Polish "seven". Armored forces of Poland Armored vehicles of Poland in the second world war

The 7TP light tank was a Polish development of the English Vickers 6-ton, one of the most common pre-war tanks in the world. The development of this tank was carried out in 1933-1934, while during its serial production in 1935-1939, 139 such tanks were assembled in Poland. By the time the Second World War began, it was the 7TP that was the most combat-ready Polish tank, which, in terms of its capabilities and characteristics, surpassed the German light tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II, however, due to its small number, it could not affect the course of hostilities and prevent the capture of Poland. In terms of its combat power, this tank at that time was comparable to the Czechoslovak LT vz.38 tank and the Soviet T-26.

It is worth noting that in the interwar period, few European armies had doubts that tanks would play a decisive role on the battlefield in the war of the future. This was well understood in Poland, for this reason the Polish military leadership made the main bet on the development of its own tank building in the country. However, for this development, at least some kind of base was needed. Therefore, like most states that gained independence as a result of the First World War, Warsaw acquired foreign armored vehicles for quite a long time.

The first tanks in Poland in 1919 were the Renault FT-17 light tanks received from France, which proved themselves quite successfully during the First World War, operating on the Western Front. It was the Renault FT-17 tanks that until 1931 formed the basis of the tank forces of Poland, until there was an urgent need to replace this outdated combat vehicle with something. To replace the Polish military considered several options, among which in better side the American M1930 tank designed by Christie and the British Vickers Mk.E (more commonly known in Russia as the "Vickers 6-ton") stood out. However, it was not possible to agree with the Americans, so the Poles turned to the Vickers company, whose tank had already attracted the USSR delegation, and later served as a prototype for the Soviet T-26 tank.

In 1930, the Polish military delegation signed a contract for the supply of 50 Vickers Mk.E tanks to the country, of which the Poles had to assemble 12 combat vehicles on the spot with their own hands. The tank made a very favorable impression on the military, but there were also a number of shortcomings - insufficient armor, weak armament (only 2 machine guns), and an unreliable power plant. Among other things, the cost of one "Vickers" reached 180 thousand zlotys, a considerable sum for those times. In this regard, already in 1931, the Polish government decided to create its own light tank based on the English tank. Work on the modernization of the combat vehicle was launched at the end of 1932. The Poles had great hopes for the new tank - suffice it to say that the contract for the supply of the first batch of new tanks to the army was already signed on January 19, 1933, and the design work was completed only on June 24 of the same year.

The undercarriage of the tank has not changed, completely moving from the Vickers. The chassis consisted of 4 two-roller bogies, which were interlocked in pairs with leaf spring suspension, 4 support rollers, as well as a front drive and rear guide wheel (on each side). The caterpillar chain was small-link, it consisted of 109 steel tracks with a width of 267 mm. The length of the bearing surface of the tank tracks was 2900 mm. Unlike the undercarriage, the hull of the Polish tank was modified by installing an armored casing located above the engine compartment. At the same time, the armor of the tank was also strengthened: the thickness of the front hull plates was increased by the Poles to 17 mm, and the side plates - to 13 mm.

It was decided to leave the armament of the tank completely machine-gunned, it consisted of two 7.92-mm wz.30 machine guns mounted in two cylindrical towers, which were similar in design to the English ones. For its time, the 7.92 mm Browning wz.30 machine gun had good performance. Its maximum rate of fire was 450 rds / min, the muzzle velocity was 735 m / s, maximum range shooting - up to 4500 meters. At a distance of 200 meters, this machine gun pierced 8 mm armor, so it could be effectively used to combat lightly armored targets. The ammunition of two tank machine guns consisted of 6 thousand rounds. To protect the barrel with a liquid cooling system, Polish designers used cylindrical casings. Each tank turret could rotate 280°, and the vertical guidance angles of the machine guns ranged from -10° to +20°. At the same time, the Poles completed the design of the machine gun installation in such a way that instead of the Browning it was always possible to install Maxim wz.08 machine guns. or Hotchkiss wz.35.

The British engine, which was considered unreliable and fire hazardous, was also replaced. It was replaced by a Saurer 6-cylinder diesel engine that developed 110 hp. at 1800 rpm. The engine cooling system was liquid. Inside the fighting compartment and the engine compartment, air circulation was provided by two fans. The fuel tanks were in front of the tank. The main tank with a capacity of 110 liters was located next to the driver's seat, a spare capacity of 20 liters - next to the gearbox. When driving on the highway, the tank could spend up to 80 liters per 100 kilometers, and when driving over rough terrain, the consumption increased to 100 liters.

The transmission of the combat vehicle was in front of the hull. It included a cardan shaft, main and side clutches, control drives, final drives and gearbox. The maximum speed on the highway was 37 km / h. At the same time, the speed when driving in 1st gear was 7 km/h, in 2nd - 13 km/h, in 3rd - 22 km/h and in 4th - 37 km/h.

The crew of a light tank included 3 people. In front of the hull on the right was the driver's seat, the commander of the combat vehicle occupied the right turret, the second gunner occupied the left turret. The observation devices installed on the tank were simple and few. Two viewing slots were made on the sides of each tower, which were covered with armored glass, and telescopic sights were installed next to the machine guns. For the driver, only a front double-leaf hatch was provided, in which an additional viewing slot was cut out. Periscopic observation devices were not installed on the twin-turret 7TP light tanks. At the same time, a version of a single-turret tank armed with a 37 mm Bofors tank gun and a coaxial 7.92 mm wz.30 machine gun was under development.

First proto lung type tank 7TP entered the test in August 1934. Although there was enough time to create a full-fledged prototype, it was partially made of non-armored steel. Sea trials of the tank were carried out from August 16 to September 1, 1934, during this time period the tank covered 1100 km. The second prototype of the tank in iron was delivered for field testing on August 13, 1935.

Comparison of the new light Polish tank with the British Mk.E leaves no doubt that the Polish engineers managed to optimize the design of the combat vehicle, making the tank more reliable. But the most significant changes concerned the improvement of engine cooling, the replacement of weapons and the strengthening of the suspension. After the production of prototypes and their inspection by the military, the army issued an order for the construction of light tanks 7TP (7-Tonowy Polsky).

At the same time, already in 1935, it was quite obvious that the two-turreted version of the 7TP light tank did not have any reserves for further modernization. For this reason, the main focus was on a single-turret version of the tank with cannon armament. However, for quite a long time, the Poles could not decide which gun to put on the tank. From 1934 to 1936, they managed to consider 6 different variants of guns with a caliber from 37 mm to 55 mm. At the same time, the requirements for a tank gun were quite standard. The gun had to have a high rate of fire, compact dimensions, the ability to fight enemy armored vehicles, and also have good performance characteristics. Having gone through all the possible options, the Polish military opted for a 37-mm cannon from the Swedish company Bofors. Having learned about the desire of the Polish side to place the Bofors gun together with the Polish machine gun, the company representatives offered Poland free assistance in creating a twin turret armament design for the 7TP light tank. In addition, the Swedes equipped the Polish tank with Zeiss sights. As a result, the Swedish side manufactured the tower according to the drawings provided from Poland. In many ways, it was similar to the Vickers tank turret.

Light tank 7TP with Bofors turret

Work on the turret was carried out in Sweden from December 1935 to November 1936, when Bofors presented the finished turret to the Poles, with a 37 mm gun installed in it. At the same time, the Polish side refused further deliveries of towers from Sweden. Instead, with the help of engineer Fabrikovsky, a new "adapted" design was designed, which was intended to be installed on the first prototype of the 7TP tank. The changes affected only the turret box and the placement of batteries, which were moved from the fighting compartment to the transmission. The tank turret was made in the form of a truncated cone and had differentiated armor. The frontal part, sides, stern and mask of the gun were made of the same armor plates 15 mm thick, the roof of the tower had a thickness of 8-10 mm. Due to the layout of the tank hull, the turret had to be placed on a combat vehicle with an offset to the port side.

In the period from 3 to 7 February 1937, tests were carried out that showed the suitability of the towers for installation on 7TR light tanks. Serial production was distinguished by a hatch on the roof of the tower, and not in the stern armor plate, as well as the presence of a stern niche. The niche was both a counterweight for a tank gun and a place to install N2C or RKBc radios, which began to be installed on Polish tanks in the autumn of 1938. In total, before the start of World War II, only 38 radio stations were assembled. As a result, they appeared on the tanks of platoon, company and battalion commanders.

It is worth noting the fact that at that time the 37 mm Bofors gun was enough. The gun had excellent performance and combat qualities, it was enough to destroy all the tanks available at that time. At a distance of up to 300 meters, a projectile fired from such a gun pierced armor up to 60 mm thick, from a distance of up to 500 meters - 48 mm, up to 1000 meters - 30 mm, up to 2000 meters - 20 mm. In this case, the rate of fire of the gun was 10 rds / min. The gun ammunition consisted of 80 shells and was located inside the tank as follows: 76 shots were stored in the lower part of the fighting compartment, and another 4 in the tank turret. The ammunition load of the 7.92-mm wz.30 machine gun paired with the gun was 3960 rounds.

First combat firing new tank took place in 1937 at the base of the Center for Ballistic Research, located in the town of Zelenka near the Polish capital. At the same time, the price of one tank with artillery weapons increased to PLN 231 thousand. The main place of production of light tanks 7TR from 1935 to 1939 was a factory located in Chekhovitsy. In total, 139 such tanks were produced here, of which 24 were double-turret and were armed only with machine guns. However, subsequently all double-turreted tanks underwent modernization, one gun turret was installed on them.

Before the start of World War II, the 1st and 2nd battalions of light tanks of the Polish army (49 combat vehicles each) were armed with 7TR tanks. Shortly after the start of the war, already on September 4, 1939, the formation of the 1st tank company of the Warsaw Defense Command was completed at the Training Center for Tank Forces, located in Modlin. The company consisted of 11 7TR tanks. Another 11 tanks of this type were part of the 2nd company of light tanks of the Warsaw Defense Command, which was formed a little later.

It is worth noting that the Polish light tanks 7TR had the best weapons than numerous German light tanks Pz.I and Pz.II and better maneuverability, not inferior to German tanks in armor protection. As a result, the 7TR tanks managed to take part in the hostilities, destroying and damaging about 200 German tanks during the entire battle. In particular, these Polish tanks took part in the counterattack of the Polish army near Piotrkow Trybunalski, where on September 5, 1939, one 7TP tank from the 2nd battalion of light tanks knocked out 5 German light tanks Pz.I. The tanks from the 2nd tank company, which defended Warsaw, fought the German troops the longest, they took part in street battles in the city until September 26, 1939.

Most of these combat vehicles were lost in battle, some were blown up by their crews or even drowned in the Vistula. But a certain number of tanks (up to 20) were captured by the Nazis, who then used them during World War II. At least 4 more wrecked 7TR tanks and one tractor based on it were captured by the Red Army in the process of annexing Western Belarus and Western Ukraine to the USSR in September 1939. Soviet engineers paid close attention to these Polish tanks. All the tanks captured by the Soviet units were damaged, so they were first repaired at Repair Base No. 7, located in the capital of Ukraine, as well as at the Scientific Testing Armored Range in Kubinka.

After that, the tanks went through a series of tests in the Soviet Union. Based on the results of the tests, the designers noted that the following elements of the Polish Vickers were of interest to the tank industry of the USSR: the armor protection of the mask of the gun-machine gun installation in the tank turret, the diesel engine manufactured by the Saurer company, as well as viewing devices. In the latter case, we were talking about a 1934 all-round viewing device, which was created by engineer Rudolf Gundlach. Starting from 1936, similar devices were produced in Lvov, the Poles put them on TKS tankettes and 7TP light tanks. The patent for the production of this tank periscope was later sold to the British company Vickers Armstrong. During the Second World War, all British tanks were equipped with such observation devices. Soviet engineers also copied the Polish periscope, then using it in their combat vehicles.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the tank 7TP:

Overall dimensions: length - 4.56 m, width - 2.43 m, height - 2.3 m.
Combat weight - 9900 kg.
Reservation: hull forehead - 17 mm, hull sides - 13 mm, turret - 15 mm, hull roof and bottom - 5 mm.
Armament - 37 mm Bofors cannon (80 rounds) and 7.92 mm WZ machine gun. 30 (3960 rounds).
The power plant is a 6-cylinder Saurer CT1D diesel engine with an HP 110 power.
The maximum speed is 37 km / h (on the highway).
Power reserve - 160 km (on the highway), 130 km (cross country)
Fuel supply - 130 l.
Crew - 3 people (driver, commander-loader, gunner).

Sources of information:
http://www.aviarmor.net/tww2/tanks/poland/7tp.htm
http://www.istpravda.ru/research/5110
http://szhaman.com/polskie-tanki-7tr
http://www.opoccuu.com/7tp.htm
Materials from open sources

Everyone who is interested in the history of Polish tank building knows that several types of tankettes and one type of light tank, the 7TR, were mass-produced in Poland before the Second World War. However, Polish designers in the 1930s were developing armored vehicles for various purposes. Infantry support tank (9TR), wheeled-tracked tank (10TR), cruiser tank (14TR), amphibious tank (4TR). But, in addition to this, in the second half of the 1930s, the Polish Armaments Directorate decided to create first medium and then heavy tanks for the army. These unrealized programs will be discussed. When writing about Polish medium / heavy tanks, they often use the indices 20TP, 25TP, 40TP and others. Let's make a reservation right away that these indices are designed by researchers according to the 7TP (7-Tonowy Polski) type, but in reality the projects did not have such an alphanumeric designation.

A rough drawing of one of the options for a BBT medium tank. Br. panc.

Program " C zołg średni" (1937-1942).
In the mid-1930s, the command of the Polish army came to the conclusion that it was necessary to develop a Polish medium tank for the Army, which could solve not only the tasks of escorting infantry (for which tanks 7TPand wedgesTKS), but also as a breakthrough tank, as well as for the destruction of fortified points.

The program was adopted in 1937 under the simple name "Czołg średni" ("medium tank"). Armament Committee (KSUST) determined the initial parameters of the terms of reference, inviting the designers to focus on the project of the English medium tank A6 (vickers 16 t.), also mentioning that such a tank is in service with the "probable enemy" - the USSR (T-28). An additional incentive for the development of their own medium tank for the Polish military leadership was intelligence information about the start of production in Germany of Nb tanks. fz. Accordingly, the PolishCzołg średni "should at least correspond to the A6 and T-28 (these tanks were considered equivalent by the Poles) in terms of technical parameters, not to be inferior in strengthNb. fz.,and ideally surpass them. Specialists of the Artillery Directorate of the Polish Army suggested using the 75mm gun of the 1897 model as the main armament. The mass of the projected tank was initially limited to 16-20 tons, however, later, the limit was increased to 25 tons.

Comparison of the size of the medium tank of the KSUST project with the "probable opponents" T-28 and Nb. fz.

The program itself was designed for 5 years - until 1942, when, according to the plan of the Polish command, the army was to receive a sufficient number of serial medium tanks.

The development of the tank was entrusted to leading Polish engineering firms under the overall direction of the Armaments Committee.

The first projects were ready by 1938 - these were the developments of designers who worked on the committee itself (KSUST 1 option) and the option proposed by the companyBiura badan Technicznych Broni Panzernych ( BBT. Br. panc.).

I version of the medium tank KSUST.

I medium tank variantBBT. Br. panc.

According to the tactical and technical data (see the table below), they were very close, with the exception that the specialistsBBT. Br. panc. proposed, in addition to the option with a 75mm gun, to create a tank with a long-barreled 40mm semi-automatic gun based on an anti-aircraft gunBofors. This equipment was well suited for combating armored targets - since the initial velocity of anti-aircraft gun shells was very high. In both projects, there were 2 small machine gun turrets capable of firing at the course of the tank.

