SOVIET MEDIUM TANK T-62

8/10/2019 SOVIET MEDIUM TANK T-62

1/45

A

t

UNITED

STATES

ARMY

TRAINING

AND

DOCTRINE

Et)MI

TRADOC

iiJOliiJ

WEAPONS

TACTICS

TRAINING

#

THE

SOVIET

MAIN

BATTLETANK

CAPABILITIES

AND

LIMITATIONS

FEBRUARY

1979

2 8 3

4 2

..


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R E P O R T

D A T E

FEBRUARY

97 9

3.

R E P O R T

T Y P E A N D

D A T E SC O V E R E D

FINAL

4.

T I T L E

A N D

S U B T I T L E

TRADOC

BULLETIN

0.

THE

SOVIET

MAIN

BATTLETANK:CAPABILITIES

AND

LIMITATIONS

5.

F U N D I N G

N U M BE R S

6.A U T H O R S

7.

P E R F O R M I N G

O R G A N I Z A T I O N

NAME S)A N D ADDRESS ES)

HQU.S.

ARMY

TRAINING

AND

DOCTRINE

COMMAND

ATTN:

ATCG-T

FORT

MONROE

VIRGINIA

23651

8.

E R F O R M I N G

O R G A N I Z A T I O N

R E P O R T N U M B E R

9.

SPONSORING M O N I T O R I N G

A G E N C YNAME S)

A N D ADDRESS ES)

10.

PONSORING

M O N I T O R I N G

A G E N C Y

R E P O R T N U M B E R

11,

S U P P L E M E N T A R YN O TE S

Se e

TRADOC

Bulletin

dated

September97 7

12a.

D I S T R I B U T I O N

A V A I L A B I L I T Y

S TA TE M E N T

APPROVED

FOR

PUBLIC

RELEASE;DISTRIBUTION

IS

UNLIMITED.

12b.

D I S T R I B U T I O N C O D E

13 .ABSTRACTMaximum200

words

Th e

Soviet

Unionan d

its

Warsaw

Pact

allies

have

builttheir

armies

around

mechanizedcombinedarms

teams

Th etanks

in

theseforcesconsist

of

T-54,

T-55,

T-62,

ndT-72

models.

Anew

tank,

alled

theT-80,s

reportedlyunder

development,

however,

ittleis

known

about

its

characteristics.

Th e

T-62isthe

principal

battletank

found

inSoviettankand

motorized

rifledivisions.It

is

an

accurate,

highly-lethal,

weaponsystemgenerally

comparable

to

the

US

M60

series

tank.

Th epurpose

of

this

bulletin

istodescribetheSovietmainbattletank,

ndtoexplain:

What

it

ca ndo ;

Whit

it

cannotdo ;

How

it

isused;

How

it

isdefeated.

Th e

material

in

this

bulletin

is

basedprimarily

on

the

T-62model

since

it

is

the

current

workhorse

of

Soviettank

units.

Becauseother

Soviet

medium

tanks

(T-54,T-55)

ar esimilar

to

the

T-62,they

are

no t

discussed

in

this

bulletin.Some

information

of

theT-64andT-72tanksca nbefoundinAppendixA.

Th ecountermeasures

discussed

in

section

VIare

based

on

the

combatresults

of recent

MiddleEast

warsand

of tactical

studiesemployedagainstforceswhichgenerallyfollow

Soviet

doctrine.Datainthis

bulletin

are

from

the

US

ArmyForeign

Science

Technology

Center's

(FSTC)

officialreportsontheYomKippurWar;

theUS

Army

Materiel

Systems

Analysis

agency

(AMSAA);nd

the

1th

Combat

Intelligence

Company.

14.

SUBJECT

TERMS

15.

N U M B E R

O F

P A G E S

42

16 .

P R I C E

C O D E

17. S E C U R I T Y C L A S S I F I C A T I O N

O F

R E P O R T

UNCLASSIFIED

18.

S E C U R I T Y C L A S S I F I C A T I O NFT H I S

P A G E

UNCLASSIFIED

19 . S E C U R I T Y C L A S S I F I C A T I O N

O F

A BS TR A C T

UNCLASSIFIED

20.L I M I T A T I O NO FA BS TR A C T

UNLIMITED

N S N

7540-01-280-5500

Standa rdF o r m

29 8

( R e v .2-891

P r e s c r i b e d

b y

ANSI

Std .

