T-10M

This page is about the Soviet heavy tank T-10M. For the other version, see T-10A.

T-10M

IS-4M

Object 435

T-10M

IS-4M

Object 435

USSR

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
8.0	8.3	8.3

Class:

Heavy tank

Research:135 000

Purchase:380 000

Show in game

Description

The T-10M is a rank VI Soviet heavy tank with a battle rating of 8.0 (AB) and 8.3 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.51 "Cold Steel".

The T-10 is a Soviet heavy tank from the Cold War that is the last of the IS series. It was originally named the IS-10, but after Iosif Stalin's death in 1953 and the general sentiment surrounding that event, it was renamed to simply T-10. The T-10 was in production between 1953 and 1966, which allowed the Soviet Union to put out just under 1,500 of them.

The T-10 was better than its predecessors in almost every way: firepower, speed, armour and efficiency. It was a very promising breakthrough, that came too late. In the game, the T-10 plays like a medium tank with just below-average mobility, although it can easily reach speeds of up to 40 km/h. Arguably, its only disadvantage is the sluggish reload speed.

However, in the 1960s, the Soviets have realized that the concept of the main battle tank (MBT), was much more efficient. Guns of similar firepower, as well as reasonable armour, could be placed on a medium tank, which would be much more mobile than a heavy tank. That suited the Soviets because MBTs could be used in many more types of operations than the T-10, or a similar tank.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

ESS

Creation of a smoke screen in the direction of movement of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull120 / 80 / 60

Turret250 / 157 / 102

Crew4 people

Visibility93 %

From being one of the most feared tanks in the game, the T-10M is now very often overlooked. Its armour is called out-of-date, easily over-matched by new APFSDS rounds even when at an angle.

Frontally, the T-10M's armour ranges from 200 mm (LFP) to 250 mm (peak of the pike) to over 300 mm around the turret. That is not bad, especially for hull-down positions where the T-10M can present only its turret. When compared to the Chieftains (Mk 3 and Mk 5, without composite armour), the T-10M has more hull armour, and even a more evenly protected turret (Chieftains have a weaker side on the left when facing one frontally).

Angling your hull is not effective, it's detrimental. For instance, the stock round on the Leopard A1A1 (DM13, APDS round) cannot penetrate your upper pike or your turret, only the LFP. However, if you present your side, it negated the angling of the pike and allows the Leopard to get through, usually hitting your driver and the ammunition. The story is the same with almost every vehicle - you shouldn't angle.

Lastly, mind that you have 3 crew members sitting in line on your left side when looking from the T-10M, that presents an opportunity to knock the tank out with a single shot for any opponent that can penetrate your pike. Although, your driver is almost always knocked out, which means that you can't reverse into cover, so try not to get shot.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
• Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	120 mm (57°) Front glacis 120 mm (49°) Lower glacis 40,60 mm (78-79°) Driver's port	120 mm (50°) Top 80 mm (0-64°) Middle 30 mm (60°) Bottom	50 mm (53°) Top 60 mm (21°) Bottom	30 mm
Turret	120-250 mm (26-60°) Turret front 100 + 250 mm (0-75°) Gun mantlet	130-190 mm (3-55°)	102 mm (21-47°)	30 mm
Cupola	40 mm	40 mm	30 mm	30 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.
• Turret side armour is not equally thick, ranging from 130 mm to 190 mm in some areas.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB54 / 11 km/h

RB and SB51 / 10 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

2 back

Weight50.0 t

Engine power

AB1 431 hp

RB and SB750 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB28.6 hp/t

RB and SB15.0 hp/t

The T-10M is surprisingly agile. Its top speed of 50 km/h is on par with MBTs; however, it is rarely reached. Its acceleration is great, enabling you to reach strategic locations relatively quickly.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	54	11	50	968	1,431	19.36	28.62
Realistic	51	10		663	750	13.26	15