By the end of 1938, the company presented its projectDzial Silnikowy PZlzn. ( D.S. PZlzn.). This project differs significantly from others in that the engineersD.S. PZlzn. (lead engineer Eduard Khabich) decided not to follow exactly the instructions of the armaments committee regarding tactical and technical data, but created an original concept of a medium tank based on their own developments. The fact is that this company developed “high-speed tanks” for the Polish Army on a Christie-type suspension. In 1937, an experimental tank 10 was createdTP, close in its characteristics to the Soviet BT-5 tanks, and in 1938 the development of a cruising tank with enhanced armor and weapons 14TR began. Based on the developments for the 14TP project, the “сzołg” variant was createduśredniego”, submitted to the weapons committee.

Compared to the 14TP project, the “medium tank” had a somewhat lengthened hull, significantly increased armor (frontal armor 50mm for the first version and 60mm for the latter), and a powerful engine of 550 hp was supposed to be installed. or a pair of engines of 300 hp, which was supposed to provide the tank with a speed of up to 45 km / h. As for armament, instead of the 47mm anti-tank gun originally planned for installation (as on the 14TR), it was decided to use a 75mm gun, created on the basis of an anti-aircraftwz. 1922/1924with a barrel length of 40 calibers, which also had a small recoil, which made it possible to place it in a compact turret. Such a weapon had very high armor penetration and was suitable both for fighting tanks and for destroying long-term fortifications. An expanded turret was designed for this gun, and the designers abandoned the small turrets, replacing them with machine guns coaxial and coaxial with the gun.

The company's medium tank project D.S. PZlzn.

In fact, if this project had been implemented with the declared characteristics before 1940, then Poland would have received perhaps the most powerful medium tank in the world, close in armor to modern heavy tanks. It can be recalled that in the USSR in 1939, tests began on the A-32 tank, which had slightly less armor and a significantly weaker 76mm gun, and the German army in 1939/40 had a medium tank Pz. IV with 15 - 30 mm armor and a short-barreled 75 mm gun.

75mm guns intended for installation in a medium tank
(clearly visible as the difference in the length of the barrel, and in the magnitude of the rollback).

At the beginning of 1939, BBT. Br. panc. presented a new project of her tank in two versions. Having retained the general layout, the engineers changed the purpose of the tank - it became a high-speed specialized tank for combating armored targets. There was a refusal to use 75mm infantry guns, instead it was proposed to use 40mm semi-automatic or 47mm anti-tank. Having proposed a variant with a 500 hp petrol (or a 300 hp twin), the developers expected their tank to reach a speed of 40 km/h on the highway. At the same time, the armor (frontal part of the hull) was also increased to 50 mm. A new reduced turret for 40mm guns and a different version of the undercarriage were also developed. The mass of the projected tank has increased to the maximum allowed by the second edition of the requirements of the Armaments Committee of 25 tons.

II medium tank variantBBT. Br. panc. with 47mm anti-tank gun.

II medium tank variantBBT. Br. panc. with 40mm gun,
a different chassis design and a reduced turret.

However, although the projects of DS PZlzn. and BBT. Br. panc. were not rejected by the weapons committee (DS PZlzn. at the beginning of 1939, funds were even allocated for the creation of a wooden full-size layout), more attention was paid to the revised project, the committee's specialists (KSUST 2 option).

Based on the analysis of companies' proposalsBBT. Br. panc. AndD.S. PZlzn., engineers who worked on the armaments committee presented a new project at the end of 1938. Having retained the basic layout (including the three-turret scheme), as well as the 75mm gun mod. 1897, as the main armament, they remade the engine compartment and the aft part of the hull following the example of the projectBBT. Br. panc., and instead of a 320-horsepower diesel engine, they decided to use a pair of 300-horsepower gasoline engines, as suggested by the company's specialistsD.S. PZlzn., which made it possible to achieve the same speed parameters as that of a competitor. It was also decided to bring the project up to 50mm in terms of booking (front of the hull). All this was supposed to be put into a weight of 23 tons (the projectD.S. PZlzn- 25 tons), but later the design weight was increased to 25 tons.

II variant of the medium tank KSUST.

The Polish military expected to start testing a prototype tank in 1940, but the war prevented these plans from being realized. By the beginning of the war, the work of the company was most advancedD.S. PZlzn., which made a wooden model of the tank. According to some reports, this layout was destroyed, as well as the unfinished experimental tank 14TR, when the Germans approached.

Program "Czolgciezki"(1940-1945).

In 1939, when the design of a medium tank approached the stage of making full-size mock-ups, representatives of the Armaments Committee suggested starting a program to create heavy tank « Czolgciezki". The main parameters were: appointment - a breakthrough of fortified lines and infantry support; armor providing invulnerability to anti-tank guns; maximum weight - 40 tons. The program was designed for 5 years (1940-1945).

We know about several concepts of a heavy tank, created in Poland in 1939.

One of them belongs to the specialists of the Armament Committee Buzhnovits, Ulrich, Grabsky and Ivanitsky, the project was called " B. U. G. I.". The authors relied on the concept of a medium tank (KSUS II option), however, the tank had to have a single-turret scheme, frontal armor and turret armor up to 100mm and, as the main armament, an infantry gun of 75mm caliber or a 100mm howitzer.

Drawing of the appearance of a heavy tank B.U.G.I.

The second concept of a heavy tank in 1939 belongs to E. Habich. Little is known about this tank. Khabich intended to use in his project the same 75mm long-barreled anti-aircraft gun, which was supposed to be installed in the medium tank of the projectD.S. PZlzn. He intended to carry out the running gear according to the type of blocked carts (3 carts per board), as in an experimental tank of his development 4TR. The reservation was supposed to be larger than that of the medium tank of the project.D.S. PZlzn., that is, the frontal armor should have exceeded 60mm (sometimes there is a mention of the thickness of the frontal armor of the Khabich tank project - 80mm).

Modern reconstruction (according to the description) of a heavy tank designed by E. Habich.

The third project of a heavy tank was created by Anthony Markovsky, a professor at the Lviv Polytechnic Institute. His work was submitted to the Committee on Armaments on July 22, 1939. Professor Markovsky proposed the concept of a tank armed with a 120mm howitzer of the 1878 model and one machine gun, with very strong armor (130mm for the forehead of the hull, 100mm for the sides, 90mm for the stern and 110mm for the turret ), but low mobility (25-30 km / h when installing a 500-horsepower engine).

Polish armored forces were the first in World War II to compete with the German Panzerwaffe - one of the main tools of the blitzkrieg strategy. The battles during the September 1939 campaign of the year showed that, technically, the 7TP light tanks are quite capable of withstanding the German Panzers. But the ratio of the number of German and Polish tanks did not leave the Poles any chance.

Polish armored forces on the eve of World War II

Already during the First World War, it became clear that the combat clashes of the 20th century would be "wars of engines" - both in the air and on the ground. However, this did not mean that all countries feverishly began to fill their arsenals with combat aircraft and tanks. The states that lost the war were not entitled to new military vehicles under the terms of peace treaties, while the victorious countries, especially England and France, came to the fore with the opposite problem - something had to be done with the huge number of built combat vehicles that became unnecessary in peacetime . Both countries were drastically reducing their huge wartime armies. The massive English "diamonds" and the French Renault FT had three ways within this reduction: recycling, conservation and export. It is not surprising that the tank forces of many countries of the world "began" with these combat vehicles.

It was also fair for the army of the Second Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. As part of the supply of weapons and military equipment during the Soviet-Polish war, Poland received from the main powers of the Entente, including tanks. Subsequently, the Poles purchased and produced several types of armored vehicles, but even by the beginning of a new world war in the Polish army, there were several dozen ancestors of tanks of the classic layout - Renault FT.

The desire of the Polish Army to have numerous tank troops was limited by the industrial and economic capabilities of the state. The needs and capabilities were eventually balanced by such a compromise: by 1939, the main armored vehicles of the Polish army were inexpensive tankettes TK-3 and TKS.

At the same time, of course, the Poles had an idea of ​​what was happening in the armies of neighboring states. The fact that Germany, the USSR and Czechoslovakia relied on "full-fledged" turret tanks, and in most cases with cannon weapons, forced Poland to get involved in an "arms race" in this direction. The purchase abroad of small batches of new French R-35s and English "tank bestsellers" Vickers Mk. E eventually culminated in the creation and production of domestic light tanks 7TP based on the "British".

Equipped with a variety of vehicles, the peacetime Polish armored forces included:

• 10 armored battalions;
• 11th Experimental Tank Battalion at the training center in Modlin;
• 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade;
• two detachments of armored trains.

The pre-war Polish armored battalions were large units with a complex structure and heterogeneous weapons. Immediately before the start of hostilities in August 1939, the Poles, as part of the mobilization of the army, carried out, among other things, the restructuring of their armored forces. By the beginning of the war, the following forces could oppose the following forces to the seven tank and four light divisions of the Wehrmacht:

• 2 battalions of light tanks equipped with 7TP vehicles (49 tanks each);
• 1 battalion of light tanks, equipped with French R-35s (45 tanks);
• 3 separate companies of light tanks (15 French Renault FTs each);
• 11 armored battalions (consisting of 8 armored vehicles and 13 tankettes TK-3 and TKS each);
• 15 separate reconnaissance tank companies (13 TK-3 and TKS tankettes each);
• 10 armored trains.

In addition, two motorized brigades (10th Cavalry and Warsaw Armored) had a company of 16 Vickers Mk. E and two companies of tankettes TK-3 / TKS.

Taking into account the fact that there were no medium tanks in service with the Polish army at all, as well as the fact that the 7TR was superior to the German light PzKpfw I and II in armament, it can be argued with some degree of conditionality that the light 7TR against the background of numerous Polish tankettes could perform the role of a medium tank.

"Vickers six-ton" and armor scam

Since 1926, the Polish Ministry of War maintained contacts with the British company Vickers-Armstrong. The British offered several models of their combat vehicles (Mk.C and Mk.D), but the Poles did not like them. Things got off the ground when the Vickers company built the Mk.E tank ("Vickers six-ton"), which was destined to become one of the most important milestones in the history of world tank building. Moreover, the Poles began to get acquainted with the new tank, which was created in 1928, even before its birth: in January 1927, their delegation was shown a new promising chassis, and in August 1927, the military made a preliminary decision to purchase 30 tanks that did not yet exist. .

The high price of the new British car forced the Poles to pay attention to the French Renault NC-27 tanks, which, in turn, were another attempt to breathe life into the rapidly aging Renault FT. The attempt to save was unsuccessful. 10 vehicles purchased in France made such a depressing impression on the Polish military that it was finally decided to return to the Vickers. Another possible alternative, which aroused keen interest among the Poles, was the Christie wheeled-tracked tank, but the American designer failed to fulfill his obligations to deliver the ordered copy to Poland in time.

The Vickers company produced Mk.E tanks in two versions - a single-turret "B" with mixed cannon-machine gun armament and a two-turret "A" machine-gun. After testing the sample that arrived in Poland in September 1930, the Poles decided to purchase 38 (some sources indicate the number 50) double-turreted tanks simultaneously with a license for their further production.

Vickers Mk.E modification A tanks destined for Poland in the assembly hall of the Vickers plant in Newcastle. The tanks were delivered to Poland unarmed, and 7.92 mm wz. 25 "Hotchkiss". June 1932.
http://derela.pl/7tp.htm

In fairness, it should be noted that the new Polish acquisition had significant drawbacks. Even during preliminary tests in 1930, it turned out that weak point The "British" was a 90 hp Armstrong-Siddeley gasoline engine. air cooled. With its help, the tank could move at a cruising speed of 22–25 km/h, but at a maximum speed of 37 km/h, the engine overheated after 10 minutes.

The second equally important drawback was the booking of the Vickers (the incident is known in Poland as the "armor scam"). Upon arrival in Poland of ordered tanks, it turned out that their armor had a lower resistance than indicated in the technical specifications. 13-mm frontal armor plates during the tests were pierced by the fire of a large-caliber 12.7-mm machine gun from a distance of 350 meters, declared in the TX. The scandal was settled by reducing the cost of the party's tanks - from the original 3,800 pounds to 3,165 pounds per vehicle.

16 "Vickers" received a large-caliber 13.2-mm machine gun in one of the towers, and another 6 - a short-barreled 37th gun. Subsequently, some of the British tanks (22 vehicles) were converted into single-turret ones, with a 47-mm short-barreled gun as the main armament and a coaxial 7.92-mm machine gun.

After the Soviet-Polish war, the USSR seriously believed that Poland was hatching aggressive plans against its eastern neighbor. Fearing Poland's ability to achieve superiority in tanks (however, the imaginary ability - the industrial and financial capabilities of the Second Commonwealth allowed it to build only less than 150 full-fledged tanks), the Soviet Union closely followed the development of Polish tank weapons. Perhaps one of the consequences of such attention was the "synchronous" interest on the part of the USSR to the Vickers Mk.E and the Christie tank (at least in Polish sources, these events are presented from this angle). As a result, Christie's tank became the "progenitor" of several thousand Soviet tanks BT-2, BT-5 and BT-7 (and the experimental Polish 10TR), and Vickers - the basis for thousands of T-26s and 134 Polish 7TRs.

As noted above, along with a batch of English-assembled Vickers, the Poles also acquired a license for their production. The license did not cover the engine; however, the air-cooled engine was clearly unsuccessful for the tank. To replace it, the Poles chose a Swiss 110 hp Saurer water-cooled diesel engine, which was already produced in Poland under license. As a result of this rather random choice (the Saurer was simply the only engine of suitable size and power produced in Poland at that time), the 7TP became the first diesel tank in Europe and one of the first in the world (after Japanese cars).

The use of a diesel engine in tank building, as you know, eventually became generally accepted. Its advantages are less flammable fuel, better torque and lower fuel consumption, which has a positive effect on the range. As for the case with the 7TP, the Swiss diesel also had a significant drawback: its dimensions and water radiators required the engine compartment to be expanded upwards, the “hump” of which eventually became the most obvious difference between the Polish tank and the Vickers and T-26.

With the second drawback of the British tank - insufficient armor - the Poles also decided to fight, but in the end they managed with half measures: instead of 13-mm homogeneous armor plates, 17-mm surface-hardened ones were installed in the frontal projection. The driver's hatch had a thickness of only 10 mm, the sides - from 17 mm in front to 9 mm in the rear. The rear part of the hull was made of armor plates 9 mm thick (6 mm in the early series), while on the machines of the early series in the rear wall of the power compartment there were ventilation louvers for the cooling system. Double turrets had a circular 13-mm armor. Of course, there was no question of any "protivosnaryadnosti".

The new car, which originally acquired the name VAU 33 (Vickers-Armstrong-Ursus, or, according to another version, Vickers-Armstrong Ulepszony), received a reinforced suspension and a new transmission. The tank was equipped with a four-speed gearbox (plus one reverse gear). Already at this stage, its mass increased to seven tons, which was the reason for the renaming to 7TR (“seven-ton Polish”, by analogy with the “Six-ton ​​Vickers”).

Two 7TP prototypes with two turrets called Smok (Dragon) and Słoń (Elephant) were built in 1934–35. Both of them were made of mild non-armored steel and used part of the parts purchased from Vickers.

In March 1935, the first series of twin-turret 7TRs with machine gun armament was ordered - they were equipped with turrets removed from the Vickers being converted into single-turret versions. This decision was obviously temporary, since the military still had not decided on the final version of the turret and gun. The 47-mm English gun of the single-turret Vickers was rejected because it had poor armor penetration. The British proposed a new hexagonal turret with a more powerful 47 mm gun, but the Poles also rejected this proposal. But the Swedish company Bofors, which proposed to create a new tower based on the towers of the L-30 and L-10 tanks, they agreed. Which is not surprising - a good 37-mm Swedish gun of the same Bofors company was already in service with the Polish army as a standard towed anti-tank gun.

