Hello to all fans of fighting in the sandbox, the site is with you! Tankers and tankers, now we will talk about a really worthwhile little machine, a Soviet light tank third level, in front of you T-70 guide.

Without exaggeration, I hasten to inform you that among the huge variety light equipment at the third level, this device can really please its owner. T-70 WoT has an impressive number of advantages that will allow the player to "bend over" in the sandbox and have a lot of fun, but for this, you must know your tank well.

TTX T-70

According to the already established tradition, we will begin with the fact that our light tank there is a standard view by the standards of classmates, and also a weak Soviet viewing range of 310 meters.

It is noteworthy that, unlike most classmates, our survival rate is quite good, but with nuances. First of all, at T-70 characteristics frontal armor is impressive.

If we talk about the frontal projection of the hull, then due to the excellent slope of the armor plates, the upper frontal part T-70 World of Tanks it has 72 millimeters of armor over the entire area, and a small red square on the model's collage is also reinforced, here the thickness of the metal reaches 113 millimeters. At the same time, it is better to hide the NLD, because this is only a 51-mm section that can ricochet, but on the whole it breaks through easily.

The turret is protected from the front by a large 50 mm gun mantlet, behind which light tank T-70 it has about 86 millimeters of reduced armor, and a small “shelf” above the mask boasts 98 millimeters of reduced armor, but the cheeks break through easily, but fortunately they are quite small.

A completely different picture opens up when examining the side projection, since the sides of T-70 World of Tanks even thinner than the stern, because there is a miserable 15 millimeters of armor without slopes, which breaks through not only land mines, but also small-caliber machine guns. However, this does not mean that the stern can be substituted, both of these projections are vulnerable and need to be hidden.

In terms of mobility, everything is relative, because top speed T-70 tank develops a decent, and also has excellent maneuverability. But in terms of dynamics, we are inferior to many classmates, although we cannot call the car slow or tight, in this regard we are more like a dynamic medium tank.

gun

It's no secret that armament is the main component of any tank, and in our case the gun is really good, it deserves not only attention, but also respect.

First of all, you must know that T-70 gun alphastrike has an average level, but also has a high rate of fire, thanks to which we have the opportunity to deal decent damage per minute, which is approximately 1320 units.

In terms of penetration, our gun is really good, even with an armor-piercing projectile T-70 WoT able to confidently deal damage to classmates and most of the fourth levels. Fives can also be dealt with, but for skirmishes with heavy tanks, you should have about 15 gold sub-calibers with you.

Accuracy did not let us down either, although not everything here is as smooth as we would like. Soviet light tank T-70 has at its disposal a good spread at 100 meters, but the stabilization of our gun is poor and it takes quite a long time to reduce, that is, something needs to be done about it.

In general, all indicators of weapons T-70 tank received good ones, but there is one serious flaw - vertical aiming angles. Downward, our barrel drops only 4 degrees, which is very sad and it will be really difficult to play from the terrain.

Advantages and disadvantages

As you all perfectly understand, from the knowledge of the strong and weaknesses The vehicle you use to go into battle depends on a lot. First of all, you will better understand which modules and skills you should bet on, but this question can also help a lot in building tactics, so now we will highlight the main pros and cons T-70 World of Tanks.
Pros:
Good frontal armor;
Decent mobility (maximum speed and maneuverability);
Impressive damage per minute;
High penetration rates;
Nice spread at 100 meters.
Minuses:
Small base viewing range;
Poor booking of sides and stern;
Low one-time damage;
Mediocre mixing and stabilization;
Poor elevation angles.

Equipment for T-70

Despite the fact that at the third level the choice of additional modules is very limited, it is possible and necessary to strengthen the tank, especially since everything necessary for this vehicle is, in principle, available. For maximum results on tank T-70 equipment it is better to put the following:
1. - as you can see from the list of shortcomings, this device needs to improve the speed of information, which we will deal with first of all.
2. is a good and thoughtful choice that will give a 5% boost to the most important stats, improving damage, accuracy and slightly increasing vision.
3. - there is no point in inventing something, because you can radically increase the viewing range and gain an advantage over the enemy only by choosing this module.

Crew training

A properly trained crew with enough skills at level three is a colossal advantage that you should strive for if you really want to conquer the sandbox. The problem is that our crew consists of only two people, but even in such circumstances for the T-70 it is better to learn the perks in the following sequence:
Commander (gunner, radio operator, loader) - , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .

