T-23 tankette
The T-23 was a prototype tankette developed by the Soviet Union during the interwar period. Only five examples of the vehicle were produced.
Design history
The development of the T-23 began in 1929. The Red Army, now with experience from the earlier T-17 tankette, began development of the T-23. The design featured two crew members (placed on a row) with a single 7.62 mm DT machine gun as the primary armament. The armour was made of riveted iron and was up to 10 mm thick on the front and sides of the vehicle. It was equipped as well with a tail, similar to that of the T-18 tank.
Many of the original design features of the tank were changed during the development. Originally the T-23 was to contain the same 35 hp four-cylinder engine as the T-18 light tank but this was eventually changed to a larger 60 hp version to enable it to reach speeds of up to 40 km/h. The length of the tank was also increased by almost 30 cm from original specifications.
Production
The T-23 never proceeded past the stage of a prototype. The design changes introduced to the tankette caused the price of production to rival that of the T-18 light tank itself, which had a much more powerful armament and a rotating turret. There were only five examples produced before the project was scrapped in favour of licensing the Carden Loyd tankette from the United Kingdom in 1930. This design was subsequently modified into the T-27 tankette and began full production in 1931.
References
- v
- t
- e
- AH-IV
- Carden Loyd
- L3/33
- L3/35
- R-1
- T-27
- T-32 (Š-I-D)
- Tančík vz. 33
- TKS
- Type 92
- Type 94
- Type 97 Te-Ke
- 7TP
- 38M Toldi I
- Char D1
- Disston Tractor Tank
- Fiat 3000
- H35
- L-60
- Light tanks Mk I–V
- Light Tank Mk VI
- Light Tank Mk VII
- LT vz. 34
- LT vz. 35
- LT vz. 38
- M1 combat car
- M2 Light Tank
- Panzer I
- Panzer II
- R35
- T-18
- T-26
- T-37
- T-38
- Type 95 Ha-Go
- Vickers 6-Ton
- Vickers-Carden-Loyd light amphibious tank
- Vickers T-15
- FCM 36
- Hotchkiss H35
- Matilda I
- T-26
experimentals
- 10TP
- FCM F1
- Grosstraktor
- Kolohousenka
- Landsverk L-120
- Leichttraktor
- Medium Mark III
- Medium Mark D
- Medium Tank A7
- Morris-Martel
- Neubaufahrzeug
- PZInż 130
- Škoda MU-4
- SMK
- Straussler V-4
- Stridsvagn m/31
- ST vz. 39
- T1 Light Tank
- T2 Medium
- T7 Combat Car
- T-19
- T-42
- T-100
- Type 87 Chi-I
- Type 91 heavy
- Type 95 heavy
- Type 97 Chi-Ni
- Type 98 Chi-Ho
- Verdeja
- Vickers A1E1 Independent
- Interwar period tanks
- List of interwar armoured fighting vehicles
Background: History of the tank, Tank classification, interwar period