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BTR-50P: The first Soviet tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier

BTR-50P: The first Soviet tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier

Armored personnel carrier BTR-50P in many ways has become a unique fighting machine. Besides, it was the first domestic tracked armored personnel carrier, BTR-50P was still floating. Here, the full impact of his pedigree. This model was created on the base of light amphibious tank PT-76.

In addition to the Marines, APC could easily carry the water up to two tons of cargo, including mortars and artillery caliber 85 mm inclusive, and fire on the enemy from the guns could lead directly during transportation.

History of the caterpillar floating armored personnel carriers BTR-50P

Issued GBTU tactical-technical task immediately provided for the establishment of two new combat vehicles - light floating tank and an armored personnel carrier on its base with the greatest possible unification of units and design units. The new Soviet BTR was created jointly by designers Institute 100 (Leningrad), Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant (ÇKZ) and the factory "Red Sormovo", overall management of the project is implemented well-known Soviet tank designer F. I. Kotin.

To work on the creation of new combat vehicles in the USSR started 15 August 1949 of the year, and technical design of the new armored personnel carrier was ready 1 September 1949 of the year. That same year, the design work to create a light amphibious tank and tracked armored personnel carriers were transferred to Chelyabinsk, where projects were designated "Object 740" (future PT-76) and "Object 750" (future BTR-50P).

From the very beginning of work in front of Soviet designers had a task - to create a tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier, designed for transporting personnel of mechanized infantry units of the Soviet Army, as well as various military cargo, including artillery and light wheeled vehicles in a possible fire resistance from the potential enemy.

Work on the tank and armored personnel carriers were administered concomitantly, but it created an armored personnel carrier with some behind schedule. This delay was justified by working off a large number of design decisions, for example the jet propulsion unit, first at light amphibious tank PT-76. It was a successful test of the PT-76 infused in the Constructors' confidence in the, and that the work on creation of the APC will be completed as a good way.

BTR-50P: The first Soviet tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier BTR-50P

One of the requirements specification to create a new combat vehicle was carrying two tons of cargo up to the divisional artillery and SUV GAZ-69. Working on the solution of this problem, designers are faced with difficulties in the selection of the loading device. Considered two main options: crane installation with electric winch and driven by the main engine of an armored personnel carrier with loading ramps hinged. During the work on the version of the crane abandoned due to excessive design and operational complexity of the solutions.

An interesting fact is, that already during the testing of the new tracked APCs designers at its own initiative carried out the shooting on land and afloat carried out artillery systems: anti 57mm cannon ZIS-2 and even the 85 mm gun D-44. Conducting such tests the technical tasks of the military did not provide, the only requirement was transported divisional artillery.

To the surprise of many details of shooting we were successful and led to breakdowns in the undercarriage of an armored personnel carrier and any incidents. Furthermore, stock flotation machines was enough for the firing of the guns carried without sinking or capsizing BTR, only confirmed the very high potential of new amphibious vehicles.

BTR-50P: The first Soviet tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier Light amphibious tank PT-76

The first prototype was ready tracked armored personnel carriers to the end of April 1950 of the year, from 26 April 11 June of the same year, the BTR passed factory tests. The tests allowed to adjust the technical documentation for a new combat vehicle, in July it was preparing two new prototypes of "Object 750", state tests which were carried out in the second half 1950 of the year.

According to the results of state tests the car has once again improved the, and in the third quarter 1951 year CHKZ submitted for testing two prototypes, who stage military trials held in the next year. Military noted insufficient strength volnootrazhatelnogo shield structure, unsatisfactory patterning battle standard weapons - caliber 12.7-mm machine gun DSK, as well as cases of accidental triggering of fire fighting equipment.

After the elimination of all these shortcomings and military APCs completion last fall 1953 , the control tests, breaking collectively 1,5 thousands of kilometers. In April next year, a new armored personnel carrier was officially adopted by the Soviet Army by order of the Minister of Defense under the designation BTR-50P.

The new Soviet war machine was unique in many of their characteristics and is a fully domestic development, which was created without regard to the foreign samples such equipment. Furthermore, amphibious tank PT-76 with a powerful artillery weapons, on the chassis of which was created and BTR-50P, He was the only one of its kind machine. In many ways, the creation of such technology has helped a lot of experience on the development of light amphibious tanks, which has been accumulated in the Soviet Union even before World War II.

Technical features of armored personnel carriers BTR-50P

First Soviet tracked armored personnel carrier represented floating combat vehicle with anti booking. Armored displacement body was manufactured by welding from a thick armor plates from 4 to 10 mm. The combat weight of the BTR-50 did not exceed 14,2 tons. A distinctive feature of the war machine was the location of the diesel engine along the longitudinal axis of the body.