Z39-18

298-102


3/45

x > *

0 >

A

^

*ARMYTRAININGAND

EVALUATION

PROGRAM


4/45

UNITED

STATES

ARMY

TRAINING

AND

DOCTRINE

COMMAND

BULLETINN O

10

9

FEBRUARY

1979

THE

SOVIET

MAIN

BATTLE

TANK:

CAPABILITIES

AND

LIMITATIONS

C ON TEN TS

Page

Introduction

What

It

Is

What

It

C anDo

What

It

Cannot

Do

6

How

It

Is

Used

9

How

T o

Defeat

It

4

AppendixA

T-64andT-72Tanks

1

Appendix

B

References

4

AppendixC

Ordering

TRADOCBulletins

6

SECTION

I

II

III

IV

V

VI


5/45

This

TRADOCBULLETINs

ntended

oprovideimely,technical

information

on

weapons,

tactics,

and

training

to

commanders

and

others

oncerned ith

ilitaryraining.t

s

otntendedo

supplant

doctrinalpublications,

but

tosupplement

"how-to-fight"

material

ith

ata

erivedrom

ests,ecentntelligence,

nd

other

sources.

TRAINERS'

O T E :his

ulletin

s esignedo

elp

rainers

identifyandextractneededinformation.Charts,llustrations,and

otherke ydatamaybeextractedforndividual

use.

Comments

nd

ecommendations re

welcome nd

hould e

directed

tothe:

COMMANDER

USARMYTRAININGAND

DOCTRINE

COMMAND

ATTN: ATCG-T

FORTMONROE,

VIRGINIA 23651

(TEL: AUTOVON680-2972/2445)


6/45

TRADOC

BULLETINNO

0

SECTION

INTRODUCTION

The

SovietUnion

and

ts

WarsawPactallies

have

builttheir

armies

around

mechanized

combined

armsteams.The

tanks

inthese

forces

consist

ofT-54,T-55,T-62,T-64,and

T-72

models.

A

newtank,called

the

T-80,

is

reportedlynder

evelopment,

owever,ittles

nown

bout

ts

characteristics.

The

T-62

is

the

principalbattle

tank

foundin

Soviettank

and

motorized

rifledivisions.tsanaccurate,highly-lethal,weaponsystemgenerally

comparable

to

the

US

M60

series

tank.

Thepurposeof

thisbulletinis todescribetheSoviet

main

battletank,and

toexplain:

W H A T IT

CAN

DO

WH T

T C NNOT

DO

O

HOW

T

S USED

HOW

T S

DEFE TED

The

material

inthis

bulletinisbased

primarily

ontheT-62modelsinceit

ishecurrentworkhorse fSovietankunits.ecauseotherSoviet

mediumtanks

(T-54,

T-55)

aresimilar

to

the

T-62,they

are

notdiscussed

in

this

bulletin.

Some

information

on

the

T-64and

T-72

tanks

can

be

found

in

appendix

A.

The

countermeasuresdiscussed

in

sectionVI

are

based

on

the

combat

results

ofrecentMiddleEast

warsand

oftacticalstudies

employed against

forces whichgenerallyfollow

Soviet

doctrine.

Data

in

thisbulletinare

from

the

US

Army

ForeignScience

Technology

Center's

(FSTC)

official

reports

on

the

YomKippur War;

theUS

ArmyMateriel

Systems

Analysis

Agency

(AMSAA);andthe

11th

CombatIntelligence

Company.


7/45

TRADOC

BULLETINNO0

II

WHAT

IT

IS

TheT-62

seriestank

was

first

shown

publiclyin

1965and

has

since

then

become

the firstline battle

tankofthe

Soviet

Union.

Its

mountedweapons

candeliver

massedsuppressive

or

accurate

point

fires.

The

vehicle

can

be

made

watertight

for

fording

water

obstacles.

It

has

a

filteringsystem

which

eliminatesdustfromtheturretallowingthecrewtooperate

ina

nuclear

environmentfo r

limitedperiods.

A

-62A

ersion,

anufactured

fter

970,

eatures2.7-mm

antiaircraft

machinegun,

animproved

transmission,animproved

engine

compartment,andastabilized

main

gun.

Thestabilized

main

gunenables

thegunnerorackandireonhe

move

withsignificantlymproved

accuracy.he

ovietT-62

anksasily

ecognized

y

he

ollowing

features:

DRounded,sloping

turret.

High

dust

rooster

tails rising

from

the

rear

deck.

S

Bore

evacuator

locatedabout

one-third

of

the

waybackon the

gun

tube.

Q

Large

gaps

separating

the

third,

fourth,

andfifth

roadwheels.