The Swedish double tower in Poland has been redesigned. She received a stern niche for installing a radio station and additional ammunition, as well as Polish-made optics, including a circular view periscope designed by Rudolf Gundlach, the patent for which was sold to Vickers, and subsequently such periscopes became standard for Allied tanks. The secondary armament of the tank was a 7.92-mm water-cooled wz.30 machine gun (in the twin-turret version, the armament consisted of two such machine guns). Since 1938, Polish N2 / C radio stations were installed in the tank towers of battalion, company and platoon commanders. In total, before the war, the Poles managed to produce 38 of these radio stations, of which not all were installed on tanks. The turret of the 7TP tank in the single-turret version had a thickness of 15 mm on all sides and on the gun mantlet, 8–10 mm on the roof. The protective casing of the machine gun cooling system had a thickness of 18 mm in front, and 8 mm around the barrel.

The serial 7TR in a single-turret version had a mass of 9.9 tons, in a two-turret version - 9.4 tons. The maximum speed of the car was 32 km / h, the cruising range was up to 150 km on the road, 130 km on rough terrain (in Soviet sources figures are indicated 195/130 km). The crew of the 7TR consisted of three people in both options. The ammunition load of the 37 mm gun was 80 rounds.

Production

Despite discrepancies in detail regarding batch sizes and exact production times, sources generally agree on the total number of 7TPs produced. Taking into account two prototypes, 134 tanks of this type were produced. The financial possibilities of the Polish Ministry of Defense allowed it to purchase one company of tanks per year. After the first order of 22 machines in 1935, 16 were produced in 1936. Such a snail's pace (18 7TRs were ordered for 1937) was clearly insufficient. Only thanks to the sale of four companies of old French Renault FTs to the Republicans in Spain (fictitiously they were sold to China and Uruguay), it became possible in 1937 to make a large additional order for 49 new tanks. But here, the desires of the military were already constrained by the production capabilities of Polish factories, on the assembly lines of which the 7TP tanks were forced to “compete” with the C7R artillery tractors. As a result, the Polish industry managed to produce tractors by the beginning of the war more than tanks - about 150 units.

In total, before the start of World War II and during its course (11 tanks entered the troops as early as September 1939), 132 serial 7TR tanks were created, including 108 in single-turret and 24 in double-turret modifications (alternative figures - 110 and 22) .

The number of serial tanks 7TR, produced by order:

Although countries such as Sweden, Bulgaria, Turkey, Estonia, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Greece and, possibly, Republican Spain expressed interest in acquiring 7TP, due to limited industrial capacity and the priority of supplies for their armed forces, Polish tanks were not exported.

Combat use and comparison with similar machines

Two companies of 7TP tanks (a total of 32 vehicles) were included in the Silesia Task Force and in October 1938 participated in the invasion of Teszyn Silesia, a region disputed with Czechoslovakia, which, under the terms of international arbitration, was annexed to the latter in July 1920. Czechoslovakia, which at the same time was invaded by Germany as a result of the Munich Agreement, did not put up any resistance to the Poles, so the participation of the 7TP in the conflict was more of a psychological nature.

Polish tank 7TR from the 3rd armored battalion (tank of the 1st platoon) overcomes the Czechoslovak anti-tank fortifications in the area of ​​the Polish-Czechoslovak border.
waralbum.ru

In September 1939, Polish tanks were quite successfully used against the German troops. In terms of the combination of combat characteristics, they significantly surpassed the German PzKpfw I tanks (which was clear from the experience of using this “tower tankette” during the war in Spain against the Soviet T-26, the “cousin” 7TR), a little - PzKpfw II and were quite comparable from PzKpfw III and Czechoslovak LT vz.35 and LT vz.38, which were also used by the Wehrmacht. Both light tank battalions, equipped with 7TP, proved themselves well in clashes with German tank and light divisions, although, of course, due to their small number they could not significantly affect the course of hostilities.

LT vz.35 of the Wehrmacht, knocked out by a Polish 37-mm gun (either a gun monitor or a tank gun). It can be seen that the white cross is smeared with mud - the German tankers thus tried to mask these excellent markers for aiming http://derela.pl/7tp.htm

For example, on September 4, two companies of the 2nd Polish light tank battalion participated in the defense on the southern outskirts of Piotrkow-Trybunalsky, where they destroyed 2 armored vehicles and 6 tanks of the 1st Wehrmacht Panzer Division, while losing one tank. The next day, all three companies of the battalion tried to attack the German 4th Panzer Division, defeating the 12th Infantry Regiment's motor vehicle column and destroying about 15 enemy tanks and armored fighting vehicles in the largest tank battle of the Polish campaign. At the same time, the losses of the Polish side amounted to at least 7 TR tanks. Due to the overwhelming superiority of the Germans, including in tanks, the Polish units had to withdraw in the future.

"Breaking" stereotypes about the Polish campaign of 1939 photo - Polish tank 7TP against the background of the German cavalry
http://derela.pl/7tp.htm

Captured 7TRs were used by the Germans in France (where they were discovered by the Americans in 1944), as well as in counter-partisan operations in the territories of modern Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. In addition, two or three damaged 7TRs were captured by the Red Army during the invasion of Poland. From several faulty tanks, one was assembled, which was tested in October 1940 in Kubinka. Soviet designers were interested in the diesel engine, armor protection of the gun and machine gun mantlet, as well as the gundlach all-round periscope, the design solutions of which were later used in the production of Soviet analogues.

The fighting showed that the 7TP had approximately equal chances of winning in clashes with German (and Czechoslovak) cannon tanks, which were in service with the Wehrmacht. The results of tank battles ultimately depended mainly on non-technical factors - such as surprise, numerical superiority, training of individual crews, commanding skills and coherence of units (some of the Polish crews were staffed immediately before the start of the war by reserve servicemen who did not have experience in driving armored vehicles). Another significant factor was the wider use of radio communications in tank troops Wehrmacht.

Of particular interest may be the comparison of the 7TP with another participant in the events of September 1939 - another direct "descendant" of the Vickers Mk.E Soviet T-26. The latter was better armed (45 mm anti-tank gun against the 37 mm gun of the 7TR). The auxiliary armament of the Polish vehicle consisted of one machine gun, while the Soviet one had two. Observation and aiming devices were the best for 7TR. As for the engine, if the aforementioned 110-horsepower diesel engine was installed on the Polish tank, the Soviet T-26 managed with a 90-horsepower gasoline engine, and in some modifications weighed even more than the Polish counterpart.

Literature:

• Janusz Magnuski, Czołg lekki 7TP, "Militaria" Vol.1 No.5, 1996
• Rajmund Szubański: "Polska broń pancerna 1939".
• Igor Melnikov, The Rise and Fall of 7TR,

FORMATION AND ORGANIZATION OF POLISH BTV

At the end of the First World War, the Polish army was in third place in terms of the number of tanks in it. In the spring of 1919, the first tank regiment was formed as part of the Polish army in France. When it arrived in Poland in June, it had 120 light French Renault FT tanks. Separate companies or even platoons of these tanks participated in the Soviet-Polish war of 1920. By the end of it, it still had 114 combat-ready tanks. In October 1921, a consolidated company of tanks took part in the occupation of Upper Selesia.

Since 1926, the Technical Directorate of the Ministry of Military Affairs (MS Wojsk.) had a department of armored vehicles that performed advisory functions. In January 1929, this department was turned into a "patronage", to which all the relevant departments of various departments were subordinated. And on November 23, 1930, the Command of the Armored Forces (Dowodztwo Broni Pancernich DBP) was organized to control MS Wojsk. It was engaged, first of all, in the training of tank personnel. In 1936, this Command was equalized in rights with the departments of the main branches ground forces. It created, in particular, the department for the technical support of armored forces, which, in addition to everything, supervised the issue of motorization of the army as a whole. And finally, in 1937, three territorial directorates of armored forces were created.

At first, the command of the armored forces was subordinate to a tank regiment stationed in Zhuravitsa near Przemysl (three battalions of three companies each), five squadrons of armored vehicles and two divisions of armored trains. In 1930-1934 all armored units were reduced to three mixed armored regiments. In 1934, they were disbanded and all armored units were consolidated into independent companies and squadrons.

In 1937, there were six battalions in the armored forces: in Warsaw, Zhuravitsa, Poznan, Brest-nad-Bug, Krakow and Lvov, and two separate companies in Vilna and Bydgoszcz. These latter, a year later, were also deployed in battalions in Lutsk and Sgierzh.

By this time, the regular strength of the armored forces was 415 officers, more than two thousand non-commissioned officers and 3800 privates. In 1938, however, 14% of non-commissioned officers were missing.

The organization of the battalion was as follows: headquarters and administration, commander's platoon; companies: training, tank, armored vehicles, motorized infantry and supply, communications platoon. The staff strength of the battalion is 36 officers, 186 non-commissioned officers and 409 privates, as well as 12 officials. These battalions were more in the nature of training than combat units. In the case of mobilization, they must be deployed to combat units.

However, this organization did not last long. And in 1939, shortly before the start of the war, four battalions: the 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th had three companies of reconnaissance tanks (actually tankettes) and a squadron of armored vehicles. Other battalions had reinforced composition, and the 2nd could even be considered a regiment, since it included 185 combat vehicles, i.e. tanks, tankettes and armored vehicles.

The increase in the number of battalions led to a decrease in their combat strength. In tankette companies and armored car squadrons, third platoons were abolished, as a result of which the number of tankettes in companies decreased from 16 to 13, and BA in squadrons from ten to seven.

The Tenth Motorized Cavalry Brigade only in 1939 moved from the Cavalry Directorate to the Ministry of Military Affairs and was subordinated to the Command of the Armored Forces. The brigade consisted of the 10th Regiment of Mounted Riflemen and the 24th Regiment of Lancers (this shows that the brigade was far from motorized). In addition, the brigade included reconnaissance and anti-tank (PTO) divisions, a communications squadron and a traffic control platoon. Only during mobilization, the brigade was given a motorized artillery battalion, a sapper battalion, a battery of anti-aircraft guns, and an aviation detachment. But, most importantly, the brigade received tank units created on the basis of the 2nd tank battalion in Zhuravitsa.

In the armed forces of Poland, armored troops (BTV) belonged to the technical branch of the troops. Their task was to support the infantry and cavalry in joint actions with them. The only two motorized formations - the 10th Cavalry Brigade and the Warsaw Armored Motorized Brigade (as we translated the Polish - Warszawska Brygada Pancerno Motorowa W.B.P.-M.) were extremely poorly equipped with armored vehicles, but not bad with artillery (including anti-tank) and even more so with infantry weapons.

What was the organization of the 10th cavalry brigade (10. Brygada Kawalerii Zmotoryzowanej - 10 VK) in wartime states?

It included: command and supply squadron, two motorized regiments (but four linear squadrons, a machine gun squadron and reinforcement units), divisions: reconnaissance, artillery, anti-tank, engineer battalion and communications squadron; companies: light and reconnaissance tanks, an air defense battery and rear services.

The combat vehicles were part of the 121st company of light tanks - out of three platoons, five Vickers E tanks, plus the company commander's tank (16 tanks in total, 10 of them with a cannon, six with machine guns, 114 personnel); 101st company of reconnaissance tanks (two platoons and six tankettes TK-3 or TKS - a total of 13 tankettes and 53 personnel); a squadron of reconnaissance tanks of the reconnaissance division (two platoons of six tankettes, a total of 13 and 53 personnel).

Thus, the 10th Cavalry Brigade had 16 Vickers E tanks and 26 tankettes, four 100 mm howitzers, four 75 mm guns, 27 37 mm anti-aircraft guns, four 40 mm anti-aircraft guns and more than four thousand personnel.

After the successful actions of the 10th cavalry (motorized) brigade in the maneuvers of 1937, the High Command decided to create another motorized brigade. Then the reorganization of the 2nd Cavalry Division (KD) was carried out, which included the 1st Cavalry Brigade, called Warsaw. Its two regiments - mounted riflemen and schvolezhers during the liquidation of the 2nd KD in February 1939 became part of the Mazovian Cavalry Brigade.

In June, it was decided to motorize one regiment, and soon another, and to complete the creation of a motorized brigade by August 15, called the Warsaw Armored Motorized Brigade. Colonel Stefan Rovetsky (died in 1944) was appointed its commander. The formation of other parts of the brigade began: an artillery battalion, a battalion of sappers, a battalion of anti-tank weapons and others. And when the war began on September 1, the organization of the brigade was in full swing. The equipment of the units was still far from the wartime states. The brigade was ordered to leave Warsaw. On the 2nd, she surrendered her last horses. But the Vickers E slippers she was given have not yet arrived. On September 3, an order was received to take up defense at the crossings across the Vistula, which was carried out the next day. The 12th company of light tanks (16 Vickers E tanks) (instead of the regular battalion) joined the brigade only on 13 September.

The transfer of parts of the Polish army to the organization of wartime (mobilization) began immediately after the occupation of the Czech Republic by German troops (March 15, 1939), in which, in particular, Poland participated, occupying the Teszyn region.

The mobilization of armored weapons took place in four stages:

I - March 23 - the 91st tank division (T dn) was formed for the Novogrudek cavalry brigade.

II - August 13 - the 21st tank division (for the Volyn cavalry brigade), the 101st and 121st companies of reconnaissance tanks for the 10th motorized cavalry brigade.

III - August 23 - 1st battalion of light tanks, seven tank divisions, 11th and 12th companies and a squadron of tanks for W.B.P.-M., twelve companies of reconnaissance tanks and an armored train.

IV - August 27 - 2nd tank battalion, two tank divisions and three companies of reconnaissance tanks.

On September 1, 1939, the 21st battalion of light tanks, three companies of low-speed tanks and two armored trains did not have time to fully mobilize.

The following is the structure of armored units by wartime states:

Organization of the Warsaw Armored Brigade (Warszawska Brygada Pancerno- Motorowa WB.P. M)

Headquarters and headquarters company: two cavalry regiments, each with four line squadrons, reconnaissance and heavy weapons squadrons. In the reconnaissance squadron, a platoon of tankettes (six vehicles).

Divisions: reconnaissance (13 tankettes as part of a reconnaissance squadron), artillery (four - 75-mm guns, four - 100-mm howitzers), anti-tank (24 - 37-mm guns).

Sapper Battalion.

12th company of light tanks (3 platoons of 5 tanks). Total: 4 officers, 87 enlisted men, 16 Vickers Yo tanks

11th company of reconnaissance tanks - 13 TKS (four of them with a 20-mm cannon), 91 people. personnel.

Communication squadron.

Air defense battery - four 40-mm guns.

Rear divisions.

In total, there are 5026 people in the brigade but in wartime states, including 216 officers, 16 light tanks, 25 tankettes, eight field guns, 36 - 37-mm anti-aircraft guns, four - 40-mm anti-aircraft guns, 713 vehicles.

The organization of peacetime brigades did not at all resemble the structure of a combat unit. Their mobilization was difficult, since the units that entered their mobilization squad arrived from five different districts and, in addition, were subordinate to various departments and commands.

light tank battalion

(Battalion CzotgowLekkich - B.C.L.)

Headquarters and headquarters company with a communications platoon and an anti-aircraft machine gun squad (four machine guns) - 105 people. One tank.

Three tank companies of three tank platoon five tanks each, company commander's tank. Personnel - 83 people. (four officers). 16 tanks.

Maintenance company - 108 people.

In total, there are 462 people in the battalion. personnel, including 22 officers. 49 tanks 7TR.

Battalions No. 1 and No. 2.

The structure of the 21st light tank battalion, armed with R35 tanks, was somewhat different.

Headquarters and headquarters company - 100 people.

Three tank companies of four tank platoons (three tanks each) and a company commander's tank. In total, the company has 13 R35 tanks and 57 people. personnel, including five officers.

Maintenance company

- 123 people personnel and six reserve R35 tanks.

There are 394 people in the battalion. personnel, 45 R35 tanks.

