Teletank

Shot-up TT-26 remotely controlled tank (teletank) with TOZ-IV telematics equipment from 217th separate tank battalion of 30th tank brigade. Two antenna leads on the turret roof and two-colour camouflage of the vehicle are visible. Karelian Isthmus, February 1940.

Teletanks were a series of wireless remotely controlled unmanned tanks produced in the Soviet Union in the 1930s and early 1940s.^[1] 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.^[1]

Design

Teletanks were equipped with DT machine guns, flamethrowers, smoke canisters,^[1] and sometimes a special 200–700 kg time bomb in an armoured box, dropped by the tank near the enemy's fortifications and used to destroy bunkers up to four levels below ground. Teletanks were also designed to be capable of using chemical weapons, although they were not used in combat. Each teletank, depending on its model, was able to recognize sixteen to twenty-four different commands sent via radio on two possible frequencies to avoid interference and jamming. Teletanks were built based on T-18, T-26, T-38, BT-5 and BT-7 tanks.

Standard tactics were for the control tank (with radio transmitter and operator) to stay back as far as practicable while the teletank (TT) approached the enemy.^[1] The control tank would provide fire support as well as protection for the radio control operator. If the enemy was successful at seizing the teletank, the control tank crew was instructed to destroy it with its main gun. When not in combat the teletank was driven manually.

In addition to teletanks, there were also remotely controlled telecutters and teleplanes in the Red Army.^[2]^[3]

References

1 2 3 4 Alexander Lychagin (9 October 2004). "What is Teletank?" (Google translated page). Odint Soviet news. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
↑ Alexey Isaev. 1942, Battle of Kharkov. Interview for Echo of Moscow radio station - (Russian with lots of cookies)
↑ http://pvo.guns.ru/book/vniirt/index.htm#_Toc122708803 (Google cache: ) Short essays on history of VNIIRT: development of telemechanical cutters (Russian)

External links

What is teletank? (Russian)
All about teletank (Russian)
Means of communication in battlefield (Russian)
First Soviet tanks (Russian)
Light amphibious tank T-38 (Russian)
70 years jubelee of Ulianovsk Higher Engineering School (Russian)

Interwar tanks

List Category

Tankettes	L3/33 L3/35 Carden Loyd Morris-Martel T-27 TKS Type 92 tankette Type 94 tankette Type 97 Te-Ke Tančík vz. 33 AH-IV

Light	H35 R35 Fiat 3000 Leichttraktor Light Tanks Mk I–V Light Tank Mk VI Light Tank Mk VII M1 Combat Car M2 Light Tank Panzer I Panzer II LT vz. 34 LT vz. 35 LT vz. 38 T1 Light Tank T7 Combat Car T-18 T-13 T-15 T-19 T-26 T-37 T-38 7TP Type 95 Ha-Go Vickers 6-Ton Vickers-Carden-Loyd Light Amphibious Tank

Medium	Char D1 Char D2 Grosstraktor Medium Mk I Medium Mk II Medium Mk III Panzer III T-24 T-28 Type 89 I-Go Type 97 Chi-Ni Type 97 Chi-Ha Type 98 Chi-Ho

Cavalry, Cruiser or Fast	AMC 34 AMC 35 AMR 33 AMR 35 BT tank Cruiser Mk I Cruiser Mk II Cruiser Mk III SOMUA S35

Infantry	FCM 36 Infantry Mk I, Matilda Renault R35 T-26 Type 89 I-Go

Heavy	Char B1 Neubaufahrzeug SMK T-35 T-100 Type 95 Heavy Tank Vickers A1E1 Independent

Super-heavy	FCM F1 Char 2C T-42

Armoured Carriers	UE Chenillette Bren Gun Carrier

Tank history classification WWI Interwar WWII Cold War Post–Cold War

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Teletank

Design

See also

References

External links