T-60 Tank: The First Mass-Produced Light Tank of the Great Patriotic War

The T-60 is a Soviet light tank developed in 1941 and mass-produced from August 1941 to February 1942. Created at the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) as an urgent replacement for the amphibious T-40, the T-60 became the Red Army's first mass-produced tank during the Great Patriotic War. It combined minimal production complexity, acceptable mobility, and a 20mm gun designed for reconnaissance and infantry support. Approximately 6293 units were produced, participating in the defensive battles of 1941–1942. Despite its weak armor and limited firepower, the T-60 played a key role in stopping the Wehrmacht's blitzkrieg outside Moscow and became a symbol of the mobilization of Soviet industry in the first months of the war, demonstrating the transition from the civilian automobile industry to the military assembly line.

Background and creation

With the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War on June 22, 1941, the Red Army lost thousands of tanks in border battles, and the remaining T-26 и BT-7 They were no match for the German 37mm Pak 35/36 and 50mm guns. The German Pz.Kpfw. III and IV tanks were superior to the Soviet vehicles in speed and protection, requiring an immediate replenishment of the fleet with light vehicles. The State Defense Committee (GKO) issued Resolution No. 112 of June 23, 1941, setting the task of creating a simple tank for mass production at automobile factories. Design Bureau 37 at GAZ, under the direction of Nikolai Astrov, a specialist in light tanks, received orders to modernize T-40 — an amphibious reconnaissance aircraft from 1940, which proved vulnerable in battles near Minsk and Smolensk. The T-40 had thin armor (6–14 mm) and a 20 mm gun, but amphibious capabilities were unnecessary for continental battles, and production was hampered by its complexity.

Development of the T-60 began on June 26, 1941—just four days after the war began. Astrov and his team (including L.E. Gorlitsky and A.A. Morozov) simplified the T-40: they removed the buoyancy feature, reinforced the armor, and optimized it for GAZ-AA/MM automobile parts. The first prototype was assembled on July 17, 1941, under evacuation conditions (GAZ had partially relocated to Gorky). Proving ground tests revealed advantages: a speed of 42 km/h and assembly time of 2–3 days. By GKO Decree No. 812ss of July 30, 1941, the T-60 was accepted into service, and production began on August 15 at GAZ, Plants No. 37 (Moscow), No. 38 (Kirov), and No. 172 (Sverdlovsk). Production: 1600 in August–December 1941, 4693 in 1942. Total production: 6293 units. Evacuation didn't stop production: women and teenagers assembled tanks from scrap materials on the assembly line. By February 1942, production was phased out in favor of the T-70 with a 45mm gun, but the T-60 remained in service until 1943.

Design and specifications

The T-60 was designed as an emergency "people's tank" for reconnaissance and fire support, using 90% of its components from GAZ trucks and costing approximately 50 rubles. The hull is welded from rolled armor, box-shaped with sloping fronts. The front is 15 mm thick (at an angle of 30°), the sides and rear are 10-13 mm, and the roof and floor are 4-6 mm. The turret is cast and welded, manually rotating (360° in 20 seconds), with 35 mm of armor on the front and 15 mm on the sides, and is shifted forward for visibility. The high center of gravity reduced stability when turning but simplified production.

The main armament was the 20-mm TN-20 automatic cannon (TNSh, model 1938) with 182-320 rounds of ammunition (BR-2 armor-piercing, OF-20 fragmentation). The cannon could penetrate 15-25 mm of armor at 300-500 m, effective against Pz.Kpfw. I/II and trucks, but useless against Pz.Kpfw. III. The rate of fire was 100-120 rounds per minute, but barrel overheating limited bursts. A twin 7,62-mm DT-37 machine gun (765-1515 rounds) was used for infantry. The sight was a TS-20 with 3,5x magnification, without a rangefinder. The crew consisted of two people: a driver-mechanic on the left front (controlled and loaded the machine gun), a commander-gunner in the turret (aiming, fire, communications) - cramped conditions and overload reduced the effectiveness.