RECOGNIT IONOF

T-62

TANK

0

2 oj


8/45

Characteristics

of

the

T-62Tank

^

Crew

4

Weight

37.1

metrictons

Height

2.4m

Length

gun

orward) 9.33

m

Width

3.29m

Ground

clearance

.43m

Engine 580-hpDieselV-12

Cruising

ange

paved

oad

crosscountry

450km

320

km

Cruising

ange

with

auxiliary

fuel

tanks

paved

oad

cross

country

650km

450km

Suspension

system

ChristieSystem,iveoadwheels

Maximumspeed

50kmph

Main

armament 115-mm

smoothbore

gun

Maingunbasicoad 40ounds

HVAPFSDS

HEAT

HE

12

ounds

6ounds

22

ounds

Muzzle

velocity

Greater

than

1615

meters

persecond

Practicalateof

fire 3to4oundsper

minute

Primary

fire

control

sight

Articulated

telescope

Secondaryfire

control

sight

None

Range

finding

device

Stadiametric

angefindersnele-

scope

and

periscope

Effective

ange50%P

n

1500

m

Traverse

360powerand

manual

Elevationmain

gun

-4to+17

Gun

stabilization Vertical

and

horizontal

Coaxial

machinegun

7.62

mm

Antiaircraftmachinegun

12.7

mm

Maximumgradient 30

Ditch

crossingwidth

2.85

m

Wallscalingheight 0.8m

Water

fording

depth

1.4m

Water

obstacle

depth

using

snorkel)

5.5m

Waterobstacle

width

usingsnorkel)

1000

m

^


9/45

TRADOCBULLETIN

NO

0

SECTION

I

ARMAMENT

The

firepower

of the

T-62

tank

is

designed

around

a

turret

that

contains

theequipment

necessary

to

operate

andirethe

three

organicweapons.

Theseweapons

are

the

115-mm

smoothbore

cannon,

PKT7.62-mmcoaxial

machinegun,DShK

2.7-mm

ntiaircraft

machinegun

only

n-62A

models) .

ARMAMENTON

THE

T-62TANK

Q115-mm

Smoothbore

Cannon

The

main

gunof

theT-62

s

an

extremely

accurate

weapon

and

ires

projectileswith

thehighestmuzzle

velocity

of

any

tankgun

in

the

world.

Thegun

is

controlled

andranged

by

thetank

commander,

and

aimed

and

firedbythegunner.Itiscapableofdefeating

any

type ofarmorcurrentlyin

the

field.

The

gunfires

three

typesofroundsasdescribed

on

page

4.

n

PKT7.62-mm

Coaxial

Machinegun

The 7.62-mmcoaxial

machinegun

is

mounted

to

the

rightof

themain

gun,

and

it

is

fired

either

electrically

by

the

gunner

or

manuallybythe

loader.

Themachinegunhas

an

effective

rangeof1500 meters

and

is

primarily

used

against areatargets

suchas

troops

inthe

open.

It

has

a

basicload

of2500 to

3500

ounds.hiseaponsxtremelyeliable

nd

arely

ams

r

malfunctions.

PI DShK

12.7-mm

Antiaircraft

Machinegun

The

2.7-mm

ntiaircraft

machinegun

s

mounted

utside

he

ank

above

the

loader'shatch.

To

fire

the

weapon,

theloader

mustbe

partially

exposed,making

him

vulnerable

tosuppressive

fires.Thisalsoleavesthe

main

gun

loading

duties

unattended.

The

machinegunisusedagainst

area

targets

out

to0 00metersandagainstaircraft

at

a

slant

rangeof1000

meters.Ithasabasicloadof200to600 rounds,fe d

from

50-roundmetallic,

link

belts.


10/45

SECTION

I

TRADOC

BULLETINNO

0

MAIN

GUN

AMMUNITION

TheT-62carriesamix of

40

hypervelocity,

armor-piercing,

fin-stabilized,

discarding

sabot;

highexplosiveantitank;andhighexplosive

rounds.The

specificnumberofeachype

ound

varies

with

theanticipatedactical

situation.

Hypervelocity,

Armor-Piercing,

Fin-Stabilized,

Discarding

Sabot

HVAPFSDS)

This

is

a

kinetic

energyround

thatdestroys

tanks

bypenetrating

their

armor.

When

the

roundhits,shrapnelkillsthe

crew

and

ignitesfueland

ammunition.

Theroundis

firedatanextremelyhigh

muzzle

velocity.The

muzzlevelocityis

achieved

bya

collar

(sabot)

that

breaks

awayfrom

the

penetratoraftertheroundleavestheguntube.Thepenetrator

flies

inavery

flat

trajectory

andis ,

therefore,

extremely

accurate

outtoarangeof1500

meters.TheHVAPFSDSis

the

T-62's

principal

armordefeating

round.

OPERATION

OF

THE

HVAPFSDSROUND

TH EHVAPFSDS

ROUND

F

TH E

T-62

TANK

TRAVELS

A

MILE

E R

SECOND

T

STH EFASTESTTANKCANNONROUND

N

H EWOR LD

-1 EC0ND-

IL E

(1600

E T E R S )

P E N E T R A T O R

HVAPFSDS

H

T9%"

High

Explosive

Antitank

HEAT)

This

is

achemical energyroundthatkills

armoredvehicles

by

producing

a

high

velocity

jet

ofgasthat

penetrates

the

target's

armor

and

directs

the

force

ofthe

explosioninsidethevehicle.The

penetration

capabilityofthe

HEAT

round

is

notaffected

byrange.

