During the First World War, there was an urgent need to create armored vehicles that would have high firepower and excellent maneuverability. It was tanks that became examples of powerful weapons, excellent mobility and reliable protection. Who created the first tank in the world, and what was its design?
The very first tank in the world was created by A.A. Porokhovshchikov, who was a Russian designer and pilot. The idea to create such a machine came to him when he saw soldiers running under enemy machine-gun fire. The designer came up with the idea that it would be better to entrust the storming of enemy trenches to a combat vehicle that would be “dressed” in armor and equipped with a machine gun.
The creation of such a combat vehicle began in February 1915. The very first tank in the world was called “All-terrain vehicle”. The car went on its test run in the same year at the end of spring (in May). Structurally, the “All-terrain vehicle” had all the necessary elements that are still present in combat vehicles today (armored body, weapons in the turret, tracked propulsion, etc.).
The supporting structure of the very first tank in the world was a welded frame made with 4 rotating drums, “wound” with a caterpillar belt of a fairly large width. Using a special tension device and a tension drum, the caterpillar belt was tensioned. Two rotary steering wheels controlled the tank. When he moved on a hard surface, he had to rely on the drive drum and these wheels. When moving on soft ground, the combat vehicle seemed to “lay down” on the tape.
The “All-terrain vehicle” was 360 centimeters long, 2 meters wide, and one and a half meters high (excluding the tower). The car weighed approximately 4 tons. Porokhovshchikov’s combat vehicle passed its first tests with great success, but for some reasons they did not begin to develop it further. And a little later, the very first experimental tank was an English design, which was designed in September 1915.
Little and Big Willie
Little Willie was an armored tractor that was successfully tested in September 1915. The idea for its creation was expressed by British Colonel Swindon.
However, the armored vehicle had to be slightly modified, as a result of which the tank turned into Big Willie or the Mark I tank. It can rightfully be considered the very first tank in the world to be mass-produced. The Mark I was sent to the front line in 1916.
The Mark I was 8 meters long. It was made in the form of a steel rectangular box, which had diamond-shaped tracks on the side. This design allowed the combat vehicle to overcome difficult areas on the battlefield and move through trenches with ease.
Armor with a thickness of 10-12 millimeters served as protection against rifle and machine-gun fire. The armament of the tank itself consisted of one cannon and four machine guns. Moreover, only the “males” of Big Willie had such weapons, while the “females” were deprived of guns and had fewer machine guns.
The inside of the tank looked like a ship's wheelhouse. You could walk in it without bending over. The commander and driver of the tank were located in a separate compartment. Starting Big Willie's engine required the strength of three people to turn the crank until the engine started.
Mark I could move at a speed of 6 km/h. On rough terrain, the car moved at a much lower speed - 2-3 km/h. Even despite the low speed of movement, the tank shook terribly - this was due to the fact that the armor part was made of road wheels. There were no means of communication provided. In addition, the reliability of the tank design was too low, and the vehicles often broke down. Also considered a disadvantage of Big Willie were the narrow tracks, which quickly sank into soft ground, causing the tank to be stranded. There was no ventilation inside, which is why the soldiers had to often (even under machine gun fire) jump outside to breathe fresh air and take a break from the smell of exhaust fumes.
Despite all the shortcomings, the tank was actively used at the front - 18 such combat vehicles were used in the 1916 battle. After this, a demand came to London that such tanks be delivered to the front line in the amount of 1000 copies. Subsequently, the design of Big Willie was improved each time, and the more modern model was significantly ahead of the previous one in technical parameters.
Reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's tank.
"We will build closed chariots that will penetrateto the enemylines and cannot be destroyed by a crowd of armed people, and infantry can follow behind them without much risk and any baggage."
Leonardo da Vinci XV century
Today we will pull out such a topic from. He will just announce it to us luciferushka: The history of the invention of the tank and the development of tank construction up to and including the outbreak of WWII (World War II) is interesting. The answer is extensive, but at least to illuminate the most relish.)))
Let's start from the very beginning.
When on November 20, 1917, 10 years ago, 350 tanks advanced through the morning darkness to fall on the sleeping Hindenburg positions, a new chapter was opened in history, which we are only now beginning to understand with all clarity. And although the Mark IV tank was new at the Battle of Cambrai, the principle embodied in it - the protection of motive and manpower leading an attack under cover - was fully realized 300 years ago.
The first thought about a tank, or rather a tank-like mechanism, arose in China. From the reports of Sunn-Tse we learn that in the 12th century BC a military cart called “Lu” was used. This cart had 4 wheels and could accommodate 12 people. The historian does not mention horses, and one must think that the cart was driven by people from the inside using special devices. It was protected by the skin and used during attack and defense.
"Tank" from the times of ancient Rome.
The idea of a tank was further developed in countries currently classified as the Middle East. Xenophon, describing the Battle of Timbra (554 BC), says with his characteristic fantasy that Cyrus placed behind the line of his positions a number of carts with towers erected on them, from which shooting was carried out.
In Europe, elephants, as a cavalry vanguard, ceased to be used after the conquest of Greece by the Romans. The chariot was held in the East and in some countries, such as in England. But the idea of the tank did not disappear and was revived again in the armored knights of the crusades. The armored knight on his feet was a “tank” in every way. His motive power, although limited, was completely protected, and he could develop his attack under cover.
At the Battle of Crécy the English had only a small number of cannon at their disposal, but a hundred years later firearms came into general use and a new military era began. The old one passed under the sign of steel, in the new one lead began to dominate. Did the bullet bury the idea of the tank? No, on the contrary, she breathed into her new life. The ancient Chinese "Lu" floated onto the scene again. In 1395, a man named Konrad Keyser invented a military cart that was propelled from the inside, and a little later a cart was built that could seat at least 100 people. It was, in all likelihood, a real moving fortress, extremely cumbersome. In Scotland, two Acts of Parliament were passed in 1456 and 1471 regarding the use of these mechanisms.
"Tank" of the seventeenth century.