For the new model armored Soviet designers have selected the following layout scheme. In front of the APC is a control compartment, in the middle part - the troop compartment, in the stern - the engine-transmission compartment. Armored crew consisted of two people: the driver and commander. Workplace commander was right, mehvoda - left. Besides, inside the housing in the troop compartment could accommodate 12 fighters.

The maximum BTR could crossing water obstacles to 20 or personnel of the two tons of military cargo, for example an artillery piece, together with the calculation. Armored versions without a roof equipped with a removable awning, Troopers who defended from the impact of rain.

BTR-50P: The first Soviet tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier BTR-50P transports cannon

Chassis, transmission and propulsion system got BTR-50P unchanged from the PT-76 tank. The heart of the fighting vehicle was a diesel engine V-6PVG, The maximum power 240 HP. This power is enough, to provide a tracked vehicle speed to a maximum speed 45 km / h on the motorway and up 10,2 km / h afloat. Power reserve is estimated at 240-260 km (on the highway).

The new armored personnel carrier, as a light tank PT-76, characterized by high mobility and permeability characteristics, It has reserves of buoyancy, good stability and maneuverability. It is for this reason that the new equipment by the armed forces, not only infantry units, but Marine Corps units. In addition to the reservoirs, BTR-50 is easily overcome obstacles such as ditches and trenches to the width 2,8 meters and height of the vertical walls 1,1 m.

At the rear of the machine on the roof of the engine compartment designers arranged folding ramp for loading artillery guns and mortars (BTR-50P could carry 120-mm mortar, 57-mm, 76-mm or 85 mm cannon), as well as all-wheel drive GAZ-67 and GAZ-69. For transporting weapons APC has been specially equipped with a loading device, which consisted. in addition to the folding ramps, from powerful winch with the traction force level 1500 kgf.

BTR-50P: The first Soviet tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier

Despite, that prototypes in test time was set a heavy machine gun DSK, in a series of armored personnel carriers went without any standard weapons, are either the 7.62-mm machinegun SGMB, created on the basis of machine gun SG-43.

A second attempt to equip a fighting machine large-caliber weapon was made already in 1956 year. The prototype of the BTR-50 Pa armed with 14.5-mm machine gun KPVT, which the, as previously DSHK, We tried to install on a turret hatch on the commander bronespinkoy BTR. Despite the efforts of designers, and this version of the BTR-50 with increased firepower has not reached the stage of adopting.

upgrade options

Already in 1959 year series production was launched the most massive modification of tracked armored personnel carriers, received the designation BTR-50PK. The main difference between this model was a roof, which covered all the troop compartment. For landing and landing in three separate roof hatch designed.

It is worth noting, that the roof 1959 It was equipped with all the Soviet armored personnel carriers, it came and wheeled vehicles - BTR-40 and BTR-152. Soviet military took into account the experience of urban warfare in Hungary 1956 year, when the paratroopers found themselves vulnerable to fire from the upper floors of buildings, Besides, inside the body could easily throw Molotov cocktails and grenades. In addition to the protective function, roof over troop compartment has improved the already very good properties amphibious APCs, allowing to swim even with gentle agitation, Water just does not get inside the machine.

BTR-50P: The first Soviet tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier BTR-50PK Polish People's Army

It is also quite massive steel command and staff vehicles BTR-50PU and BTR-50PN, production of the first model launched in Volgograd 1958 year. Such a machine could carry up 10 human, and in the staff office to work with maps and documents set up a table. It is also a distinctive feature of the command and staff car was the presence of a complex of three P-112 radios, R-113 and R-105. Standard equipment fighting vehicle were three four-meter antenna, one 10 and one 11-meter antenna. In the process of modernization of the machine to change the composition placed inside the equipment and links.

Already in the 1970s, part of the first mass-produced BTR-50P converted into a tow truck (MTP). Such armored vehicles used by infantry units, were armed with new infantry fighting vehicles BMP-1.

The retrofitted armored personnel carriers instead landing housed manufacturing department with armored roof. Compartment height has been increased, allowing technicians to work in a full-length. In the production department transported the working tool, install equipment and supplies for the repair and maintenance of the BMP-1, there were also a means for the evacuation of infantry fighting vehicle. For installation and mounting of BMP-1, various components and assemblies for MMP-boom crane placed.

BTR-50P: The first Soviet tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier ICC model

Altogether during the serial production 1954 by 1970 year in the Soviet Union was able to collect up to 6500 armored personnel carriers BTR-50 of various modifications. This technique remained in Soviet Army until the end of the USSR existence. Armored personnel carriers of the data may still be stored.

At the same time interest in these machines and now has. For example, Kharkov plant Malyshev still offers upgrade options of an APC with the installation of new engines power 400 hp, heavy machine guns, the new gearbox and modified chassis components. On the Ukrainian company hopes, that modernized BTR-50 will be able to attract potential customers in Africa and Asia.

/Sergey Yuferev, topwar.ru/

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