High

ExplosiveH E )

This

s

aconventionalragmentation

round.

It

hasaninstantaneous,

point-detonatingfuzethat

cannot

be

adjusted.Theroundisusedprimarily

againstunarmored

argets

uch

s

roops,ight-skinned

vehicles,

and

buildings.


11/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0

SECTION

I

FIRECONTROLINSTRUMENTS

The

T-62has

three

fire

controlinstrumentswhichenable

thecrew

to

sight,

range,

and

fire

the115-mm

smoothbore

cannon.

TSh2B-41u

Telescope

The

Sh2B-4lu

elescope

s

he

unner'srimary

means

farget

engagementandtheonlysight

for

daylight

use.

Thegunnercan

select

3.5x-

and

x-

power

magnification.

A

angeknobon

he

bottom

of

the

sight

introduces

the

superelevation

required

for

theammunition

specifiedbythe

tankcommander.

The

gunner'sstadiametricrangefinderisat

the

bottom

right

of

the

reticle.

Shownbelow

is

thereticle

as

itappears

to

thegunner

throughhis

telescope.

RETICLE

OFTHE

TSh2B-4luTELESCOPE

-37

B

6

3 6

Range

Line

40-

_32z

24-

3H

30

36

34

328-

30

28

26 24-

-30

-26

-22

24-

-=-222

20-

8

0-

8

16-=-

16

-=

14

16

4 12

4

40

oc

12-=-

-=-10

12

2_=r-36

94=28

0

12

8

~

El l

o_===-4

0

0

B P

B K

0018

0011

A PD S

H E A T

H E1 8

HEt

19-

A'i'A'i'A'i'A'

r r

T

C O A X

'i'A'i'A' A

1

1

A

2, 7

1.4

ff.T , T

Rangefinder

TKN-3

Day-Night

Periscope

The

TKN-3day-night

periscope,

mounted

atthe

tank

commander's

(TC)

station,istheprimaryinstrumentfordetermining

target

range.

When

fixed*

on

theaxis

of

the

main

gun,

it

is usedby

the

TCto laythegun

on

target

in

an

emergency.


12/45

SECTIONI

TRADOC

BULLETINNO

0

The

5x-power

day

mode

or

the

4.2x-power,nfraredIR )

modecan

be

selectedwitha

switch

on

the

sight.

When

usedwiththe

tank

commander's

searchlight,

theperiscopehas a

rangeof

40 0

meters.

However,

it

hasa

range

of

80 0

meters

when

used

on

the

same

axis

as

the

main

searchlight.

Shown

below

s

he

eticle

ast

appearso

he

ank

commander

hrough

his

periscope.

RETICLE

OF

THE

TKN-3DAY-N IGHTPERISCOPE

T

4

mils

2. 7

RANGEFINDER

TPN

1-41-11

Infrared

Periscope

TheTPN

1-41-11

infrared

periscopeis used

for

nighttargetengagements.

This5.5x-powersighthas

a

rangeof800meterswhen

used

withthemain

searchlight.

It

has

an

illuminated

reticle

toassistthe

gunner,

butit

does

not

have

a

stadia

rangefinder.


13/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0 ECTION

I

VISION

DEVICES

The T-62isequipped withvisiondevicesthatenableittofight

effectively

with

all

hatches

closed

and

inconditions

of

reduced

visibility.

VisionBlocks

There

are

sevenvisionblockson

the

T-62

tank.The

tank

commander

has

fournmagnified

isionlocks,

mounted

n

he

upola

nd

atch.

Dependingnheositionfhe

upola,

he

locks

ivehe

ank

commander

80

ield

of

view

atany

givenime.The

gunner

has

an

unmagnified

vision

block

mounted

n

he

urretceiling

thats

usedor

generalviewing

and

main

gunorientation.Thedriverhastwovision

blocks

which

heuses

fo r driving

when

the

hatchis

closed.

For

night

driving,the

left

vision

block

is

replaced

with

a

TVN-2

infrared

periscope.

The

periscope

has

a

rangeof

about

60

meters

but

itspositioncreates

a

deadspace

5

meters

forward

of

the

tank

which

makes

turning

and

high

speed

driving

difficult.

MK-4S

Periscope

Thisdevicehas

a

dualvisioncapabilityfrontandrear.Thesight

is

normallyorientedto

the

frontprovidinga25fieldofvision.By

pulling

the

headsetdown,

theloadercan

turn

theperiscope

to

the

rear

providing

a16

field

ofvision.

Searchlights

Searchlights

on

the

T-62

are

used

exclusivelyfo r

infrared

illumination.

While

itis

possibleto usevisiblelight,theinfrared

filters

are

hard

to remove.

Unless

some

other

sourceof

visible

lightisused,

the

T-62

cannot

effectively

engage

targetsat

rangesgreater

than80 0meters

during

darkness.

