Difference between revisions of "T-26"

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m (Ammunition: Updated shell penetrations)
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! colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 
! colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 
|-
 
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| rowspan="2" | 9.8 || rowspan="2" colspan="1" | N/A || colspan="1" | 33 (AB)  
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| rowspan="2" | 9.8 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 33 (AB)  
 
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|30 (RB/SB)
 
|30 (RB/SB)
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! colspan="6" | [[20-К (45 mm)|45 mm 20-K]]
 
! colspan="6" | [[20-К (45 mm)|45 mm 20-K]]
 
|-
 
|-
! style="width:5em" rowspan="1" colspan="3" |Capacity
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! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
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! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
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! style="width:4em" colspan="1" |Stock
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! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" colspan="1" |Prior + Full crew
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! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" colspan="1" |Prior + Expert qualif.
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! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" colspan="1" |Prior + Ace qualif.
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! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 
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|-
 
| 3.80 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__  
 
| 3.80 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__  
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===== Ammunition =====
 
===== Ammunition =====
{| width="100%" class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 
|-
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! class="unsortable" rowspan="2" | Type of <br /> warhead
+
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 
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|-
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! 2000m
 
! 2000m
 
|-
 
|-
| BR-240 || APHEBC || 62 || 59 || 45 || 35 || 29 || 26
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| BR-240 || APHEBC ||69||68||59||50||42||35
 
|-
 
|-
| BR-240SP || AP || 73 || 68 || 51 || 35 || 25 || 17
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| BR-240SP || AP || 73 ||71||62||52||44||37
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
{| width="100%" class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 
|-
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! class="unsortable" rowspan="2" | Type of <br /> warhead
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! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
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! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
 
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
 
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|-
! style="width:5em" rowspan="1" colspan="4" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
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! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance

Revision as of 05:14, 14 August 2019

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
ussr_t_26_1940.png
T-26
AB RB SB
1.0 1.0 1.0
Class:
Research:Free
Purchase:Free
Show in game

Description

GarageImage T-26.jpg


The T-26 mod. 1939 is a reserve rank I Soviet light tank with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. It is a tiny tank with rather thin armour, but with a heavy hitting 45 mm cannon that can devastate most enemies at its battle rating.

This is the Soviet starter tank, unlike its German counterpart, the PzKpfw II Ausf.C, it has a single-shot cannon, that makes it more suitable for ranged engagements. With its poor armour, it is recommended to stay at distance from autocannons and HMGs since they can shred the T-26 pretty easily at any angle. With light armour, average mobility and a good gun for its rank, the T-26 is a frontline support. This is definitively not representative of later Soviet tanks but is a good trainer since it is forgiving and harder to play than later tanks.

General info

Survivability and armour

This is definitively the worst characteristic of this vehicle: armour is flat and thin on all sides. Do not expose yourself to enemy fire. Crew placement is not lined up from the front, meaning shells without HE filler can take up to 3 shots before being destroyed. Beware HMG and autocannons.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 15 mm (22°) Front plate
7 mm (64-80°) Front glacis
15 mm (6-52°) Lower glacis
15 mm (21-23°) Top
15 mm (0°) Bottom
15 mm (0°) Top
15 mm (12°) Bottom
10 mm Hull
6 mm Rear
Turret 15 mm (13-15°) Turret front
15 mm (5-44°) Gun mantlet
15 mm (17-19°) 15 mm (17°) 10 mm

Notes

  • Suspension wheel are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 6 mm thick

Mobility

While being a light tank, its mobility is one of a medium. It will carry you where you want to be, provided you choose your route well and avoid tricky manoeuvres. Reverse speed, while not great (-6 km/h), can save you from some bad situations, provided cover is not too far behind.

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons)
Max speed (km/h)
9.8 N/A 33 (AB)
30 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 141 174
Realistic/Simulator 80 91
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 14.39 17.75
Realistic/Simulator 8.16 9.28

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: 20-К (45 mm)

The 20-K is the typical Soviet rank 1 gun, players should get used to it since it will be your main armament up until rank 2. This gun has a good amount of HE filler, meaning penetrating shells will do good damage, sometimes even one-shot enemies. In longer ranges, shells begin to lose penetration and accuracy: it is not made for sniping. Try to bring ~10-15 BR-240SP (pure AP shells) for heavier targets. This gun is very forgiving to beginners since it has very fast reload speed and turret traverse.

45 mm 20-K
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
205 -5°/+28° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 9.50 13.20 _.__ _.__ _.__
Realistic 9.50 11.20 _.__ _.__ _.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
3.80 _.__ _.__ _.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
BR-240 APHEBC 69 68 59 50 42 35
BR-240SP AP 73 71 62 52 44 37
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
Normalization At 30°
from horizontal:
Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
BR-240 APHEBC 760 1.4 1.2 15 32.3 +4° 48° 63° 71°
BR-240SP AP 757 1.4 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the T-26.
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
205 165 (+40) 124 (+81) 83 (+122) 42 (+163) (+204) Yes

Turret empty: 124 (+81)

Machine guns

Main article: DT (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm DT
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
1,890 (63) 600 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good penetration even at distance.
  • Post penetration damage is excellent.
  • Decent reload time.
  • Fast turret rotation speed.
  • Good gun depression.
  • The ammo rack is difficult to destroy.
  • Can carry huge amount of ammo.
  • Free repairs and main ammo, allows for mistakes

Cons:

  • Sometimes the gun is inaccurate.
  • Exposed driver, prone to be injured.
  • Thin armour compared to the PzKpfw II Ausf.C.
  • Tall profile compared to the PzKpfw II Ausf.C.
  • Very weak roof armour, vulnerable to machine gun fire from airplanes.
  • Poor top speed, woeful reverse.
  • .50 cal is enough to penetrate this vehicle.
  • Very slow at scaling hills due to weak engine power.
  • Only 3 crew members.
  • One shot from the side will knock out all the crew.