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB5 741 → 7 847

RB6 265 → 8 564

SB11 861 → 16 213

Total cost of modifications110 200

195 000

Talisman cost2 300

Crew training110 000

Experts380 000

Aces1 400

Research Aces830 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

150 / 210 / 250 %

208 / 208 / 208 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 8 100 Cost: 13 000 270 Suspension Research: 6 800 Cost: 11 000 230 Brake System Research: 6 800 Cost: 11 000 230 Filters Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 600 200 Transmission Research: 9 800 Cost: 16 000 330 Engine Research: 9 800 Cost: 16 000 330	Improved Parts Research: 2 400 Cost: 13 000 270 Improved FPE Research: 2 000 Cost: 11 000 230 Crew Replenishment Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 600 200 ESS Research: 9 800 Cost: 16 000 330	Horizontal Drive Research: 8 100 Cost: 13 000 270 Adjustment of Fire Research: 6 800 Cost: 11 000 230 Elevation Mechanism Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 600 200 122mm_APDS_ammo_pack Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 600 200 Smoke grenade Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 600 200 122mm_HEAT_ZBK_ammo_pack Research: 9 800 Cost: 16 000 330

Armaments

Main armament

122 mm M-62-T2S cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition30 rounds

First-order7 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

19.5 → 15.0 s

Vertical guidance-4° / 15°

The T-10M features a powerful gun which is able to knock out all the tanks it faces with a single shot thanks to the diverse ammunition it gets. The main gun is capable of defeating almost all vehicles frontally at the br it sits at (with exception of the Maus and E-100).

122 mm M-62-T2S					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	30	-4°/+15°	±180°	Two-plane	13.8	19.0	23.1	25.6	27.2	20.0	17.2	15.9	15.0
Realistic					10.1	11.9	14.5	16.0	17.0

Ammunition

BR-472 APCBC - This is the first ammunition the T-10M has access to which is considered as the "weak" ammunition. Despite having a "low" penetration (has 295 mm at 10 m at 0°) it should not be underestimated. It should be your main ammunition in almost all sorts of engagements. It has the penetration to deal with all heavy tanks frontally (with exception of Maus, E-100) as well as enough fuse sensitivity to explode inside lightly armoured vehicles which will be the main enemies at the battle rating (Leopard 1, AMX-30, Centurions, etc). This round is a guaranteed knock-out with a single shot 99% of the time due to its tremendous explosive power if aimed correctly (184.5 g of TNT equivalent). The BR472 should not be underestimated.

3BM-11 APDS - This is the most reliable round to use at distances when speed is crucial (1,620 m/s). It has enough penetration to deal the with everything but Maus glacis but, due to being a solid shot subcalibre round, it has no explosive power. This means the APDS relies on spalling created by the armour penetration which can sometimes be crucial if killing the enemy vehicle has to be done as soon as possible. This does not mean the APDS cannot cause knock-outs with a single shot if aimed at ammunition or center of mass. Most tanks will be destroyed with a single shot at the glacis if the shot is made right at the middle of the glacis. This round should be mostly be used as a secondary round for heavily armoured targets or at far ranges in which a high velocity round is preferable.

3BK-9 HEATFS- This is the round with the most consistent penetration due to being chemical energy, on par with other HEATFS rounds at the same BR. This round can be considered the most reliable round for all sorts of engagements both at close range or at distance if single-shot knock-outs are not planned. It has a great explosive power (2.61 kg of TNT equivalent) but, due to being a hollow charge, the spalling is focused in a cone shape rather than a star shape as the APCBC. Similar to APDS, this round has to be aimed at center of mass to damage as most modules and crew members as possible due to the tightly packed spalling created. It should be noted that this round requires a clear flight path to the target as trees, bushes, fences and any obstruction will detonate it due to the fuse sensitivity. Keep this in mind.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
BR-472	APCBC	295	292	275	256	238	222
3BM-11	APDS	408	404	385	362	341	321
3BK-9	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400
OF-472	HE	35	35	35	35	35	35