Equipment for the T-70

As always, the process of purchasing consumables remains standard, and therefore simple and understandable. If you don't have enough silver in your supply or you are saving up for a tank, take , , . However, in combat, you will feel much more confident if you buy for T-70 equipment in the form of,, especially understanding the problems with the shell shock of such a multifunctional commander. By the way, it's on fire. soviet tank infrequently, so you can also replace the fire extinguisher with one.

T-70 game tactics

From the foregoing, you could form an opinion about this device, and I must say that the machine in our hands is really worthwhile, capable of crushing enemies in the sandbox, but for this you need to act correctly.

I want to say right away that our most comfortable Soviet light tank T-70 feels at the top of the list, because here our armor shows itself with the best side. In order to confidently deal with the enemy, you should always turn your forehead to him and the body can be turned quite a bit so as not to substitute a vulnerable side, but to increase the reduced armor of the VLD.

Of course, fighting at the top of the list for T-70 tactics combat is to take a position on the front line, where, hiding your NLD and hiding from enemy artillery, you can confidently tank, holding back or pushing the direction along with the allies.

However, when we are talking about battles against fourth and even more so fifth levels, on your armor T-70 World of Tanks can no longer rely so blindly. In such cases, we turn into a good support tank, which is able to do excellent damage from behind the backs of stronger teammates.

No less confident T-70 tank feels like standing on the second line, because this tactic is much safer and allows you to deal damage with impunity. Fortunately, for remote firing, we have pleasant accuracy and good penetration, all that remains is to glow less and target vulnerable areas in the enemy’s armor.

As a conclusion, I would like to say that T-70 WoT- This is one of the few cars at the third level, which is comfortable and pleasant to play. Otherwise, try to keep an eye on the mini-map, beware of artillery and formidable Tier 5 vehicles, and don't expose the sides and stern to the enemies.

adopted, everyone understood that he was only a temporary measure - his armor was too thin to withstand enemy tanks. At first there were attempts to modify the T-60 by installing a new turret on it, but this experimental tank The T-45 was not put into production due to insufficient engine power.

The new tank, which was named GAZ-70, was completed at the end of 1941. Its assembly was very slow, and the first prototype was completed in February 1942. At first, the tank did not cause much enthusiasm - in terms of armor protection new tank slightly superior to the T-60, and its combat power was reduced to a minimum due to the fact that one person had to combine the functions of loader, gunner and commander. Soon the shortcomings were eliminated, and the T-70 was compared with the T-34-76 in terms of frontal armor, which was a serious achievement. As a result, it was decided to put the tank into mass production.

TTX T-70

general information

  • Combat weight - 9.2 tons or 9.8 tons (T-70M);
  • Crew - 2 people;
  • The number of issued - 8231 pieces.

Dimensions

  • Case length - 4285 mm;
  • Hull width - 2348 mm (2420 mm for the T-70M);
  • Height - 2035 mm;
  • Clearance - 300 mm.

Booking

  • Type of armor - homogeneous rolled high hardness;
  • The forehead of the hull (top) - 35/61 ° mm / hail;
  • Forehead of the hull (bottom) - 45 / -30 ° mm / hail and 15 / -81 ° mm / hail for the T-70M;
  • Hull board - 15/0 ° mm / hail;
  • Hull feed (top) - 15/76 ° mm / hail;
  • Hull feed (bottom) - 25 / −44 ° mm / hail;
  • Bottom - 10 mm and 6 mm for the T-70M;
  • Hull roof - 10 mm;
  • Gun mantlet — 50 + 15 mm/deg;
  • The side of the tower - 35/23 mm / hail;
  • Tower roof - 10 mm and 15 mm for the T-70M.

Armament

  • The caliber and brand of the gun is 45 mm 20-K;
  • Barrel length - 46 calibers;
  • Gun ammunition - 90 (70 for T-70M)
  • Angles HV: −6…+20°;
  • GN angles - 360°;
  • Sights - TMFP or TOP, mechanical;
  • Machine gun - 7.62 mm DT.

Mobility

  • Engine type - twin in-line 4-stroke 6-cylinder carburetor;
  • Engine power - 2 × 70 hp;
  • Highway speed - 42 km / h;
  • Cross-country speed - 20-25 km / h;
  • Power reserve on the highway - 410-450;
  • Power reserve over rough terrain - 360 km (250 km for the T-70M);
  • Specific power - 15.2 hp / t (14.2 hp / t for the T-70M);
  • Suspension type - individual torsion bar;
  • Specific ground pressure - 0.7 kg / cm²;
  • Climbability - 34 °;
  • Overcoming wall - 0.7 m;
  • Crossable moat - 1.7 m;
  • Crossable ford - 1.0 m.

