"Interesting pic of Soviet tank turret as fixed defence" Topic

Hi all, came across this photo of a Soviet-era 'Pantherturm' style use of Tank turret on the disputed Kurile islands, north of Japan.

link

The main article is about the dispute, and Medvedev's recent controversial visit there.

Didn't know the Soviets used tank turrets this way; wonder what type it is?

Wow, that's pretty cool. I think it is a very, very early production T-54 turret, which looked like a blown up T-44 (aka T-34/85) turret with a 100mm. Honestly, I'm more excited to see such an early (and uncommon) turret for the T-54 as I am about the "Panzerturm" usage…

Damon.

I believe the Russians also have/had these along the Chinese border as well.

Bob

Is it a T-10 turret?

Yes, that's a T-10 Heavy Tank turret. Those sort of defences were widely used by the USSR on the eastern borders – IS-III turrets were also widely used.

Yes it is a T10 turret..I think..

Here is another pic from the Beeb
link

No, Garand is correct the turret(s) are clearly those of early production T-54s, with the distinctive undercut at the rear. If anyone need convincing look closely at the set up of the loaders and commanders hatches and the dome ventilator clearly visible on both.

Whilst uncommon, as they were superceded in production fairly quickly, these turret types weren'r rare. Quite a few were exported to Soviet cklinet states. You can find phoros of Syrian , Egyptian, Afghan versions.

The Soviet use of tank turrets as fixed defenses is a long one and predates the panzerturm. Whole T-18/ MS-1 tanks were dug in, sans engine as part of the Stalin Line and other western defences prior to the GPW. In the sixties and seventies older tanks and turrets were used along the border with China.

Another dead give-away that it is a T-54 turret is the fact it is armed with a 100mm cannon, and not a 122mm cannon (you can tell by the fact it has no muzzle break, and the taper of the barrel towards the mantlet). Also IIRC the turret sides don't have as much of a slope as the T-10s…

Damon.

Great follow up with the info guys, and thanks to archstanton73 for the link to the other picture – is that camouflage paint visible on the turret?

Just in case anyone is curious, there were 3 different turrets used for the T-54:

An "Initial Production" as seen in the above photos, and here: picture

An "Early Production" that had the now familiar front end, but still retained the "bulge" in the back, as seen here (note the road wheels!): picture

And the "Final" version we are most familiar with.

Damon.

Here's a good illustration showing the evolution of T-54 turrets:

picture

Damon, slow day at work…

Another view of archstanton73's installation:

link

I have rarely seen a muzzle "break".

Allen

But it happens, like here: picture

BTW, isn't spelling pedantry the OFM's job?

Damon.

No, that's a broken muzzle brake. The muzzle appears to be intact.

Allen

Ah, it was the undercut on the turret that made me think it was a T-10 – I thought it had been re-gunned with the 100mm. Thanks for that – I had no idea that there were early versions of the T-54 turret.

The Austrians did the same thing along their border with Czechoslovakia during the cold war but with Centurion turrets.

Are we talking muzzle break or Bore evacuator? [If you're British, that is a fume extractor.] These were added on to the T-54's gun bringing it up as the T-55. In its day, a nasty gun if it was shooting at you.
Count Natokina.

Actually, there were bore evacuator/ fume extractors on various T-54 models, pre and post the introduction of the T-55, just as their were different models of main gun, road wheels, engine and the deletion of the bow MG.

Whilst the modifications were sundry, the principal difference that marked the change to the T-55 was that it re-designed for the nuclear battlefield and provided with with NBC protection, hence the absence of the ventilator dome on all T-55s.

yes def early t54 turret