But it was unthinkable to set such a machine in motion using the muscular power of people or animals, and therefore the inventive genius of the Renaissance took advantage of the mechanical force that existed at that time. In 1472 Valturio proposed wind wheels as a propulsion force, and later Simon Steven spoke of sails, or rather small armored sailing boats on wheels. The great Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most amazing dreamers in the history of mechanical inventions, built closed armored vehicles. This was in 1482, and a little more than 100 years later John Napier develops the same idea.
From then until Watt built the first steam engine. In 1769 the idea of a tank came up from time to time, but always in its early form of the Chinese "Lo". Simultaneously with Watt's invention, a steam locomotive appeared, which had a speed of 2.5 miles per hour. A year later, in 1770, the “shod wheel” was invented, a device that prevented the wheel from sinking into soft soil. In these last two inventions can be found the germs of two essential aspects of the future tank: internal motive power and the ability to drive over uneven terrain and trenches.
Armored cart.
The Crimean War, declared in 1845, was a war of muddy roads and ravines and therefore created a need for shod wheels, with which some of Bodley's road locomobiles were successfully supplied in the Balaklava region, located in marshy terrain. The difficulty of taking Russian trenches prompted James Cowan to propose to Lord Palmerston the use of armored road vehicles equipped with scythes.
The steam locomotive was the first to be used. First, to transport troops, and later, a cannon was installed on the railway platform, and armored shields were installed for protection. This is how the first armored train turned out, which was used by the Americans in 1862 during civil war in North America. The use of armored trains imposes its own limitations - railway tracks are needed. The military began to think about combining high firepower and mobility in a vehicle.
The next stage was booking regular passenger cars with the installation of machine gun or light cannon weapons on them. They were to be used to break through the front line of enemy defenses and deliver manpower.
The main problem in the history of the development of tank building before the First World War was the lack of motivation and lack of understanding of the possibilities of using armored vehicles. About the basics of using an armored cart back in the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci wrote: “We will build closed chariots that will penetrate enemy lines and cannot be destroyed by a crowd of armed men, and infantry can follow behind them without much risk or any baggage.” In practice, no one took seriously “expensive iron toys,” as the British Minister of War once called tank prototypes.
Tanks received real recognition during the First World War.
The First World War was a positional war, characterized by a multi-echelon continuous line of defense with machine guns and architectural structures. For the breakthrough, artillery barrage was used, but due to the short firing range, it could suppress, and then rather conditionally, only the firing points of the front line. When capturing the first line, the invaders inevitably encountered the next, to suppress which it was necessary to bring up artillery. While the attackers were engaged in artillery, the defending troops mobilized reserves and recaptured the occupied line and began to go on the attack themselves. Such fruitless movement could continue for quite a long time. For example. In February 1916, more than one thousand guns took part in the Battle of Verdun, for which the Germans had been preparing for almost two months. Over ten months of confrontation, more than 14 million shells were spent, and the death toll on both sides exceeded one million. With all this, the Germans advanced as much as 3 kilometers into the depths of the French defense.
The military clearly faced the question of the need vehicle, which could break through enemy defense lines with complete suppression of firing points, or at least quickly deliver artillery to the next lines.
For obvious reasons, armored trains could not be used, and armored cars quickly showed their inconsistency - weak armor and ineffective weapons. Strengthening the armor and armament significantly increased the weight of the vehicle, which, along with wheel suspension and weak engines, reduced the cross-country ability of armored vehicles to zero. The use of a tracked loader (caterpillars) helped improve the situation somewhat. The track rollers evenly distributed the pressure on the soil, which significantly increased maneuverability on soft ground.
To increase firepower and maneuverability, military engineers began experimenting with the size and weight of the new combat vehicle. We tried combining tracks with wheels. There were also several rather controversial projects among them. For example. In Russia, designer Lebedenko, and independently of him in England, Major Hetherington, designed a tank on three huge wheels for greater maneuverability. The idea of both designers was to simply move a ditch with a combat vehicle, so Lebedenko proposed creating a tank with wheels with a diameter of 9 meters, and Hetherington, respectively, 12 meters.
The Tsar Tank was built in 1915. The design of the car was distinguished by great originality and ambition. According to Lebedenko himself, the idea for this car was inspired by Central Asian carts, which, thanks to large diameter wheels, easily overcome potholes and ditches. Therefore, unlike “classic” tanks that use tracked propulsion, the Tsar Tank was a wheeled combat vehicle and in design resembled a greatly enlarged gun carriage. The two huge spoked front wheels had a diameter of approximately 9 m, while the rear roller was noticeably smaller, about 1.5 m. The upper fixed machine-gun house was raised above the ground by approximately 8 m. The T-shaped box-shaped body had a width of 12 m, on the protruding On the plane of the wheels and at the extreme points of the hull, sponsons with machine guns were designed, one on each side (it was also assumed that guns could be installed). It was planned to install an additional machine gun turret under the bottom. The design speed of the vehicle was 17 km/h.
Paradoxical as it may seem, despite all the unusualness, ambition, complexity and enormous size of the machine, Lebedenko managed to “break through” his project. The car received approval from a number of authorities, but the matter was finally decided by an audience with Nicholas II, during which Lebedenko presented the emperor with a clockwork wooden model his car with an engine based on a gramophone spring. According to the recollections of the courtiers, the emperor and the engineer crawled on the floor for half an hour, “like little children,” chasing the model around the room. The toy ran briskly across the carpet, easily overcoming stacks of two or three volumes of the Code of Laws Russian Empire" The audience ended with Nicholas II, impressed by the machine, ordering funding for the project.
Work under imperial patronage proceeded quickly - soon the unusual machine was manufactured in metal and, from the end of spring 1915, was secretly assembled in the forest near Dmitrov. On August 27, 1915, the first sea trials of the finished vehicle were carried out. The use of large wheels implied increased maneuverability of the entire device, which was confirmed in tests - the machine broke birch trees like matches. However, the rear steerable roller, due to its small size and incorrect weight distribution of the vehicle as a whole, got stuck in soft ground almost immediately after the start of testing. The large wheels turned out to be unable to pull it out, even despite the use of the most powerful propulsion system at that time, consisting of two captured Maybach engines of 250 hp each. With. each taken from a downed German airship.