Photos of T-70

Modifications

The T-70 was produced in two versions, which differed in the design of the chassis:

  • T-70, a tank weighing 9.2 tons and with 90 rounds of ammunition, the original version of an infantry support tank;
  • T-70M with widened tracks and road wheels and reinforced suspension torsion bars. It has a mass of 9.8 tons and a reduced ammunition load of 70 rounds.

Refinement of the T-70 to the T-70M was impossible due to incompatible structural components.

Experienced tanks

The T-70 became the basis for many development works, which investigated the strengthening of the tank's armament and the improvement of ergonomics.

  • T-70 with gun Sh-37. It had unsatisfactory ergonomics of the fighting compartment, despite the extended turret and the absence of a machine gun;
  • T-70 with a more powerful 45 mm VT-42 gun. The tank successfully passed the tests, but by that time the T-70 was discontinued and the BT-42 cannon was decided to be installed on the new T-80;
  • T-70 with extra space in the turret for the loader. Work on this experimental model eventually led to the creation of the T-80 tank, and the T-70 was never equipped with a two-man turret;
  • T-70-3, anti-aircraft tank. Had a converted turret with two large-caliber DShK machine guns. Together with the anti-aircraft T-90, he participated in tests that he did not pass due to an unbalanced weapon installation;
  • T-90 - anti-aircraft tank based on the T-70M with DShK machine guns. Passed comparative tests with the T-70-3, but had a number of shortcomings. They needed to be eliminated, but they did not have time to do this - the requirements for the performance characteristics of such machines changed, and work on the T-90 was closed.

Application

The T-70 was actively used in many divisions and units of the Red Army along with other tanks, most often with the T-34. These tanks received their baptism of fire in the summer of 1942, in the battles in the South-West direction, and it was then that their vulnerability was revealed.

However, the T-70 also had advantages - for example, they were ideal for pursuing retreating enemies, and in 1943 this task became very relevant. In addition, the T-70 had a reliable undercarriage and power plant, which made it possible to march over longer distances than the T-34 could. The relative quietness of the machine was also a plus.

Best of all, the T-70 showed itself in the Battle of Kursk. Despite the fact that the "seventies" were struck quite easily, they had a much lower percentage of irretrievable losses compared to better armored T-34s.

The effectiveness of the T-70 is very big influence provided the crew's knowledge of the features of the tank - in fact skillful hands he became a formidable force. For example, in July 1943, during the battles for the village of Pokrovka, one T-70 was able to knock out one Panther and three medium German tanks. And in August 1943 there was another unique case. The T-70 managed to catch up with the retreating enemy tank and get into the dead zone, while the crew commander jumped on the armor of the enemy tank and threw a grenade into the open hatch. So Soviet troops received almost a whole German tank, which was then used in battles.

In 1944, one T-70 was able to knock out two Panthers, which was a real achievement.

The operation of the T-70 actually ended immediately after the war, although in January 1946, 1502 T-70s were still in service with the Red Army.

tank memory

The T-70 in both modifications is presented in many museums around the world - in Russia, in the countries former USSR and even in the tank museum in Parola in Finland. Also, the T-70 in the form of monuments is installed in many cities of Russia, as well as in Ukraine and Belarus.


Soviet light tank T-70

During the fighting, it became clear that “the armament and armor of light tanks remains insufficient. And in the design bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant, headed by N.A. Astrov (he became deputy chief designer of GAZ) at the beginning of 1942. a new machine is being developed, which received the T-70 index. In fact, it was a further modernization of light tanks. The designers of the armored hull YUN. Sorochkin, A.N. Kirillov and L.I. Belkin designed the front of the tank with 45 mm armor. The main weapon - a 45-mm gun was placed in a cast tower designed by V.A. Dedkov. first used on light tanks. Most of the problems arose with the choice and installation of the engine. Six-cylinder engine GAZ-! I 70 hp was not powerful enough for this tank. ON THE. Astroa suggested installing two of these motors, placing them in series in a line. But during testing, the crankshaft of the second engine began to break almost immediately.


