World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseT-50 light infantry tanks were designed by S. Ginzburg and L. Troyanov of S. M. Kirov Factory No. 185 in Leningrad, Russia starting in 1939. In May 1940, the design work was transferred to the K. E. Voroshilov Factory No. 174 in 1940 as many of the Leningrad design team were purged by top Soviet leadership. Troyanov completed the project in Jan 1941, and production began later in the same year. Although T-50 tanks were meant to be produced in great numbers, the disruption caused by the German invasion (the factory was relocated to Omsk in Central Asia in Sep 1941) and the arrival of the versatile T-34 medium tank design meant that ultimately only 69 examples would be built before production was canceled in Jan 1942. Most of the T-50 tanks produced were deployed in the Leningrad area and engaged in combat against German and Finnish forces.

SPECIFICATIONS

T-50

Machinery	One V-4 disel engine rated at 300hp
Suspension	Torsion bar
Armament	1x45mm M1938 gun (150 rounds), 1x7.62mm DT machine gun
Armor	12-37mm; some received field-modified armor up to 57mm
Crew	4
Length	5.20 m
Width	2.47 m
Height	2.16 m
Weight	14.0 t
Speed	60 km/h
Range	220 km

Photographs