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
BR-472	APCBC	950	25.1	1.2	19	184.8	48°	63°	71°
3BM-11	APDS	1,620	4.5	-	-	-	75°	78°	80°
3BK-9	HEATFS	920	18.4	0.05	0.1	2,120	65°	72°	77°
OF-472	HE	865	27.2	0.3	0.1	3,000	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Full ammo	Ammo part	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	9th rack empty	10th rack empty	11th rack empty	12th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
30	Projectiles Propellants	27 (+3) 27 (+3)	24 (+6) 24 (+6)	20 (+10) 20 (+10)	17 (+13) 17 (+13)	14 (+16) 14 (+16)	11 (+19) 11 (+19)	10 (+20) 10 (+20)	9 (+21) 9 (+21)	7 (+23) 7 (+23)	5 (+25) 5 (+25)	3 (+27) 3 (+27)	1 (+29) 1 (+29)	No

Ammo racks of the T-10M

Machine guns

14.5 mm KPVT machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition500 rounds

Belt capacity50 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate600 shots/min

14.5 mm KPVT machine gun

Ammunition250 rounds

Belt capacity50 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate600 shots/min

Vertical guidance-5° / 60°

The KPVT can be considered as the most reliable HMG (Heavy Machine Gun) in game due to multiple factors: ammunition capacity, ammunition speed and penetration, stopping power and rate of fire. It is a Jack-of-all-Trades when it comes to ground battles, it has a faster muzzle velocity than 20 mm cannons but has more destructive power than the 12.7 mm (.50 cal) machine gun, but does not get the fire rate of the 15 mm MG 151 HMG (HMG mounted on the AMX-50 Foch). The KPVT are exclusive to Soviet tanks and are able of doing multiple things:

• Immediate ground defence: this machine guns are able to damage and destroyed external components of all tanks (tracks, gun barrels, etc), destroy lightly armoured vehicles (with armour thinner than 45 mm), obstruction removal (fences, walls, etc) and spotting.
• Immediate air defence: due to having a roof mounted KPVT with a 360° rotation and a 40° elevation, it is able to critically damage low-flying aircraft. This belts have AP-I round which can cause fatal damage on all low flying aircraft (it often lights them on fire or damages engine).

14.5 mm KPVT
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	250 (50)	600	-5°/+60°	±180°
Coaxial	500 (50)	600	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

Despite being a heavy tank, the T-10M is only able to stop full calibre shells in which, at the battle rating, there is none but in some cases at 7.3 and 7.7. Due to this, the T-10M is far from being a frontline tank, meaning it has to stay away from the enemy LoS (line of sight) due to the long reload and weak armour. This does not mean it should be taken all the way through the outskirts of a map to get into position (can be done but not recommended on all maps). It should be used as a sniper in long range maps and a support vehicle in the rest. It is able to defend itself pretty well if a good defensive position is found or set. All CQC (close quarters combat) should be avoided as the extremely long reload speed invites enemy tanks to flank you from all sides. Some places in CQC environments (urban areas, city ravines, etc) can be used as choke point (holding a full street waiting for someone to push if that street is the only access point) due to its powerful gun and decent armour. This tank faces almost nothing that can be a hard cookie to crack.

List of opponents important notes when facing frontally:

• Panther/M48/Pershing: all front can be penetrated with BR472 and higher penetration rounds. Do not use 3BK-9
• M60: gun mantlet can be penetrated by BR472, hull has to be penetrated by 3BM-11 or 3BK-9
• Centurion: all front can be penetrated with BR472 and higher penetration rounds
• M103: hull has to be penetrated by 3BM-11 or 3BK-9, center of mass shot has to be done frontally as the hull and turret are curvy, hull is impenetrable by all BR472
• Maus/E-100: gun mantlet can be penetrated by all rounds, hull is impenetrable by all rounds. Side shots are safe to be done with all rounds
• Leopard 1/AMX-30: all front can be penetrated with BR472 and higher penetration rounds
• T95: gun mantlet and hull can be penetrated by BR472