The tests revealed what later seemed obvious, the significant vulnerability of the vehicle - mainly the wheels - under artillery fire, especially high-explosive shells. All this led to the fact that already in August the project was curtailed as a result of the negative conclusion of the High Commission, but Stechkin and Zhukovsky still began developing new engines for the car. However, this attempt was not crowned with success, as were attempts to move the Tsar Tank from its place and pull it out of the testing area.
Until 1917, the tank was guarded at the test site, but then, due to the political upheavals that began, the vehicle was forgotten and never remembered again. Design work on it was no longer carried out, and the huge surreal design of the completed combat vehicle rusted in the forest for another seven years, at the testing site, until the tank was dismantled for scrap in 1923.
The only positive effect of this project can be considered the experience gained by the then young Mikulin and Stechkin. When it became clear that the power of the device’s engines was clearly insufficient, they developed their own AMBS-1 engine (short for Alexander Mikulin and Boris Stechkin), which had very advanced characteristics for that time and technical solutions for example, direct injection of fuel into the cylinders. This engine, however, only worked for a few minutes, after which its connecting rods bent due to high loads. However, both Stechkin and Mikulin, who, by the way, were nephews of the outstanding aviation theorist Nikolai Egorovich Zhukovsky, later became outstanding Soviet specialists in aircraft engines, academicians of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
Despite the failure, Lebedenko’s idea was not flawed in principle. A few years later, engineer Pavesi built a series of high-wheeled military tractors for the Italian army. The inventor also created several models of wheeled tanks, but they were not adopted for service. The tank remained a purely tracked vehicle.
There is also a conspiracy theory regarding the fate of the Tsar Tank project. According to it, it is assumed that the obviously failed machine project was intensively lobbied at the General Staff by high-ranking officials acting in the interests of Great Britain. This theory is very similar to the truth, since these same officials buried All-terrain vehicle Porokhovshchikova, the drawings of which were subsequently sold to the French and formed the basis of the French tank Renault-FT-17. Read more about this story.
Due to the imperfections of the armored vehicles presented, debates about the need for their development and reconciliation among the military continued until September 15, 1916. This day became a turning point in the history of tank building and warfare in general. During the Battle of the Somme, the British used their new tanks for the first time. Of the 42 two that were available, 32 took part in the battle. During the battle, 17 of them broke down for various reasons, but the remaining tanks were able to help the infantry advance 5 kilometers deep into the defense along the entire width of the offensive, with losses in manpower amounted to 20 times! less than calculated. For comparison, we can recall the battle of Verbena.
The idea of creating a combat tracked vehicle capable of moving over rough terrain through trenches, ditches and wire fences was first expressed in 1914 by the English Colonel Swinton. After discussion in various authorities, the War Ministry generally accepted his idea and formulated the basic requirements that the combat vehicle had to meet. It had to be small, have caterpillar tracks, bulletproof armor, overcome craters up to 4 m and wire fences, reach a speed of at least 4 km/h, have a cannon and two machine guns. The main purpose of the tank was to destroy barbed wire barriers and suppress enemy machine guns. Soon, Foster’s company, in forty days, created a combat vehicle based on the Holt tracked tractor, called “Little Willie.” Its chief designers were Engineer Tritton and Lieutenant Wilson.
"Little Willie" was tested in 1915 and showed good driving performance. In November, the Holt company began manufacturing a new machine. The designers were faced with the difficult problem of increasing its length by 1 m without making the tank heavier, so that it could overcome four-meter trenches. In the end, this was achieved due to the fact that the outline of the caterpillar was given the shape of a parallelogram. In addition, it turned out that the tank had difficulty taking vertical embankments and steep elevations. To increase the height of the toe, Wilson and Tritton came up with the idea of running a caterpillar on top of the body. This significantly increased the vehicle's cross-country ability, but at the same time gave rise to a number of other difficulties associated, in particular, with the placement of cannons and machine guns. The armament had to be distributed along the sides, and so that the machine guns could fire to the side and backward, they were installed in the side protrusions of the sponsons. In February 1916, the new tank, called "Big Willie", successfully passed sea trials. He could overcome wide trenches, move across a plowed field, climb over walls and embankments up to 1.8 m high. Trenches up to 3.6 m did not pose a serious obstacle for him.
The tank's hull was a frame box made of corners to which armored plates were bolted. The chassis, which consisted of small unsprung road wheels (the shaking in the car was terrible), was also covered with armor. Inside, the “land cruiser” resembled the engine room of a small ship, which you could walk around without even bending down. There was a separate cabin in the front for the driver and commander. Most of the rest of the space was occupied by the engine
Daimler, gearbox and transmission. To start the engine, teams of 3-4 people had to rotate a huge starting handle until the engine started with a deafening roar. The first brands of cars also had fuel tanks inside. There were narrow passages left on both sides of the engine. The ammunition was stored on shelves between the top of the engine and the roof. While driving, exhaust gases and gasoline vapors accumulated in the tank. Ventilation was not provided. Meanwhile, the heat from the running engine soon became unbearable; the temperature reached 50 degrees. In addition, with each cannon shot, the tank was filled with caustic powder gases. The crew could not stay in combat positions for a long time, they burned out and suffered from overheating. Even in battle, tankers sometimes jumped out to breathe fresh air, not paying attention to the whistling of bullets and shrapnel. A significant drawback of “Big Willie” was its narrow tracks, which bogged down in soft soil. At the same time, the heavy tank landed on the ground, stumps and stones. It was bad with observation and communication - the viewing slots in the sides did not provide inspection, but the spray from bullets that hit the armor near them hit the tankers in the face and eyes. There was no radio communication. Carrier pigeons were kept for long-distance communication, and special signal flags were used for short-range communication. There was no intercom either.
Controlling the tank required significant effort from the drivers and commander (the latter was responsible for the brakes on the right and left side tracks). The tank had three gearboxes - one main and one on each side (each of them controlled a special transmission). The turn was carried out either by braking one track, or by switching one of the onboard gearboxes to the neutral position, while on the other side they engaged first or second gear. With the track stopped, the tank turned around almost on the spot.
