Main Menu

Soviet Union's MS-1, MS-2, MS-3, and T-18 light infantry tanks

MS-1 45 mm	MS-1 light tank3	MS-2 light tank3:	MS-3 light tank3:
T-18M light infantry tank:	T-18M light infantry tank:

Design

After a special Tank Bureau was formed on May 6, 1924, a specification for a light tank was given. It was to weigh 3,000 kg, have a speed of 7.5 mph, 16 mm of armor, 37 mm gun, and with a crew of 2. During early 1925 the Red Army staff reviewed the specification and increased it to 5,000 kg.

It used rubber tired bogies.⁴ The engine was mounted traversely to save length and thus weight.⁴

Communication was by flag.³

Field Tests

During tests in 1929 it was found that the T-18 had difficulties crossing trenches.⁵ The commander of the Leningrad Region Armored Force had another tail added to the front of the T-18 which resulted in it receiving the nickname Nosorog (Rhinoceros).⁵

Prototype

The first prototype was called the T-16 and was finished in May 1927.⁵ Improvements to the engine and the length were completed in November 1927 and this was designated the T-18.⁵ The Revolutionary Military Council accepted the T-18 as a standard on July 6, 1927, even before testing was completed. It was called the Maliy Soprovozdieniya - Small Accompanying - One (MS-1).

Production

An order for 108 T-18s was placed by the Red Army to be built from 1928 to 1929.⁵ The first 30 were available for the November 7, 1929, Revolution parade in Moscow and Leningrad.⁵ Ball bearings and carburetors had to be imported as there weren't Soviet factories to produce those components.⁵

The MS-1 was produced at the Leningrad Bolshevik plant starting in 1928. This was the first Russian tank to be put into serial production.

• T-18⁵: 989⁵
  • Production: 1928 - 1931⁵
• MS-1⁵: 960⁴
  • Production: 1928 - 1931⁴
  • Manufacturer: Leningrad Weapon Factory⁴
• MS-2⁵:
• MS-3⁵:
  • Production: 1923⁵

Variants

• MS-1⁵:
• MS-2⁵:
• MS-3⁵:
• T-16⁵: Prototype.⁵
• T-17 light tank: Had air cooled 2 cylinder engine (18 HP).⁴
• T-18⁵:
• T-19 light tank: Engine was 60 HP.⁴
• T-23 light tank: Had no turret and had a two man crew with a single 7.62 mm MG.⁴ The armor was 6 to 10 mm thick and protected the crew from small arms fire.⁴ Weighed 3.5 tons and could go 35 kph.⁴

Usage

It was withdrawn from service in 1932 and given to the Ossoaviakhim, which as the military training organization.

After the Germans invaded Russia, approximately 200 MS-1s were converted into T-18Ms mounting 45 mm guns.

Against China

MS saw combat Kiev-Voronezh and Chinese Eastern Railway in 1929.⁴

T-18s saw action against the Chinese in border clashes in 1929.⁵ In one particular action around Dzhalaynor Station, Russian infantry advanced behind T-18s with some success as the tanks were handled skillfully by their crews.⁵ A later attack wasn't as successful as the T-18s were unable to cross an anti-tank ditch.⁵

		MS-14 (T-184)	MS-1, MS-2, MS-3, MS-3A3	MS-III, MS-35
Crew	2	22	23	21,5
Physical Characteristics
Weight	12,125 - 14,770 lb 5,500 - 6,700 kg	5.4 tons2 6.3 tons4	5.4 - 6.7 tons3	5,410 kg1, 5,500 kg5 5.32 tons1, 5.41 tons5
Length w/gun	w/tail: 14' 4"	11.8'2 4.38 m4	11.8'3 With tail: 14.3'3	11' 6"1,5 3.5 m1,5
Length w/o gun			11.8'3 With tail: 14.3'3
Height		6.9'2 2.12 m4	6.9'3	6' 11"1,5 2.12 m1,5
Width		5.75'2 1.76 m4	5.75'3	5' 9"1,5 1.76 m1,5
Width over tracks			5.7'3
Ground clearance			15.5'3
Ground contact length			8'3
Ground pressure	4.76 psi		6.1 - 6.5 psi3
Turret ring diameter
Armament
Main		37 mm2,4	37 mm Puteaux A/Tk3	37 mm5 37 mm Model 19161,5
Secondary
MG	7.62 Fiodorov or Degtarov MG	MG2 7.62 mm MG4	1 or 2: 7.62 mm Hotchkiss MG3	1: MG5 2: MG5 2: 7.62 mm Hotchkiss MG1
Side arms
Quantity
Main	109	2504	2503
Secondary
MG	2,016	3,0004	3,0003
Side arms
Armor Thickness (mm)		6 - 222, 8 - 164	Turret: 8 - 223	6 - 221, 165 0.62"5
Hull Front, Upper			163
Hull Front, Lower
Hull Sides, Upper			83
Hull Sides, Lower
Hull Rear			83
Hull Top			63
Hull Bottom			63
Turret Front	16
Turret Sides
Turret Rear
Turret Top
Engine (Make / Model)			Fiat Transverse3	Fiat1
Bore / stroke
Cooling			MS-1: Water3 MS-2, MS-3, MS-3A: Air3
Cylinders		Inline 44	4 or 63	65
Capacity
Net HP		352, 404	35 - 40@1,500 rpm3	655
Power to weight ratio			6.5 - 63
Compression ratio
Transmission (Type)			Sliding gear3 4 forward, 1 reverse3
Steering			Simple differential, manual3
Steering ratio
Starter
Electrical system
Ignition
Fuel (Type)		Gasoline2
Octane
Quantity		90 liters4	19.85 gallons3
Road consumption
Cross country consumption
Performance
Traverse	360°		360°3
Max speed	10.3 - 13.8 mph	10.6 mph2 22 kph4	10.6 - 14 mph3	9.9 mph1, 10 mph5 16 kph1,5
Cross country speed			8 mph3
Road radius	37.5 - 41.3 miles	110 km4	37.5 - 68 miles3	31 miles5, 37.3 miles1, 38 miles5 50 km5, 60 km1,5
Cross country radius			20 - 40 miles3
Turning radius			Pivots3
Elevation limits			-10° to +30°3
Fording depth		0.7 m4	2.35'3
Trench crossing	4' 3"	1.3 m4	4.25'3
Vertical obstacle	1' 10"	0.6 m4	1.9'3
Climbing ability		35°4	35°3
Suspension (Type)			Vertical helical springs3
Wheels each side
Return rollers each side
Tracks (Type)			Skeleton, cast double spud 3
Length
Width			11.8"3
Diameter
Number of links			543
Pitch			5.9"3
Tire tread
Track centers/tread			4.7'3

Sources:

1. The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
2. Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
3. Russian Tanks 1900-1970, The Complete Illustrated History of Soviet Armoured Theory and Design, John Milsom, 1970
4. Russian Tanks and Armored Vehicles 1917 - 1945, Wolfgang Fleischer, 1999
5. Russian Tanks of World War II, Stalin's Armored Might, Tim Bean, Will Fowler, 2002

---