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decent acceleration and top speed for a heavy tank
• Good reverse speed, as with many late Soviet heavy tanks
• Stock round has a lot of explosive filler, leading to regular knock-outs with a single shot
• 14.5mm machine guns are effective at deterring strafing aircraft and can shred lightly-armoured vehicles
• Has a two-plane Stabilizer
• Unlockable APDS and HEATFS can take on most vehicles frontally

Cons:

• Has ammunition at the rear of the turret; a shell strike there can end your game if you get flanked
• Due to the "pike" of the frontal armour, angling is not a good idea, especially against enemies with HEAT or Sabot rounds
• Armour has a hard time dealing with modern ammo types and ATGMs
• Stock round will struggle against a lot of enemies from the front due to its lack of penetration
• The unlockable APDS and HEAT-FS shells has minimal spalling effects, must aim for ammo or important crew members such as the gunner
• Slow turret rotation speed when stock and not spaded

History

Development

The desire for the successor of the IS-3 heavy tank with a more lenient weight and cost requirement brought forth a start in development in 1948. The tank labelled the IS-8, used many characteristics from the previous experimental heavy tanks, with the engine of the IS-4 and IS-6, road wheels and tracks of the IS-4, the turret traverse mechanism and suspension system from the IS-7. The IS-8 also used an improved 122 mm gun from the IS-2 and IS-3 models. The armour on the IS-8 and IS-3 were quite similar in format but was thickened on the IS-8 for improved protection. The hull was extended to make room for an engine cooling system, necessitating another road wheelset on the suspension. The IS-8 was deemed ready for production between late 1950 to early 1951, with production to begin at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (ChTZ), with reports that some IS-8 tanks were also produced at a tank plant in Omsk as well.

Stalin's death in 1953 brought forth a political situation of destalinization to eradicate the influence of the late Soviet leader. Due to this, the IS-8 heavy tanks that take its first two letters from the name of Joseph (Iosef) Stalin was renamed to the T-10. Production of the tank continued, but with implemented improvements. The T-10A model introduced a newer 122 mm D-25TS gun with a vertical stabilization system and a bore evacuator, with a rammer implemented inside the tank to ease with the loading process by helping the loaders push the rounds into the breech. The T-10's sole telescopic sight was replaced with two new sights, one periscopic and one telescopic. There was also a night-vision device and gyrocompass installed for the gunner. The next upgrade was the T-10B in the mid-1950s, which introduced a two-axis stabilization for the gun and new fire control sight inside with little changes outside. The final revision was with the T-10M in 1957, with the most notable difference being the new M-62-TS gun, which was longer than its previous iterations and presents a very unique multi-slotted muzzle brake and bore evacuator along with having a stabilization system. DShK heavy machine guns were also replaced with the newer KPVT machine guns, which benefited by being similar in ballistic characteristics with the M-62-TS gun to double as a range-finder. Another change in the T-10M was the improved 750 hp engine. The last reported change to the T-10 design was in the 1960s when the tanks went through a rebuild with a new transmission and main clutch.

By the time the T-10's production ended in 1962, a total of 8,000 of all types of T-10 heavy tanks had been manufactured, making the T-10 the most numerous Soviet heavy tank produced.

Usage

The T-10s were organized in heavy tank regiments in the same way as the IS-3s. When first introduced, the Soviet heavy tank regiments were a composite unit organized in 1947 that was made of between 44-46 heavy tanks bolstered by 21 heavy assault guns. In between 1958 and 1959, the heavy tank regiments were reorganized to consist of only heavy tanks, 100 IS-3 or T-10 tanks that made the formation quite powerful. These regiments would help make up heavy tank divisions, which would consist of two heavy tank regiments and one medium tank regiment. These heavy tank divisions, intended to drive an offensive operation, were stationed along the borders of the Soviet Union against the Western forces.