Armored division

(Dyvizjon Pancerny) The divisions were part of the cavalry brigades and consisted of: headquarters squadron - 50 people; squadron of reconnaissance tanks from two platoons but six tankettes. In total - 53 people. personnel, 13 wedges;

squadron of armored vehicles (two platoons) - 45 people. personnel, seven BA;

maintenance squadron - 43 people. personnel.

There are 191 people in the division in total. personnel, including 10 officers, 13 tankettes and seven BA.

Division numbers: 11th, 21st, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 51st, 61st, 62nd, 71st, 81st and 91st.

Separate company of reconnaissance tanks

(Samodzielna Kompania Czotgow

Rozpoznawczych SKCR) Control unit - 29 people, one tankette.

Two platoons of six tankettes, 15 people each. personnel. Technical platoon - 32 people. Total: 91 people personnel (four officers), 13 wedges.

Numbers of individual companies of reconnaissance tanks: 31st, 32nd, 41st, 42nd, 51st, 52nd, 61st, 62nd, 63rd, 71st, 72nd, 81st, 82nd, 91st and 92nd. Only 15 mouths.

At the end of August 1939, the 12th and 121st companies of Vickers E light tanks were formed, but 16 vehicles in each, and after the start of the war, the 111th, 112th and 113th companies of light tanks (Kompania Czo1 "^<>w Lekkich - KCL) for 15 Renault FT tanks.

The Renault FT tank company had a control platoon - 13 people, three tank platoons and five tanks (13 people) and a technical platoon. Total 91 people. personnel, of which 1 and 2 officers.

On September 4 and 5, 1939, the 1st and 2nd companies of light tanks of the Warsaw Defense Command were formed, but 11 7TR tanks (apparently, just from the factory shops).

Distribution of armored vehicles according to the mobilization plan

Wartime combat units were to consist of 130 light tanks (7TP and Vickers), 45 Renault R35 light tanks, 45 so-called low-speed Renault FT, 390 tankettes TK-3 and TKS, as well as 88 armored vehicles mod. . 1929 and arr. 1934, that is, a total of 698 armored units. To this should be added 56 (16 Renault FT and 40 TK-3) as part of armored trains. If you look at the distribution by type of troops, then only 195 tankettes (t. S. 28% of the total number) were provided for operations as part of infantry formations, 231 units (33%) as part of the cavalry, 188 (27%) in reserve units and only eighty-four or 12% in the composition of motorized compounds. The total number of armored troops for mobilization was to be 1516 officers, 8949 non-commissioned officers and 18,620 privates, that is, a total of 29,085 people. Of these, the crews of combat vehicles numbered about 2,000 people. We see that the percentage of tankers compared to the total number of armored units was very low (about 6%), also a small percentage were combat vehicles of the total number of cars and motorcycles in these parts.

Since the mobilization was not completed by the beginning of the war, the number of wartime states was not reached either. Many reservists remained in spare parts, and reserve No. 1 was supposed to replenish battalions and companies of light tanks, reserve No. 2 served to replenish tank divisions, and reserve No. 3 - to replenish companies of reconnaissance tanks - that is, tankettes.

It is noteworthy that, according to the plan, all these small units - battalions, divisions, companies were scattered among the army operational formations. Here's what it should have looked like according to the plan.

A separate operational group "Narev" received armored divisions (BD) No. 31 and No. 32.

The Modlin army, which covered Warsaw from the north from East Prussia, received the 11th and 91st armored divisions, the 62nd and 63rd separate companies of reconnaissance tanks (ORRT).

The "Help" army (which was supposed to prevent the unification of German units from East and West Prussia in the so-called "Polish corridor") received the 81st armored division and the 81st separate company of reconnaissance tanks.

Army "Poznan" - 62nd and 71st armored divisions, 31st, 71st, 72nd and 82nd separate companies of reconnaissance tanks.

Army "Lodz" - 21st and 61st armored divisions, 32nd, 41st, 42nd, 91st and 92nd separate companies of reconnaissance tanks.

Army "Krakow" - the 10th armored cavalry brigade (with the 101st and 121st separate companies of reconnaissance tanks and a tank squadron), the 51st armored division, the 51st, 52nd and 61st separate companies of reconnaissance tanks.

At the junction of the armies "Lodz" and "Krakow" there was a reserve army with the 1st and 2nd battalions of light tanks and the 33rd armored division.

In the reserve of the Supreme High Command were the Warsaw armored brigade (with the 11th and 12th separate companies of reconnaissance tanks and a tank squadron), the 21st battalion of light tanks and the 111th, 112th, 113th companies of "low-speed" tanks (" Renault FT).

In reality, this plan was not fully implemented. During the course of the war, several improvised units were created, formed from surplus equipment. The training tanks of the 3rd battalion and the training center of the armored forces entered the company of the tank detachment of the Warsaw Defense Command. This detachment also included new 7TR tanks coming from the factory, as well as wedges from the training center. In total, the detachment consisted of 33 armored units.

From the remnants of the 12th peacetime tank battalion, a half-company of six Renault R3.5 tanks was created. From the personnel of the same 12th battalion, the 21st battalion of light tanks was formed, consisting of 45 Rono R35 tanks that had just arrived from France. Two platoons and four tanks each were created from the 2nd training battalion.

It is possible that obsolete vehicles such as the NC-I (24 units were bought at one time), M26 / 27 (five units) and the Italian FIAT 3000, as well as prototypes of Polish tanks . It is known that self-propelled guns TKS-L took part in the defense of Warsaw). Several captured armored units were also used. So, on September 21, near Laszczowka, the Poles used two captured German tanks. Let's talk about a few more improvisations, that is, armored heavy trucks. Two such trucks "Polish FIAT 621" received guns and machine guns from the flooded destroyer "Mazur" -

Thus, during the September battles, the Polish troops had: 152 light tanks 7TP and Vickers, 51 Renault R35 light tanks, three H35, 45 Renault FT, 403 TK-3 and TKS and 88 armored vehicles mod. 1929 and arr. 1934. A total of 742 armored units. You can add 14 more armored trains to them. Everything was sent to battle. There were no reserves left. And there was nothing to replenish combat and technical losses.

More or less full-fledged could be considered only light tanks 7TR, Vickers and R35, which accounted for less than a quarter of all armored vehicles. Tankettes could only be used where they did not encounter enemy anti-tank defenses and armored vehicles. The combat value of B A and Renault FT tanks was practically zero. The technical condition of the Polish armored units left much to be desired. That, apparently, is why the losses of armored units for technical reasons exceeded the combat ones.

ARMORED VEHICLES

The technical equipment of the Polish army was dealt with by the Komitet do Spraw Uzbrojenia i Sprzetu - KSUS (Committee for Armaments and Equipment), which was part of the Ministerstwo Spraw Wojskowych MS Wojsk. (Ministry of War).

Dowodztwo Broni Pancernich DBP (Armor Force Command) has always expressed its views on the BTV technology.

R&D was carried out by Biuro Konstrukcyjne Broni Pancernich Wojskowego Instytutu Badan Inzynierii B K Br. Rape. WIBI (Design Bureau of Armored Vehicles of the Military Institute for Technical Research).

WIBI was reorganized in 1934 and Biuro Badan Technicznych Broni Pancernich - BBT Br. Rape. (Bureau of Technical Research of the Armored Forces).

The production of combat vehicles, their modernization, and the manufacture of prototypes were carried out by:

Panstwowe Zaklady Inzynierii PZInz. State machine-building plants in Czechowice - (Czechowice), with experimental workshops in "Ursus" (Ursus) - at the car factory in Warsaw, and Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe - CWS (Central Automobile Workshops in Warsaw).

Tests of armored vehicles were:

Biuro Studiow PZInz. (BS PZInz.) – PZInz Research Bureau.

Centrum Wyszkolenia Broni Pancernich CW Br. pane. – Armored Forces Training Center.

TANKS OF FOREIGN PRODUCTION

Modernized Polish "Renault"

Light tank "Renault" FT

As we already mentioned, the first tanks in the Polish army were the French Renault FT light tanks. There is no need to describe them. These machines are well known. Let's just say that in 1918 the army of General G. Haller received 120 of these tanks. Haller's army returned to Poland at the end of the First World War with all their tanks.

In May-June 1919, at the request of the Polish government, the main personnel of the 505th French tank regiment under the command of Major J. Marais arrived in Poland. In the city of Lodz, it was understaffed as the 1st Tank Regiment. It consisted of 120 (72 cannon, 48 machine gun) tanks. His second company first took part in the battle near the city of Bobruisk in August 1919, while destroying two tanks. The company returned to Warsaw, and the French tankers left for their homeland, leaving only the so-called advisers or instructors. With the withdrawal of the Polish army from Ukraine in 1920, most of the tanks returned to Poland.

During the August counter-offensive of the Poles in 1920, three Renault companies (that is, about 50 vehicles) took part, reduced to a special detachment of Major Novitsky. The detachment entered the battle on August 17 near Minsk-Mazovetsky. On August 20, near Mlawa, Polish tanks and infantry units supporting them cut off the escape routes of Guy's cavalry corps. Unable to break through to the east, the corps was forced to move to the territory of East Prussia (Germany) and was interned there. During all the battles, the losses of the Poles amounted to 12 tanks, of which seven were captured by the Red Army.

At the end of the war, the French made up for the losses of the Poles in tanks. 30 vehicles were received, including six tanks with radios, as well as the so-called "Renault" BS with a 75-mm gun. In 1925-1926. 27 more Renaults were assembled in the Central Automobile Workshop.

Complaints caused low speed and power reserve. The Poles tried to improve the driving characteristics of Renault. In 1923 Lieutenant Kardashevich proposed the new kind caterpillars - steel wires with welded tracks. Did not help.

In 1925-1926. The central workshops in Warsaw assembled 25 Renault training tanks using parts and assemblies from failed vehicles. They were covered not with armor, but with steel sheets.

In 1928, large-capacity fuel tanks were installed on one of the tanks, lengthening the hull for this. Another tank with the turret removed was converted into a smoke curtain. There were attempts to strengthen and weapons. In 1929-1930. a new octahedral turret was designed, in which a non-coaxial cannon and machine gun were installed. And here, too, limited to one instance. In 1935-1936. the factory in Katowice delivered six towers similar to the Renault Vickers towers. They were installed on the tank in 1937.

On June 1, 1936, there were 119 Renault FT tanks in the army. In 1936-1938 some of them were sold abroad: Spain and 16 tanks to Uruguay. On July 15, 1939, there were 102 more units, of which 70 vehicles (combat and training) were part of the 2nd tank battalion in Zhuravitsa. During mobilization, the battalion assigned three separate companies of "slow-moving" tanks. The rest were part of armored trains. In 1940, Polish units in France received Renault FT tanks as training tanks.

Light tank "Renault" М26/27

In France, they began to modernize their famous tank in order, first of all, to increase its speed and cruising range. At the suggestion of the co-owner of the Citroen automobile company, engineer A. Kegress, about a hundred tanks were equipped with rubber tracks, the elasticity of the suspension was increased with a large travel of the road wheels. Drums were installed on consoles in front and behind the hull, freely rotating on the axis, which was supposed to increase the ability to overcome ditches and trenches. The tank clearance increased, fuel consumption decreased, and, consequently, the cruising range increased. The speed has also increased to 12 km / h. The tank received the designation "Renault" M24 ​​/ 25 (according to the years of modernization). These machines fought in 1925-1926. in Morocco against the State of the Riffs.

In 1926, the following modernization followed: a rubber track with metal tracks was used. The drums were abandoned. New 45 hp engine. from. provided speeds up to 16 km / h. The power reserve has grown to 160 km. Now the tank was called Renault M26/27. It was bought by Yugoslavia and China. In 1927, 19 units were acquired by Poland. Basically, further modernization options were worked out on them: for example, new turrets with machine-gun and cannon armament were tested. These cars were called "Renault" arr. 1929. The mass of the M26 / 27 tank is 6.4 tons, the armament remains the same as that of the Renault FT.

English tank "Vickers - 6 tons", option "B"

"Vickers 6 tons", option "A"

"Vickers 6 tons", option "B"

Light tank "Renault-Vickers" ("Renault" mod. 1932)

With the receipt from England of tanks "Vickers - 6 tons" and a license for its production, the question was raised about the modernization of tanks "Renault" using units of an English tank. Its undercarriage was changed in order to unify some of the units with the Vickers undercarriage. In 1935, a new turret with twin 37 mm guns and a machine gun was installed on the tank. The new model did not live up to expectations: its speed did not exceed 13 km / h. The engine overheated and fuel consumption was high. The mass of the tank "Renault" arr. 1932 - 7.2 tons.

Light tank "Renault" NC-1 (NC-27)

With the next modernization of Renault, French engineers managed, first of all, to increase the thickness of the armor to 30 mm (forehead) and 20 mm of the hull side. The cast tower had armor 20 mm thick. The NC-27 tank was not adopted by the French army, because despite a more powerful engine (60 hp) and an increase in speed to 20 km / h, the cruising range, due to high fuel consumption, remained small - 100 km.

However, in small quantities, the tank was acquired by Sweden, Yugoslavia, Japan and even the USSR (only for testing). Poland bought 10 of these vehicles in 1927 and used them to train tankers.

The mass of the tank is 8.5 tons, the armament is one 37-mm cannon, the crew is 2 people.

Light tank "Vickers E" ("Vickers - 6 tons")

In 1929, the British company Vickers, on its own initiative, created a light tank, called the Vickers - 6 tons. In the 1930s, this machine had, perhaps, no less influence on world tank building than the famous Renault FT. The new tank turned out to be simple and reliable, its small-link tracks made of manganese steel withstood a range of up to 4800 km - an unprecedented indicator at that time. The tank was cheap, but for some reason the British army did not accept it - the military was not satisfied with its running gear. But it was purchased and produced under license (for example, in the USSR under the brand name T-26) by many countries.

The tank was presented in two versions: "A" weighing 7 tons with two machine-gun turrets and "B" weighing 8 tons with a 47-mm cannon and a machine gun in the turret. Armor 13 mm thick protected the forehead, sides of the hull and the turret. Speed ​​- 35 km / h, cruising range - 160 km. The crew consisted of 3 people.

The Poles became interested in Vickers tanks back in 1925. In 1930, KSUS bought one copy for trial. With him, one of his designers, Vivien Loyd, arrived in the country. Tests in 1931 revealed the following (according to the Poles) shortcomings of the tank: tightness in the fighting compartment, overheating of the air-cooled engine, the need for frequent supervision, etc. The company agreed with the proposals of the Poles to eliminate the noted shortcomings.

On September 14, 1931, an agreement was concluded on the purchase of 1 "tanks, of which 16 were in the "B" variant. The tanks arrived in 1932. The Poles made some more corrections, made, however, at the expense of the company. Thus, the tanks of the Polish order differed markedly from the original ones even outwardly, in particular, by air intakes. Above the machine guns in the towers appeared "horns" - otherwise it was impossible to place magazines for machine guns mod. 1925, loaded from above.

Tankette "Carden-Loyd" on trials

"Carden-Loyd" Mk. VI

Without significant changes, the Vickers tanks survived until 1939, although some measures were still taken. In 1935, a project was presented to bring them up to the standards of the 7TR tank that entered mass production. There was a variety in the brands of weapons for the "A" model: two 7.92-mm machine guns, or mod. 1925, or arr. 1930; one - 13.2- and one - 7.92 mm arr. 1930. Option "B" received a 37-mm cannon "Puteaux" M1918 (as on "Renault"), coaxial with a machine gun mod. 1925, or a 47-mm gun "Vickers-Armstrong" mod. E, coaxial with a machine gun mod. 1925. Combat weight - 7.35 tons (option "A") or 7.2 tons (option "B"). Booking remained "English". Engine "Armstrong-Sidley Puma" with a capacity of 92 liters. from. Speed ​​- 35 (32) km / h, cruising range - 160 km, average specific pressure - 0.48 kg / cm 2 . The tank overcame a rise of 37 °, a ditch -1.8 m, a wall - 0.75 m and a ford - 0.9 m.