There

aretwo

searchlights

on

theT-62;

the

L-2G

and

the

OU-3GK.

TheL 2G

searchlight

isused

primarily

bythe

gunner

in

conjunction

withheTPN

1-41-11

nfraredperiscope.nhenfraredmode,he

searchlight

can

illuminate

atargetatarangeof

80 0

meters.

It

can

also

beusedin

the

visiblelight

modeby

removing

the

infrared

filter.

TheOU 3GK

searchlight

s

used

by

heankcommander

inon-

nection

with

the

TKN-3

periscope.Itcanonly

illuminate

a

target

ata

range

of40 0meters.

But,

like

the

L-2G,

it

can

be

operated

inthe

visible

light

mode

byremoving

theinfrared

filter.

Driving

Lights

White

drivinglights

and

infrareddrivinglightsare

mounted

oneither

sideof thedriver's

hatch.

Thewhite

driving

lightscanbe

switched

to ahigh,

low,

or

blackout

beam.

The

infrared

lights

areused in

conjunctionwith

the


14/45


15/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

N O0

SECTIONI I

III

W H A T

IT

CAN

D O

TheT-62medium

ank

s

mobile,

ffective,

and

dangerous

weapon

system.

Itwill

be

present

in

large

numbersin

Soviettankunits

for

atleast

thenextdecade.Itis

a

ruggedbut

sophisticated

system

around

which

Soviet

ground

orceshave

built

heir

tacticaldoctrine.

n

addition,

he

T-62

s

comparable

to

the

M60A1

in

firepower,

armor

thickness,and

mobility.

EFFECTIVENESS

OFMAIN

GUN

AMMUNITION

Theammunitionfiredby

themain

gunof

the

T-62is

effectiveagainst

a

variety

f

argets

o

nclude

rmored

ehicles,

ight-skinned

vehicles,

buildings,

and

personnel.

The

powderused

to propel

the

roundis

technically

excellent.

Also,

each

typeofround

hasitsownpowder

mixture.

Hypervelocity,Armor-Piercing,Fin-Stabilized,Discarding

Sabot

Theprobabilityof

a

firstround

hit

for

a

tankis

a

functionofprojectile

speed,

targetrange,

andfire

controlequipment.These

factorscombineto

give

the

HVAPFSDS

a

lethal

first

round

hitprobability

as

shown

in

the

following

twotables.

n

T-62

TANK

F IRSTROUNDHI TPROBABILITY

M

STAT IONARY

TARGET

Ifa tank

halts

in

theopen, the

T-62,

using VAPFSDS,

as

50-50

chance

of

scoring

afirst round

hit

at

1500

meters.

IUU

90

80

70

69

60

t

S

5 0

CC

LU

40

30

.20

10

0

50 0

1000 1500

2000

2500

30

R A N G E

M E T E R S )

0 0


16/45

SECTION

I I

TRADOC

BULLETINNO

0

Ifa

tank

is

makinga30approach

at

2ph,

he

-62,

sing

HVAPFSDS,

ha s a

better

than

70

percentchance

of

scoring

first

round

hit

at

1000

meters.

T-62TANKF IRSTROUND

HI T

PROBABILITY-MOVING

TARGET

"100

90

80

7 0

60

S

5 0

oc

UJ

o-

0

30

20

1 0

50 0

1000

1500

2000

R A N G E

M E T E R S )

2500

3000

HighExplosive

Antitank

Because

f

lower

muzzle

elocity,he-62

EAT

ound

as

significantly

lower

hit

probability

than

the

HVAPFSDS

as

shown

in

the

following

two

tables.

If

a tankhalts in the

open,

theT-62,

using

H E A T ,ha s onlya 20

percent

chance

of

scoring

a

first

round

hit

at

1500

meters.

T-62

TANKF IRSTROUNDHI T

PROBABILITY-STATIONARYTARGET

50 0

1000

1500

R A N G EMETERS)

2000

2500

3000

10


17/45

TRADOC

BULLETINNO

0

SECTIONI I

E

If

a

tank

is makinga

30

approach

Mat12

mph,theT-62,

usingHEAT, T-62

TANK

IRST

ROUNDHIT

ha s

es s

than

a

30

percent

char.ce PROBABILITY-MOVING

ARGET

of

scoringafirst

round

hit

at1000

meters. *

^ .

500

000

A R M O R E D - P I E R C I N G ,

I S C A R D I N G S A B O T

1500

RANGE

(METERS)

2000

2500

,3000

1 1


18/45

SECTIONII

TRADOCBULLETIN

NO

0

For

ongange

ankbattles,

heM60A2provides

a

decided

accuracy

advantage.It

canfire

the

Shillelagh

missile,

which

canhit

a

tank9times

out

of

10at3000

meters.

Tank

rounds

are

lethal,

given

a

hit.

To

appreciate

this,

it

is

necessary

to

examinethearmor

protection

of

both

the

T-62

and

M60A1tanks.