The T-10, like the IS-3, was a concern to the Western forces whose only response were the heavy M103 and Conqueror heavy tanks. The T-10 never saw combat against a Western force but was deemed invulnerable in frontal engagements against medium tanks of the time like the M48 Pattons, even when they used HEAT rounds. However, in a contest against the heavy tanks, the M103 and Conqueror presented better fire-control systems and range-finders that would benefit a well-trained and emplaced crew against an offensive force. The contest between the two sides with their heavy tanks reached a disparity with the introduction of newer tanks like the M60 and Chieftain, both which have guns able to penetrate straight through the T-10's front armour at standard ranges.

Decline and discontinuation

Though the T-10 and the Soviet heavy tank family gave a formidable opponent to the Western forces, their fame and glory became short-lived in the 1960s. The new premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, began cutbacks in the military with a new strategic goal of missiles and nuclear armament rather than with conventional forces. The heavy tanks, considered outdated, was ordered to have their production halted in 1960 by Khrushchev. His orders are not without reason, heavy tanks are difficult to maintain and transport across the huge Soviet Union, which also did not have many bridges that could support a heavy tank. Another reason was the changing anti-tank technology that made tank armour extremely vulnerable, especially against the new anti-tank missiles that are becoming more and more efficient at their task in destroying tanks. Still, the order did not mean the dissolution of heavy tank units as by 1978, there were still up to 2,300 heavy tanks in the Far East. To this day, many heavy tanks are still either in inactive reserves or dug in as pillboxes along the borders of the Soviet Union. The heavy tank's place in the Soviet Union's military was replaced by the main battle tanks (MBT) like the T-64, which presented a much better firepower, armour, and mobility for only a weight of 35 tons, a technological sign on the rising prevalence of the MBT.

Archive of the in-game description

The T-10M was an upgraded version of the T-10 heavy tank. The new vehicle's main distinction was the installation of new weaponry. The new M-62-T2S 122mm cannon was installed on the tank. The new gun was significantly more powerful than the previous one and had greater initial projectile speed and improved armour penetration. The cannon was also equipped with a two-plane stabilizer, which allowed the tank's crew to fire effectively while it was in motion. A significant increase in the tank's combat capabilities was also achieved by installing equipment for firing and driving at night. The field of vision provided by the new T-2S-29-14 periscope sight with two-plane stabilizer allowed the gun to be fired accurately both directly and from cover. The installed TPN-1 night-vision sight also made it possible to fire accurately at night at a range of up to 1,150 m (3,773 ft). The testing of the new tank was completed in December, 1956, and in September, 1957 the tank was added to the arsenal. The tank was produced at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Factory and the Leningrad Kirov Factory until 1965. According to published data, 979 vehicles were produced with this modification.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the T-10M from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #254 - Pages of History section at 03:03 discusses the T-10.

T-10M - The Last Soviet Heavy - JustinPlaysYT

What you get when tank designs from past and present collides? - T-10M - HowToPlay1337

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

• T-10A

External links

• [Devblog] Heavy Tank T-10M
• [Wikipedia] T-10 tank

References

Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (Челябинский тракторный завод)
IFVs
BMP-1	BMP-1
Heavy Tanks
KV	KV-85 · KV-122
IS-1/2	IS-1 · IS-2 · IS-2 (1944) · IS-2 "Revenge" · IS-2 No.321
T-10	T-10A · T-10M
Other IS Tanks	IS-3 · IS-4M
Tank Destroyers
KV Derivatives	SU-152
IS Derivatives	ISU-152 · ISU-122 · ISU-122S · Object 268
Export
IS-2	␗IS-2 · IS-2 No.402 · ␗IS-2 (1944)
ISU	␗ISU-152 · ␗ISU-122
IFVs	SPz BMP-1
See Also	Leningrad Kirov Plant