Tanks were first used in battle on September 15, 1916, near the village of Flers-Courses during the great Battle of the Somme. The British offensive, launched in July, produced insignificant results and very significant losses. It was then that the commander-in-chief, General Haig, decided to throw tanks into battle. There were 49 of them in total, but only 32 reached their original positions, the rest remained in the rear due to breakdowns. Only 18 took part in the attack, but in a few hours they advanced along with the infantry into the German positions 5 km on a front of the same width. Haig was pleased - in his opinion, it was the new weapon that reduced infantry losses by 20 times compared to the “norm”. He immediately sent a demand to London for 1000 combat vehicles at once.
In subsequent years, the British released several modifications of the Mk (this was the official name of “Big Willie”). Each subsequent model was more perfect than the previous one. For example, the first production tank Mk-1 weighed 28 tons, moved at a speed of 4.5 km/h, and was armed with two cannons and three machine guns. Its crew consisted of 8 people. The later MkA tank had a speed of 9.6 km/h, weight -18 tons, crew - 5 people, armament - 6 machine guns. The ISS, weighing 19.5 tons, had a speed of 13 km/h. This tank had a crew of four people and was armed with four machine guns. The last amphibious tank, Mkl, created already in 1918, had a rotating turret, a crew of four and an armament of three machine guns. Weighing 13.5 tons, it reached a speed of 43 km/h on land and 5 km/h on water. In total, the British produced 3,000 tanks of 13 different modifications during the war years.
Tank "Schneider" SA-1, 1916
Gradually, tanks were adopted by other warring armies. The first French tanks were developed and produced by Schneider in October 1916. Outwardly, they bore little resemblance to their English counterparts - the tracks did not cover the hull, but were located along its sides or under it. The chassis was sprung with special springs, which made the work of the crew easier. However, due to the fact that the upper part of the tank hung strongly over the tracks, the Schneider's maneuverability was worse, and they could not overcome even minor vertical obstacles.
About a hundred of them came to Russia and they all served in the army of Denikin, a White Guard. After the Civil War, these tanks were installed in various cities as monuments. Today there are 5 of them left. Let's look at the Lugansk specimen from the inside with the help of a blogger dymov
Sandblasted tank on "slipways". Some of the hatches have been removed.
A drawing of a tank with numbered armor plates and a description of the problems for each of the damaged ones.
Also, on the table are pieces of armor and rivets (they checked the type of steel to select the optimal one for a possible future replacement).
Numbered armor plates on the tank itself.
As you can see, there are plenty of cracks and holes from rust.
The bottom was pretty rotten in some places. Standing in the open air, the tank collected water in any rainfall.
It's quite spacious inside (without the engine). It became clear how 7-8 crew members could fit there.
Stak engineering.Co
Wolverhampton
inscription on the gearbox.
The place of the only gunner in this crew. It must be said that in terms of the number of “shots” this tank can give odds to any modern one. More than 40 next to the gun and even more in the stern.
All levers and rods are in place.
Pedals too. I wonder what the letters B and C on them mean?
Convenient glove compartment. The officer could have put down binoculars and a Browning gun.
The “head” of the gearbox is larger.
7 machine guns per tank is very cool, in my opinion.
The ventilation duct (if that's what it is) is the most rusted of all.
The driver-mechanic has his own stash. And, by the way, the “steering wheel” is right-handed! In English…
….. automobile plant
major renovation
19…
As usual, time has erased all the most interesting information. 
Using this number, as it turned out, it was possible to restore both the data on the tank and its combat path.
For example, both Lugansk were recaptured by the Red Army from Wrangel in the battles for Crimea. Namely - on Perekop.
Items that have been in the tank for many years. The button is of greatest interest.
Once upon a time, these workshops produced other tracked shushiks for military needs - amphibious transport vehicles capable of transporting a truckload of soldiers on board across any river.
LOT recording a stand-up comedy in the bowels of a combat vehicle.
And now about the French
The best tank of the First World War was the Renault FT, produced by the Renault company and weighing only 6 tons, a crew of two, armament - a machine gun (cannon since 1917), a maximum speed of 9.6 km/h.
"Renault" FT - 17
Renault FT became the prototype of the tank of the future. On it, for the first time, the layout of the main components was resolved, which still remains classic: engine, transmission, drive wheel - at the rear, control compartment - in front, rotating turret - in the center. For the first time, on-board radio stations began to be installed on Renault tanks, which immediately increased the controllability of tank formations. A large diameter drive wheel helped to overcome vertical obstacles and get out of craters. The tank had good maneuverability and was easy to operate. For 15 years it served as a model for many designers. In France itself, Renault was in service until the end of the 30s, and it was produced under license in another 20 countries.
The Germans also tried to develop new weapons. Since 1917, the Bremerwagen company began production of the A7V tank, but the Germans were never able to organize their mass production. P1x tanks took part in some operations, but in quantities not exceeding several dozen vehicles.
On the contrary, the Entente countries (that is, England and France themselves) had about 7 thousand tanks by the end of the war. Here armored vehicles gained recognition and became firmly established in the weapon system. Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister during the war, said: “The tank was an outstanding and stunning innovation in the field of mechanical aid to war. This final English response to the German machine guns and trenches undoubtedly played a very important role in hastening the Allied victory." Tanks were widely used by the British in combat. In November 1917, a massive tank attack was carried out for the first time. 476 vehicles took part in it, supported by six infantry divisions. It was a huge success of a new type of weapon. Firing from cannons and machine guns, the tanks demolished the wire fences and overcame the first line of trenches on the move.
In just a few hours, the British advanced 9 km deep into the front, losing only 4 thousand people. (In the previous British offensive near Ypres, which lasted four months, the British lost 400 thousand people and managed to penetrate the German defense by only 6-10 km). The French also used tanks extensively several times. Thus, in July 1918, more than 500 French tanks took part in the battle near Soissons.
From the first Soviet tank “Freedom Fighter Comrade. Lenin", built by the workers of the Sormovsky plant in 1920, to a modern main tank with high firepower, protection from all weapons and high mobility - this is the long and glorious path of Soviet tank building.
IN Tsarist Russia- the country where the world's first model of a tank was created (A. A. Porokhovshchikov's tank), there was no tank-building industry and no tanks were built. Only after the victory of the Great October Revolution socialist revolution began equipping the young Red Army with military equipment. Already in the spring of 1918, speaking at a meeting of military specialists, V.I. Lenin proposed a program for technical equipment of the Red Army, in which a significant role was assigned to armored forces.