On September 1, 1939, there were 34 Vickers - 6 tons tanks in the troops as part of the 12th and 121st companies of light tanks.

Tankette "Carden-Loyd" Mk.VI

Among the British military in the early 1920s, the idea of ​​supplying almost every infantryman with his own armored vehicle was seriously considered. Within the framework of this idea, engineers J. Carden and V. Loyd, on their own in their small factory and the production of agricultural tractors in 1925-1928. created a number of small tracked armored vehicles, then called tankettes, that is, "mini-tanks". They were designed for a crew of two or even one person, and were armed with a machine gun mounted in an open hull. The most successful example was the Cardin-Loyd wedge Mk.VI (1928). This machine was of interest to both the Vickers company and the British military, but even more to the leaders of the armed forces of many countries. The inventors went to work for Vickers, where in subsequent years they created many models of tanks for the British army.

Tankette "Carden-Loyd" Mk.VI served as the ancestor and model of similar machines built in Italy, France, Czechoslovakia, Japan and the USSR (our tankette T-27) under license. In England itself, however, it was not accepted so enthusiastically, considering it just a kind of machine gun carrier and not so many were ordered for the army (348 units), although they were very cheap, easy to use, etc. Another thing for export ... They were purchased by 16 countries!

The tankette weighing 1.5 tons was serviced by two crew members and armed with one machine gun. Its height was only 122 cm. It was protected by armor 6-9 mm thick. 22.5 hp engine. from. allowed her to reach speeds of 45-48 km / h, with a power reserve of 160 km.

Showed interest in wedge heels in Poland. The resulting tankette was tested in July 1929, and successfully. It was decided to purchase them for service in the cavalry. There is no exact data on how many of them were bought. However, in 1936 there were 10 units in the army. They were armed with a Polish 7.92-mm Browning machine gun (1000 rounds of ammunition). The Poles made some improvements to the chassis, which reduced shaking. They were called small reconnaissance tanks.

Light tank "Renault" R35

Designed in 1933-1935. this French tank was intended to support the infantry. For this purpose, it was well armored (32-45 mm), and had sufficient speed (19 km / h). The armament was weak - an old 37-mm cannon and a machine gun. Combat weight - 9.8 tons, crew - 2 people.

The Polish military leadership, however, wished to purchase medium "cavalry tanks" SOMUA S35 in France, but the French refused and offered their obsolete medium tank "Renault" D, which the Poles refused. In 1938, the Poles bought a pair of R35s and put them to the test. And, although they were not very enthusiastic, in April 1939 they bought 100 R35s. In July, the first 49 tanks arrived by sea. In early September, the 21st battalion of light tanks, consisting of 40 vehicles, went to the front. Pressed against the Romanian border, 34 tanks crossed it and were interned. Six tanks joined the 10th Cavalry Brigade. Three of them made their way to the Hungarian border and crossed it.

Four R35s from the remnants of the 21st Battalion, as well as three Hotchkiese H35 tanks, formed the so-called separate company of R35 tanks. A company in battles with the Red Army (September 19 near Krasny) and German troops lost all their vehicles.

The second batch of R35s was to arrive in Poland via Romania. She stayed in Romania.

Light tank "Hotchkiss" H35

These French tanks were intended for action together with the cavalry and had a speed of 28 km / h ( combat weight- 11.4 tons, crew - 2 people). Its armament was the same as that of the R35 and approximately the same armor. Three H35s arrived along with the R35s. On September 14, they formed the half-company mentioned above, together with R35, and were all lost in the battles.

DOMESTIC TANKS AND WEDGETS

Tankette TK-3

Tankette TK-3

Although Poland acquired a license for the production of the Cardin-Loyd Mk.VI tankette, they did not build it at home but the English model. Based on thorough testing of the English machine, it was decided to design an improved sample. The design was entrusted to the design bureau of the armored forces of the Military Institute for Technical Research (WIBI). Major-engineer T. Tzhechyak led the design work with the participation of E. Karkoz and E. Gabih. On the basis of their project in 1930, two prototypes were manufactured, which differed in the way the Ford A engine with a capacity of 40 liters was placed. from. and a three-speed gearbox. Compared with the Karden-Loyd tankette, the experimental vehicles named TK-1 and TK-2 or tankettes arr. 1930, received an improved suspension, electric starter, etc. Manganese steel tracks made it possible to reduce their wear and increase the reliability of the undercarriage. They were armed with a 7.92-mm Browning machine gun, "which could be removed from its place in the frontal shield and mounted on an external pin, which made it possible to fire at aircraft. Tankettes had a mass of 1.75 tons, armor 6-8 thick mm, speed 45 km/h, cruising range 150 km Crew - 2 people.

Speaking of the title. TK was considered the first letters of the names of the designers. But, most likely, this is a simple abbreviation of the word "Wedge". At first, they were referred to as "small reckless tanks". Then the mass-produced vehicles were called "reconnaissance tanks".

In 1931, the Ursus factory in Warsaw produced a sample TK-3, now fully armored. July 14, 1931 under the designation "TC mod. 1931" he was put into service. Even before the prototype was tested, 40 wedges were ordered on February 24, production of which began in the summer of 1931 at PZInz. Until 1934, about 280 units were built (in 1931 - 40, in 1932 - 90, in 1933 - 120 and in 1934 - 30).

The mass of the TK-3 (or simply TK) is 2.43 tons, the armament is one 7.92-mm Browning machine gun or arr. 1925 (ammunition - 1500 and 1200 rounds, respectively). Reservations on rivets from rolled sheets 6-8 mm thick (forehead, sides). Roof - 3-4 mm, bottom - 4-7 mm. Engine - "Ford A" with a capacity of 40 liters. from. provided the tankette with a speed of 45 km / h, with a cruising range of 150 km (fuel reserve - 60 liters). The average specific pressure is 0.56 kg / cm 2. Overcoming obstacles: rise - 37 °, moat - 1.2 m, ford - 0.5 m.

As soon as the production of the Fiat 122 engine (Polish Fiat 122BC) with a capacity of 46 hp was launched in Poland. from. it was decided to put it on the TK-3. In 1933, two TKF prototypes were made, and then a small series of 16 TKFs was produced, which did not differ from the TK-3 in anything except the engine.

The big disadvantage of tankettes was the small angle of fire of the machine gun installed in the frontal shield of the hull. The conclusion suggested itself - to install a circular rotation tower on the machine. This was done by the Design Bureau of the WIBI Armored Forces. In 1933, the prototype TKW (W - from the word wieza - tower) was being tested. The height of the TK-3 hull was reduced and the fighting compartment redone. For the driver, an armored cap with a hatch in its roof had to be installed. A periscope designed by R. Gundlyakh was installed in it (later it received the designation Mk.IV in the British army). The turret of the new design housed a 7.92 mm machine gun mod. 1930. Tests showed insufficient visibility from the tankette and poor ventilation. With prolonged firing, the shooter literally suffocated from powder gases.

The new prototype received an improved turret with a special ventilation passage protected by an armored cap. The installation of the Hotchkiss machine gun of 7.92 mm caliber was designed in a new way.

In total in 1933-1934. built six TKWs of both variants. Preference was given to the PZInz light tank. 140.

Combat weight TKW - 2.8 tons. Engine - "Polish Fiat" 122BC.

Experienced tankette TKW

First TKW prototype (top) and upgraded TKW

As an experiment, instead of a machine gun, a 20-mm Oerlikon automatic cannon was installed on one TK-3 tankette. The experiment was unsuccessful.

The TK-3 base also served for the manufacture of self-propelled guns "GKO (D - from dzialo - cannon).

Wedge heel TKS

The disadvantages of the TK-3 tankette were obvious from the very beginning. There were a lot of them: the unsuccessful installation of a machine gun, cramped conditions inside, poor security, rigid suspension, etc. And in January 1933, BS PZInz. the beginning of design estimates for the new tankette. The work was carried out with the participation and under the supervision of VK Vg. Rape. WIBI. Project PZInz. provided for serious alterations, which would require both time and cost. He was rejected, but still considered it necessary to maintain, at least, successful design solutions for the TK-3.

According to the new project on June 15, 1933, experienced workshops PZInz. made a prototype tankette first called STK, then "light fast tank model 1933" and finally TKS. What was the difference between TKS and TK-3? First of all, the thickness of the armor has increased. It was 8-10 mm in the frontal, side and rear parts of the hull and 3-5 mm on the roof and bottom. The shape of the front part of the hull has been changed: the shooter received a kind of wheelhouse, where a 7.92-mm machine gun mod. 1925 (in the car of the first issues, model 1930) with a horizontal angle of fire of 48 ° and a vertical angle of 35 °. The design of the upper part of the hull became more multifaceted - armor plates were installed at an angle, which increased bullet resistance. The suspension elements were strengthened, the caterpillar was expanded, and although the mass increased for the machines of the first series to 2.57, and later to 2.65 tons, the average specific pressure decreased to 0.43 kg / cm 2. Engine "Polish Fiat" AC 122 with a capacity of 42 liters. from. provided a highway speed of 40 km / h. The fuel supply (60 l) was enough for 180 km of movement on the highway and 110 km on the ground.

The first batch of 20 TKS entered the troops in September 1933. On February 22, 1934, the TKS was officially put into serial production. In total, about 280 units were produced with distribution by years: 1934 - 70, 1935 - 120, 1936 - 90. Even in the Polish sources themselves there is no single result on the release of TKS tankettes (and TK-3). Here are the data from two sources: according to one, 300 TK, 280 TKS including TKF were produced, according to the other - 275 TK, 18 TKF, 4 TKD, 263 TKS. The total amount of 574 units of TK, TKS, TKF was also given.

Just before the start of the war, an attempt was made to strengthen the armament of the TKS, as well as the TK-3. One machine of each type received a 20-mm automatic gun of Polish design. After tests completed in January 1939, the new model was put into service and an order was issued for the manufacture of 100 (or even 150) units by January 1940. Before the start of the war, the PZInz plant. in Ursus managed to make only 10 copies, received in a separate reconnaissance company 10th Cavalry Brigade. Wedge weight - 2.8 tons.

Let's note some more attempts to modernize the tankette TKS. In 1938, one sample was made, called TKS-B with side clutches. The sloth was lowered to the ground to increase the length of the supporting surface. On the basis of TKS, an experimental self-propelled gun TKS-D was created and artillery tractors were produced.

Prototype tankette TKS

Wedge device TKS

Armor plates 8-10 mm thick were attached to the frame with rivets (bottom - 5, roof - 3 mm). There was no division into departments inside. The engine and the main clutch were located along the longitudinal axis of the body. There were seats on both sides of the unprotected engine: on the left of the driver, on the right - the gunner-commander. Ahead was an automotive-type power transmission: a clutch, a gearbox (three gears forward and one reverse), a differential turning mechanism with band brakes, the axle shafts of which are connected to the drive wheels. In front of the driver were the control pedals and the steering wheel of the turning mechanism. Front, rear and side of the shooter - boxes with cartridges. It was possible to get inside the tankette through two hatches in the roof with double-leaf covers.

TKS prototype with machine gun mod. 30 y.

Serial TKS with machine gun mod. 25 y.

TK prototype with 20mm cannon

TKS prototype with 20 mm cannon mod. 38

Wedge prototype TKS-B

Wedge heel TKS

The commander conducted observation through three viewing slots and the periscope of the Gundlyakh system. Behind him was a 60-liter fuel tank (highway range - 180 km) and a battery.

Engine ("Polish Fiat" 122AC) six-cylinder four-stroke with a capacity of 42 liters. from. developed a speed of 40 km / h.

Chassis - four rubber-coated track rollers on board, interlocked by two with flat springs on a carrier beam. The guide wheel with the caterpillar tension mechanism is fixed at the end of the carrier beam. Drive wheel with toothed rim. Four supporting rollers are mounted on a common beam. The hull was attached to the chassis with the help of springs and longitudinal beams. Track width 170 mm. Wedge weight - 2.65 tons. Dimensions: 256 x 176 x 133 cm. Average specific pressure - 0.425 kg / cm 2.

Obstacles to be overcome: climb - 35°-38°, ditch - 1.1 m, ford - 0.5 m.

Light tank 7TR

Although Poland acquired a license for the production of the English Vickers E tank, they did not build it. From the very beginning, the Poles (however, like the British military) were not satisfied with the running gear. The engine did not satisfy either.

Back in 1931, design work was underway on a tank with the main elements of the Vickers E, but with a 100 hp Saurer engine. from. At first it was called the "battle tank mod. 1931", and then VAU-33 (Vickers Armstrong Ursus). At the same time, a caterpillar artillery tractor was being developed on the same base. The work was led by B K Br. Rape. WIBI, followed by VT Vg. Rape.

The design of the Vickers hull was changed with an increase in the thickness of the armor, and most importantly, the Polish tank received a diesel engine - for the first time in world tank building on serial tank. This licensed diesel engine from the Swiss company Saurer has already been produced in Poland under the brand name VBLD or VBLDb.

In August 1934 PZInz. brought to the test the first copy of the tank, called 7TR (7 tonowy Polski). The tests were carried out jointly with the Vickers tank. In March 1935, an order followed for 22, then another 18 7TR tanks with delivery until January 1937. These were also double-turreted tanks.

1936 brought some changes in armor over the power section. The design of the towers has also undergone changes. Armament consisted of either two 7.92 mm machine guns mod. 1930, or one 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun and another 7.92 mm mod. 1930.

7TP, double-turret version and isometry of its hull

Differences in the layout of the power compartments of the Vickers 6 tons tanks (above) and 7TP (below)

Options for new weapons in one turret were considered: a 47-mm "Pocisk" cannon, or a 55-mm cannon of the Starakhovitsky plant, or a 47-mm cannon designed by engineer Rogl, as well as 40-mm guns of Vickers and the Starakhovitsky plant. But preference was given to the 37-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1936 in the tank version of the Swedish company Bofors. The company also undertook to design a new turret for its gun.

The prototype of the single-turret tank was tested in February 1937. The new turret had a mechanical traverse mechanism and a manual vertical aiming mechanism for the gun paired with a machine gun. A Zeiss TWZ-1 periscope sight, manufactured in Poland, was installed. The installation of a new turret also entailed some alterations in the turret part of the hull. The battery from the fighting compartment was transferred to the power compartment, racks and mounts for ammunition were installed on the walls of the fighting compartment. According to this model, several double-turreted tanks were converted.

The lessons of the Spanish Civil War showed that tanks like the 7TP were obsolete. However, orders for the construction of 7TP were not canceled, but they tried to improve its characteristics. In 1938, tank turrets with an aft niche for a non-receiving radio station were produced, and the tank itself was equipped with a TPU. They also installed a semi-gyrocompass for movement in low visibility conditions. "Spurs" were developed for tracks, an emergency starter in the event of an electric starter failure (however, it was not installed before the start of the war). Work was carried out to seal the hull in cases of action in the conditions of the use of RH and to create fire-fighting equipment.

Attachment systems were developed for the 7TP tank: a bulldozer blade, plows for digging ditches, etc. A bridge version of the tank was developed, as well as a ZSU with two 20-mm automatic guns.

The desire to increase security led to a new project 9TR (or tank mod. 1939).

The frame of the hull of the 7TR tank consisted of three parts assembled at the corners, connected together with bolts. Armor plates made of cemented steel were bolted to it. Their thickness in the frontal and vertical side parts reached 17 mm, inclined side and aft - 13 mm. Bottom and roof - 10 mm. The thickness of the armor of the towers (for double-turret tanks) is 13 mm, and for single-turret tanks of the latest series - 15 mm (turret roof - 10 mm).

Inside, the hull was divided into three compartments: the front (control) with a gearbox, a turning mechanism and fuel tanks (main 110 l and spare 20 l), side clutches with brakes. The driver was sitting on the right side of the compartment to the right of the fuel tank.

fighting compartment was separated in the middle by a thin partition with three hatches from the power plant compartment. On the first machines, 7.92-mm machine guns "Maxim" arr. 1908, "Browning" arr. 1930, "Hotchkiss" arr. 1925 or 13.2mm Hotchkiss machine gun. Ammunition - 3000 rounds (for a 13.2-mm machine gun - 720).

