a 460-liter container for fire mixture, a temperature sensor and several units of fire-fighting equipment were placed. It was supposed to fill and drain flammable liquid through necks covered with small hatches in the roof and bottom of the hull.
In all versions of the Object 481 project, an automatic powder flamethrower was placed in the turret, next to the gun. Because of this, the tank lost the SGMT machine gun coaxial with the cannon. On prototypes of the promising tank, flamethrowers of the ATO-42 and ATO-49 models were used. In addition, different flamethrower tank prototypes were equipped with different types of ignition systems.
The first prototype of the Object 481 tank, which was tested in 1951, carried an ATO-42 flamethrower coaxial with the gun. The dimensions of the flamethrower required modification of the turret by welding a tubular casing onto its frontal part, which protected the protruding parts of the flamethrower. Tests of the first prototype of a promising machine showed its ambiguous characteristics. Due to the installation of a container for the fire mixture, the gun's ammunition load was reduced to 24 shells. In addition, the flamethrower was installed instead of the machine gun coaxial with the cannon, which accordingly affected the capabilities of the combat vehicle when operating against infantry. The transportable supply of fire mixture was enough for 28-30 shots, and the maximum throwing range of the flammable liquid did not exceed 100-110 meters. Such characteristics generally satisfied the customer, but in the early fifties the military wanted to get a flamethrower of a new model.
The second prototype was equipped with a new automatic flamethrower ATO-49 with an electric gasoline ignition system. The general layout of the internal components of the hull and turret of the second prototype corresponded to the layout of the first prototype. At the same time, the ammunition load of the gun was reduced to 19 rounds, and the flamethrower – to 20 rounds. During testing, complaints were caused by the electric gasoline ignition system, which did not provide the required operational reliability. In this regard, the ATO-49 flamethrower soon received a new ignition system.
By 1953, the finalization of the first version of the Object 481 project was completed, which resulted in the construction of five prototypes armed with ATO-49 flamethrowers with a pyrotechnic ignition system. The new flamethrower consisted of several main parts: a tank, a breech, a valve, a nozzle, air system and ignition systems. Before the shot, the electrical control system, using two 10-liter compressed air cylinders, supplied 20 liters of AP-7 fire mixture (a mixture of gasoline and kerosene with the addition of xylenol and OP-2 thickener) into the tank. At the same time, powder and pyrotechnic cartridges were fed into the corresponding chambers. When the shutter button was pressed, the pyrotechnic cartridge ignited first. A stream of fire was discharged in front of the flamethrower nozzle. 0.1-0.2 seconds after this, the powder cartridge ignited and the resulting gases pushed the piston, pressed the valve and ejected the fire mixture through the nozzle. After the shot, the tank and nozzle were purged with compressed air.
The pyrotechnic ignition system, without greatly complicating the design of the automatic flamethrower, ensured sufficient reliability of its operation. The 460-liter fire mixture tank was enough for 20 shots. The same number of pyrotechnic and powder cartridges was placed in the flamethrower magazines. During testing, the third prototype of the Object 481 tank was able to achieve a maximum throwing range of the mixture of about 160 meters. The practical rate of fire did not exceed 7 rounds per minute, although if necessary, the crew could fire at a faster rate, which, however, led to the rapid consumption of the already small supply of fire mixture.
Maintaining the capacity of the fire mixture tank at 460 liters did not allow for a large ammunition load of barreled weapons. Thus, on the third prototype and subsequent experimental vehicles, only 19 cannon shells were placed in the stowage. The machine gun boxes contained 1,500 rounds of ammunition. The design of the armored hull and turret has undergone minor changes due to the installation of new equipment. At the same time, it was necessary to modify the electrical system of the T-54 base tank in connection with the use of electrical units of the flamethrower, and also add additional carbon dioxide cylinders and another nozzle to the fire-fighting equipment. The crew of the flamethrower tank corresponded to the crew of the base vehicle and consisted of four people. For firing from a flamethrower, an additional telescopic sight TSh-19 was installed, which was used in the very first version of the Object 481 project. The tank's equipment allowed targeted fire from a flamethrower only from a standing position.
