
Caption | T-26 Model 1933 light tank in Spain, late 1936 ww2dbase | |||||||
More on... |
| |||||||
Added By | C. Peter Chen | |||||||
Added Date | 10 Sep 2009 | |||||||
This photograph has been scaled down; full resolution photograph is available here (1,180 by 1,500 pixels). |
Did you enjoy this photograph or find this photograph helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this photograph with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Visitor Submitted Comments
2. Andrey says:
8 Sep 2016 05:15:05 PM
This is a quite famous photo. Yes, Republicans with their light tank T-26 mod. 1933. Note the tank machine-gun DT on anti-aircraft mount, which was mounted on some T-26s since 1937 (so the photo is, most probably, from 1937).
The first batch of 15 Soviet T-26s came to Spanish port Cartagena on 26 September, 1936 and on 29 September this tank company participated in the first combat already. Since the beginning of December 1936 larger batches of tanks began to arrive from USSR as well as personnel, headed by brigade commander D. Pavlov. The 1st Republican tank brigade (crews were Russian and Spanish) was formed soon. In summer 1938 there were two Republican armored divisions already. Soviet Union sent 297 T-26s (all were mod. 1933) to Republican Forces till the end of the Spanish Civil war. The T-26s performed very well against German Pz.Is and Italian CV3/33s armed with only MGs, but that war demonstrated also that Soviet T-26s (not obsolete that time by the way, even for 1941 their 45-mm gun was very good against all German tanks) had a weak armor as all light tanks of 1930s which was easily penetrated by anti-tank guns.
To Clayton - no any BT-7 was sent to Spain, only BT-5s!
8 Sep 2016 05:15:05 PM
This is a quite famous photo. Yes, Republicans with their light tank T-26 mod. 1933. Note the tank machine-gun DT on anti-aircraft mount, which was mounted on some T-26s since 1937 (so the photo is, most probably, from 1937).
The first batch of 15 Soviet T-26s came to Spanish port Cartagena on 26 September, 1936 and on 29 September this tank company participated in the first combat already. Since the beginning of December 1936 larger batches of tanks began to arrive from USSR as well as personnel, headed by brigade commander D. Pavlov. The 1st Republican tank brigade (crews were Russian and Spanish) was formed soon. In summer 1938 there were two Republican armored divisions already. Soviet Union sent 297 T-26s (all were mod. 1933) to Republican Forces till the end of the Spanish Civil war. The T-26s performed very well against German Pz.Is and Italian CV3/33s armed with only MGs, but that war demonstrated also that Soviet T-26s (not obsolete that time by the way, even for 1941 their 45-mm gun was very good against all German tanks) had a weak armor as all light tanks of 1930s which was easily penetrated by anti-tank guns.
To Clayton - no any BT-7 was sent to Spain, only BT-5s!
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
Search WW2DB & Partner Sites
News
- » Wreck of Jantina Found (4 Jan 2022)
- » WW2DB's 17th Anniversary (29 Dec 2021)
- » Wreck of Johnston Found (8 Apr 2021)
- » See all news
Random Photograph
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,120 biographies
- » 334 events
- » 40,128 timeline entries
- » 1,178 ships
- » 340 aircraft models
- » 193 vehicle models
- » 365 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 234 facilities
- » 466 book reviews
- » 28,362 photos
- » 379 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You win the war by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country!"George Patton, 31 May 1944
Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!
20 Jun 2014 11:07:49 AM
I have not come across many readings regarding the Aid that various countries sent to aid both sides in the Spanish Civil War. However, it is very important beacuse of how it was a testing ground for many different types of tanks that hadnt't seen service yet. Specifically, Soviet Bt-7's and T-26's(like the one above) were pitted agiasnt german tanks for the first time during this pre-war period. Here, the Soviets were led to believe that even their obsolete tanks were better than what the Germans posseded. However, the Germans really only sent PzKpFw. I's, and this experiance gained taught them that they were indeed very far behind technologically.