The Na Ispug (For Fear) AKA the Odessa tank or "Terror tank" was a improvised Soviet AFV built on the STZ-5 farm tractor chasis.And 68 were produced in Odessa during the early stages of the war. Does anyone know what happened to them? Did they see combat? Any Pics?
The Odessa one's are very obscure and information is scarce, if the Kharkov versions are anything to go by there's not really any such thing as a 'standard' tractor factory 'tank'. The ones we know more about were certainly cobbled up on a variety of different artillery tractor chassis (STZ-3, STZ-5 etc,) with a variety of plate and armament arrangements, hardly surprising given the exigencies of the day. This one's a copy of a KhTZ-16 (SU-45) (the 'KH' indicating Kharkov, they were knocked up in the pocket in '41 at the rate of 50-60 over September and October until the factory was overrun), Afraid I can't remember where it is but a quick web-search should turn it up. Another small variant: I believe Kubinka has a survivor (or two?): Tank museum, Kubinka, Russia Cheers, Adam.
Those are some "beauties". Tank-Tractor/Tractor-Tank, Tank-Dozer/Dozer-Tank.. Syntax Necessity is the "Mother of Invention". I wonder who came first (chicken/egg question), Bob Semple or Odessa? Go Team go !
Or the John Deere Armoured AS Tractor of 1940? (and this one really is based on 'a tractor' in the most conventional sense of the word) The Yanks, along with most other nations, had their Bob Semple moments too . http://www.classictractors.com/image...lendar/may.jpg Cheers, Adam.
I like it ! John Deere GREEN olive & everything. I wonder if the crew had to lie prone on a mattress to avoid getting burned as well Appears that "Bar-Stools" would fit the bill. Flat tires might be a considerable problem in combat. As I recall those old tractor seats are pretty bouncy (yet fun) What were they thinking? Fighting rock/bottle tossing protesters ?, or someone who would shoot back
Looks as though they at least put armor on the bottom...Shooweeew (head swipe). Kills me that the turret was invented with the Monitor, regressed/devolved to the sponson, regenerated/evolved to a turret/sponson mix, and further regenerated/evolved into the turret again. What's next, a devolve-ment/degeneration back down the ladder again ? No one has cornered the market on "silliness" ? The drives as well...rubber wheels-tracks-rubber tracks-tracks-back to rubber wheels....next ?
Some steel plate and a few modifications and who knew it? My John Deere 410D backhoe is a bonified "tank!"
He He Perhaps that was the point of it all. Have a "bolt-on" armor "Houser" (like the old heat housers) in the barn. Be the "Minuteman" version of an of a tank The only thing those tractors are missing are names on the nose. The one with the narrow front "Peggy Sue" The other "Peggy Sue, 10 years after"
Adam, it looks like your museum piece might have a slight problem with gun elevation. Fine if all the Germanskii showed up at 15º up, but if they came up at a different angle it would be something else
Back on topic, this is the only shot I have found of a Soviet? improvised tractor/tank in action. Well at least moving. I plucked it from a Polish forum.