T-26-4

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This page is about the Soviet light tank T-26-4. For other versions, see T-26 (Family).
T-26-4
ussr_t_26_4.png
GarageImage T-26-4.jpg
ArtImage T-26-4.png
T-26-4
AB RB SB
1.0 1.0 1.0
Class:
Research:2 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:700 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The T-26-4 is a rank I Soviet light tank with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.51 "Cold Steel". It is a variant of the T-26 with a 76 mm howitzer.

The T-26-4 is a rather unusual tank, combining average speed, thin armour and a large gun. It uses the same hull as T-26 and an enlarged turret not dissimilar to the T-28's main turret, able to mount the 76mm KT-28 howitzer.

This tank and its gun can be roughly compared to its German peer, the Pz.IV C and its 7.5 cm KwK37.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull15 / 15 / 15
Turret15 / 15 / 15
Crew3 people
Visibility75 %

15 mm thick plates cover most of the visible parts of the tank but this is thin, even for the BR. With just 3 crew members and slow speed, the chances of surviving for extended periods in front-line combat are low. However, a skilled tanker can use the small profile of the tank to hide in ambush positions and utilize its 76 mm APHEBC rounds to destroy light and medium targets.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 15 mm (18°) Driver's plate
15 mm (1°) Front plate
7 mm (64-80°)
Front glacis
15 mm (6-52°)
Lower glacis
15 mm (0-1°) 15 mm (1-31°) Top
15 mm (11°) Bottom
10 mm Hull
6 mm Rear
Turret 15 mm (0-3°) Turret front
15 mm (6-7°) Gun mantlet
15 mm (0-1°) 15 mm (1°) 10 mm

Notes:

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

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB34 / 4 km/h
RB and SB31 / 4 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight11.0 t
Engine power
AB174 hp
RB and SB91 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB15.8 hp/t
RB and SB8.3 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 34 4 11 141 174 12.82 15.82
Realistic 31 4 80 91 7.27 8.27

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB106 → 136 Sl icon.png
RB95 → 122 Sl icon.png
SB111 → 142 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications2 970 Rp icon.png
890 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost190 Ge icon.png
Crew training200 Sl icon.png
Experts1 000 Sl icon.png
Aces20 Ge icon.png
Research Aces96 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
10 / 10 / 20 % Sl icon.png
100 / 100 / 100 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
60 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
165 Rp icon.png
Cost:
50 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
165 Rp icon.png
Cost:
50 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
250 Rp icon.png
Cost:
75 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
320 Rp icon.png
Cost:
95 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
320 Rp icon.png
Cost:
95 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
60 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
165 Rp icon.png
Cost:
50 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement ussr.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
250 Rp icon.png
Cost:
75 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
60 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
165 Rp icon.png
Cost:
50 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
250 Rp icon.png
Cost:
75 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
320 Rp icon.png
Cost:
95 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png

As usual, Parts and FPE are the most important modules to research first. After that, mobility upgrades will be very useful, since the tank has below-average mobility when stock. Even more important than mobility, perhaps, are the Horizontal Drive and Elevation Mechanism modifications. These will improve the vehicle's poor turret traverse speeds. Finally, the BR-350A APHEBC shell has more penetration and contains more explosive filler than the stock Shrapnel shell. If you are having difficulties with penetrating or destroying enemy targets using the Shrapnel shell, this modification will prove invaluable.

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition50 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
5.2 → 4.0 s
Vertical guidance-5° / 21°
Main article: KT-28 (76 mm)
76 mm KT-28 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 50 -5°/+21° ±180° N/A 15.2 21.1 25.6 28.3 30.1 5.20 4.60 4.24 4.00
Realistic 9.5 11.2 13.6 15.0 16.0

Ammunition

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-350A (MD-5 fuze) APHEBC 37 37 33 30 27 24
OF-350M HE 11 11 11 11 11 11
Sh-353 Shrapnel 27 25 21 19 16 12
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-350A (MD-5 fuze) APHEBC 370 6.3 1.2 14 155 48° 63° 71°
OF-350M HE 387 6.2 0.05 0.1 710 79° 80° 81°
Sh-353 Shrapnel 381 6.2 0.5 8 85 62° 69° 73°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the T-26-4
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
50 45 (+5) 39 (+11) 29 (+21) (+49) No

Note:

  • Turret empty: 39 (+11) shells.

Machine guns

Ammunition1 890 rounds
Belt capacity63 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Ammunition1 890 rounds
Belt capacity63 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main article: DT (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm DT
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 1,890 (63) 600 N/A N/A
Rear 1,890 (63) 600 ±15° ±15°

The small calibre of the 7.62mm DT machine gun makes it largely ineffective against armoured vehicles except for ones with extremely thin armor or an open compartment. Despite this, the machine gun can still be used to ping targets as a rangefinding tool or to mow down minor obstacles that are blocking your line of sight. The clip capacity of the DT is poor compared to belt-fed machine guns like the M1919A4 as it relies on pan magazines with 63 bullets each and will have to reload in-between.

