SOV - T-38 (T-38M2)

T-38 - development and description

T-37 sjížděl from the production line, only the year and factory no. 37 in Moscow and no 185 in Leningrad has already worked on a machine that would this něšťastníka replaced. The Tank was designated the T-43, but the two structures were the army rejected. If the same were other prototypes, TS (tank Šitnikova - tov. no. 37) and TM (GAZ, Gorky), a decision was made - remove the biggest abuses "Třicetsedmičky" and include it into the arms of the T-38.
The redesigned machine is reduced, and an extended body, a lowered centre of gravity and in some parts slightly heavier armor. The front driving wheel was moved forward and the distance of the wheel trucks is slightly increased. This adjustment has allowed the use of a longer belt, thereby to expand the styková length with the base of the 1 570 1 800 mm, fell by a specific pressure and increased longitudinal stability. The extension of the hull also zklidnilo tank during the voyage. The crew has exchanged positions, drivers can cover the head of the gantry with an angular shape, placed on the right and the commander had a habitat in the tower with a machine gun DT on the left. The towers were used two types, the older with the conical shape of the ceiling (Podolsk) and later with a straight, front sloping ceiling (Ižorsk). The engine and gearbox remained in the first series is identical with the T-37, later were mounted type engines GAZ-M1 has a high performance. The side of the clutch with the brakes have already been placed in the truck bed of the vehicle and fastening the drive screw could be accomplished without stopping.
The largest proportion of vehicles was handed to the DRRA in 1936 - 1 046 pieces. In 1937 was made a series of command tanks with radiostanicí and frame antenna. Were also tested prototypes of the T-38M and T-38M1 planetary management, plamenometný tank and self-propelled gun SU-45 with PT vz.1932 caliber 45 mm on the chassis of the T-38. These structures remained in one piece. In 1938 it was not made any the vehicle and a year later the last of the 112 units.

Tanks T-38 served together with his senior colleagues the T-37, so their fates (the Polish campaign, Winter war, the swan song of the eastern front and decommissioning in 1944) were virtually identical. From the beginning of the year 1941 it began to replace the more modern T-40. Some of the machines T-38, converted into a training, served in the Finnish army until 1961.

Source:
PEJČOCH, Ivo, PEJS, Oldřich: Armored technique 3, the USSR 1919-1945.part, ARES, Prague 2002
MAGNUSKI, Janusz:, KOLOMIJEC, Maksym: Red Blitzkrieg, And Bonus, Brno 1996
http://armor.kiev.ua/Tanks/BeforeWWII/T37/t38m.php

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