These armor profiles are from the 1 June 1941 German manual on what the Germans considered the main Russian armor types. The manual gave a brief overview of the specifications of each tanks, as well as the ranges at which German armor-piercing weapons could reliably penetrate the armor. The penetration capability was not based on empirical evidence, but were calculated based on the armor thickness at an angle of 30 degrees and an assumption of a hardness of 100 to 120 kg per square mm (about 285 to 345 Brinell hardness).

Because the information in the manual was based on intelligence, there were necessarily some errors. These errors have been listed under each vehicle. The most significant error of the report is not about the vehicles listed, however, but rather those that are not, specifically the T-34 and the KV-1. Not all the German designations were accurate; in the titles, the German designation is placed first, and the actual designation is placed in parentheses.

BA Ford (BA-3 and BA-6)

Specifications

German Actual
Weight 5-7 t 5.1 t (BA-6)
Crew 4
Armament
  • 45 mm tank gun
  • Two machine guns
Speed 50 km/h 55 km/h (BA-6)
Length 4.90 m 4.65 m
Width 1.92 m 2.10 m
Height 2.46 m 2.20 m
Armor type Rivetted
Armor 6-10 mm 9-15 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
MG 34 (S m K H) 250 m
2 cm Kw K 700 m
Larger calibers All ranges

T 37 (T-37A)

Specifications

German Actual
Weight 3.2 t
Crew 2
Armament Machine gun
Speed, land 45 km/h 35 km/h
Speed, water 7 km/h 6 km/h
Length 3.75 m
Width 1.98 m 2.07 m
Height 1.76 m 1.82 m
Armor type Rivetted
Armor 10 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
MG 34 (S m K H) 250 m
2 cm Kw K 700 m
Larger calibers All ranges

T 38 (T-38)

Specifications

German Actual
Weight 3.1 t 3.3 t
Crew 2
Armament Machine gun
Speed, land 45 km/h 40 km/h
Speed, water 7 km/h 6 km/h
Length 3.70 m 3.76 m
Width 2.27 m 1.95 m
Height 1.60 m 1.62 m
Armor 10 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
MG 34 (S m K H) 250 m
2 cm Kw K 700 m
Larger calibers All ranges

T 26 A (T-26 model 1932)

Specifications

German Actual
Weight 8.55 t 8.70 t
Crew 3
Armament
  • 37 mm tank gun
  • Machine gun
Speed 30 km/h 28 km/h
Length 4.54 m 4.80 m
Width 2.45 m 2.39 m
Height 2.20 m 2.05 m
Armor type Rivetted
Armor 14 mm 6-15 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
MG 34 (S m K H) -
2 cm Kw K 550 m
2 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 625 m
Larger calibers All ranges

T 26 B (T-26 model 1933)

Specifications

German Actual
Weight 9.55 t 9.40 t
Crew 3 3
Armament
  • 45 mm tank gun
  • Machine gun
Speed 30 km/h 31 km/h
Length 4.54 m 4.65 m
Width 2.45 m 2.44 m
Height 2.36 m 2.24 m
Armor type Rivetted
Armor 14 mm 6-15 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
MG 34 (S m K H) -
2 cm Kw K 550 m
2 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 625 m
Larger calibers All ranges

T 26 B (OT-130)

Specifications

German Actual
Weight 9.55 t 10.00
Crew 3
Armament
  • Flame thrower
  • Machine gun
Speed 30 km/h 35 km/h
Length 4.54 m 4.65 m
Width 2.45 m 2.44 m
Height 2.36 m 2.08 m
Armor type Rivetted
Armor 14 mm 6-15 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
MG 34 (S m K H) -
2 cm Kw K 550 m
2 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 625 m
Larger calibers All ranges

T 26 C (T-26 model 1939)

Specifications

German Actual
Weight 9.70 t 10.25 t
Crew 3
Armament
  • 45 mm tank gun
  • Machine gun
  • 45 mm tank gun
  • Two machine guns
Speed 30 km/h 31 km/h
Length 4.54 m 4.80 m
Width 2.45 m 2.39 m
Height 2.36 m 2.33 m
Armor type Rivetted Welded
Armor 14 mm 6-20 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
MG 34 (S m K H) -
2 cm Kw K 550 m
2 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 625 m
Larger calibers All ranges

B T (BT-2, BT-5, BT-7, BT-7A, BT-7M)