ARMOR

THICKNESS

(EQUIVALENT

TOCENTIMETERS

OF

ROLLED

HOMOGENEOUS

ARMOR

AT

0OBLIQUITY)

T-62

HULL

TURRET

FRONT

SIDE

F RO N T

S I DE

TOP

REAR

MAXIMUM

20.3

8 .1

20.3

11.9

3.0

6 .1

MINIMUM

20.3

2.0

= c = *

M60A1

HULL

TURRET

F RO NT

S I DE

F RONT

S I DE

TOP

REAR

MAXIMUM

22.9

5 .3

25.4

14.0

2.3

5 .8

MINIMUM

22.9

4.8

Itshenecessaryoxaminemainunmmunitionenetration

capabilities.Thechart

below

shows

the

comparativepenetratingpower

and

the

lethalityofthe

T-62

andM60Al

tanks

at

theexpected

engagement

range

in

Europe.

r

COMPARATIVEKILLPROBABIL ITYT-62VERSUSM60A1

TANK

ROUND

ARMOR

PENETRATION

CM)

PROBABILITY

OF

ILL

F

HIT

T-62

H V A P F SO S

3 3 c m

71 %

H EA T

43.2cm

75 %

M601

L ;

APDS

25.4cm

5 4%

H EA T

43.2cm

75 %

12


19/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

N O0

SECTIONI I

From

thiscomparison,tisevidentthatboth

tank

gunsare

extremely

lethal

and

essentially

equal

ineffectiveness.

Therefore,

if

a

US

tank

is

hit,

there

is

a

good

chance

it

will

be

destroyed.

RANGE

ESTIMATION

Rangingisthetankcommander'sresponsibility

on

theT-62.

If

thetarget

isabout2.7 metershigh,thetankcommanderuses

the

stadia

rangefinder

in

hisperiscopeasshown

below.

STADIA

RANGEF INDER

AN

M60A1TANK,.8

METERS

HIGH,

BEING

RANGED

AT

20 0

METERS

TheSoviet

commandercanuse

the

stadia

rangefinder

tokill

an

M60A1,

sinceit is

2.8

meters

high

from

the

ground

tothetopof

the

turret.Todo

this,

however,

heM60A1

must

be

completelyexposed.Thiss

anmportant

reasonfo r

UStankcommanderstouse

defilade

positions.

The

gunner

can

alsodetermine

ranges

if

the

tank

commander

is

unableto

do

so.

He

has

a

stadia

rangefinder

in

the

lower

right

corner

of

his

telescope.

Byemployingthe

mil

relation(WORM) formula,the

gunner

can

also

usethe

lateral

eadines

n

heelescopeodetermine

range.However,

he

mil

relationformula

is

difficulttouseundercombat

conditions.

ADDITIONALCAPABILITIES

Aside

from

the

capabilities

discussed

above

which

are

similar

to

those

of

the

M60A1tank,the

T-62

has

thefollowing

threeadvantages:

D.fording

withsnorkel

smoke

generating

H

mine

clearing

Fording

WithSnorkel

Soviet

tanks,

equipped

with

snorkels,

can

crosswater

obstacles

upto5. 5

meters

n

epth.

owever,

ntrancend

xit

ointsay

equire

preparation.Thetimeneededto prepareamedium

tank

unitfo r

a

snorkeling

operation

varies

greatly

with

the

tankmodeland

the

amountofpreinstalled

13


20/45

SECTION

I I

TRADOCBULLETIN

NO

0

equipmentonthe

vehicle.

Normally,aunitselected

for

thismissioncan

preparewithinV -h

hours.

Tanksare

steered

intothewateronaprearranged

azimuthusing

a

gyroscope

compass.

Necessary

correctionsarethen

given

by

radio

from

the

shore.

But

due

to

the

hazards

of

snorkeling

operations

and

the

timerequired

for

preparation,Soviet

tankunits

prefertoferry

or

bridge

water

obstacles.

14


21/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0

SECTION

I I

Smoke

Generating

The

Soviet

medium

tankcancreateits

ownsmokescreenby

injecting

raw

diesel

fuelintotheexhaustmanifoldoftheengine.Theheatofthe

manifold

vaporizesthe

fuel,

producing

thick,white

smoke.

Thirty-five

gallonsoffuel

willgenerate

a

smoke

screen

for

10minutes.

Mine

Clearing

Three

tanks,

equipped

with

mine

clearing

attachments

(either

rollers

or

plows),

are

found

ineach

Soviet

tank

company.

They

clear

a

pathjustwide

enoughfor

each

track.

Whenrollers orplowsare

not

available,engineers

are

used

to

supportminefieldbreaching

operations.

KMT-5

ROLLER-PLOW

S ET

TheKMT-5,

a

roller-plow

set,

has

been

recentlyplaced

in

service.