Usage in battles

All three of this tank's shells have a very low muzzle velocity, which means that engaging targets at long range, or even at medium range, is difficult. Users of the T-26-4 may find that the vehicle does the most damage up close, where aiming is easier. Fortunately, most engagements at this tier are close-quarters.

The lack of armour is really something to be kept in mind, as machine guns like the M2HB will be able to go through your thickest pieces of armour (15 mm). Due to this, it is recommended to attempt to avoid enemy vehicles and situations in which they can get the first shot. Driving under cover is advisable to avoid being spotted. If you spot an enemy vehicle, it is highly recommended to engage and destroy them as soon as possible to avoid them becoming a threat.

Staying under trees and close to buildings is also recommended if there are enemy aircraft above, as enemy aircraft like the He 112 A-0, the D.501, and the F3F-2 are capable of punching through the T-24-4's thin armor with their heavier armaments. Not to mention many aircraft carry bombs. Large bombs that land close to the T-24-4 have a high chance of significantly damaging or destroying the vehicle. If you are out in the open and hear a loud siren, it may mean that an incoming German Ju 87 B-2 Stuka is carrying a bomb with your name on it.

In terms of mobility, this vehicle sometimes struggles to get into the close engagements that it can be effective in. It has quite poor mobility compared to its peers (the BT-5, for example), and therefore can miss out on the first stages of a battle. The slow speed also means that long flanking manoeuvres may be difficult to pull off. Therefore, this tank finds success as an ambusher or as a direct supporter of friendly vehicles. It is suggested that team play is vital to being successful in this vehicle.

The T-26-4 has quite a high-calibre gun for this rank, but the stock shrapnel shell has poor penetration (despite its high post-penetration damage). It is often unable to penetrate enemy tanks frontally, and against some vehicles, such as the Pz.III E, it can't penetrate even the side armour. This makes flanking even more important for this vehicle--otherwise, the player will often find themselves unable to deal damage to the enemy. Once the BR-350A shell is researched, the gun will be able to penetrate most tanks at this battle rating through their frontal armour, and finding side-shots will become less important.

If possible it is recommended to try to concentrate your fire on lightly armoured vehicles--It's dangerous to go alone, so be sure to stay near teammates. Otherwise, you may risk an encounter with a tank that you won't be able to penetrate.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Gun can easily destroy many enemies with a single shot (APHEBC)
  • Manoeuvrability is quite good
  • Decent reload speed
  • Somewhat bouncy turret cheeks
  • High shell drop can allow firing at targets over hills
  • Small size allows it to hide in small places

Cons:

  • Thin armour
  • The three crew members are packed tightly together which reduces survivability
  • Poor mobility overall; has low top speed due to its weak engine
  • Very slow reverse speed of only -3 km/h
  • Average turret rotation and hull traverse
  • Average -5° gun depression limits its potential in hilly terrains
  • High shell drop can be tricky to learn
  • Some ammo racks are located inside the turret which may explode when hit

History

The T-26-4 light tank is a variant of the T-26 light tank in Soviet services. Instead of mounting a 45mm 20-K cannon as its main armament, the T-26-4 mounts the 76mm KT-28 tank gun. This modification is intended to allow the T-26 to fill the role of an infantry support artillery vehicle. The turret is similar to the T-28 medium tank's turret, if not the same.

The T-26-4 design was tested in October 1933 with five prototypes constructed. It was in these trials that the 76.2 mm KT cannon was chosen instead of the more powerful and innovative 76.2 mm PS-3 cannon because the PS-3's recoil caused damage to the prototype chassis it was fitted to. A production run of 50 of the 76.2 mm KT - armed tanks was scheduled in 1935, but an incident on September 19, 1934, with an accidental shell detonation, caused the Soviet military to cancel the order. The T-26-based artillery idea was brought up again in 1939 with a proposal for a new turret armed with the 76 mm L-10, but this was rejected by engineers as they determined that the ageing T-26 chassis would not be able to handle the extra modifications.

The T-26-4's turret was later re-developed and used on the BT-7A light tank in 1939-1940, intended for the same role.

In-game description

An experimental version of a fire support light tank. Even before the T-26 began serial production the authorities of the Red Army raised the question of enhancing the tank's weaponry and building a fire-support tank. The process of designing a turret for the 76 mm cannon began in February, 1932. An experimental model of the T-26-4 was built in November, 1932. After it underwent successful testing in 1933 the factory received an order to build a base batch of five vehicles. The new vehicles entered military testing in 1934. After testing was complete an experimental batch of 50 vehicles was planned. However, during a drill near Leningrad an incident occurred, after which the decision was made to cancel the production of the experimental batch. All further work on this vehicle was cancelled.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis:

External links


Experimental Design and Mechanical Engineering Department
Light Tanks 
T-26  T-26 · T-26 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-26E · T-26-4
T-50  T-50 · T-126
Heavy Tanks  T-35
Tank Destroyers  SU-5-1 · SU-100Y
Export 
T-26  ␗T-26 · T-26 No.531
See Also  Omsk Transport Engineering Plant

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