The engine is an in-line gasoline GAZ-202 (70 hp at 4000 rpm), on A-72 gasoline. The specific power is 10 hp/t. Speed ​​is 42 km/h on the highway, 20-25 km/h on rough terrain. Cruising range is 240-290 km. Transmission is mechanical with four speeds forward and one reverse. Suspension is a rigid balance beam with three rollers per side (diameter 480 mm), tracks are 290 mm wide. Specific pressure is 0,45 kg/cm², cross-country ability is average. The tank could overcome climbs of 25°, ditches of 1,4 m, walls of 0,5 m, fords of 0,9 m. Radio station 9-R for communication, searchlight IP-2 for night. Fuel tank - 145 l. The design allowed for the production of 50 tanks per day using auto-presses and welding.

Specifications:

• Weight: 5,8 tons
• Crew: 2 people (commander-gunner, driver-mechanic)
• Armor: hull front - 15 mm (at an angle of 30°), sides - 10-13 mm, rear - 10 mm, turret front - 35 mm
• Armament: 20 mm TN-20 cannon (ammunition 182–320 rounds), 7,62 mm DT-37 machine gun (765–1515 rounds)
• Engine: GAZ-202, gasoline, 70 hp.
• Speed: up to 42 km/h (highway), up to 25 km/h (rough terrain)
• Power reserve: ~240–290 km (highway)
• Suspension: rigid balance beam with 3 rollers per side
• Obstacles to be overcome: ditch - 1,4 m, wall - 0,5 m, ford - 0,9 m

Production was adapted to the war: the steel shortage was solved with thin sheets, and the tool shortage was solved with manual assembly.

Combat application

The T-60 debuted at the front in September 1941, primarily in reconnaissance and defensive roles. The first vehicles of the 20th Tank Division participated in the Battle of Moscow (October–December 1941): near Vyazma and the Mozhaisk line, they distracted German infantry, destroying columns and guns. Their mobility (42 km/h) allowed for rapid raids, but their armor was easily penetrated by infantry weapons: of the 300 T-60s deployed near Moscow, only 100 survived. During the Siege of Leningrad (autumn 1941), T-60s from the 1st Tank Brigade supported breakthroughs, battling Finnish tankettes. During the Battle of Stalingrad (September 1942), the 38th Guards Brigade used them in street fighting: their low silhouette helped in the ruins, and the gun cut down machine-gun nests, but they were useless against the "Four." Losses were high—70% due to mine and artillery fire.

By 1942, the T-60 had lost ground to the T-70, but it was still used in the rear: near Rzhev (January 1942) as part of the 4th Shock Army for convoy escort. In Crimea (May 1942), the 132nd Tank Brigade lost 80% of its vehicles to the Luftwaffe. The Germans used the captured tanks as the Panzerkampfwagen T-60(r). Modifications were minimal, with frontal armor reinforced in the field. Overall losses were 80% of the production line, but the T-60 saved the infantry in 1941, when heavy tanks were in short supply. In combat, the ratio was 1:4 in favor of the Wehrmacht, but its contribution to the first line of defense was invaluable.

Meaning and Legacy

The T-60 was a pioneer of Soviet military tank design, embodying the idea of ​​a "tank on wheels." Its development in 20 days and production of 6000+ units demonstrated the strength of the GAZ automobile industry during the crisis. Its simplified design (gasoline instead of diesel, minimal casting) became the model for the T-70 and SU-76, influencing the post-war LT-35 and airborne assault vehicles. By 1942, light tanks were obsolete, giving way to T-34, but the T-60 provided the "meat" to stop the Germans near Moscow, buying time for the evacuation of factories.

In a historical context, the T-60 is a symbol of the resilience of 1941: Astrov's memoirs and photographs from the Mozhaisk Highway illustrate its role in the counteroffensive. More than 10 examples have been preserved in museums in Kubinka, Uglich, and Pokrovsk. Popular in culture: in "Battle of Moscow" and "World of Tanks" (Tier II, 25 mm penetration). Compared to the Pz.Kpfw. II (9,5 tons, 20 mm gun), the T-60 was lighter and faster, but less armored.