August 31, 1920, the first Soviet tank, named “Freedom Fighter Comrade. Lenin,” came out of the gates of the Krasnoe Sormovo plant. The hands of skilled workers, with limited capabilities, produced 15 tanks of the same type. From this period the history of the development of tank building in the USSR begins.
First soviet tanks in terms of combat qualities they were not inferior to the best foreign models, and in some design features they were superior to them. These domestic vehicles and captured ones captured from the interventionists became the basis for the formation of tank detachments. The first such detachments, which included three tanks, appeared in 1920. They took part in battles on various fronts and were used to directly support the infantry, being in their battle formations. It should be noted that the main tanks of the Red Army during the civil war were captured.
In 1924, a technical bureau of the Main Directorate of Military Industry was created, headed by engineer S.P. Shchukalov. This became an important event in the history of Soviet tank building. If earlier the development of tank equipment was carried out by separate factories, which, naturally, did not contribute to the accumulation of the necessary experience, then after the creation of the bureau, all work is concentrated in a single center.
Three years later, in 1927, the first sample of a light tank designed by this bureau was tested. Based on the test results and by decision of the USSR Revolutionary Military Council dated July 6, 1927, the model was accepted into service with the Red Army. The modified version of the T-18 tank received the MS-1 brand, which meant “small escort, first sample.”
In the 30s, Soviet tank building began to develop rapidly. During this period, tank design bureaus were created, which short time developed a whole generation of tanks of all weight categories. An outstanding role in the creation of the first models of tanks of that period was played by N.V. Barykov, who in 1929 headed the special design and mechanical engineering department (OKMO).
sources
http://dymov.livejournal.com/73878.html
http://www.retrotank.ru/
http://www.iq-coaching.ru/
http://www.opoccuu.com/
How to change the course of the war? How to quickly break through the front? These questions have interested military leaders of all times. And they found a solution to this problem - this is a tank. This genius, who forever changed battle tactics, was the English Colonel W. Swinton. On October 20, 1914, the colonel approached the War Department with the idea of building an armored vehicle on tracks, using the American Holt tractor as a basis.
According to the Englishman’s proposal, the new vehicle was supposed to be tracked, reach speeds of up to 4 kilometers per hour, have a crew of 6 people, armor protection against direct machine-gun fire and rifles, and be armed with 2 Lewis machine guns. Swinton also proposed the following strategy: it is better to have many small, light vehicles than several heavy and well-protected ones. But, unfortunately, Swinton’s ideas were not destined to come true. And the reason for this was the very large mass of the new car.
The first tank in the world! (History of creation)
Engineer Tritton worked in parallel with Swinton on his tank called “Big Willie”. Tritton’s project turned out to be more successful than Swinton’s, and by the fall of 1915 a prototype was built, and already in the summer of 16, tanks of this type were used in battle, which had a stunning effect on the enemy.
Origin of name.
Where does the name “tank” come from? Everything is simple here; we can say that history itself came up with such a name. The thing is that the British, like any normal people, used the development of new cars as an ace in their sleeve and, accordingly, all information about this was top secret. But it is necessary to transport prototypes and conduct tests somehow. And the British came up with a solution. They transported tanks by rail, covering them with tarpaulin. Because of their shape, covered with tarpaulin, the tanks were very similar to fuel tanks, and a tank in English is “tank”. This is where the name “tank” comes from.
Beginning in 1914, projects for armored vehicles, both tracked and wheeled, poured in as if from a cornucopia. In addition to the technical prerequisites, there was also a need for this kind of combat vehicles - let's not forget that the First World War was going on.
In August 1914, the inventor A. A. Porokhovshchikov approached the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief with a project for an armored vehicle - “All-terrain vehicle”. The proposal was considered in the Special Committee by General A.V. Kaulbars. With his support, Porokhovshchikov got an appointment with the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who was convinced by the inventor’s explanations. The decision made it was determined that the “All-terrain vehicle” should be manufactured by the chief of engineering supplies of the armies of the North-Western Front.
The Main Military-Technical Directorate did not approve the necessary drawings, memorandum and cost estimate for the construction of the All-Terrain Vehicle. On December 24, 1914, these materials were received by the chief of engineering supplies for the armies of the North-Western Front, who, after studying the project, drew up a special report to the chief supply officer of the armies of the same front. The report substantiated the need to build the “All-terrain vehicle” as a vehicle useful in military affairs. On January 13, 1915, the construction of a prototype “All-terrain vehicle” with one wide track was authorized. 9,960 rubles were allocated for its production, and the place of work was determined to be the barracks of the Nizhny Novgorod regiment that had gone to the front.
On February 1, in Riga, in the barracks of the Nizhny Novgorod Infantry Regiment, the organization of workshops was completed: 25 soldier craftsmen and the same number of hired skilled workers began manufacturing the “All-terrain vehicle.”
At the proposal stage, two options were considered - with one and two tracks. Since the first option was simpler in terms of design and production, it was accepted. For the prototype, on which the correctness of the basic idea of the invention was to be tested, the greater or lesser perfection of the propulsion device was not of significant importance, so the first option was developed in detail. It was a relatively light “device” weighing 3.5-4 tons, that is, the level of a wedge heel. The supporting structure was a steel frame to which a guide and three support (of which the rear one was the drive) hollow drums were attached. The axes of the guide drum were inserted into special slots in the frame and secured with two screws. By moving it along the slots, the tension of the caterpillar was adjusted. In addition, there was an additional tension drum that formed the upper branch of the caterpillar, passing under the entire bottom of the hull. The chassis was covered with a bulwark.
The wide caterpillar ensured low specific pressure on the ground, good cross-country ability, and eliminated the possibility of the bottom landing on an obstacle; but the use of a rubber band cannot be considered a success due to its high vulnerability. It is unlikely that the mover could confidently withstand concentrated fire. However, allowances should be made for the high speed data and small dimensions of the vehicle (length - 3.6 m, width - 2 m, body height - about 1.5 m), which in a known way make it difficult to conduct aimed fire at it. In general, the ability of the All-Terrain Vehicle to operate maneuverably in combat was beyond doubt.
