T-38 tank

Not to be confused with Panzer 38(t), a Czech-built German tank..

T-38 amphibious scout tank
T-38 tank
Type	Amphibious light tank
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1937–1943
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Nicholas Astrov & N. Kozyrev, Factory No. 37, Moscow
Designed	1934–1936
Manufacturer	Factory No. 37
Produced	1937–1939
Number built	~1,300
Specifications
Weight	3.3 tonnes
Length	3.78 m
Width	3.33 m
Height	1.63 m
Crew	2

Armour	3–9 mm
Main armament	7.62mm DT machine gun
Engine	GAZ-AA 40 hp (30 kW)
Power/weight	12 hp/tonne
Suspension	sprung bogie
Operational range	170 km
Speed	40 km/h

The T-38 amphibious scout tank was a Soviet amphibious light tank that saw service in World War II.

History

Designed in 1934–36 by N. Astrov's bureau at Factory No. 37 in Moscow,^[1] the T-38 was a development of the earlier T-37, based in turn on the French AMR 33 light reconnaissance tank. The tank was powered by a standard GAZ (Ford) engine and was cheap to produce. Buoyancy was achieved by the large-volume hull and large fenders. In water, the vehicle was propelled by a small three-bladed propeller mounted at the rear.

The tanks were intended for use for reconnaissance and infantry support. As a scout tank the T-38 had the advantages of very low silhouette and good mobility through its ability to swim. The T-38 was also intended to be air-portable; during the Kiev maneuvers in 1936, the tanks were transported by Tupolev TB-3 bombers, mounted under the fuselage. Infantry battalions were each issued 38 T-38s, with 50 being designated for each airborne armored battalions. However, the thin armor and single machinegun armament made the tank of only limited use in combat while the lack of radios in most T-38s was a serious limitation in a reconnaissance vehicle. The T-38's limitations were recognized, and it would have been replaced by the T-40, but the outbreak of the Second World War meant that only a few T-40s were produced.

Around 1,500 T-38s were built, illustrating the importance of amphibious scout tanks to the Red Army. Some were up-gunned with a 20 mm ShVAK cannon, and designated the T-38RT.

Service history

T-38RT armed with 20 mm cannon.

The tank served with the Red Army in the Winter War with Finland in 1940, but was unsuccessful due to its light armament and thin armour, which was easily penetrated by rifle and light machine gun fire. In the confined terrain of Finland, the tank was a deathtrap; it also did not do well in the early stages of World War II, and large numbers were captured by the Germans during Operation Barbarossa. The T-38 was rarely seen in direct combat after 1941 and mostly relegated to other roles such as artillery tractor, although it was reported to have been used in the Dnieper River crossing of 1943. During World War II, the main amphibious scout vehicle of the Red Army was the Ford GPA amphibious jeep, an open unarmored vehicle provided through Lend-Lease.

The German Army did not generally use captured T-38s as gun tanks (unlike captured T-26s, T-34s, or other more valuable vehicles). It is reported that some were re-used by converting them into self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery, mounting a 37 mm anti-aircraft gun on the T-38 chassis, although this would seem to be a very large piece for the chassis.

Variants

Museum T-38

T-38RT (1937), version equipped with radio.
OT-38 (1937), flamethrower-equipped version.
T-38M1 (1937), prototype with superior planetary transmission, considered too complex for production.
T-38M2 (1938), modification improving the gearbox and replacing the engine with GAZ M1.
T-38TU, command version with extra radio antenna.
SU-45 (1936), experimental 45 mm self-propelled gun.
T-38TT (1939), experimental remotely controlled tank (teletank).

Notes

↑ Zaloga 1984, pp. 77–78.

References

Bean, Tim & Will Fowler (2002) Russian Tanks of World War II - Stalin's Armored Might
Bishop, Chris (1998) The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II
Chamberlain, Peter & Chris Ellis (1972) Tanks of the World, 1915-1945
Fleischer, Wolfgang (1999) Russian Tanks and Armored Vehicles 1917-1945
Zaloga, Steven J.; James Grandsen (1984). Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-606-8.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to T-38.

World War II vehicles
OnWar
T-38 tanks, T-38 tanks in museum and monuments

Interwar tanks

List Category

Tankettes	L3/33 L3/35 Carden Loyd Morris-Martel T-27 TKS Type 92 tankette Type 94 tankette Type 97 Te-Ke Tančík vz. 33 AH-IV

Light	H35 R35 Fiat 3000 Leichttraktor Light Tanks Mk I–V Light Tank Mk VI Light Tank Mk VII M1 Combat Car M2 Light Tank Panzer I Panzer II LT vz. 34 LT vz. 35 LT vz. 38 T1 Light Tank T7 Combat Car T-18 T-13 T-15 T-19 T-26 T-37 T-38 7TP Type 95 Ha-Go Vickers 6-Ton Vickers-Carden-Loyd Light Amphibious Tank

Medium	Char D1 Char D2 Grosstraktor Medium Mk I Medium Mk II Medium Mk III Panzer III T-24 T-28 Type 97 Chi-Ha Type 97 Chi-Ni Type 98 Chi-Ho

Cavalry, Cruiser or Fast	AMC 34 AMC 35 AMR 33 AMR 35 BT tank Cruiser Mk I Cruiser Mk II Cruiser Mk III SOMUA S35

Infantry	FCM 36 Infantry Mk I, Matilda Renault R35 T-26 Type 89 I-Go

Heavy	Char B1 Neubaufahrzeug SMK T-35 T-100 Type 95 Heavy Tank Vickers A1E1 Independent

Super-heavy	FCM F1 Char 2C T-42

Armoured Carriers	UE Chenillette Bren Gun Carrier

History WWI Interwar WWII Cold War Tank

Soviet armoured fighting vehicles of World War II

Tanks

Tankettes	T-27

Amphibious tanks	T-37 T-38 T-40

Fast tanks	BT-2/BT-5 BT-7 BT-8

Medium tanks	T-28 T-34 T-44

Heavy tanks	T-35 KV-1/KV-2 IS-2/IS-3

Light tanks	T-18 T-26 T-50 T-60 T-70/T-80

Self-propelled artillery

Guns and anti-tank guns	ZiS-30 SU-5 SU-76 SU-85 SU-100 SU-122 SU-152 ISU-122 ISU-152

Anti-aircraft guns	ZSU-37 T-60Z T-70Z T-90

Armored cars

Light	D-8 D-12 D-13 FAI BA-20 BA-64 PB-4 PB-7 BA-30

Medium	BA-27 BA-I BA-3 BA-6 BA-10

Heavy	BA-11

Aerosani

Aerosani	ANT-IV NKL-16 NKL-26 RF-8 ASD-400

Artillery tractors

Armored Artillery tractors	AT-42 artillery tractor T-26-T Komsomolets Komintern Voroshilovets

Artillery tractors	S-2 Stalinets S-60 Stalinets S-65 Stalinets Kommunar STZ-3 STZ-5 YA-12

Experimental and improvised vehicles

Experimental	SU-14 A-40 flying tank T-43 tank SU-100Y SPG PPG tankette

Improvised	KhTZ-16 IZ NI tank

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