History

Development

The T-26 light tank design is derived from the British Vickers 6-ton tank. In early 1930s, a Soviet buying committee traveled to Britain and purchased tanks, tractors, and cars for use in the Soviet Union, of which the Vickers tank was chosen. Fifteen Twin-turreted Vickers tank arrived into the Soviet Union in May 1930, equipped with only machine guns. Four more Vickers were delivered at the end of 1930, these being the single-turret variants with a 47 mm gun, and the deliveries were finished by 1932. The Vickers-produced tanks were designated as the V-26.

The Vickers 6-ton tank competed with several Soviet designs for the "most suitable" tank design for Soviet use. One such competitor was the Soviet T-19 light tank, which had advantages over the Vickers design, but also disadvantages. The T-19 designer, S. Ginzburg, suggested for a "hybrid" tank to be built off the features of the T-19 and the Vickers tank. But in January 1931, intelligence picked up that Poland bought up many foreign tanks from Britain and France with license to mass-produce them. This information pressured the Soviet military council to adopt the foreign tanks into Soviet usage, thus the Vickers 6-ton tank, under the designation as the T-26, was accepted into service in February 13, 1931 as the main-stay of the Red Army's armoured forces.

Although outclassed later in the war, it was considered one of the more successful and widely produced tank model in the 1930s. It, along with the BT light tanks, composed of the majority of Russia's armoured forces in late 1930s. It weighed just a little under 10 tons, had 15 mm thick armour in front, with a 45 mm 20K gun, and had a crew of three people. The Bolshevik Factory in Leningrad was the first factory to start producing the T-26 from June 1931, and production of the tank lasted from then until 1941.

Variants

During its production life, many variants of it was made for different purposes, up to 53 different ones to fit different roles, though only 23 would see service in production. Such designs included changes like a twin-turreted version (some with only machine guns and some with cannons), command tanks, added armour, artillery tanks (such as the T-26-4), flamethrower tanks, remote-controlled tanks, or just armoured carriers to tow artillery and such. Others were simply modified variants of the normal variants such as the T-26E, which was the base single-turreted T-26 design with 30-40 mm applique armour made during the Winter War, which made them more resilient to the Finnish anti-tank weapons.

All these tanks produced in the span of 1931 to 1941 made up a total 10,300 tanks, and 1,701 other variants of it, for a total of 12,001 units produced.

Combat usage

The T-26 first saw combat in the Spanish Civil War, where it showed its superiority over the current tanks of the period fielded by Italy and Germany. Then it saw combat against the Japanese in the Soviet-Japanese border conflicts at Lake Khasan and Khalkhin Gol, which exposed some of the design defects such as poor armour welding and the disadvantages of riveted constructions (the rivet would break off and could harm the crew inside). After that, the T-26 saw service in the Invasion of Poland and the Winter War against Finland. The Winter War effectively showed the Soviets that the T-26 was obsolete, as the 37 mm guns and anti-tank rifles and Finnish have could penetrate the light armour of the T-26. When World War II for Russia finally broke out in Operation Barbarossa, the T-26 proved inferior to the German's Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs, plus the air supremacy of the Luftwaffe ensured many tanks were lost in the opening stages of Barbarossa.

The T-26 at this point also were breaking down and the lack of spare parts made repairs hard, resulting in multiple T-26 units also being knocked out for being irrecoverable. The T-26 was gradually phased from service by the new, venerable T-34 medium tanks, which gave Germany a run for their money. The T-26 still saw service in the war as a second-line unit, as it was still fighting in the Battle of Moscow of 1941, Stalingrad of 1942, and in Manchuria in 1945.

Survivors

A number of survivors exist today in different museums, about 45 of them are still intact. A majority of them are in Russia, Spain, and Finland, where they saw most of their services.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

See also

  • T-26-4 - Artillery version of the vehicle with a 76 mm howitzer
  • BT-5 - Other reserve vehicle for the USSR
  • Pz.II C - Comparable vehicle in German tech tree
  • M2A4 - Comparable vehicle in USA tech tree.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • encyclopedia page on tank;
  • other literature.


USSR light tanks
T-26  T-26 · T-26 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-26-4 · T-26E
BT  BT-5 · RBT-5 · BT-7 · BT-7 TD · BT-7M · BT-7A (F-32)
T-50  T-126 · T-50
T-70  T-70 · T-80
PT-76  PT-76B · PT-76-57 · Object 906
BMP  BMP-1 · BMP-2 · BMP-2M · BMP-3
BMD  BMD-4
2S25  2S25 · 2S25M
Wheeled  BA-11 · BTR-80A
Other  T-60 · Object 685 · 2S38
China  ▂Type 62