Soviet light tank T-70. Soviet light tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

It took enormous efforts of the designers of the plant A.A. Lipgart, A.N. Krieger. G.N. Mozokhina, G.V. Ewart in order for the power unit to work reliably. I must say that all the work was carried out on an initiative basis, without any technical requirements. It was necessary to revise the design of entire units without conducting proper tests. The task was one - not to disrupt the release of tanks. Armored hulls of tanks were supplied by the Murom Locomotive Plant to Gorky and part of the hulls to factories in Kirov and Sverdlovsk, where Gorky supplied power plants. Instead of a cast tower, they began to install a welded one.

T-70 pumped to design in October 1941, and in January 1942. Supreme Commander a finished sample was presented, which had already passed preliminary tests. Thus, from the beginning of the project to finished sample in three months the tank was approved and put into service. From April 1942 to October 1943, the Red Army received about 5,000 T-70 tanks. In September 1942, the production of the T-70 began with a reinforced undercarriage and transmission.


Soviet light tank T-70. Soviet light tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

DESIGN T-70

The hull is welded from rolled armor plates of various thicknesses, set at angles of inclination from 30 to 60. The driver's hatch was located in the upper front plate, a viewing prism device B was installed in the hatch cover. On the right side of the front plate there was a hatch for access to power transmission units bolted lid. On the aft inclined sheet on the right there was a hatch for air intake of the cooling system power plant. covered with a mesh lid. A spare track roller was attached to the left.


Soviet light tank T-70. Soviet light tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

Tower welded multifaceted, with inclined sheets, shifted to the left relative to the longitudinal axis of the hull. To increase the strength, the joints of the sheets of the tower were covered with armor squares. A rotating cylindrical turret with viewing slots was installed on the hatch cover and a periscope device was attached. In front of the gun mask was an exhaust fan hatch, closed with a lid. On the side sheets there were holes with plugs used when firing from personal weapons. The turret has a 45-mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun. For targeting there were telescopic and optical sights.


Soviet light tank T-70. Soviet light tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

The functions of the vehicle commander became more complicated with the installation of a 45-mm gun, which led to a decrease in firing accuracy and rate of fire. The suspension of the tank has not changed structurally compared to the T-60, but the number of road wheels to improve the specific pressure on the ground has been increased to five on each side. The number of support rollers remained the same - three on each side. Suspension - torsion bar, all rollers are rubberized. Driving wheels - front location, caterpillar fine-linked, lantern gearing)
The power plant consisted of two GAZ-203 carburetor engines. paired in series, and was located in the middle part of the hull, along the starboard side. The total maximum power of the installation is 140 hp.


Soviet light tank T-70. Soviet light tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

In the aft part of the hull, isolated from the fighting compartment by a sealed armored partition, there were two fuel tanks with a total capacity of 440 liters. Ma command vehicles had a radio station and a tank intercom. On other tanks intercom crew members used light signaling.


Soviet light tank T-70. Soviet light tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

In September 1942, changes were made to the design - the undercarriage was strengthened, in particular, the track width was increased from 260 to 300 mm. The diameter of the gear rim changes and a number of other minor changes. These machines received the designation T-70M. On experimental vehicles, they tried to install a 37-mm automatic cannon, and the use of 45-mm three-round cassettes was tested. An attempt was also made to install a 45-mm semi-automatic naval gun, but due to the small size and tightness of the turret, the attempt failed.

Video: Soviet light tank T-70. Soviet light tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

APPLICATION T-70

The T-70 was the best suited for reconnaissance in combat, operations in wooded and swampy and rugged terrain. A little noise from the operation of the engines, high speed and the low silhouette of the tonka made this car invisible to the enemy. Due to their high maneuverability, the T-70 crews hit enemy tanks with armor-piercing shells in the side and stern. In one of the battles T-70. having successfully maneuvered, he ended up right behind the stern of the heavy Ferdinand "" set fire to him. "Seventies @ were part of brigades and regiments armed mainly with T-34 tanks. They were used not only for reconnaissance, but also under certain circumstances - as tanks for direct support of rifle units during hostilities.


Soviet light tank T-70. Soviet light tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

In the battle near Kursk, the commander of the T-70 Onufriev skillfully maneuvered and, going into the flank of a German heavy tank, with two high
fired it with a trill, and the crew destroyed it with a machine gun. During the liberation of Kyiv, the commander of the T-70 company from the 1st Czechoslovak Tank Brigade, Lieutenant R.Ya. Tesarzhik made a covert march behind enemy lines and destroyed 9 bunkers, thereby opening the way for the advancing rifle battalion. T-70s were also in service in the tank units of the divisions of the Polish Army.
In 1943, the production of light tanks was stopped.

