Flame-thrower tank ChT-18 (OT-1)
The USSR was preparing for war using chemical weapons. This involved not only chemical warfare agents, but also incendiary weapons and disguising agents. So-called chemical tanks in the 1930s were supposed to have the ability to attack with flamethrowers, or to infest or deodorize an area. They were also supposed to lay a smokescreen that would cover the line of tanks under attack.
Soviet military theorists raised the demand for the development of armored vehicles armed with powerful flamethrowers to eliminate live forces and equipment in field fortifications and fortresses. By order of the Red Army commander of 28 August 1931, the Main Artillery Administration (Главное артиллерийское управление, GAU) and the newly formed Military Chemical Administration (Военно-химическое управление, VOCHIMU) began work on the creation of new flamethrower and chemical tanks, which were developed as part of the rebuilds of the production tanks.
The first flame-throwing, or chemical, tank, the ChT-18 (XT-18), was created in 1931, a conversion of a production tank T-18 (MS-1). A TChP-3 tank, manufactured by the Moscow Kompressor factory, was attached to the tail spur of the T-18 tank. Pressurized air was taken from the compressor and a reducer was used to achieve working pressure in the piping. The 40 dm3 external tank was connected by a set of hoses to the smaller tank and the flamethrower in the tank turret. This arrangement did not allow full-circle rotation of the turret. The OT-1 flamethrower was built in the workshops of the Institute of Chemical Defence. Before each shot, the tank crew had to pump the incendiary mixture from the larger tank into the smaller one. The swept mixture (fuel oil-petrol) was ignited with a modified automotive candle. The range of the flamethrower was 30-35 m. The number of possible firings is unknown.
After the destruction of the OT-1 flamethrower, the development of the TCh-18 flamethrower tank was stopped in 1932. The experience gained in working on the OT-1 was later used to create production versions of the tank flamethrower.
Source:
Alexey N. Ardashev, Semyon L. Fedoseev: Flame-throwing tanks and hand flamethrowers in combat, pages: 49 to 51, ISBN: 978-5-699-68594-3
The USSR was preparing for war using chemical weapons. This involved not only chemical warfare agents, but also incendiary weapons and disguising agents. So-called chemical tanks in the 1930s were supposed to have the ability to attack with flamethrowers, or to infest or deodorize an area. They were also supposed to lay a smokescreen that would cover the line of tanks under attack.
Soviet military theorists raised the demand for the development of armored vehicles armed with powerful flamethrowers to eliminate live forces and equipment in field fortifications and fortresses. By order of the Red Army commander of 28 August 1931, the Main Artillery Administration (Главное артиллерийское управление, GAU) and the newly formed Military Chemical Administration (Военно-химическое управление, VOCHIMU) began work on the creation of new flamethrower and chemical tanks, which were developed as part of the rebuilds of the production tanks.
The first flame-throwing, or chemical, tank, the ChT-18 (XT-18), was created in 1931, a conversion of a production tank T-18 (MS-1). A TChP-3 tank, manufactured by the Moscow Kompressor factory, was attached to the tail spur of the T-18 tank. Pressurized air was taken from the compressor and a reducer was used to achieve working pressure in the piping. The 40 dm3 external tank was connected by a set of hoses to the smaller tank and the flamethrower in the tank turret. This arrangement did not allow full-circle rotation of the turret. The OT-1 flamethrower was built in the workshops of the Institute of Chemical Defence. Before each shot, the tank crew had to pump the incendiary mixture from the larger tank into the smaller one. The swept mixture (fuel oil-petrol) was ignited with a modified automotive candle. The range of the flamethrower was 30-35 m. The number of possible firings is unknown.
After the destruction of the OT-1 flamethrower, the development of the TCh-18 flamethrower tank was stopped in 1932. The experience gained in working on the OT-1 was later used to create production versions of the tank flamethrower.
Source:
Alexey N. Ardashev, Semyon L. Fedoseev: Flame-throwing tanks and hand flamethrowers in combat, pages: 49 to 51, ISBN: 978-5-699-68594-3
Period | - |
Type | SOV - ChT-18 (OT-1) plamenometný tank |
Camouflage | - |
Country | - |
Production No. | - |
Poznávací značka / evidenční číslo | - |
Tactical marking | - |
Name | - |
Unit | - |
Date (DD.MM.RRRR) | DD.MM.RRRR |
Author | - |
Print size / 300 DPI | - |
Published with authors permit | - |
Author Website | - |
Period | - |
Type | SOV - ChT-18 (OT-1) plamenometný tank |
Camouflage | - |
Country | - |
Production No. | - |
Poznávací značka / evidenční číslo | - |
Tactical marking | - |
Name | - |
Unit | - |
Date (DD.MM.RRRR) | DD.MM.RRRR |
Author | - |
Print size / 300 DPI | - |
Published with authors permit | - |
Author Website | - |