The turret (in single-turret tanks) has been shifted to the left. It is equipped with a 37-mm cannon (ammunition - 80 rounds) and a coaxial machine gun "Browning" mod. 1930 (ammunition - 3960 rounds), the barrel of which is protected by an armored tube. It was equipped with a telescopic sight. The loader worked to the right of the gun and had at his disposal a Gundlyakh periscope observation device. The gunner commander used a periscope sight mod. 1937. The tower had three observation slots with glass blocks. A 2N / C radio station and part of the ammunition load were placed in the aft niche.

The undercarriage consisted (on board) of four bogies with two rubber-coated rollers with quarter-elliptical leaf springs, four support rollers, a drive wheel (in front) and a guide wheel with a caterpillar tension mechanism (rear). There are 110 tracks in the caterpillar.

Double-turret version of the 7TR tank

Single turret tank 7TP

Single-turret tank 7TR with a radio station

Tank project 9TR

Light tank 7TR

Combat weight - 9.4 tons (two-turret) and 9.9 tons (single-turret with a radio station). Dimensions: 488 x 243 x 219 (double) - 230 (single tower) cm.

Average specific pressure - 0.6 kg / cm 2 . Speed ​​(single tower) - 32 km / h. Power reserve - 150 km (on the highway) and 130 km (country road). Obstacles to be overcome: rise - 35 °, moat - 1.8 m, ford - 1.0 m.

In total, up to September 1939, 135 7TP tanks were built. Here is the release data:

01.1933 - 01.1934 - two prototypes;

03.1935 - 03.1936 - 22 twin-turreted tanks of the 1st series;

02.1936 - 02.1937 - 18 double-turrets, although they were planned as single-turret (later part was rebuilt into single-turret) II series; one tank converted from Vickers.

By September, 16 double-turreted tanks remained; everyone was at the Training Center.

1937 - 16 single towers tanks III series;

1938 - 50 single-turret tanks of the IV series;

1939 - 16 tanks of the V series and 11 tanks of the VI series.

Of the 48 tanks planned for 1939, 21 were started but not completed (perhaps the Germans completed part of them).

Another 150 tanks were ordered in June 1939, but their construction did not even begin.

There are other data as well. As of July 1, 1939, there were allegedly 139 7TP tanks. In July-August, several tanks could arrive, and in September another 11.

EXPERIMENTAL MACHINES AND PROTOTYPES 1926-1939

In total, about 20 prototypes of armored vehicles were developed in Poland until 1939.

Tank XVB

Light tank 4TR

Medium Tank WB

In May 1926, a competition was announced for a tank for the Polish army at a very high TTZ. With a mass of 12 g, it was supposed to have armor that, from a distance of 500 m, would not be penetrated by anti-tank gun shells (of that period) with a caliber of up to 47 mm. Armament - 47-mm cannon, 13.2- and 7.92-mm machine guns. An engine with an electric starter and a heating device in winter had to provide a speed of at least 25 km / h. It was supposed to equip the tank with a radio station and smoke outlet equipment.

Two companies undertook to implement the project - the Department of the Warsaw Locomotive Plant and PZInz (plant in Czechowice). The competition was won by the first company, and then it was decided to develop two versions of the project: the WB-3 tracked tank and the WB-10 wheeled-tracked tank.

The production of both prototypes began in 1927. On 15 next year, the wheeled-caterpillar WB was completed (tested in May). The test results were negative. With the caterpillar version, it was even worse and work stopped.

Combat weight WB-10 - 13 tons, crew - 4 people; armament: 37-mm or 47-mm cannon in the turret and two machine guns (one in the turret, the other in the hull).

Road wheels - two on board, moving in a vertical plane with the help of a special mechanism, fell onto the road and raised the tank hull, leaving the tracks above the road. For this operation, the exit of the crew from the tank was not required.

Light tank 4TR (PZInz.140)

A big disadvantage of tankettes was the placement of a machine gun in the hull with a small angle of fire. Such, as we already know, were TKS wedges. Correcting this shortcoming, it was decided to create a tankette turret version. The tactical and technical task was formulated by the IWT BR.Panc. and transferred for development to the PZfiiz design bureau. The future tank, which received the factory designation PZInz.-140 (military designation 4TR), was designed under the guidance of engineer E. Gabih. On the basis of his project, a prototype was ordered in 1936, the testing of which began in August 1937. The chassis was of the greatest interest, the design of which took into account foreign experience, in particular Swedish, for which a special commission went to the Landsverk company.

The undercarriage consisted of four pairs of interlocked rollers with hydraulic shock absorbers located horizontally. The driving wheels were in front, the sloths were in the back. 95 hp engine. from. was specially developed at the same plant and received the designation PZInz.-425. It was located in right side corps. With a combat weight of 4.35 tons, the tank had a high power density- 22 hp / t, which provided him with a speed of 55 km / "h. Power reserve on the highway - 450 km. Specific pressure - 0.34 kg / cm 2 .

The armament placed in the turret consisted of a 20 mm cannon with 200 rounds of ammunition and a 7.92 mm machine gun (2500 rounds of ammunition). Reservation - on rivets from rolled sheets with a thickness of 8-17 mm (forehead), 13 mm (side) and 13 mm (turret). It was supposed to equip the tank with a transceiver radio station. The crew consisted of two people.

In accordance with the wishes of the Directorate of Armored Forces (DBP), E. Gabih in July 1937 developed a project for an improved version with a 37-mm gun in the turret. The combat weight reached 4.5 tons. Speed ​​- 50 km / h, cruising range - 250 km. However, it was recognized that one person in the tower could not cope with the duties of commander, gunner, etc.

In the fall of 1937, the 4TR, like other new tank models, underwent extensive testing. It was decided to continue the work and eliminate the noted shortcomings. In particular, because of the shaking, shooting on the move was impossible. Eliminating this shortcoming would require major alterations to the chassis, especially the suspension. This would have required a lot of time and expense, and the 4 TP never entered service.

Light tank PZInz.130

In imitation of the English amphibious tanks designed by Cardin and Loyd, PZInz engineers. led by the same Gabih, they built a floating tank, which received the name PZInz.-130. In its design, many units from the 4TR tank were used, in particular, the engine, transmission, chassis. The turret, equipped with one machine gun, was taken from the TKW tankette variant. It was planned to replace the machine gun with a 20-mm cannon. Buoyancy was ensured by a sufficient volume of the hull and its tightness. On the sides above the tracks were floats filled with cork. The screw, placed in a rotary hydrodynamic casing, provided a speed on the water of 7-8 km / h and turns. Since the power take-off to the propeller did not cut off the transmission of torque to the caterpillar drive wheels, entry into and exit from the water was facilitated, as was movement in shallow water.

Light tank PZInz.130

With a tank combat weight of 3.92 tons, an 95 hp engine. from. provided him with a very high specific power - 24.2 hp / t, from where - an excellent speed on the highway - 60 km / h (power reserve - 360 km). 8 mm riveted armor protected the forehead, hull sides and turret. Tests carried out in 1936, on land and on water, gave excellent results. But due to financial difficulties, work on the amphibious tank was not continued. Both prototypes PZInz. 130 and 140 came to the USSR and were tested in Kubinka. The ratings were pretty high.

Light tank 9TR

In an effort to improve the performance characteristics of the 7TR tank, the Command of the armored forces at the beginning of 1939 decided to put into practice all the proposals developed by the VVT ​​Vg. Rape, and BS PZInz. on a promising tank. It was decided to install a new 116 hp diesel engine. It was also necessary to strengthen the armor protection. Joint research of weapons and military equipment Vg.Raps. and the Institute of Metallurgy and Metallurgy revealed the possibility of obtaining homogeneous armor plates up to 50 mm thick and cemented up to 20 mm. Thanks to this, a project was created for the so-called "reinforced light tank 7TR model 1939" or 9TR.

In addition to the VVT ​​Vg. Rape. PZInz offered its own version. with a piston engine of its own design with a capacity of 100 liters. e., but smaller than diesel. The production of the prototype was entrusted to PZInz. At the end of June 1939, 50 9TR tanks were ordered for delivery in May 1940, although it was not decided which variant would be chosen for mass production. September 1, 1939 in the experimental shop PZInz. there were three prototypes in the assembly process (two of them but their own version).

According to the project, the mass of the first and second options was to be 9.9 tons and 10.9 tons, respectively. Armor made of welded rolled sheets with a thickness of 40 mm in the front and 15 mm in the side and rear parts of the hull and 30 mm in the forehead of the tower. Speed ​​- 35 km / h. The rest of the tactical and technical characteristics are close to the performance characteristics of the 7TR gun.

Light wheeled-tracked tank 10TR

In the 1920s, tank builders were faced with the acute issue of increasing the operational mobility of tanks, which, as you know, had a short range. During transfers, even over short distances, tanks were loaded onto railway platforms or special trailers. Tanks were developed with a double propeller, i.e. tracked and wheeled. We have already talked about a similar Polish vehicle - the WB gank. Such machines were difficult to propel, unreliable in operation and vulnerable in combat.

In a completely different way and, at first glance, very simply solved the problem of W. J. Christie's double propulsion. This designer, not recognized in his homeland, began to design combat vehicles in 1915, when he was the owner of a small tractor-building company. The following year, he offered the American army a sample of a three-inch self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. W.J. Christie designed the first tank in 1919. The machine, known under the brand name M.1919, was a wheeled-tracked vehicle with a rear engine and a front steered pair of wheeled wheels. Caterpillars were worn on the front and rear wheels.

When in April 1926 the KSUS announced a competition for a tank project for Poland, Christie also took part in it. He offered his tanks models M.1919 and M.1921. The Poles rejected them. However, later, when the successes of the Christie tanks became widely known, Captain M. Rutsinsky left for the USA in 1929, who got acquainted with both the last Christie M. 1928 tank and the M. 1931 tank that was still in the design stage. It was even decided to buy the last two samples. The deal, however, did not take place and the American army bought these two tanks. There were rumors that the reason for the refusal of the Polish side was the known fact the purchase of two such tanks by the Soviet Union.

Nevertheless, the Poles decided to secretly start designing a wheeled-tracked tank based on the information and advertising brochures received by Rucinski. In 1931, sketches of the project appeared. Then the case stalled, and the materials were even lost. However, at the beginning of 1935, they returned to this project. On March 10, a group of designers - Y. Lanushevsky (chief designer), S. Oldakovskiy, M. Stashevsky and others began designing a new tank, called the pursuit tank (czotg poscigowy) 10TR. The general management of the project was carried out by Major R. Gundlyakh.

The design work was completed quite quickly, and at the end of 1936, the construction of the machine began. The case was hampered by the lack of a suitable engine. I had to buy a 240-horsepower Damericane la France engine from the USA. He was very capricious and did not give the declared power. However, in June 1937 the tank was ready. It had four pairs of rollers, a Christie system suspension (independent on coil springs). The fourth pair is the leader; the torque was transmitted to it with the help of a guitar, like that of the VT. The front pair is controlled, the second pair, when driving on wheels, was hung out using a hydraulic device to improve agility.

Wheeled-tracked tank 10TP

The body of the tank is welded. The turret with weapons is the same as on the Polish 7TP light tanks. In addition, a machine gun was installed in the frontal part of the hull. The tank was equipped with two sights (periscopic and telescopic) and a Mk.IV periscope. It had three viewing slots.

Tests, which lasted until the beginning of 1939, revealed many shortcomings, partially eliminated. It was decided to stop further work with 10TP and start developing an improved 14TP model. The war that began on September 1, 1939 put an end to these works.

Combat weight - 12.8 tons. Dimensions: 540 x 255 x 220 cm. Crew - 4 people. Armament: 37 mm cannon mod. 1937, coaxial with a 7.92 mm machine gun mod. 1930 in the tower; one 7.92 mm machine gun mod. 1930 in the building. Ammunition - 80 shells, 4500 rounds. Reservations made of welded plates 20 mm thick (forehead, side and stern of the hull), tower - 16 mm (with stickers), roof and bottom 8 mm. Engine - "American la France", 12 cylinders, power 210 hp. from. Speed ​​on tracks - 56 km / h, on wheels - 75 km / h. Range (estimated) - 210 km. Fuel reserve - 130 l. Average specific pressure - 0.47 kg / cm 2 .

Overcoming obstacles: rise - 37 °, moat - 2.2 m, ford - 1.0 m.

Medium tank 20/25TP

In Poland, an attempt was also made to create their own medium tank. The first estimates were made even in the early 20s. They took it more seriously in the 1930s. Then KB PZInz. developed three variants of a medium tank, which received the unofficial name 20/25TR. In general, they resembled the English medium tank of 1928 "Vickers - 16 tons" (otherwise A6E1) in layout. Armament - a 40-, 47- or even 75-mm gun was supposed to be installed in the tower, and two machine guns - in small turrets in front of it. The thickness of the armor reached 50-60 mm for different options, and the speed - 45 km / h.

Medium tank 25 TP

Medium tank "pursuit" 14TR

In view of the failures with the 10TR wheeled-tracked tanks, it was decided to develop another cruising tank (purely tracked) 14TR. The weight savings resulting from the abandonment of the double propulsion unit was directed to increased protection (up to 50 mm thick). Project 14TP was completed at the end of 1938. However, there was no engine for a tank weighing 14 tons - for such a machine with a design speed of 50 km / h, an engine with a capacity of 300-400 hp was required. from. In KB PZInz. such an engine was being prepared, but it was still very far from its completion. It was even supposed to install german engine Maybach HL108.

The 60% complete prototype was destroyed before the Germans entered Warsaw. The armament of the 14TP tank was to consist of a 37- or 47-mm cannon and two machine guns, and the crew of four.

EXPERIMENTAL SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY INSTALLATIONS (ACS)
Light self-propelled guns PZInz.-160

The General Staff did not attach much importance to the creation of self-propelled guns, not seeing the need for the mechanization of artillery. However, in the 30s, as is known, on the basis of tankettes TKS, several samples of light self-propelled guns were created - TKS, TKS-D.

By order of the Directorate of Armored Forces PZInz. it was proposed to develop a "tracked armored chassis for a 37-mm anti-tank gun." E. Gabih got down to business, and in November 1936 he presented his project of self-propelled guns called PZInz.-160 based on the PZInz.-152 caterpillar tractor of his own design. He proposed instead of an anti-tank gun a 37-mm tank gun mod. 1937, which has not yet entered production. Apparently, this decided the fate of this self-propelled guns.

In August 1937, Gabih presented another project of self-propelled guns PZInz.-160 weighing 4.3 yew with a new engine. However, VVT Vg. Raps, preferred its version of the wedge in the role of self-propelled guns - TKS-D. In addition, this last one, but the estimate could cost 40 thousand against 75 thousand zł PZInz.- 160. Thus, the matter was decided by the financial issue.

Let's bring performance characteristics PZInz.-160: weight - 4.2 tons, crew - 4 people. Armament: in addition to the 37mm cannon mod. 1937, two 7.92 mm machine guns mod. 1925 - one in front of the hull, the other - on the pin for firing at aircraft (ammunition - 120 shots and 2000 rounds of ammunition). Armor plates for welding with a thickness of 6-10 mm. Engine PZInz.-425 - 95 hp from. Speed ​​- 50 km / h, cruising range - 250 km.

Light self-propelled guns TKD

It is known that the British tried to arm the Cardin-Loyd Mk.VI tankette with a 47-mm cannon, i.e., to create a model of a light self-propelled gun. Conducting work on the design of the TK-1, the Poles provided for it English solution with the installation of 37-mm guns. But then there was no suitable artillery system of this caliber. In April 1932, engineer J. Zapushsky from VK Vg. Rape. WIBI completed the project of self-propelled guns with a 47-mm Pocisk gun based on the TK-1 with a reinforced suspension and widened tracks due to the weight increased to 3 tons.