Video: Soviet light tank T-70. Soviet light tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

Combat use of T-70 tanks

"Baby", as the light tanks were called, did their job. They defended the borders of the capital in the tragic 4th. fought at Stalingrad, repelled the attacks of the enemy armadas near Kursk.
Despite the shortcomings. T-70 remained the best light tank World War II and the second largest after the T-34. A total of 8315 vehicles were built.
In the autumn of 1943, the factories switched to mass production of more than necessary self-propelled vehicles at that time. artillery mounts SU-76 M. created on the basis of the T-70 M. The surviving tanks were used in self-propelled artillery battalions, regiments and brigades as command vehicles, taking part in combat operations until the end of the war.

Video: Soviet light tank T-70. Soviet light tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

___________________________________________________________________________________
Data source: quote from the book by M.A. Arkhipova: "The Complete Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Vehicles of the USSR"
If the "thirty-four" is considered the best medium tank of the USSR in the Second World War, then this tank rightfully takes first place among light combat vehicles. Starting their combat path in the summer of 1942, these tanks went through the entire war and were used in many sectors of the Soviet-German front. "T-70" became the most bulk tank USSR after "T-34". During the war years, Soviet industry produced 8231 T-70 tanks, giving the front an excellent auxiliary vehicle.

Description

The T-70 began to be designed in October 1941, and by January 1942 it had been tested and preparations for mass production began. As a result, so quick jobs From April to October 1942, Soviet military factories managed to produce already 5,000 T-70 light tanks. The Red Army received a fast, maneuverable and comfortable light tank with a good power reserve, but a rather weak gun - the famous 45mm 20-K cannon, which at the end of 1942 already poorly coped with the reinforced armor of German vehicles. She could only hit light German tanks and armored vehicles in the forehead, but by that time the Germans were already in large quantities acquired more advanced technology, and the armor of old cars was increased. Thus, the "T-70" could still show itself in battles, say, with the "Pz.II" or "Pz.35 (t)" and older tanks, but those by 1942 in German army there are almost none left, but there were problems with tanks of later models. By that time, the German troops were already armed with powerful 75mm Pak40 anti-tank guns, which hit the T-70 in any projection with the very first shot. True, getting into the T-70 was extremely difficult - the small size of the tank and low silhouette made it difficult to conduct aimed fire at it, and good mobility made it possible to quickly retreat or leave the line of fire, changing position. True, it is worth noting that the T-70 was not a combat vehicle designed for combat on cutting edge With enemy tanks. It was intended for various auxiliary tasks, with which it coped perfectly. the best options applications for the "T-70" was reconnaissance, escort of columns, as well as fire support for infantry units in the absence of strong enemy anti-tank fire. And in the wooded and marshy area, the T-70 acted even more successfully than the thirty-four: a small mass of a combat vehicle, good driving performance and a low silhouette ensured the best survivability of the tank, because it was very difficult to accurately hit it in such conditions. The speed of the "T-70" allowed him, in case of urgent need, to fight with well-armored enemy vehicles, go into the flank of heavy German tanks and self-propelled guns, imposing close combat on them, and the sides of German combat vehicles often did not save them from the fire of the 45-mm gun "T -70" when firing at close range. And yet, this is only a theory, in reality, the fight against heavy enemy equipment was not part of the function of this tank. In the famous battle of Kursk Bulge, more than 20% of the Soviet tank fleet were precisely these combat vehicles. Although the tank did not have such impressive firepower as the "thirty-fours" or heavy tanks"IS-2", the Red Army needed it as an auxiliary fighting machine. Undoubtedly, this one made his feasible contribution to the defeat of fascism. It is the versatility of the "T-70", the possibility of use in different situations And a large number of of these tanks at the front, made it the best Soviet light tank of World War II.

Design and production

Already in October 1941 it became clear that new lightweight the T-60 tank, whose serial production began a month earlier, is almost useless on the battlefield. His armor was easily penetrated by all Wehrmacht anti-tank weapons, and his own weapons were too weak to deal with enemy tanks. Strengthen both without fundamental change construction was not possible. The engine and gearbox were already overworked. The increase in the mass of the combat vehicle, inevitable with increased armor and armament, would simply lead to the failure of these units. A different solution was required.