The car was turned in an original way. On both sides of the frame, in its middle part, there were two steering wheels that rotated about a vertical axis and were connected to the steering wheel by rotating forks and a rod system. On paved roads, the all-terrain vehicle rested on steering wheels and a drive drum. On soft soils, the steering wheels spontaneously deepened, and the entire surface of the track came into action. Thus, a unique interpretation of the wheeled-tracked propulsion system was obtained.
The power unit was a 20-horsepower automobile engine mounted on the rear of the frame. Torque was transmitted to the drive drum through a mechanical planetary gearbox and driveshaft. Of particular note is the design of the armor protection - it is multi-layered (front cemented 2-mm steel sheet, shock-absorbing lining made of hair and sea grass, second steel sheet) with a total thickness of 8 mm. The quality of the armored hull shape is striking: it is so high that the question involuntarily arises about the technological difficulties and labor intensity of production in relation to 1915. It is possible that it was precisely this circumstance that forced Porokhovshchikov to abandon such a successful solution in the future and, when designing the All-Terrain Vehicle-2, turn to a primitive box-shaped body. In addition, the design of the all-terrain vehicle’s body made it possible to achieve its waterproofness. This possibility was analyzed, and in the future it was planned to endow the vehicle with amphibious properties.
The driver and commander (aka machine gunner) were located in the middle part of the hull, “shoulder to shoulder,” on two seats installed side by side. The weapons (1-2 machine guns) were planned to be placed in a cylindrical turret crowning the fighting compartment.
In the implementation of the project, the propulsion unit was of particular concern; the design was completely original. Therefore, the main efforts were directed to assembling the chassis. The armored hull was manufactured in parallel. Its elements were subjected to test fire. The entire box was then mounted onto a passenger car chassis and tested for bullet resistance and overall rigidity.
On May 15, 1915, construction of the prototype was completed. A wooden model of the hull was mounted on it, and ballast bags were placed in the vehicle to compensate for the mass. Three days later we conducted a test run. It turned out that the caterpillar jumped off when moving. It took a month to determine the cause. After which on outer surface The drums, initially smooth, were made with three annular guide grooves, and on the inner surface of the caterpillar there were, respectively, three centering protrusions.
On June 20, 1915, during official tests, the commission noted the good maneuverability of the vehicle, its maneuverability, high acceleration qualities and a speed of about 25 versts/hour and in the corresponding act No. 4563 recorded: “It turned out that the said “All-terrain vehicle” easily walks through fairly deep sand at a speed about twenty-five versts per hour; Subsequently, the “All-terrain vehicle” crossed at medium speed a ditch with gentle slopes 3 meters wide at the top and about 1 arshin deep. All significant potholes and significant uneven surfaces of the “regimental yard”, where the tests were carried out, were easily overcome by the “All-terrain vehicle” at full speed. Agility is quite satisfactory; in general, the “All-terrain vehicle” passed through soil and terrain impassable for ordinary cars.”
The fine-tuning of the “All-terrain vehicle” was carried out in Petrograd. On December 29, a speed of about 40 versts/hour was achieved. By this time, 18,000 rubles had been spent. The business promised success, but the military stopped funding the work. In this regard, criminal indifference and bureaucracy are often cited. However, it was 1916, the First World War was in full swing, and fighting acquired a protracted positional character. Objectively, the All-Terrain Vehicle, which was ahead of its time, turned out to be “not welcome.” Expect from a fast, highly maneuverable car efficient work it was not necessary on multi-row wire fences. It was clearly not suitable for these purposes. A special tank was required - a positional one. And it was enough for N. Lebedenko to submit an application for a wheeled breakthrough combat vehicle, and with the highest favor of Emperor Nicholas II, he received the necessary forces and means to implement his project.
So, despite positive results tests, work on improving the prototype "All-terrain vehicle" was stopped. The Main Military-Technical Directorate took all measures to disrupt the successful completion of experimental work and organization industrial production tanks in Russia. For various offers about future fate“All-terrain vehicle”, the head of the Main Military-Technical Directorate responded with the following characteristic resolutions: “Why did we interfere in this matter?”, “What do we need it for?” (on the proposal to transfer the “All-terrain vehicle” to the Main Military-Technical Directorate). From December 1915 to October 1916, there was bureaucratic correspondence, and all work on the All-Terrain Vehicle was slowed down.
The original drawings of the first “All-terrain vehicle” by A. A. Porokhovshchikov could not be found. Relatively recently, documents were discovered from which it was possible to restore in basic terms the history of its construction, and photographs of the machine taken during its tests were also found.
In September 1916, the first reports appeared in the Russian press about the use by the British of a new weapon - the “land fleet”. These messages were published in the newspaper “Novoe Vremya” No. 14568 dated September 25 (old style) 1916 and in the “Petrogradskaya Gazeta” No. 253. In connection with these messages in the newspaper “Novoe Vremya” No. 14572 dated September 29 (old style) style) in 1916, the article “Land Fleet - a Russian Invention” appeared, which revealed the unsightly role of the Main Military-Technical Directorate in delaying work on the creation of new weapons in Russia - all-terrain combat vehicles.
Soon after the press appearance there was a request to State Duma about the measures taken to provide the Russian army with tanks. Under pressure from public opinion, the head of the Main Military-Technical Directorate authorized the design of an improved “All-terrain vehicle” - “All-terrain vehicle-2”, or, as it was also designated to distinguish it from its predecessor, “All-terrain vehicle 16g.” The project was soon completed and on January 19, 1917 it entered the armor department of the automobile unit of the Main Military-Technical Directorate. Its examination and discussion dragged on for more than ten months.
In addition to the project, a model of the “All-terrain vehicle-2” was completed. The surviving documents allow us to get a fairly complete picture of its structure. The chassis of the “All-terrain vehicle-2” combines elements of the chassis of a car and a crawler tractor. A rubber endless belt located under the bottom of the body covers four sprung drums. The rear drum is connected by a chain to the power transmission and is the drive drum. Car wheels with a larger diameter than the drum are rigidly mounted on the same axis. The front drum, equipped with a spring device, is raised, which improves overcoming obstacles. The front wheels are mounted on the same axle with the second drum, with the help of which (like a car) turns are made.
