Military equipment of the Second World War: PZIn 130 - floating tank

 

In the 1920s, two British designers, engineer John Valentine Cardin and Captain Vivian Loyd, developed a universal chassis for a light tracked vehicle. It was used to build the world's first floating tank. Soon, Colonel Tadeusz Kosakowski, the head of the engineering department, became interested in the car. Thus began the brief history of PZIn.-130.

In October 1932, a Vickers floating tank was shown to specialists at the Rembertovo training ground. The car turned out to be in such good condition that Colonel Kosakovsky asked the General Staff to buy one such car. Due to lack of funds, the purchase did not take place. However, a tank capable of overcoming water obstacles could in the future be used for combat operations in Polesie and Pripyat, so work began on its own machine.

In 1933, work on the project was entrusted to the State Engineering Plant. The chief designer of the project was Eng Eduard Habich, who also worked on the PZINE-140 / 4TP light reconnaissance tank. By combining the designs for both cars, a common chassis was created, which simplified the issue of spare parts. As on the PZINE-140, the engine was moved to the right side of the hull, and the turret was planned to be equipped with a 20-mm cannon. The hull was properly sealed, and floats filled with cork and lead ballasts were located on the sides. In the water, the tank was driven by a propeller placed in a movable lid, a movable lever, so that it acted as a rudder.

In early 1937, construction of the first model began. Already in October, Khabich personally swam on the lake in Beniaminov. Then PZIn.-130 and PZIn.-140 / 4TP started in the BTR test rally "Autumn 1937". The total route was 1,860 km, half of which was off—road. The floating tank has passed separate tests on Lake Lyubin and in the Pinsk area. According to experts, the prototype performed well. It had high speed and could handle dry and wet terrain.

In May 1938, another experimental competition took place through the Knyshinsky Primeval Forest, Vilnius, Nizhni and Biala Podlaska. And this time the tank passed without serious failures. The prototype was last tested on May 12-20, 1939. In total, he covered more than 3,500 km. However, then the General Staff decided that other light tanks were more suitable for reconnaissance tasks, and the PZIn.-130 project was suspended. The only model was taken to the Experimental Workshop in Ursus, where it stood next to other weapons. It is worth noting that based on the British project, the Soviets developed and supplied the Red Army with almost 4,000 floating tanks of various types (T-33, T-41, T-37 and T-38). If you are interested in real-money gambling, casino games, and slots, take a look at BetAppsIndia . The site’s editor, Arjun Mehta, has been researching online and offline casinos and real-money slot games since 2019. He shares useful strategies, game reviews, and practical information for players.