T-10 tank

For other uses, see T10 (disambiguation).
T-10 Heavy Tank

Type Heavy tank
Place of origin Soviet Union
Service history
In service 1953–1996
Wars Cold War, Six Day War, Yom Kippur War
Production history
Designer Zhozef Kotin
Designed 1948–52
Manufacturer Factory 185, Factory 174
Produced 1953–66
Specifications
Weight 52 tonnes
Length 7.41 m, 9.87 m over gun
Width 3.56 m
Height 2.43 m
Crew 4
Armour

Turret:

  • T-10: 203mm@24° to 129mm@57°
  • T-10A/B: 203mm@24° to 129mm@57°
  • T-10M: 230mm@24° to 137mm@57°

Upper Glacis:

  • 120mm@55°&40° compound angle
  • 273mm LoS

Lower Glacis:

  • 120mm@50°
  • 186mm LoS

Upper Side:

  • 80mm@62° + 30mm@30°
  • 205mm LoS

Lower Side:

  • 80mm@10°

Rear: 60mm

Mantlet: 252mm
Main
armament
 122 mm D-25TA/2A17
Secondary
armament
 1 × 12.7×108mm DShKM machine gun, 1 x 14.5×114mm coaxial KPVT
Engine 39-l 12-cyl. diesel model V-2-IS
700 hp (522 kW)
Power/weight 13 hp/tonne
Suspension Torsion-bar
Operational
range
 250 km/150 miles
Speed 42 kph/26 mph
T-10A in Kaharlyk, Ukraine

The T-10 (also known as Object 730, IS-8, or IS-10) was a Soviet heavy tank of the Cold War, the final development of the KV and IS tank series. During development, it was called IS-8 and IS-9. It was accepted into production in 1952 as the IS-10 (Iosif Stalin, Russian form of Joseph Stalin), but due to the political climate in the wake of Stalin's death in 1953, it was renamed T-10.

The biggest differences from its direct ancestor, the IS-3, were a longer hull, seven pairs of road wheels instead of six, a larger turret mounting a new gun with fume extractor, an improved diesel engine, and increased armour. General performance was similar, although the T-10 could carry more ammunition.

T-10s (like the IS tanks they replaced) were deployed in independent tank regiments belonging to armies, and independent tank battalions belonging to divisions. These independent tank units could be attached to mechanized units, to support infantry operations and perform breakthroughs.

Demise of Soviet heavy tanks

The mobile nature of armoured warfare in World War II had demonstrated the drawbacks of the slow heavy tanks. In the final push towards Berlin, mechanized divisions had become widely split up as heavy tanks lagged behind the mobile T-34s. The Soviets continued to produce heavy tanks for a few years as part of the Cold War arms race (compare the heavier U.S. M103 and British Conqueror), but the more flexible T-54 and T-62 medium tanks already had armour and armament comparable to the T-10's.

In the 1960s, the Soviets embraced the main battle tank (MBT) concept, by replacing heavy tanks with mobile medium tanks. In the late 1960s, the independent tank battalions with heavy tanks were re-equipped with the higher-technology T-64s, and later, the very fast T-80, while regular tank and mechanized units fielded the more basic T-55s and T-72s. T-10 production was stopped in 1966, and heavy tank projects were cancelled, such as the auto-loaded, 130 mm-armed Obiekt 770.[1]

Antitank guided missiles (ATGMs) started to be deployed widely during this period, and would become an effective replacement for the heavy tanks' long-range firepower. The Soviets made use of them first on BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, and later on the T-64 and other MBTs. Eventually, light, sophisticated reactive armour was used to give the MBTs a further edge in protection without slowing them down.

According to Bryan Perret, "the engagements of the Six-Day War, especially that at Rafah, merely emphasised what the Soviet Army already knew, namely that the heavy tank has had its day".[2] Regardless, a majority of the T-10 tanks in the USSR's arsenal were placed into storage, combat ready should the need to use them in a defensive fashion on Russian soil arise.

Production history

The T-10 served with the Soviet Union but was not known to have been provided to Warsaw Pact nations, though Soviet heavy tank regiments stationed in those countries may have been equipped with them. Prior to 1962, T-10Ms were in simultaneous production by two factories (Kirov as Object 272 and Chelyabinsk as Object 734) whose parts were incompatible with those of the other, it wasn't until 1962 that Kirov's version was standardized.[3]

Some older western sources claim[4][5] that the T-10 was exported to Egypt and Syria, however no photographic evidence of it in service or combat has come to light so these claims must be treated with suspicion. Heavy tanks were withdrawn from Soviet front-line service by 1967, and entirely removed from reserve service by 1996.[6]

It is estimated that some 6,000 Soviet heavy tanks were built after the end of World War II, of which 1439 were T-10s[7] in addition to other heavy tanks such as IS-2s and IS-3s.

Variants

Operators

See also

Tanks of comparable role and capability

References

  1. ↑ Sewell 1998, p. 21.
  2. ↑ Perret (1987).
  3. ↑ Sewell 1998, p. 27.
  4. ↑ Tucker, p. 148.
  5. ↑ Miller, p. 251.
  6. ↑ Haskew 2014, p. 17.
  7. ↑ M. V. Pavlov; I. V. Pavlov, Equipment and Armament, n.6 2008

External links

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