In May 1932, the prototype was tested, which was joined in June by three new TKD machines. A platoon was formed from them. He was included in the cavalry brigade as an anti-tank unit. Military trials lasted until 1935.

The TKD self-propelled guns with a 37-mm gun were also tested - a kind of alteration of the Puteaux gun from the Renault FT tank. The tests were not successful.

The idea to arm the troops with two types of TK-3 tankettes with a machine gun and a gun as an anti-tank weapon did not find support, in particular, in connection with the entry into service of a new model of the TKS tankette.

ACS TKD

ACS TKD was armed with a 47-mm gun mod. 1925, protected by armor 4-10 mm, developed a speed of up to 44 km / h and had a cruising range of about 200 km. The crew was to consist of three people.

Light self-propelled guns TKS-D

With the advent of the TKS tankette, of course, an attempt was made to use its base for a light self-propelled gun armed with a 37-mm Bofors cannon. The project was prepared by engineers E. Lapushevsky and G. Liike under the direction of R. Gundlyakh. In April 1937, a prototype was made on the basis of the C2P tractor, which had the undercarriage of the TKS tankette. In 1937-1938 two more TKS-Ds were made, which more or less successfully passed the tests. But it was decided to install the Polish Fiat 122V engine with a capacity of 55 hp on the future self-propelled guns. from. and arm it with a machine gun.

The TKS-D again did not reach serial production, although the more successful PZInz.-160 self-propelled guns, but also more expensive, were abandoned in its favor.

TKS-D weighed 3.1 tons, the crew, or rather the servants of the gun - 5 people, two of them were located in the ACS itself, and three in the trailer. The 37-mm gun had a horizontal angle of fire - 24 °, and a vertical -9 ° + 13 ° (68 rounds of ammunition). Armor plates 4-6 mm thick were fastened with welded seams. Speed ​​- 42 km / h, cruising range - 220 km, fuel supply - 70 liters.

Tractor С2Р

ACS TKS-D

ZSU 7TR

In 1937 VVT Vg. Raps, engaged in the development of a twin 20-mm anti-aircraft gun FK model "A" of Polish design on the basis of the 7TR tank. Sparka was installed in a turret open at the top, but due to the decision in 1938 to equip TK and TKS wedges with such a gun, work on the ZSU was stopped.

ARMORED CARS

From the very first days of the emergence of the Polish state (November 1918), many single copies of armored vehicles of various origins fell into the hands of the Poles. Among them: "Erhard", "Austin", "Garford", "White", "Poplavko-Jeffrey", "Pirles", "Ford", "Fiat" In addition, existing trucks were armored, as well as road rollers and steam locomobiles . They had little combat value due to damage, understaffing. Among them we would like to mention the so-called "Pilsudski's tank". It was an armored truck in the Lvov railway workshops. The first "armored unit" - the so-called "Union of Armored Cars" - took part in the battles for Lviv. It consisted of BA "Pilsudski's tank", "Bukovsky", "Lvovsky guy" and an armored road roller. At the end of December 1918, the then Ministry of Military Affairs ordered the creation of automobile troops armed with captured BAs. So there were two separate platoons of armored vehicles.

In 1920, there were already two separate columns and three divisions of armored vehicles that took part in the battles with the Red Army. They included 3-4 or 9-10 BA.

At the end of the Soviet-Polish war, all available 43 armored vehicles (12 Ford BAs, 18 Peugeots bought in France, six captured Austins and others) were included in two separate platoons and three armored car divisions.

All this equipment was already outdated and of little combat value even then.

In 1925, armored cars were given squadron by squadron regiments of lancers of the 1st-5th cavalry divisions. The 6th squadron, consisting of only one platoon, was in reserve.

Since 1928, new Polish-made vehicles began to arrive - armored vehicles mod. 1928.

At the same time, negotiations were underway with Italian firms, which, however, did not lead to positive results.

In the early 30s, parts of armored vehicles received new organization. This was due to the appearance in February 1929 of the Directorate of Armored Forces ("patronage"). In May 1930, the then divisions of tanks, armored vehicles and armored trains were merged into an independent branch of the armed forces. Two divisions of armored vehicles were formed.

In 1931, the organization of three armored regiments was approved, which included divisions of armored vehicles. And in 1934, six battalions of tanks and BAs were formed, a year later renamed into armored battalions.

At the same time, work was underway on the creation of new models of armored vehicles. So appeared in small quantities BA arr. 1929 and arr. 1931.

In the second half of the 30s, the Command of the Armored Forces showed no interest in armored vehicles. Their development in the country has stopped. Only in the plans for the development of armored forces for 1937-1940. it was planned to design light BA according to the mud of the Soviet D-8 and D-13. But they refused that too.

On July 15, 1939, 71 armored vehicles were in the army, 16 were in reserve, and 13 were in schools. The latter were worn out and for combat use didn't fit. On armored vehicles arr. 1934 accounted for 86, and for the sample of 1929 - 14 cars.

All armored vehicles fit for service were mobilized into 11 cavalry brigades. Seven to eight BAs were in service with BA squadrons (personnel - 45 people) of armored battalions of brigades. Only the 11th division had a BA arr. 1929, the rest - armored vehicles arr. 1934. In addition to armored vehicles, the armored divisions of the cavalry brigades had but 13 TKS or TK-3 tankettes.

Armored car model 1928

The successes of the half-tracked vehicles of the French designer A. Kegress aroused the interest of the Polish command. In 1924-1929 more than a hundred chassis of Citroen-Kegress V-10 vehicles were purchased, of which 90 were decided to be booked and armed, thereby turning them into armored vehicles. The project of such a machine was developed by engineers - the Frenchman R. Gabo and the Pole J. Khatsinsky. They were covered with 8 mm armor, equipped with a turret with a 37 mm gun or a 7.92 mm machine gun mod. 1925. I had to somewhat strengthen the caterpillar undercarriage. They received the name BA of the 1928 model. Since 1934, they began to be converted into VA arr. 1934.

Armored car arr. 1928 had a mass of 2 tons, a crew of 2 people. Engine "Citroen" B-14 with a capacity of 14 liters. e., speed - 22-24 km / h, cruising range - 275 km.

In 1926, the mechanical plant "Ursus" near Warsaw acquired a license for the production of 2.5-ton trucks from the Italian company SPA. Production in Poland began in 1929. It was also decided to use them as a base for armored vehicles. The project was completed in 1929. In total, about 20 armored vehicles mod. 1929 or "Ursus".

They had a mass of 4.8 tons, a crew of 4-5 people. Armament - 37 mm gun and two 7.92 mm machine guns or three 7.92 mm machine guns mod. 1925. Booking - forehead, side, feed - 9 mm on rivets. Engine "Ursus" power - 35 liters. e., speed - 35 km / h, cruising range - 250 km.

The armored car turned out to be heavy and had poor maneuverability, because it had only one pair of driving wheels. They were used mainly in educational purposes. On mobilization, they became part of the 14th armored division of the Mazovian Cavalry Brigade.

BTT OUTPUT IN POLAND BY YEAR (rounded to the nearest tens)

	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936 1937	1938	1939
TK-Z	40	90	120	30	-	-	-		280
TKF	-	-	-	20	-	-	-		20
TKS	-	-	-	70	120	90	-	-	280
7TP	-	-	-	-	_	30 50	40	10	130
Total	40	90	120	120	120	110 50	40	10	710

WEAPONS OF POLISH TANKS AND BA guns

Model	Caliber, mm Barrel length in calibers	Projectile weight (bullets), g	Initial speed, m/s	Firing range, m	Rate of fire, rds / min	Penetrating armor thickness, mm s, m	Note
FR "A" wz.38	20/75	135	870-920	*	750	25/200	Magazine 5-10 rounds, tape - 200 Old, French
Bofors SA1918	37/21	500 540	365 388	2400	*	12/500
vickers	47	1500	230-488	3000	*	25/500
machine guns
7.92wz.08	7,92	14,7	645		500		Tape for 250 cartridges.
7.92 wz.25 "Hotchkiss"	7,92	12,8	700	4200	400	4/400	Shop 24-30, tape 250 pato
7.92wz.30	7,92	12,8- 14,7	700	4500	700	8/200	Tape 250 or 330 rounds
Reibel wz.31	7,5	10	850	3600	*	*	On tanks R35, H35
"Hotchkicc"wz.35	13,2	51,2	800	*	450	20/400	Shop 15 patr. Tanks "Vickers"

Armored vehicles arr. 1928 turned out to be slow-moving and had low cross-country ability. It was decided to convert them from half-tracks to wheeled ones. The alteration project was drawn up in 1934. One armored car was redesigned and tested in March, which were more or less successful, and in September 1934, 11 armored vehicles mod. 1934. During alterations and further modernization, the components of the Polish Fiat car were used. There were three upgrades in machines arr. 34-1. The caterpillar undercarriage was replaced by a wheel with an axle of the car "Polish Fiat 614". A new engine "Polish Fiat 108" was delivered.. On an armored car mod. 34-11, the engine "Polish Fiat 108-III" was supplied, as well as the rear axle of a new reinforced design, hydraulic brakes, etc.

Armored vehicles arr. 1934 were armed with either a 37 mm cannon or a 7.92 mm machine gun mod. 1925. The combat weight is 2.2 tons and 2.1 tons, respectively. For BA arr. 34-II - 2.2 tons. Crew - 2 people. Reservations - 6 mm horizontal and inclined and 8 mm - vertical sheets.

BA arr. 34-P had a 25 hp engine. e., developed a speed of 50 km/h (for sample 34-1 - 55 km/h). The range is 180 and 200 km, respectively. The armored car could overcome the rise of 18 °.

By the beginning of the war, armored vehicles arr. 1934s were outdated and badly worn.

BA arr. 34

POLISH TANKS IN BATTLE

PzA supports German infantry on the streets of Warsaw

September 1 German troops attacked Poland from the north, from the west and from the south. Among them were seven tank divisions and four light divisions. There were two tank battalions with 144 tanks in reserve.

In each tank division (TD) there were from 308 to 375 tanks in the state. Only in the 10th TD and the Kempf tank group there were 154 and 150, respectively. In light divisions, there were from 74 to 156 tanks. Thus, the total number was 2586 tanks, but not all of them were combat, there were up to 200, the so-called commander's tanks.

There are other data: G. Guderian spoke about 2800 tanks. Of course, not all Wehrmacht tanks were thrown into battle - about 75% of their total number, which amounted to 3195 units on September 1, 1939. They were distributed according to types as follows: light tanks - Pz.I - 1145, Pz.II - 1223, Pz 35 (0 - 219, Pz 38 (0 - 76; medium - Pz.III - 98 and Pz.IV -211, commander - 215, three flamethrowers and five self-propelled guns.Light tanks accounted for, therefore, almost 90%.

The German light machine gun tanks Pz.IA and Pz.IB (combat weight - 5.4-5.8 tons, armor - 13 mm) were incomparably weaker than the Polish 7TR. Pz.IIA (combat weight - 8.9 tons, armor - 14 mm, speed - 40 km / h) are armed with a 20-mm cannon. And with them, 7TP could fight with the hope of success.

Czech tanks in the German army Pz.35(t) and Pz.38(t), armed with a 37 mm cannon, can be considered more or less equivalent to the Polish ones.

The Pz.III medium tanks with their 37mm cannon were superior to the 7TP in terms of armor and speed.

Thus, the Polish cannon tanks, for the most part, could safely take on the German light tanks. Tankettes TK-3 and TKS were not suitable for combat, but only for reconnaissance and security.

But the Germans acted in large masses of tanks (even a tank battalion had more than 70 tanks). And only reconnaissance patrols on light tanks and VA were the desired prey for Polish tanks, although the latter most often acted as part of a platoon and rarely a company.

From September 1 to September 3, there were battles on the border, in which ten cavalry brigades, eight tank divisions, 11 separate tank companies (OTP), eight armored trains participated. These were the actions of reconnaissance groups and even attempts to counterattack with forces up to a company and squadron. Such collisions can be counted up to thirty, but the Polish tankers avoided encounters with enemy tanks. Losses amounted to about 60 tanks and armored vehicles, or 10% of the number involved in these actions. You can take revenge on the actions of the 81st SKCR, which participated in the destruction of the German detachment pressed to Lake Melno. Tanks, VA and two armored trains supported the Volyn cavalry brigade near Mokra.

On September 4-6, battles unfolded on the main line of defense. By this point, the armored forces had almost reached the intended strength, i.e., 580 combat vehicles and nine armored trains. In twenty battles, up to 100 armored units were lost, of which 50 were accounted for by the Lodz army. At the same time, the first tank battle took place not only in the Polish company, but in the entire Second World War (it would be better to say the battle of armored vehicles, that is, tanks and armored personnel carriers). Here is how it was.

On September 4, on the left flank of the Petrkow Task Force (Lodz Army), the German 1st Panzer Division attacked the positions of the 146th Infantry Regiment of the 44th Reserve Infantry Division along the Prudka River. The commander of the task force ordered the 2nd tank battalion to assist the infantry. The battalion has not yet participated in the battles.

At about 3 pm, two platoons of the 1st company, with the support of their infantry, drove off the German patrol from the BA, which tried to cross to the left bank of the Prudka River. At 08:00, German light tanks and armored vehicles crossed the river and lost three vehicles, being attacked by the tanks of the 1st company. The Poles lost one tank burned and two damaged, the 146th regiment withdrew without interference.

To the left of the 1st company, the 2nd company acted. She had a skirmish with a German detachment, delayed him, but had two damaged tanks, however, towed to the rear.

On September 5, the advancing Germans were attacked by the 1st and 3rd companies, which were ordered to cut the highway to Piotrkow. Polish tanks met with light tanks of the 1st Panzer Division. The Germans were initially taken by surprise and lost four BAs. Then the German tanks, bypassing from the flanks, forced the Polish tankers to withdraw to the north with the loss of eight tanks.

The 2nd Horn also tried to stop the German column by destroying two armored cars, but the forces were unequal, and the company withdrew. Losses amounted to five burnt and five damaged tanks.

By evening, having left the battle, 24 tanks gathered in the forest, of which six were damaged in tow. The 3rd company in the amount of 12 tanks ended up in a different place. There was not enough fuel and ammunition. Some of the cars had to be abandoned. The battalion only briefly held back the German advance, destroying up to 15 combat vehicles. On the 6th, the remnants of the battalion gathered in the forest near Andresnol, then they began to retreat to the northeast, losing vehicles as a result of breakdowns and air attacks. Only 20 tanks reached Brest-nad-Bug, where, after repairs, a separate tank company was formed. On the 15th and 16th, the company fought with the Germans near Vlodava and on September 17 received an order to go to the Romanian border. But even then the Hungarian border was crossed only by people - the damaged tanks, which had no fuel, were destroyed and abandoned. It is believed that the battle at Petroków is the largest tank battle of the Polish armored forces.

On September 7-9, Polish troops retreated to the Vistula and beyond the Vistula. Both motorized rifle brigades and other units operated at the front: a total of 480 armored units. Losses over these days in twenty battles exceeded 100 units.

Pz.II shot down on the streets of Warsaw

Destroyed Pz.I from the 5th Panzer Division

The 1st tank battalion entered the battle on September 7 in the area of ​​Inowroclaw, and on the 8th - on the Dzhevichka River. The battalion practically ceased to exist as a tactical unit. Only 20 tanks, mostly of the 3rd company, went beyond the Vistula. On September 15, the remnants of the battalion became part of the W.B.P.-M. and on September 17 they repelled German attacks in the Yuzefov area.

On September 8, the defense of Warsaw began. At 21.00 that day, a platoon of 7 "GR unexpectedly collided with a platoon of German tanks near the cemetery in Wrzyszew. The Germans did not expect an attack and lost three out of four tanks. Already in the dark there was another battle with German tanks, and the Poles suffered some losses.

