Tank T-46 | |
|---|---|
| Pays | Ussr |
| Type | Light tank |
| Description | Album de 66 walk-around photos of the tank T-46 |
Photo gallery on a T-46 light tank, The Russian tank T-46 is a derivative of its predecessor the T-26 tank. It was a convertible tank with the ability to switch to either "track mode" or "wheel mode" which gave it a substantial gain in speed. The turret and various equipment were retained compared to the T2-6 so this tank is considered only as an extension of the T-26 and not as a real creation, besides its production did not exceed the few dozen units because it will be very quickly outclassed by the arrival of the series of BT-5 and BT-7 tanks.
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The T-46 was an experimental Soviet light tank developed in the mid-1930s with the goal of increasing the mobility of the existing T-26 light tank. It was ultimately deemed too complex and expensive for mass production, leading to its cancellation after only a small number of prototypes and pre-production units were manufactured.
Key Characteristics and Design
The T-46 was essentially an attempt to merge the T-26’s general layout and armament with the high-speed mobility of the BT-series “fast tanks”:
- Mobility Feature: The tank was designed with a **Christie suspension** system, which allowed it to operate on either its tracks or its large road wheels (a feature known as “wheeling”). This was intended to dramatically increase its speed on prepared roads.
- Engine: It was powered by a liquid-cooled engine, with variants using up to ~330 hp, giving it a good power-to-weight ratio for a light tank.
- Speed: Top speeds were around 58 km/h (36 mph) on tracks, and potentially higher on wheels.
- Weight: Its combat weight was approximately 10.3 tonnes.
Armament and Armor
The tank carried standard Soviet light tank armament, but its armor offered minimal protection:
- Primary Armament: One 45 mm 20-K cannon, a high-velocity weapon common on Soviet tanks of the period.
- Secondary Armament: Typically included multiple 7.62 mm DT machine guns (coaxial and possibly hull-mounted). Some planned variants also incorporated a flamethrower.
- Armor: The armor was very thin, usually around 15 mm on the hull and turret front, providing protection only against small arms fire and shrapnel, but not dedicated anti-tank weapons.
Service and Legacy
The T-46 never entered full production because it was deemed technologically complex and costly, and it offered too few advantages over the existing BT-series. However, some of the handful of existing vehicles saw limited action:
- A small number were used in the Winter War against Finland in 1940.
- During the desperate defense of Moscow in 1941, some were stripped of their wheels and tracks and buried as static firing points (pillboxes) to bolster defense lines.
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