When driving on a road with hard surfaces, the “All-terrain vehicle-2” rested on the ground only with its wheels and moved like a car; the caterpillar was rewinding idle. On loose soil, the wheels sank into the ground, the caterpillar sat on the ground and began moving on caterpillar tracks. Turning in this case was carried out using the same wheels as when moving on wheels.
Armor protection was provided with a thickness of 8 mm. The armament consisted of 3 or 4 machine guns. 2-3 machine guns were to be installed in a turret of a very original design, which allowed each machine gun to be independently aimed at the target separately.
The engine and transmission, as well as the systems that ensure their operation, were located in the rear of the hull. There was a control compartment in the bow of the hull, and a combat compartment in the middle. A special partition was provided between the fighting compartment and the power plant compartment. For inspection and maintenance of the engine, there were hatches in the partition.
On October 19, 1917, the Automotive Committee of the State Technical University, where the All-Terrain Vehicle-2 project was submitted for consideration, recognized the design as “insufficiently developed, and therefore the treasury costs for implementing the project in its present form are unnecessary.”
October 25, 2013
Self-propelled armored van
It is impossible to imagine a modern army without tanks. They are the main striking force ground forces. But the history of the use of these combat vehicles has not even reached the century mark.
The idea of protecting a foot soldier from enemy fire has been developed for a long time. Siege towers, used since ancient times, are proof of this. But we needed a vehicle that could move in infantry combat formations and support it with its fire.
The great Leonardo Da Vinci can be considered one of the ancestors of modern tanks. His self-propelled armored van, according to calculations, was supposed to be driven by the muscular power of people, through levers and gears. The design assumed the placement of lungs artillery pieces and an observation tower. The wooden and metal hull plating was supposed to reliably protect the crew from arrows and firearms. True, the project did not come to practical implementation.
Crawler
The idea of creating armored mechanisms was revived in the 19th century, when engines, first steam, and then internal combustion and electric, became widespread.
The first known project, which combined the current elements of a tank - caterpillar tracks, engine, artillery and machine gun armament and armor protection, was developed by the French engineer Edouard Bouyen in 1874. His car was supposed to weigh about 120 tons and reach speeds of up to 10 km per hour. The planned armament is 12 cannons and 4 mitrailleuses (predecessors of the machine gun). The number of crew was amazing - 200 fighters! This project was patented, but remained on paper.
The impetus for the development of tank forces was given by the battles of the First World War. After a relatively short period of maneuver, a protracted positional period began. There was a crisis of military thought. Saturation of infantry with rapid-fire rifles, machine guns, artillery, engineering equipment defensive lines led to the fact that neither side was able to break through the front. Dense rifle and machine gun fire literally mowed down the advancing troops. At the cost of huge losses, only small tactical successes were achieved. Some completely new methods of breaking into defensive formations were needed. It was then that the first tanks entered the war arena, along with poisonous gases.
The British are considered the founders of tanks. It was they who first put them into mass production and used them on the battlefield. However, the issue of primacy is quite controversial. The fact is that the Russian engineer Porokhovshchikov developed back in 1914 and in 1915 created a model of an “all-terrain vehicle” with a caterpillar drive, weighing 4 tons, with a crew of 2 people. The project was highly approved and tested, but for some unclear bureaucratic reasons it was not until serial production not completed. The tests took place in May 1915, that is, several months earlier than the British.
However, England is considered the official birthplace of tanks. This is where the modern name comes from. By the way, there are discrepancies on this matter. According to one version, the tank (in English this means tank, tank) was so named due to its external resemblance to a metal tank. Another version says that this happened during a secret operation to transport combat vehicles to the theater of military operations, when they were transported under the guise of containers with liquids.
The very first tanks were called Mark I, and were divided into “females” (with machine gun armament) and “males” (with mounted guns). The weight of the combat vehicle reached 8.5 tons. The height of the tank was 2.5 meters, width up to 4.3, length up to 10 meters with a wheeled “tail”. The layout of the tank was carried out according to a diamond-shaped pattern. Engine power 105 Horse power could move this armored miracle over rough terrain at speeds of up to 6 km/h. The crew of 8 people was protected by 12 mm frontal armor, which at that time was good cover from fire small arms and machine guns. They were armed with 1 gun and 4 machine guns (“males”) or 5 machine guns (“females”). The series of tanks amounted to 150 units.
First combat use tanks took place on September 15, 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. Although design flaws were immediately identified, the effect was still amazing. The armored monsters terrified the defending German soldiers. During one day of battle, the British managed to achieve tactical success, breaking through the enemy’s defenses to a depth of 5 km, suffering losses 20 times less than what had happened before.
Thus, the combat significance of tanks was proven. The development of armored vehicles continued actively in all major states. Soon it was simply impossible to imagine the armed forces without tanks.
After few years tank forces will celebrate their centenary. The appearance of the armored fighting vehicle has changed beyond recognition. But the main requirements are the same - speed, maneuverability, security and firepower.
In modern wars, tanks are one of the main types of combat vehicles, and until recently they were generally the most common mechanized weapons on the planet.
But how did people even come up with the idea to climb into a huge metal box on tracks and go kill each other? Let's try to figure it out.
Leonardo da Vinci tank and armored train on tracks
The idea of creating mobile fortresses has come to people's minds since the days of the first mass wars. At first these were chariots, then battle towers on elephants, and later the famous Wagenburgs appeared, effectively used in the Hussite wars. But all these carts were driven by horses or elephants, which were extremely vulnerable and unpredictable.
Already in those days, people began to think about self-propelled fire fortifications, and the famous Renaissance inventor Leonardo da Vinci also could not ignore this topic. He created a design for a machine made of wood and steel, moving on muscular traction. It looked like a mushroom cap, bristling with guns. Of course, it was impossible to create something like this with the technology of the 15th century, and the project remained only in the form of the author’s imagination. By the way, in 2009, American engineers created a working tank Leonadro da Vinci.