On September 12, a combined detachment of 7TR tanks attacked the Germans in the Okentse area. At the same time, one German medium tank was captured. The tanks broke away from the infantry and were attacked by the Germans. Having lost seven out of 21 tanks, the Poles withdrew.

On September 10-13, the Poles tried to advance on the Bzura River. By this time, the formation of all armored parts had ended, but many that previously existed were gone. Consolidated units appeared in strength no more than a company. Both motorized brigades and nine armored trains operated at the front. In total, about 430 armored units. Of which - 150 were lost in thirty battles.

At first, the Poles had some success in the battles on the Bzura River, but on September 14-17, almost all operational units of the Polish army were defeated. September 17 in Brest-nad-Bug closed the ring of the German encirclement. Here, during the defense of the Brest Fortress, the old "Renault" FT "distinguished themselves", which with their hulls simply blocked the gates of the fortress and detained Guderian's tanks for a day. On the 17th, units of the Red Army entered the territory of Poland from the east.

The armored units destroyed on Bzura retreated to Warsaw. The fighting continued with both brigades, which were essentially reduced to battalions of light tanks: eight divisions and ten companies of tanks, numbering only about 300 armored units. Many cars had to be destroyed due to the impossibility of repairing them or the lack of fuel. During this period, about 170 tanks and armored vehicles were lost, mainly on the Bzura River.

The 10th Cavalry Brigade ended its combat path with a two-day battle, which opened the way for it to Lvov.

From 18 to 29 September, only a few small armored detachments continued to fight in separate pockets of resistance.

On September 18, a motorized brigade, two companies of light tanks and five other units were in the battles. In total, there were about 150 armored units. Between September 18-20, about 160 combat vehicles participated in the battles near Tomaszow Lubelski. At first they were successful, they captured part of the city, destroying a lot of enemy manpower and equipment.

On September 22-23, the 91st armored division broke through the positions of the Germans and moved along with the Novogrodsk cavalry brigade to the Hungarian border, and on September 27, in the Sambir region, having lost all the vehicles in battles with the Soviet troops, ended its journey.

On September 28, 1939, General Demb-Bernadsky announced the surrender of the armed forces of the Second Republic of Poland.

In short, all tanks, tankettes and armored vehicles were destroyed and captured by the enemy. And only about 50 armored units, having crossed the border, were interned in Romania and Hungary. And here is what it all looked like in percentage terms: 45% - losses related to combat, 30% - technical, 10% - abandoned and destroyed equipment due to lack of fuel, and 10% - surrendered upon surrender.

What are the losses of the enemy, i.e., the German Wehrmacht? It is known that in September 1939 the total number of armored units of the Wehrmacht was reduced by 674 tanks and 318 armored vehicles. According to German data, 198 tanks were irretrievably lost and 361 tanks were damaged, including command tanks. In Polish sources, we are talking about 250 ticks, broken down by type: 89 - Pz.I (together with commander's), 83 - Pz.II, 26 - Pz.III, 19 - Pz.IV, 26 - Pz.35 (t) , and seven Pz.38(t). Basically, the Germans suffered losses from the fire of Polish anti-tank guns, anti-tank rifles and hand grenades. Polish aircraft also caused some losses. Polish tanks, armored cars and armored trains destroyed 50 and possibly 45 more armored units of the enemy. In direct clashes between combat vehicles, both sides lost about 100 units each. The German 4th Light Division suffered the greatest losses (about 25 units) in battles with 10 VC and W.B.P.-M. and the 4th Panzer Division (about 20).

German soldiers inspect an abandoned Polish tankette TKS

What was the participation of Polish armored units in the battles with the Red Army advancing from the east? First of all, there were very few of them on this front. And these were the remnants of several companies and divisions. Combat clashes with the Soviet units can be counted two or three.

On September 14, a "half-company" was formed from the recently received French R35 tanks (which were not part of the 21st tank battalion of two vehicles) and three H35 tanks. On September 19, two of her tanks conducted reconnaissance along with a squadron of lancers in the village of Krasne near the town of Buek. They drove a detachment of "Ukrainian nationalists" (apparently, rebels) out of the village. On September 20, the "half company" met with the advance detachment of the 23rd Tank Brigade of the Red Army. One tank was destroyed by anti-tank gun fire, the other, damaged, had to be burned. Now the "half company" was moving away from the Soviet troops and in the area of ​​Kamenka-Strumilova met a reconnaissance detachment of the 44th German infantry division. The Germans lost one tank destroyed and two knocked out. September 25 again meeting with the Soviet troops, withdrawal. The last tank had an engine failure; the tank was blown up. In total, the "half-rota" covered about 500 km.

Polish authors believe that the Red Army in its liberation campaign lost about 200 armored units - tanks and armored vehicles - from the fire of Polish artillery and infantry hand grenades. Our sources report combat losses of 42 tanks (and, apparently, BA): 26 units. falls on the Belorussian and 16 on the Ukrainian fronts. 52 tankers were killed and 81 wounded.

Did the Polish armored forces fulfill their purpose in September 1939? If we take into account what these forces were, the number of combat units, their characteristics and technical condition, as well as their role assigned by the Polish war plans, then the results were not so bad. First of all, these small divisions tanks and armored vehicles delivered valuable information about the enemy to the headquarters. And often they were practically the only such means. They helped cavalry detachments for this purpose and, in addition, more than once successfully fought with enemy armored units. Let's also add a great moral impact on both our troops and the enemy.

But in general, the Polish armored forces did not have a great influence on the course of hostilities. In an unequal battle, they were defeated. They lost their combat capability not only from the actions of the enemy, but also for technical reasons during the hundreds of kilometers of retreat. Maybe it would not be so sad if the Polish armored personnel carriers inflicted noticeable damage on the enemy. In fact, none of the collisions of Polish combat vehicles, in which at least small groups of tanks participated, was won. But perhaps the first battle of the 10th motorized cavalry brigade can be called an exception.

800 Polish tanks and tankettes did not change the course of a single battle. And although, of course, the Polish armed forces had no chance of winning the campaign, nevertheless, the command could use its armored forces much more efficiently. At least twice the opportunity presented itself to collect a fairly large group of tanks and throw them into an attack on the enemy. For the first time, such an opportunity presented itself in a defensive battle near Petrkov and Borovaya Gora, when the introduction of two battalions of light tanks into battle, supported by other armored forces, could at least hold back the advance of the German 16th Corps. Another time, when trying to attack the Poznan and Help army groups by decisively introducing all available armored forces into battle, it would be possible to achieve more noticeable results and create a threat to the left wing of the 8th German Army in initial stage battles over Bzura.

The use of armored units corresponded to the concept of the operational plan of the war and involved the creation of a kind of curtain (cordon protection). It was more or less, given the number and composition of armored vehicles (mainly tankettes), reasonable. But in such a "loose" way all armored units were used and no reserve of mechanized units was provided. True, even before the war, such a reserve of armored vehicles was provided for in the reserve army in the form of a support corps, which was supposed to include up to half of all light tanks, however, this was not done. And the battalions of light tanks were immediately transferred to the field armies at the beginning of the war. The mistake of the High Command is that it did not concentrate the relevant forces under a single command in the Piotrkow area, which did not allow the effective use of armored forces.

In hindsight, we can say that there was real opportunity carry out a strike of all armored units of the Lodz army. Such a strike could have eliminated the breakthrough of the German 1st Panzer Division. And although there were more tanks on the side of the Germans, they were light tanks - Pz.l and Pz.II, much weaker in armament than the Polish 7TR.

The Poles could throw up to 150 tanks and wedges into a counterattack. It is very possible that this attack by Polish tanks on 4 September could at least temporarily stabilize the defenses on the Prudka line and save the Polish 19th Infantry Division from defeat.

A few more examples could be given, but this will suffice. In a word, the Polish armored forces did what they could and as best they could. In any case, the Polish tankers fought selflessly and did not hesitate to engage in hopeless battles with superior enemy forces.

Light tank R35 of the Polish army

Light tank 7TR (double turret)

Armored car model 1934

Tankette TK-3

Tankette TKS with 20 mm cannon

Armored car model 1929

German command tank Pz Bef Wg I

Light tank "Vickers-6T" (Polish order)

German tank Pz IV

Polish light tank 7TP

German light tank Pz II

Polish light tank 7 TP

Trophy tank 7 TP

Polish experienced amphibious tank PZ Inz 130

German medium tank Pz III

Soviet light tank T-26

Rostislav ANGELSKY

Since I told you a little about the Polish VIS pistol, it’s probably worth continuing about Polish weapons. Indeed, it is generally accepted that when on September 1, 1939, German troops crossed the Polish border, they collided - a disciplined German tank avalanche and a backward crowd of Polish cavalry. It's not like that at all.

The famous stamp - "attack of the Polish cavalry with sabers on German tanks" - is nothing more than a propaganda stamp. Yes, the Polish army was inferior to the German one - but it was not inferior by orders of magnitude. Poland within the borders of 1939 was comparable to Germany in terms of territory, and only slightly inferior in population to France. The mobilization resources of Poland, as of 1939, were no less than three million people. But by the time the war began, the Polish army managed to mobilize a million soldiers (the Germans 1.5 million), 4300 artillery pieces and mortars (the Germans - 6000 artillery pieces), 870 tanks and tankettes (the Germans had 2800 tanks, over 80% of which were light tanks) and 771 aircraft (the Germans - 2000 aircraft).
And given that Poland could firmly count on the support of Great Britain and France, since it was connected with them by defensive military alliances, the situation on September 1, 1939, at first glance, was not at all critical.

If we talk about tanks, it is often customary to mock the Polish "wedges", showing something like this:

Polish tankette TKS in service with the Estonian army.

In fact, the Polish army used a wide variety of armored vehicles, both imported and assembled in Poland under license. It included tankettes TK and TKS (574) (light reconnaissance tanks), obsolete French light tanks Renault FT-17 (102), light tanks 7TP (158-169), light tanks Vickers 6-ton and Renault R-35 ( 42-53) and three Hotchkiss H-35 light tanks, along with about a hundred wz.29 and wz.34 armored vehicles. Tankettes were part of infantry and cavalry divisions, as well as separate units (companies and platoons) assigned to larger formations. And even such a tankette - against simple infantry that did not have anti-tank weapons, was a formidable force.

But this is not about wedges - today, I want to tell you about a Polish tank that could compete on equal terms with all German tanks of that time.

By the beginning of World War II, the most combat-ready Polish tank, surpassing the German light tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II and capable of on equal terms with medium tanks (Panzer III and IV) was the Polish light tank 7TP.

In 1928, the British firm Vickers-Armstrong developed the 6-ton Mark E tank - which became the basis for the 7TP. Vickers was offered to the British Army, but was rejected, so almost all tanks produced were intended for export. The Vickers company sold it (and a license for it) - to Bolivia, Bulgaria, Greece, China, Portugal, Romania, the USSR, Thailand (Siam), Finland, Estonia, Japan.

Soviet licensed Vickers. A production license was purchased, and the T-26 tank became the development of Vickers

Chinese Vickers-Armstrong Mk "E"

On September 16, 1931, the Poles ordered 22 double-turret and 16 single-turret Vickers 6t and acquired a license for the production of a tank.

Vickers Mk.E (early - double turret) in the Polish army

The main problem with the 6-ton Vickers was the Siddeley engine, which overheated very quickly. After testing, the Poles decided to develop their own model of a light tank based on the "Mark E". The flammable English engine was replaced with a licensed Swiss diesel engine "Sauer", with a capacity of 100 liters. from
Together with the replacement of the engine, its armor protection was also strengthened. The armament of the 7TP consisted of a 37-mm anti-tank gun from the Swedish company Bofors and a 7.92-mm machine gun from the Browning company, coaxial with it and protected by an armored tube. With a weight of 9,900 kg, the 7TP had a top speed of 37 km/h. The crew included 3 people
The 7TP was put into service in 1936. At that time, he was a very worthy tank, even by the most stringent world standards.

Yes, yes, 7TP was the FIRST SERIAL DIESEL TANK. Can you imagine?! There are a lot of countries in the world that claim to be the world's first tank power. And each of them has something to be proud of, looking at their achievements, but Poland was the first country to launch mass production of tanks with a diesel engine.

Here is how the 7TP is compared, and the most modern German T-III at the start of World War II:

"In order to understand whether the 7TP was a good or bad tank, I propose to take for comparison the main tank of the enemy, Nazi Germany, for the same period - T-III. Yielding only 13 mm in armor, the 7TP has a gun of the same caliber - 37 mm. The difference is moreover: the armor of a German tank breaks through from a Polish cannon, and vice versa, a German tank can hit 7TP from its gun.It should be noted that despite a slightly more powerful armor, the T-III still loses in security how it has a gasoline engine that can catch fire even when an enemy shell does not penetrate armor.At the same time, a German shell, even penetrating armor, will not necessarily set fire to a Polish tank.The 7TP engine is less powerful, but the tank itself is more than two times easier, therefore, the "German" does not have a gain in dynamic characteristics either. By the way, there is another win for Polish designers: they managed to install a ovit artillery system of equal power.
Thus, it would seem that there is approximate equality in the three main characteristics of the tank - protection, maneuver, fire, and the superiority of the Polish design in terms of the nature of design solutions. I also first put an equal sign between these tanks. But when I dug a little deeper, I realized that I was wrong.
The fact is that at that time the T-III was the most modern German tank. A long service awaited him. T-III production continued until 1944. The last copies remained in service with the Wehrmacht until May 1945. The Polish vehicle, despite the advanced solutions that were incorporated into its design, was already yesterday's Polish tank building. The 7TR was replaced by a new tank - 10TR, the first copies of which appeared in 1937.

Experimental Polish 10TP

But back to 7TP.
In 1938, the tank was modernized: the turret received a “back” part, which housed a radio station and additional ammunition. The equipment of the machine included a new device - a semi-gyrocompass - for movement in low visibility conditions.

On September 1, 1939, the Polish troops had 152 7TR tanks and the Vickers 6-ton of the same type. Reflecting Nazi aggression, these vehicles, interacting with infantry and artillery, managed to destroy about 200 German tanks out of a total of 2800 participating in the Polish campaign.

"To illustrate the effectiveness of the 7TR, it is worth giving a few examples: when breaking through the positions of the Volyn cavalry brigade near Mokra, the 35th tank regiment of the 4th tank division of the Wehrmacht lost 11 Pz.I, the 1st tank division left 8 Pz.II there; against Pz. I the Poles even successfully used tankettes: shelling the engine and gas tank with armor-piercing cartridges gave good results; September 5, during the counterattack of the Polish troops near Piotrkow Trybunalski, one 7TP tank destroyed 5 Pz.I. With units of the Red Army, Polish tank units on their territory had single clashes at the end of September and lost only one tank. Another tank was burned by the crew itself, after the vehicle was hit by anti-tank artillery fire. All other tanks were lost in battles with German troops. "

On the 7TP chassis, a tractor and an artillery tractor C7P were developed.

After the defeat of Poland, the 7TP was adopted by the Germans under the name Pzkpfw 731 (p) 7TP. From these tanks, the German 203rd tank battalion was formed. In 1940, this battalion was sent to Norway, and one unit armed with the Polish 7TP even fought in France!

Pzkpfw 731 (p) 7TP

Pzkpfw 731 (p) 7TP in the background

The Polish 7TR did not have direct battles with the Soviet counterpart T-26, so they can only be compared by technical characteristics, according to which both tanks were approximately equivalent. Unless the Soviet 45 mm anti-tank gun had a slight advantage in armor penetration. To date, not a single copy of the 7TP has been preserved. Unfortunately, the tank that had the best chance of survival, captured by the Soviet troops and tested in Kubinka, did not survive the war - and was melted down.

Tank from Kubinka 🙁

PS A small bonus. Very rare footage - allowing you to see this interesting tank live