The

set

provides

theSoviet commander

witha

choice

of

roller

orplow.

This

choice

depends

upon

the

typeofterrain,soil,

orminefield

encountered

at

the

siteof

thebreaching

operation.

he

oller

and

plow

cannot

be

used

simulta-

neously.

Quick

disconnectsallowthedriver

to

drop

bothrapidly.

V

1 5


22/45

SECTIONV

TRADOC

BULLETINNO

0

IV

WHATIT

CANNOT

DO

Although

theT-62

main

battle

tank

is

anexcellent

tactical

vehicle,

it

does

haveweaknesses

andvulnerabilities.TheT-62'smostsignificantweakness

is

its

slow

rateoffire.This,

coupled

witha

number

ofotherlimitations,

gives

USanks

he

advantage

on

he

modern

battlefield.But

oexploit

this

advantage,

S

ank

rews

must

e

horoughlyrainednheT-62's

vulnerabilities.nlynhisayanhey

ain

henowledgend

confidenceneededtodefeatsucha

sophisticated

andlethal

weapon

system.

RATEOFFIRE

While the

T-62

hasthe

fastest tank

roundinthe

world,it

has

a

relatively

slow

rate

of

fire.Compared

to

theM60A1 ,

which

fires

to

8

rounds

per

minute,he

T-62

fires

only3toroundsperminute.nother

words,

the

M60A1

is

twice

as

fast.

This

is

due

to

the

following

factors

on

the

T-62.

The

ammunition

is

inconvenientlystored

for

rapidloading.

Under

certainconditions,hegun

must

be

elevated

before

the

loader

can

place

a

new

round

in

the

breech.

The

automatic

ejection

system

requiressixsecondstocomplete acycle.

MAIN

GUNROUND

STOWAGE

Exceptfortwo

roundsinthe

turret

ready

rack,

main

gun

ammunitionon

the

T-62

is

not

easily

accessible

asindicatedinthediagram

below.

MAIN

GUN

ROUND

STOWAGE

16ROUNDS^

OUND

2

ROUNDS

AUTOMATIC

SHELL

EJECTOR

SYSTEM

OUND

20

ROUNDS

Moreover,

heT-62carriesonly40

ounds

on

boardwhile

he

M60A1

carries

63

rounds.

16


23/45

TRADOC

BULLETINNO

0

SECTION

V

GUN

STABILIZATION

SYSTEM

When

the

maingunisfiredinthestabilizedmode,

the

tube

automatically

elevates

after

ejection

to

permit

reloading.

This

action

moves

the

gunner's

sightofftarget

andpreventshim

from

applyingthe

burst-on-target

(BOT)

gunnery

technique.

Moreimportantly,it

consumes

time

while

he

resights

on

the

target.

AUTOMATIC

SHELL

EJECTOR

SYSTEM

TheT-62hasanintegral

spent

shell

ejectormechanismwhich

is

activated

by

he

ecoilof

the

maingun.This

mechanism

ejects

he

spent

casing

through

a

portinthe

rear

of theturret.

Althoughthe

ejector

system

keeps

the

smallturretfreeof

spentcasings,

it

has

a

numberof limitations.

After

a

round

is

fired,all

turret

power

is

automatically

shut

offuntiltheloaderturns

his

safety

switch

on.

Thispreventshe

gunner

from

tracking

targets

in

power

duringheeloading

ycle.

ndditionoakingixecondso

complete

a

cycle,

the

ejector

mechanism

opens

the

tank

to

nuclear,

chemical,

or

biological

contamination.

FIRINGFROMCOVERED

POSITIONS

The

T-62

tank

cannotdepress

its

maingunasaras

he

M60A1.This

meansthatthe

Soviet

tank

cannot

use

terrain

as

effectively.

Thus,

the

T-62

mustexpose

itselfmore

than

theM60Al

when

firing

from

covered

positions.

This

is

another

important

reason

forUS

tankers

to

use

defiladepositions.

1 7


24/45

SECTION

V RADOC

BULLETIN

NO0

ADDITIONAL

LIMITATIONS

The

T-62has

the

following

additionallimitations.

It

takes20seconds to traversethe

T-62tankturret360.

It

takes

only

15

seconds

forthe

M60A1.

Thestadiareticle

on

the

T-62 is

the

onlyopticalaidused

for

determining

target

range.The

M60A1

has

a

coincidence

rangefinderwhich

is

more

accurate.

TheT-62gunneris

theonlycrew

member

who

canaccurately

firethe

main

gun

andcoaxial

machinegun.

On

the

M60A1,he

gunnerand

tank

ommander

an

im

nd

irehe

main

gunnd

he

coaxial

machinegunelectrically

from

their

positions.

Duetohesmallsizeofthe

turret,

crewmembersareverycramped,

and

their

movement

isseverely

restricted.