Armored train Buyena
The next stage before the appearance of tanks was the tracked armored train of the Frenchman Edouard Bouyen, who in 1874 proposed putting several cars connected to each other not on rails, but on a common track, arming this monster with guns and providing a crew of two hundred people. And although the project was rejected, the author himself believed that his invention would change the course of wars. Later this happened, although not with his combat vehicle.
The First World War and the first British tanks
With the advent of the first cars, the idea of using them in wars became obvious to everyone. Therefore, already before the First World War, almost all the armies of the leading powers had their own fleet of armored vehicles, and real armored trains were also in use.
The disadvantages of these combat vehicles were natural. For armored vehicles, it is impossible to drive over rough terrain and overcome obstacles and trenches, and for armored trains, they are tied to the rails. Therefore, when, during protracted battles, the armies of the opposing countries increasingly began to dig in, build many kilometers of anti-personnel barriers from mines and barbed wire, use machine guns and shrapnel shells that literally mow down the advancing infantry, it became clear to the engineers that something had to be done.
When in 1915, British Colonel Ernest Swinton proposed using an armored vehicle on a tracked tractor to overcome trenches, Winston Churchill seized on this idea and created the Land Ship Committee, which urgently began development.
Hetherington machine
The most curious thing is that the same Churchill almost buried the future of tanks when he wanted to implement the idea of Major Thomas Hetherington, who proposed creating a thousand-ton monster on huge wheels, fourteen meters high and armed with naval guns. Experienced engineers explained to Minister Churchill that this colossus would immediately be shot out of cannons, so the developers turned to Swinton’s idea of creating a machine based on the American Holt-Caterpillar tracked tractor, which had long been used in the army as a tractor.
The so-called “Swinton tank” was developed in strict secrecy, and already on September 9, 1915, a prototype called “Lincoln Machine Number One” passed the first field tests, where a bunch of design flaws were discovered, after eliminating which the first working prototype of the tank appeared - Little Willie. named after developer Walter Wilson. The vehicle also had many shortcomings, and when it was redesigned to meet the requirements of the combat situation, Big Willie was created, which was adopted and sent to war under the name Mark I.
The Battle of the Somme and the debut of British tanks
What was Big Willie like? It was a thirty-ton steel box on diamond-shaped tracks, eight meters long and two and a half meters high. It did not have the usual rotating turret, as it was believed that it would make the tank too noticeable, so the weapons were installed in sponsons on the sides of the vehicle.
The first English tanks were divided into “male” and “female”. The “males” had two 57-mm cannons, while the “females” had only machine guns. The armor was bulletproof and reached ten millimeters. Well, the tank’s speed was simply “racing” - 6.4 km per hour on the highway.
But clumsiness and small armor did not prevent tanks from scaring German soldiers to death at the Battle of the Somme on September 15, 1916, when 32 combat vehicles attacked enemy fortifications, tearing apart barbed wire, making terrible noise, and shooting enemy soldiers from cannons and machine guns.
Although the disadvantages of quickly putting tanks into operation immediately became clear - after all, initially there were 49 of them, but 17 broke down even before the start of the battle. And out of 32 that went on the attack, 5 got stuck in the swamp, and 9 simply broke down without the participation of the enemy. Nevertheless, the debut was considered excellent, and a total of 3,177 Mark tanks of various modifications were created during the war.
Tank toilet and pigeon post
Little Willie
The first tanks were not models of comfort. As one of the commanders of an English tank in the First World War, a former sailor, said, such a tank rocked while moving like a combat boat in a storm. Moreover, during the battle the temperature inside rose to 50 and sometimes 70 degrees Celsius, so heatstroke and hallucinations haunted the crews at every turn. And the observation windows were often broken, and the tank crews were injured in their eyes by shrapnel.
Communication was also carried out specifically - for this purpose, cages with carrier pigeons were kept in tanks, although the birds often died from the heat, and then infantry messengers were used, which of course was very inconvenient and dangerous.
The very name “tank” appeared due to the fact that the development of the combat vehicle was carried out in the strictest secrecy, and railways the equipment was transported under the guise of self-propelled fuel tanks intended for the Russian army. They were even written in Cyrillic, although with the error “be careful Petrograa.” One of the original names for combat vehicles was “water carrier” - “water tank” or “water carrier”, which fully reflected the camouflage legend. But then it turned out that the abbreviation “WC” in English language corresponds to the commonly used expression “water closet” - that is, a water-flush toilet.
Nobody wanted to sit in an office under such a sign and constantly fight off those who wanted to relieve themselves, and then the word “tank” appeared.
German tanks and the first oncoming tank battle
At first, the Germans did not take seriously the idea of fighting with tanks, but when they realized it, they began to urgently rivet their vehicles. And everything would have been fine, but there was just too little time and money, so the end result was an extremely strange metal monster - A7V, a huge steel box, a three-meter high car on tracks, seven meters long and weighing thirty tons, with 57 mm a cannon sticking out of the nose and five machine guns. There were 18 people in the crew!
The most interesting thing is that the colossus had thirty-millimeter armor and speed on the highway - as much as 12 km per hour. German soldiers nicknamed their tank a “heavy camp kitchen” for its enormous size, terrible heat inside and constant smoke from all the cracks.
But it was these terrible self-propelled pans that took place in the first oncoming tank battle in history, which took place on April 24, 1918 at Villers-Bretonneux, when three German A7V tanks collided with three British heavy Mark IV and seven light tanks"Whippet".
For both sides, the battle was completely unexpected, and the British suddenly discovered that the machine gun armament of the two “females” and all the light tanks could not do anything with the German armor. Therefore, having received several holes, the “females” retreated, and the “male” - the only one with cannon weapons - rushed into battle.
Here the experience and maneuverability of the English tank was already evident, which with a successful shot was able to damage one German vehicle, which was then abandoned by the crew, and force the rest to retreat, so, formally, victory remained with the British.
The German tanks were not bad, but here’s the problem - by the end of the war, 21 of them were produced, while the British had 3177 tanks, as we wrote above. And this is not counting the tanks of France.
This is how the formidable fighting machines of our time began their journey - like funny and at the same time terrible rattling metal boxes, crawling across the battlefield at a snail's pace and communicating with each other using carrier pigeons.