Specifications

German BT-2 BT-5 BT-7 BT-7A BT-7M
Weight 10.5-12 t 10.2 t 11.5 t 14.0 t 14.5 t 14.7 t
Crew 3
Armament
  • 76.2 mm tank gun, or
  • 45 mm tank gun, or
  • 37 mm tank gun
  • One or two machine guns
  • 37 mm tank gun
  • Machine gun
  • 45 mm tank gun
  • Machine gun
  • 76.2 mm tank gun
  • Two machine guns
  • 45 mm tank gun
  • Three machine guns
Speed, tracked 50 km/h 55 km/h 55 km/h 86 km/h
Length 5.66-5.85 m 5.58 m 5.66 m
Width 2.15 m 2.23 m 2.41 m
Height 2.25-2.70 m 2.20 m 2.29 m
Armor type Rivetted
Armor 6-16 mm 6-13 mm 6-22 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
MG 34 (S m K H) -
2 cm Kw K 400 m
2 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 575 m
Larger calibers All ranges

T 28 (T-28)

Specifications

German Actual
Weight 28 t
Crew 6
Armament
  • 76.2 mm tank gun
  • Three to four machine guns
  • 76.2 mm tank gun
  • Three to five machine guns
Speed 36 km/h 37 km/h
Length 7.45 m 7.44 m
Width 2.80 m 2.87 m
Height 2.85 m 2.82 m
Armor type Welded
Armor, front and turret 30 mm 20-30 mm
Armor, sides 20 mm
Armor, elsewhere 12-16 mm 10-20 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
Front
MG 34 (S m K H) -
2 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 300 m
3,7 cm Kw K 38 (t) 700 m
3,7 cm Kw K 38 (t) (Pzgr. 40) 500 m
3,7 cm Pak 450 m
3,7 cm Pak (Pzgr. 40) 500 m
5 cm Kw K 1400 m
5 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 1000 m
5 cm Pak 38 1500 m
5 cm Pak 38 (Pzgr. 40) 1200 m
Larger calibers All ranges
Front
MG 34 (S m K H) -
2 cm Kw K 175 m
2 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 500 m
Larger calibers All ranges

T 35 A (T-35)

Specifications

German Actual
Weight 45 t
Crew 9-10 11
Armament
  • 76.2 mm tank gun
  • Two 45 mm tank guns
  • Three to five machine guns
  • 76.2 mm tank gun
  • Two 45 mm tank guns
  • Six machine guns
Speed 30 km/h
Length 9.50 m 9.72 m
Width 3.20 m
Height 3.00 m 3.43 m
Armor type Rivetted
Armor 30 mm 11-30 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
MG 34 (S m K H) -
2 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 300 m
3,7 cm Kw K 38 (t) 700 m
3,7 cm Kw K 38 (t) (Pzgr. 40) 500 m
3,7 cm Pak 450 m
3,7 cm Pak (Pzgr. 40) 500 m
5 cm Kw K 1400 m
5 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 1000 m
5 cm Pak 38 1500 m
5 cm Pak 38 (Pzgr. 40) 1200 m
Larger calibers All ranges

T 35 C (SMK)

Specifications

German Actual
Crew 9-10 7
Armament
  • 76.2 mm tank gun
  • 45 mm tank guns
  • Two to three machine guns
  • 76.2 mm tank gun
  • 45 mm tank gun
  • Three machine guns
Length 9.50 m 8.75 m
Width 3.20 m 3.36 m
Height 3.00 m 3.35 m
Armor 60 mm 20-60 mm

Effective Combat Ranges

Gun Maximum Range
MG 34 (S m K H) -
2 cm Kw K -
3,7 cm Kw K 38 (t) (Pzgr. 40) 100 m
3,7 cm Pak (Pzgr. 40) 100 m
5 cm Kw K (Pzgr. 40) 450 m
5 cm Pak 38 450 m
5 cm Pak 38 (Pzgr. 40) 650 m
7,5 cm Kw K -
10,5 cm le F H 18 500 m
10,5 cm le F H 18 (10 cm Gr 39 rot) All ranges
Larger calibers All ranges

Sources

  1. Die wichtigsten Panzerkampfwagen der Union der Sozialistischen Sowjetrepubliken (U. d. S. S. R.). 1941. 23 p. DHI 500-12451-000287.