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T-10 Heavy Tank

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Description

Entered Service: 1953

Crew: 4

Weight: 114,640 pounds (57.32 tons/51.99 tonnes)

Main Armament: One D-25T 122mm gun (M-62-T2 L/43 on T-10M); 30 shells (50 on T-10M)

Secondary Armament: Two DshKM 12.7mm machine guns, one coaxle, one on turret roof (KPVT 14.4mm on T-10M)

Armour: 20-250mm (0.79-10.8in)

Dimensions: Length (gun forward): 34ft 9in (10.6m); Length (hull): 23ft 1in (7.04m); Width: 11ft 8in (3.566m); Height: 8ft (2.43m) (excluding anti-aircraft machine gun)

Engine: V-2-IS (VK2), 12 cylinder, water cooled diesel developing 700hp at 2000rpm

Performance: Road Speed: 26.1mph (42km/h); Range: 155.3 miles (250km); Verticle Obstacle: 2ft 11in (0.9m); Trench: 9ft 10in (3m); Gradient: 60%




After several mock-ups, prototypes, and failed designs of the IS-4 through IS-7, a new tank, IS-8, was produced. It was more like an updated IS-3 than those above, but with a new turret, a longer, wider, hull (resulting in a seventh road wheel), new gun, and other improvements. After successful test, many improvements were made. So many, in fact, it was reclassified IS-9 and finally IS-10. However, due to Stalin's death in 1953, it was quickly renamed T-10.
The crew layout is typical. The driver sits in the front and center of the hull. The commander, gunner, and loader sit in the turret; the loader is on the right, and other two on the left.
The main gun is a D-25T, the same mounted in the IS-2 and IS-3, but with a bore evacuater. 30 shells are carried, being of APHE and HE type. At 2,000 meters, the APHE can penetrate 100mm of armour at 90°. (Note: method of testing on said penetration may be different than one that will be told later.) Both types have a muzzle velocity of 800m/s (2,624ft/s). When the T-10M model came in 1957, a longer gun was introduced, which can be identified by its multi-baffle muzzle brake. (5 holes instead of 2) In 1967, T-10Ms were supplied with APDS and HEAT shells. The HEAT shell has a muzzle velocity of 900m/s (2,953ft/s), and can penetrate 460mm (18in) of armour. In addition, the 12.7mm machine guns were replaced with 14.5 mm ones. T-10Ms also had infra-red night vision equipment fitted. Some also had a sheet metal stowage bin welded on the rear of the turret.
The T-10s were deployed in independent tank regiments belonging to armies, and independent tank battalions belonging to divisions. These independent tank units could be attached to mechanized units, to support infantry operations, and perform breakthroughs. The T-10 was the last heavy tank the U.S.S.R. Produced, being replaced by the T-55s and T-62s it was supposed to support, and they had armour and armament comparable with T-10s, but faster and lighter. The last known usage of the T-10 in Russian service was in 1993.

Sources

Miller, David, (2003) The Great Book of Tanks. London: Salamander Books Ltd.
ISBN 1-84065-539-9

Forty, George (2005, 2006) The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World. London: Anness Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-681-45905-0

Last Heavy Tanks of the USSR. (1998) The Russian Battlefield. [link]
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