IN recent months In 1953, Kharkov designers presented five new flamethrower tanks for testing. Modifications to the basic T-54 medium tank did not have a significant impact on the mobility of the flamethrower. Wherein new development demonstrated high fire performance, which interested the military. In 1954, the flamethrower tank “Object 481” received the official name OT-54 and was put into service. Some sources mention an alternative designation for the T-54-ATO tank. The ATO-49 flamethrower also received a new index - ATO-1. Serial construction of new flamethrower tanks was carried out at Kharkov plant No. 75, as well as at plant No. 174 (Chelyabinsk). Over the course of several years, the two enterprises built a total of 110 flamethrower tanks. Such a small number was due to the specific tactical role of armored vehicles of this class.
“Object 482” – TO-55
After the OT-54 tank was put into service, employees of the Kharkov SKB-1 continued the development of tank flamethrowers. Already in 1955, a preliminary draft appeared new system, capable of throwing flammable liquid over a distance of up to 200 meters. The firing range was fixed in the name of the project - ATO-200. In 1956, testing began on the first prototype of the new weapon, and two years later a prototype of a new flamethrower tank armed with the ATO-200 was assembled.
When designing the new flamethrower tank "Object 482", the same approach was used as in the previous project. The T-55 medium tank was taken as the basis for the combat vehicle (some sources mention that the tests used a vehicle based on the T-54), on which an automatic flamethrower was installed with minimal design modifications. The flamethrower was placed in the turret, in place of the coaxial machine gun. Interesting feature new version The flamethrower tank was equipped with a two-plane weapon stabilizer, which ensured firing in motion from both a cannon and a flamethrower. The parts of the ATO-200 flamethrower located outside the turret were covered with a cylindrical casing. The fire mixture tank with a capacity of 460 liters remained in the same place - next to the control compartment.
The new flamethrower ATO-200 was a further development of the ATO-1, but at the same time had a number of differences. First of all, it is necessary to note the use of a larger capacity tank - the volume of one shot has increased to 35 liters. The principle of operation of the flamethrower mechanisms remains the same. Maintaining the capacity of the fire mixture tank affected the number of possible shots. The ATO-200 flamethrower could fire only 12 shots with one fill of flammable liquid and one set of cartridges. The quantitative deficiencies of the ammunition were compensated by qualitative ones, namely the large volume of ejected flammable liquid and a greater range of its throwing. The maximum firing range was increased to the required 200 meters.
In addition to a larger tank, the ATO-200 flamethrower received a new relay-based electrical system, making it truly automatic. The gunner or tank commander now only had to point the weapon at the target and press the release button. All necessary operations were performed automatically. A characteristic feature of the ATO-200 flamethrower is the ability to fire in bursts. The flamethrower's electrical control system allowed the tank crew to fire several shots in a row by holding down the trigger button. In the case of the ATO-1 flamethrower, this required a series of clicks. The ATO-200 automatic system independently determined in which mode the crew was going to shoot and worked accordingly. The maximum rate of fire of the new flamethrower was 8 rounds per minute.
The combat weight and main characteristics of the Object 482 tank remained at the level of the basic T-55. However, the ammunition load of the barreled weapons, as in the case of the OT-54, was reduced. The modified stowage contained 25 shells for the cannon and 750 rounds for the machine gun.
Testing of the Object 482 flamethrower tank began in 1958. By this time, the new flamethrower had been modified and tested separately, which in a positive way affected the progress of the project. In January 1960, the Object 482 was put into service under the name TO-55, but mass production began later. The first batch of 10 production vehicles was assembled only in 1961. At this time, the military began to doubt the feasibility of developing and building flamethrower tanks. Hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers have become widespread in the armies of potential enemies, and the first missile systems designed to destroy armored vehicles have also appeared. All of these anti-tank weapons had an effective firing range that was equal to or even superior to that of the ATO-200 flamethrower. The absence of a coaxial machine gun also became a subject of controversy, since it could significantly reduce the effectiveness of the tank when fighting infantry. Because of this, TO-55 tanks were built in small series. A total of 830 of these machines were assembled.
"Object 483"
After completing the design work on the Object 482 project, SKB-1 engineers began a new project for a flamethrower tank based on the T-54/55. This time it was planned to increase the combat capabilities of the flamethrower to a level limited only by the characteristics of the existing fire mixtures. Calculations have shown that the properties of flammable liquids of the BBU and SKS-15 brands make it possible to fire salvoes with a volume of up to 100 liters and shoot at a distance of at least 200-250 meters. Such figures looked promising, which led to the start of the Object 483 project.