In September 1941, the Design Bureau of Plant No. 37, at that time the leader in the production of the T-60, proposed a variant of its modernization, which received the T-45 index. In fact, it was still the same T-60, but with a new turret, in which a 45-mm gun was installed. This vehicle was supposed to use a new 100 hp ZIS-60 engine, which would make it possible to increase the thickness of the tank's frontal armor to 35–45 mm. However, the ZIS plant could not master the production of the engine due to the evacuation from Moscow to the Urals, to the city of Miass. The attempt to install a ZIS-16 engine with a power of 86 hp did not save the situation. With its development, not everything went smoothly, and time did not wait.

In parallel with plant No. 37, work on the creation of a new light tank was launched at the Gorky Automobile Plant. There was nothing unusual in this development of events - this enterprise already had experience in the production armored vehicles, engaged in the serial production of tankettes T-27 and small amphibious tanks T-37A in the 1930s. A number of prototypes of armored vehicles were also designed and manufactured here. In September 1941, the plant received a task to organize the mass production of the T-60 light tank, for which a separate structural division of tank production and the corresponding design bureau were created at GAZ. In early September, the chief designer of plant No. 37 N.A. Astrov drove under his own power from Moscow to Gorky a prototype of the T-60 tank, which was to be used at GAZ as a standard. Sam N.A. Astrov was also left at GAZ to help organize the production of tanks.

It was Astrov who presented to the GABTU of the Red Army a draft of a new light tank with reinforced armor and weapons, created on the basis of the T-60. As a power plant on this machine, it was supposed to use a pair of GAZ-202 automobile engines. Prototypes of twin power units, which received the GAZ-203 index, were manufactured by the end of November. However, at the very first tests of the sparks, after 6–10 hours of operation, the crankshafts of the second engines began to break, and only thanks to the efforts of the designers under the guidance of A.A. Lipgart managed to bring the resource of the twin power unit to the required 100 hours. The design of the new tank at the GAZ Design Bureau began at the end of October 1941. It was carried out very quickly, using the technique adopted in the automotive industry, unusual for tank designers. General views combat vehicles were drawn in full size on special aluminum plates measuring 7 × 3 m, painted with white enamel and divided into squares measuring 200 × 200 mm. To reduce the drawing area and improve its accuracy by main view– longitudinal section – a plan was superimposed, as well as full and partial transverse sections. The drawings were made as detailed as possible and included all the components and parts of the internal and external equipment of the machine. These drawings later served as the basis for control during the assembly of a prototype and even the entire first series of machines.

At the end of December 1941, for the tank, which received the factory designation GAZ-70, an armored hull was welded and a turret designed by V. Dedkov was cast. Along with the cast, a version of the welded tower was also developed. The assembly of the tank began in January 1942 and, for a number of reasons, proceeded rather slowly. It was only completed on February 14, after which the tank was sent to Moscow, where it was shown to representatives of the GABTU. The military did not arouse much enthusiasm for the new car. In terms of armor protection, the tank was only slightly superior to the T-60, and the nominally increased, thanks to the installation of a 45-mm gun, the power of weapons was leveled by the placement of one person in the tower, a master of all trades - commander, gunner and loader. However, N.A. Astrov promised to eliminate the shortcomings as soon as possible.

Quite quickly, it was possible to increase the armor, bringing the thickness of the lower frontal hull plate to 45 mm, and the upper one to 35 mm. As a result, by a GKO decree of March 6, 1942, the new combat vehicle was adopted by the Red Army under the symbol T-70. Two days later, the GKO decree on the production of the tank saw the light, according to which plants No. 37 and No. 38 were involved in its production from April. However, reality did not allow these plans to be fully realized. So, for example, the new tank required twice as many engines as the T-60. It was not possible to establish the production of a cast tower, and GAZ had to hastily provide other plants with documentation for a welded tower. As a result, the April plan for the production of the T-70 was fulfilled only by GAZ, which assembled 50 vehicles. Plant No. 38 in Kirov managed to produce only seven tanks, and plant No. 37 failed to assemble them either by April or later.

Layout and device

The layout of the new machine did not fundamentally differ from that of the T-60 tank. The driver was located in the bow of the hull at the left side. The rotating turret, also shifted to the port side, housed the tank commander. In the middle part of the hull along the starboard side on a common frame, two engines were installed in series, which made up a single power unit. The transmission and drive wheels were located in front.

The hull of the tank was welded from rolled armor plates 6, 10, 15, 25, 35 and 45 mm thick. Welded seams were reinforced with riveting. The frontal and stern hull sheets had rational angles of inclination. In the upper frontal sheet there was a driver's hatch, in the lid of which the tanks of the first releases had a viewing slot with a triplex, and then a rotary periscope observation device was installed.

The welded faceted tower, made of armor plates 35 mm thick, was mounted on a ball bearing in the middle part of the hull and had the shape of a truncated pyramid. The welded joints of the tower walls were reinforced with armored corners. The frontal part had a cast mask with loopholes for the installation of a gun, machine gun and sight. An entrance hatch for the tank commander was made in the roof of the tower. A periscopic mirror observation device was installed in the armored hatch cover, which provided the commander with a circular view. In addition, the lid had a hatch for flag signaling.

On the T-70 tank, a 45-mm tank gun mod. 1938 and to the left of it - a coaxial DT machine gun. For the convenience of the tank commander, the gun was shifted to the right of the longitudinal axis of the turret. The length of the gun barrel was 46 calibers, the height of the line of fire was 1540 mm. The aiming angles of the twin installation along the vertical ranged from -6° to +20°. Sights were used for shooting: telescopic TMFP (a TOP sight was installed on some of the tanks) and a mechanical one as a backup. Sighting range firing was 3600 m, maximum - 4800 m. When using a mechanical sight, only direct fire at a distance of no more than 1000 m was possible. The rate of fire of the gun was 12 rounds per minute. The gear mechanism for turning the turret was mounted to the left of the commander, and the screw lifting mechanism of the twin installation was mounted to the right. The trigger mechanism of the gun was foot, the gun was lowered by pressing the right pedal, and the machine gun - by pressing the left one. The ammunition included 90 shots with armor-piercing and fragmentation shells for the cannon (of which 20 shots were in the store) and 945 rounds for the DT machine gun (15 disks). starting speed armor-piercing projectile weighing 1.42 kg was 760 m / s, fragmentation weighing 2.13 kg - 335 m / s. After firing an armor-piercing projectile, the cartridge case was ejected automatically. When firing a fragmentation projectile, due to the shorter recoil length of the gun, the shutter was opened and the cartridge case was removed manually.

The power plant GAZ-203 (70-6000) consisted of two four-stroke 6-cylinder carburetor engines GAZ-202 (GAZ 70-6004 - front and GAZ 70-6005 - rear) with a total power of 140 hp. The crankshafts of the engines were connected by a coupling with elastic bushings. The crankcase of the flywheel of the front engine was connected by a rod to the starboard side to prevent lateral vibrations of the power unit. The battery ignition system, lubrication system and fuel (except tanks) system for each engine were independent. Two gas tanks with a total capacity of 440 liters were located on the left side of the aft compartment of the hull in a compartment isolated by armored partitions.

The transmission consisted of a two-disc semi-centrifugal dry friction main clutch (ferrodo steel), a four-speed automotive-type gearbox (4 + 1), a main gear with a bevel gear, two side clutches with band brakes and two simple single-row final drives. The main clutch and gearbox were assembled from parts borrowed from truck ZIS-5.

The composition of the tank propulsion unit for one side included a drive wheel with a removable lantern gear ring, five single-sided rubber-coated track rollers and three all-metal support rollers, a steering wheel with a crank track tensioning mechanism and a small-link caterpillar of 91 tracks. The design of the guide wheel and track roller were unified. The width of the cast track track was 260 mm. Suspension - individual torsion bar.

The commander's tanks were equipped with a 9R or 12RT radio station located in the turret and an internal TPU-2F intercom. On linear tanks a light signaling device was installed for internal communication between the commander and the driver and an internal intercom TPU-2.

During production, the mass of the tank increased from 9.2 to 9.8 tons, and the cruising range on the highway decreased from 360 to 320 km.

At the beginning of October 1942, GAZ, and since November, Plant No. 38 switched to the production of T-70M tanks with an improved chassis. The width (from 260 to 300 mm) and the pitch of the tracks, the width of the track rollers, as well as the diameter of the torsion bars (from 33.5 to 36 mm) of the suspension and gear rims of the drive wheels were increased. The number of tracks in the caterpillar was reduced from 91 to 80 pcs. In addition, the support rollers, stopping brakes and final drives have been reinforced. The mass of the tank increased to 10 tons, and the cruising range along the highway decreased to 250 m. The gun ammunition was reduced to 70 shots.

