T-55 Main Battle Tank

T-55 Main Battle Tank. . As the Second World War drew to a close the Soviets were hard at work creating a new tank. During the War they developed the T-44 from the trusty T-34 tank. It performed better with more armor. The Soviets wanted to increase the firepower of the T-44 and attempted to mount a 100mm gun. While possible, changes would have to be made, including a larger turret ring. A prototype was built with a larger hull that looked very similar. This led to the development of the T-54. Production began in April of 1946. A series of nuclear tests took place and it was decided survivability was undesirable. The T-55 was the natural evolution. It had greater survivability, a more powerful engine, it carried more ammo, and had a longer range than its predecessor. To offset the weight of new systems, some armor in the rear was sacrificed. , Built in the Soviet Union, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, the T-55 proved itself very adaptable and was upgraded many times over the years. There were many versions including a flamethrower tank, an anti-aircraft mount, and even a fire fighting vehicle. Other versions include command tanks with increased armor. This was very appealing to foreign nations looking for armor. It was sold all over the world, and up to 50 nations still use the T-55 to this day. , One of the nations that chose to purchase this tank was Iraq. Not least among the reasons to buy them were the NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical) capabilities. The threat of these "special" weapons in the region made it particularly appealing. Roughly 1,600 T-55's total have served with the Iraqi Army and their Republican Guard, ordered as early as 1959. With Iraq it became a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, the Persian Gulf War, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Against Coalition forces it performed poorly. Against both the M-60A1 Main Battle Tank and the M-1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank it took heavy losses. American air power in particular took a heavy toll on Iraqi armor. A-10's in particular performed their job of tank buster extremely well. The T-55 was showing its age. It could no longer effectively combat modern western armor. Many Iraqi units surrendered to or abandoned their vehicles entirely, which were captured by Coalition forces and brought back to their respective countries. , Technical Data , Height - 7.87 feet , Width - 11.03 feet , Length - 21.16 feet , Weight - 80,000 lb , Speed - 30 mph , Range - 311-370 miles , Armament - D10T 100 mm main gun , Hull - Welded Steel , Engine - V-55 12-cylinder 38.88 litre diesel engine, 581 hp, Did you know? , The T-54/T-55 is the most produced tank in history. Estimates on production numbers range from 86,000 to 100,000 tanks manufactured from 1946 until 1983. , Captions , Upper Right: AT-55 attends a parade as the British hand over command of Basra to American forces. , Photo source: BBC News