The basis for a promising flamethrower tank was taken fighting machine T-54B model. However, unlike previous projects, the flamethrower was not supposed to be additional weapons tank, but the main one. It was proposed to install it instead of a 100 mm gun. The new OM-250 flamethrower was mounted on modified gun trunnions. Outside the tower, the flamethrower attachment was covered with a tubular casing. A fire mixture tank with a capacity of 1600 liters was placed in the fighting compartment, to the right of the flamethrower. It was mounted on shock absorbers and rotated with the turret. The tank filler neck was located under the right hatch on the turret roof. To ensure optimal temperature regime The work of the flamethrower made a hole in the rear of the tower in which a fan was placed.
Due to the lack of free space in the turret, borrowed from the T-54B tank without major design changes, the flamethrower combat vehicle lost its coaxial machine gun. The machine gun embrasure was missing, and the sight embrasure was reduced in accordance with the capabilities of the flamethrower. However, the new flamethrower tank "Object 483" carried a forward-facing SGMT machine gun located in the frontal plate of the hull. The absence of a gun made it possible to exclude the loader from the crew. The operation of the flamethrower had to be controlled by the gunner and, if necessary, the tank commander.
The design of the OM-250 flamethrower was a further development of the ATO-200, adjusted for a larger volume of the thrown mixture. One filling of the fire mixture tank was enough for 14 shots. The same number of cartridges with pyrotechnic and propellant charges were placed in the drum magazines of the flamethrower. The automatic flamethrower, using an already tested and mastered method of operation, made it possible to fire up to five shots per minute, both single and in bursts. The OM-250 flamethrower project used technical solutions created during the development of ATO-1 and ATO-200. Because of this, the design of the flamethrower did not allow the use of relatively powerful powder cartridges. The maximum speed of throwing the fire mixture, due to strength limitations, was limited to 100 meters per second. In this regard, the maximum firing range did not exceed 250-270 meters.
The development of the Object 483 project took several months. Already at the end of 1959, Plant No. 75 began construction of the first prototype. Only in 1961 the prototype was transported to the NIIBT test site, after which its testing began. In terms of its firing characteristics, the new OM-250 flamethrower was superior to all existing weapons in its class at that time, but it was not without complaints. As in the case of “Object 482”/TO-55, some doubts were raised about the effectiveness of using a flamethrower against enemy personnel and unprotected equipment in light of the widespread use of infantry anti-tank weapons. In addition, the absence of a coaxial machine gun with the main weapon was again negatively manifested, due to which the new tank could hit targets at a range of no more than 250-270 meters. Finally, the OM-250 flamethrower took the place of the gun, which is why the Object 483, having a greater range of fire mixture throwing, was inferior to its predecessors in the total firepower of all weapons. The Ministry of Defense considered that the adoption of a new tank was inappropriate. In 1962, the Object 483 project was discontinued. The only prototype built is now stored in the museum of armored vehicles in Kubinka, near Moscow.
Last in class
"Object 483" became the last domestic flamethrower tank. The combination of characteristics of vehicles of this class did not allow them to effectively hit targets on the battlefield of a proposed full-scale war. In addition, the use of a large tank with a fire mixture had a corresponding effect on the survivability of the tank. Finally, the emergence of new weapons for infantry has significantly increased the risks when attacking enemy personnel. As a result, flamethrower tanks OT-54 and TO-55 were built in relatively small quantities: less than one thousand vehicles of two models.
The specific tactical role of flamethrower tanks did not fit well with the expected nature of future armed conflicts. In this regard, this technique has not become widespread. Furthermore, already in the early sixties all work in this direction was stopped. The unpromising flamethrower tank "Object 483", which was preceded by the mass-produced OT-54 and TO-55, became the last domestic armored vehicle of its class.
Based on materials from sites:
http://dogswar.ru/
http://armor.kiev.ua/
http://vadimvswar.narod.ru/
http://pro-tank.ru/
http://tankinfo.ru/
Ardashev A.N. Flame-throwing incendiary weapon. – M.: Astrel/AST, 2001
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