From the end of December 1942, Plant No. 38 stopped producing tanks and switched to the production of SU-76 self-propelled guns. As a result, starting from 1943, light tanks for the Red Army were produced only at GAZ. At the same time, in the second half of 1943, the release was accompanied by great difficulties. From 5 to 14 June, the plant was attacked by German aircraft. 2170 bombs were dropped on the Avtozavodsky district of Gorky, of which 1540 were dropped directly on the territory of the plant. More than 50 buildings and structures were completely destroyed or badly damaged. In particular, the chassis workshops, wheel, assembly and thermal No. 2, the main conveyor, the locomotive depot burned down, and many other workshops of the plant were seriously damaged. As a result, the production of BA-64 armored vehicles and cars had to be stopped. However, the production of tanks did not stop, although it somewhat decreased - only in August it was possible to block the May production volume. But the age of the light tank was already measured out - on August 28, 1943, a GKO decree was issued, according to which, from October 1 of the same year, GAZ switched to the production of SU-76M self-propelled guns. In total, in 1942-1943, 8226 tanks of the T-70 and T-70M modifications were produced.

Light tank T-70 in battles

The light tank T-70 and its improved version T-70M were in service with tank brigades and regiments of the so-called mixed organization, together with the medium tank T-34. The brigade had 32 T-34 tanks and 21 T-70 tanks. Such brigades could be part of tank and mechanized corps or be separate. A tank regiment was armed with 23 T-34s and 16 T-70s. At the same time, regiments could be part of mechanized brigades or be separate. By the spring of 1944, the T-70 light tanks were expelled from the states. tank units Red Army. Nevertheless, in some brigades they continued to be used for quite a long time. In addition, some tanks of this type were used in self-propelled artillery battalions, regiments and brigades of the SU-76 as command vehicles. Often they were equipped with tank units in motorcycle units. Tanks T-70 and T-70M took part in the fighting until the end of the Great Patriotic War

The T-70 tanks received their baptism of fire during the fighting in the South-Western direction in June-July 1942 and suffered serious losses. Already the first battles revealed the low combat qualities of the new light tanks, the armament of which did not allow them to fight German medium tanks (the share of light combat vehicles in the Wehrmacht was rapidly declining), and the armor protection was insufficient when used as tanks for direct infantry support. In addition, the presence of only two tankers in the crew, one of which was extremely overloaded with numerous duties, as well as the lack of communications equipment on combat vehicles, made it extremely difficult to use them as part of units and led to increased losses.

The final point in the combat career of these tanks was put Battle of Kursk- the ability to survive, not to mention come out victorious, in an open battle with new German heavy tanks, the T-70 was close to zero. At the same time, the troops also noted the positive merits of the "seventies". According to some tank commanders, the T-70 was the best suited for pursuing a retreating enemy, which became relevant in 1943. The reliability of the power plant and chassis of the T-70 was higher than that of the T-34, which made it possible to make long marches. The "Seventy" was quiet, which again differed sharply from the roaring engine and the "thirty-four" rattling with caterpillars, which at night, for example, could be heard for 1.5 km.

In clashes with enemy tanks, the crews of the T-70 had to show miracles of ingenuity. Much also depended on the crew's knowledge of the features of their car, its advantages and disadvantages. In the hands of skilled tankers, the T-70 was a formidable weapon. For example, on July 6, 1943, in the battles for the village of Pokrovka in the Oboyan direction, the crew of the T-70 tank from the 49th Guards Tank Brigade, commanded by Lieutenant B.V. Pavlovich managed to knock out three medium German tanks and one Panther!

A completely exceptional case occurred on August 21, 1943 in the 178th tank brigade. When repulsing an enemy counterattack, the commander of the T-70 tank, Lieutenant A.L. Dmitrienko noticed a retreating German tank. Having caught up with the enemy, the lieutenant ordered his driver to move next to him (apparently, in the "dead zone"). It was possible to shoot at point-blank range, but when he saw that the hatch in the tower German tank open ( German tankers almost always went into battle with open turret hatches), Dmitrienko got out of the T-70, jumped onto the armor of an enemy vehicle and threw a grenade into the hatch. The crew of the German tank was destroyed, and the tank itself was towed to our location and, after minor repairs, was used in battles.

Tanks T-70 in the battles of the Great Patriotic War
Tank T-70M in the military museum of Verkhnyaya Pyshma