T-26 mod 1938 and mod 1939

[nheather]

I know that the 1938 and 1939 versions were essentially the same, the 1939 had some minor changes such as increased armour thickness on the under-turret assembly.

 

I can also find production numbers but only for the two combined - 1,975

 

But does anyone know the relative numbers.  When German invaded Russia in 1941 would they have seen 1939 variants or would they have been pretty rare.

 

My first thought was “1939 that was up to three years before the invasion, there could have been plenty of them.  But then I read that tanks built after 1940 would have been the 1939 variants.  So now I’m thinking that the Germans would have encountered 1938 variants or earlier.

 

Any Russian amour experts able to comment.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel

 

 

[Kingsman]

I'm no expert on anything Russian, but .................

 

Over 12,000 T-26 were built between 1931 and 1941.  Model 1933 introduced the single turret with the 45mm gun and over 5,000 Model 1933 were built until 1936, making it the most numerous type.  Your "model 1938" sounds like the T-26S with the thicker hull armour and the slightly conical turret.  The 1939 model introduced the sloped hull armour and is thus recognisably quite different from all others.  But both were still known as "T-26S", hence probably the combined production figures.

 

The T-26s lost or captured in the Winter War would have been earlier models before model 1939 production had really got going. Likewise those lost in the East against the Japanese that caused the T-26S to be designed.  Some earlier models were lost or left behind in Spain.  Having seen the vulnerability of the earlier T-26s to Japanese weapons at Lake Khasan and Khalkin Gol it seems likely that some improved 1938 and 1939 models were then deployed on that front.  Units engaged in the Winter War and then withdrawn would probably have had their T-26 losses replaced with 1938 and 1939 models, and would then probably have faced the German invasion.  So it would seem entirely plausible that German forces would have encountered the 1939 model in 1941.  Apparently there were 878 T-26 in the Belorussian Front and 723 in the Ukrainian Front in 1941, accounting for only 13% of total T-26 production.  There must have been others in depth behind.

[nheather]

Many thanks.

 

Yes the 1938 and the 1939 have the conical turret.

 

In fact they don’t look a whole lot different.  The main difference is the extra sloped armour added to the 1939.  But while this sounds like a distinctive change it isn’t really that big.

 

The conical turret sits on a small under-turret assembly which sits on top of the chassis.  On the 1938 the front of this under-turret is vertical but on the 1939 it is sloped.  But this is only a small part of the superstructure so faced with photos of the 1938 and the 1939 you have to look very carefully to spot the difference.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel

[JackG]

Looking at the break down of a Soviet Tank Division in June of 1941, it was composed of two regiments.  Within each regiment was a light tank battalion and it's here one would find the T-26:

 

 

 

Light Tank Battalion

1 x T-26 HQ

9 x T-26

27 x T-26 (flame)

 

Double the above numbers for totals in a division, and with 44 Tank Divisions available on the Barbarossa front, the net total is 880 x T-26 and  2376 of the flame version.

 

Have not looked deeply into it, but probably more light tanks found within mechanized units and motorized rifles, along with possibly independent tank battalions strewn about the front.   I fear any info found on this won't break down the type of T-26 in use, as they are all just considered as light tanks.

 

regards,

Jack

[nheather]

I decided to go with a 1938.  It really doesn’t matter, it is for a wargaming model and the stats don’t differentiate anyway - a 1938 and a 1939 are identical in terms of gameplay.

 

It was just my OCD kicking in.  I decided, in my mind, that at the time of the invasion, the 1938 would have been much more numerous, with 1939 being built to replace the losses.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel