"Teletanks - Soviet unmanned tanks" Topic

Teletanks were a series of wireless remotely controlled unmanned tanks produced in the Soviet Union in the 1930s and early 1940s so as to reduce combat risk to soldiers. They saw their first combat use in the Winter War, at the start of World War II. A teletank is controlled by radio from a control tank at a distance of 500–1,500 metres, the two constituting a telemechanical group. Teletanks were used by the Soviet Red Army in the Winter War, fielding at least two teletank battalions at the beginning of the World War II on Eastern Front.

Wikipedia article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletank

Teletanks of the USSR of the Second World War (automatic translation): link

TELEVISION-CONTROLLED TANKS (automatic translation): link

A direct descendant of teletanks in space – "Lunokhod": link

Never heard of them.

How bizarre. The disadvantages are all too obvious. When did the USSR ever give a damn about the threat to its soldiers?

Pack it full of explosives….then maybe and no wire to cut as with the Goliath.

Remember the WWII German Goliath … link

The disadvantages of course were great, but for that time it was a very good level. Much higher than the German attempts.
In one of the above articles, it is told about the use of radio-controlled T-27 tankettes stuffed with explosives in the defense of Sevastopol.
In addition, in the USSR in 1941 were created their own "Goliaths" – ET-1-627 "Electric torpedo". But the concept was different – the cheapest design. By the way, after the release of hundreds of such "torpedoes" they were abandoned because of their obvious shortcomings. But there are several known cases of their successful use in battle. An interesting way to use them is to ambush tanks. The torpedoes were hidden before the Soviet position in special small camouflaged caponiers and at the approach of the German tanks attacked them. 100 kg of explosives were enough to destroy the tank in a close explosion.
link

About the wasteful attitude towards their soldiers in the USSR – this is another black myth. Such episodes happened, but they were associated with low competence of the command, but not the general attitude.
It is enough to evaluate, for example, the level of the Soviet sanitary and medical service, which was head and shoulders above the German one.

Good information … Thanks …

"About the wasteful attitude towards their soldiers in the USSR – this is another black myth. Such episodes happened, but they were associated with low competence of the command, but not the general attitude.
It is enough to evaluate, for example, the level of the Soviet sanitary and medical service, which was head and shoulders above the German one."

Interesting point Cuprum2, the use of body armour in Red Army assault units at a time when US or British armies almost never used it would also support your thesis. On the other hand … penal battalions! but maybe that's for a different thread.
s novom godom!
EC

Cuprum2, that link you provided is fascinating and a real surprise.

Your comments about "The Black Myth" should alos make me rethink my concept of how the Soviet fighting man was valued. The quality of the medical service I did know but frankly had not considered in this context. I guess the capacity of the "Russians" (I know, it should be Soviets) to carry on fighting, despite massive suffering, should not be mistaken for indifference.

Penalty units are more positive than negative. The people who served in them did not do anything that ordinary soldiers would not do instead of them.
Those who committed a military crime fell into the penalty area. Any: desertion from the battlefield, drunkenness in a combat situation, theft, disobeying orders, etc. In addition, prisoners convicted of crimes committed before the war or in the rear could enter the penal companies (only guilty officers served in the battalion, privates – in penal company) at their own request. Moreover, the punished servicemen served their sentences in their own Divisions (enlisted personnel) or in their Armies (officers). And they returned after serving their sentence to their former units.
The period for which people were sent to the penal unit was from one to three months. Or before the first injury (any, even the lightest). After serving their sentence, these people were considered to have completely atoned for their guilt. They were returned to their previous military rank and position, and state awards were returned. Any mention of the committed crime in their personal file was abolished, this did not in any way affect their future life and career.
In the absence of penalty units, these people would have gone to the Gulag for years or could have been executed altogether. So which is better?

Regarding the "barrage detachments". On Infantry Division relied barrage detachment of one platoon. Where did the unit need to be deployed in the division's line of defense in order to depict the horrors that we are shown in feature films?
The Soviet army had no military police at all. It was her functions that were performed by barrage detachments, guarding the rear of the division. They opened fire only on those deserters who were already far from the front line, in the rear, and refused to return to service or lay down their arms. And this happened extremely rarely. There is statistics – 96% of the servicemen detained by the barrage detachments returned to their units. The rest were sent to special departments for investigation.