T-37 Amphibious tanks

Ostland [SPR] · (This post was last modified: 08-11-2009, 06:37 AM by Ostland [SPR].)

PzC Smolensk '41:

T-37 Amphibious tanks ,аnd in game is not present...
Not amphibious in game...

[Image: -37.jpg]

Glenn Saunders · 08-11-2009, 07:42 AM,

Ostland Wrote:PzC Smolensk '41:

T-37 Amphibious tanks ,аnd in game is not present...
Not amphibious in game...

I don't think there was any truly Amphibous tanks in WWII, let alone in the Soviet Army in 1941. One could make them Amphious in the OOB if you liked but I'd say it would lead to more gamey stuff than real historical capabilities. Keep in mind each unit in the game is representing more than just the FACING main fighting unit.

Glenn

Al · 08-11-2009, 09:43 AM,

The Volcano Man mod of the Smolensk '41 OOB does have these tagged with amphibious capabilty...and greatly reduced soft and hard attack values.

Like you, Ostland, I noticed that the stock version of the OOB did not have these tanks listed as amphibious so I did some checking....But, trying to find out any information about an obscure Russian tank, it wasn't easy. These tanks went through some extensive testing in the water so I think an amphibious tag could be warranted. I couldn't really find out much about their operational history so I am assuming that they weren't too successful. Given their meager armor & armament & that they were designed primarily as scouting tanks I think my assumption is reasonable.

Given all that, I couldn't decide what to do but since there is the stock option and the Volcano mod option I left it at that.

Scar · 08-11-2009, 01:43 PM,

I just did a quick internet search and they have this picture of the tank crossing the water.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-37_tank

Al · (This post was last modified: 08-12-2009, 01:28 AM by Al.)

I did a little more checking around the net.

This site... http://rkkaww2.armchairgeneral.com/

has just as much info as any other, especially technical information, but is sketchy on operational usage of the T-37. But does list some of the operations the T-37 was used.

Glenn Saunders · 08-12-2009, 04:13 AM,

The image here shows a unit of 23 tanks which your point is should be amphibious in the game. I guess my point is there is more than 23 vehicles in the UNIT and they are linke not all Amphibious - thus I wouldn't make the full units AMPHIBIOUS. The picture shows a single tank in the water - no note od dpth, and it doesn't show much current either. Yet make the unit amphibious and the entire unit can swim across the Dniepr River entering and leaving the water from any hex side.

For me this discussion is more about the BIGGER picture. The picture also gives the Unit a SPEED of 9 km per hour but I'll bet you can find this single vehicle can do much better than 9 km even cross country. But the 9 km is the designated UNIT speed.

Glenn

Al · 08-12-2009, 05:21 AM,

Glenn Saunders Wrote:...For me this discussion is more about the BIGGER picture. ...

I was keeping that in mind when I initially thought about giving this unit an amphibious tag. From my perspective in this case, the unit needs to not only have the full technical capability but also have been used this way operationally. From what little I have been able to gather this tank may have been used in an amphibious river crossing (the Svir River) up in the Leningrad sector, which Smolensk doesn't cover (although Leningrad would be a good title Big Grin

) - and that's about it.

Anyhow, early Soviet tank development & usage is an intersting historical topic.

AMVAS · 08-28-2009, 12:16 AM,

Al Wrote:I did a little more checking around the net.

This site... http://rkkaww2.armchairgeneral.com/

has just as much info as any other, especially technical information, but is sketchy on operational usage of the T-37. But does list some of the operations the T-37 was used.

Mainly T-37A as well as their brothers T-38 and T-40 were used in recon battalions of tank divisions in mechanised corps.
Most of them were lost in first months of the war due to low reliability and thin armor.
I can guess they were used in Neva landing operations near Leningrad (1941) and Svir' river crossing in 1944 (the last known usage of that kind of tanks as amphibious ones).
Also it's interesting to mention the 40th Tank Division/19th Mechanised Corps/South-western front had 139 T-37 "in addition" to its 19 T-26.
T-37 could be noticed in fights from the Crimea to Murmansk direction.
But due to operative situation most of them were lost in surface fights and because of different breakages, as they were shabby enough been produced several years before the war.

Regards
Alex