1 8


25/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO0

SECTION

V

V

H O W IT

ISUSED

The

T-62

mainbattletankisanoffensive

weapon

used

asthe

nucleus

of

the

Sovietcombined

arms

team.

It

provides speed,mobility,momentum,

and

firepower

in

offensive

operations.

UNIT

ORGANIZATION

AND

TANKCREW

The

medium

ankcompany

s

hebasicbuilding

block

in

Soviet

tank

organization.Usually,atankcompanyoperatesas

part

ofa

battalion.

Tank

formations

re

upported

y

nd

nurn

upport

other

rms

uch

s

infantryand

field

artillery.

Unit

Organization

The

ank

companyconsistsofthree

tank

platoonsandacompany

headquarters.

In

a

tank

battalion

of

a

tank

regiment,each

platoon

consists

of

threetanks.

In

a

tankbattalionofamotorizedrifle

regiment,

each

platoon

consists

of

four

tanks.

SOVIETTANK

COMPANYORGANIZATION

*3TANKS

NEACH

PLATOON

OF

A

TANK

REGIMENT

4

TANKSN

EACH

PLATOONOF

AMOTORIZED

RIFLE

REGIMENT

TAN K

CREW

COMPANY

II '

:',

COMPANY

HEADQUARTERS

PLATOON

|

Tank

Crew

The

crew

of

aSovietmedium tankusually

consists

of

four

soldiers:

a

tank

commander,gunner,driver-mechanic,

and

loader.Thereislittleevidenceof

formalcross

training

within

the

crew.

However,Soviettank

crewmen

are

likely

o

e

amiliarwithomeofhe

operating

proceduresf

ellow

crewmen

and

could

probably

perform somedifferenttasksin

an

emergency.

Thefourcrewmembers

are

describedbelow.

DThe

ank

commander

sn

mmediate

command

of

thetank.

His

responsibilities

nclude

ehicleaintenance,arget

cquisition,

ranging,

irecontrol,

ireselection,

and

resupply.The

commanderis

theonly

rew

member

trainedandauthorizedtousethetankradio.

Platoon

leadersandcompany

commanders

control

their

own

tanks.

19


26/45

SECTION

V

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0

Thegunnerissecond

incommand

ofthetank.Heis

responsiblefor

firing,

ervicing,ndepairingheank's

main

gun

and

ormain-

taining

he

ank's

opticaland

gunnery

nstruments.

He

assistshe

driver-mechanic

in

the

technical

inspection

of

the

vehicle.

In

combat,

thegunnerassistsnargetacquisition,electshe

ammunition

or

each

arget,

and

setshesuperelevation

or

each

ound

based

upon

range.He

fires

themaingunandcoaxialmachinegun.

H

The

driver mechanic

maintains

and

repairs

the

tank,obtainsspare

parts,andinspectsthe

vehicle.

In

combat,

the

driver-mechanic

selects

aroutethat

provides

thegunnerwith

good

firingpositions.

The

loader

maintains

ammunition

for

themain

gun

andthe

machine-

guns.

He

assistshegunnernpreparingthemaingunforcombat,

aids

hedriver-mechanic

n

outine

maintenance,

nd

assumes

he

duties

ofthe

gunner

if necessary.

Healso

operates

the

12.7-mmanti-

aircraft

machinegun.

T-62

TANKCREW

LOADER,

DRIVER

GUNNERJ

TANK

COMMANDER

OFFENSIVE

OPERATIONS

Soviet

ffensive

perations

seargeumbersf

mobile,rmored

vehiclestofirstrupturetheenemy'sdefensesandthento

exploit,

pursue,

and

completely

defeat

the

enemy.

Soviet

commanders

employ

their

forces

in

rigidgeometrical

formations.Simple,well-rehearsed

formations

facilitate

command,

ontrol,nd

raining

orcombat.uthesearge,rmored

formations

have

difficulty

using

natural

protection

afforded

by

terrain.

So ,

during

theattack,

mostSovietvehiclesmay

beexposed,

perhaps

easily

acquired,

andthereforevulnerableto

antitank

guided

missile

(ATGM)

and

tank

fires.

20


27/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0

SECTIONV

This

llustration

shows

offensive

operationsemploying

a

Soviet

ank

companyreinforcedwithamechanized

nfantry

platoon

anda22-mm

howitzerbattery.

SOVIET

TANK

COMPANYOFFENS IVE

OPERATIONS

a

.a

F rom

4

to

6

km

f rom

the

l ine

of

on tac t ,a n k s

n

columneadhe

a t t ached

MPs

n d

howitzer

batteries.

'/.VW,

31

.//

.

About

3m

ro m

he

in e

of con tac t ,

a n k s

move n to platoon

column .Th e

122-mm

howitzerbatteries

prov ide

nd i rec t

fire.

Less

ha n

m

ro m

he

in e

of

contact,

a n k s

n d

n f a n t r y

move

n to

in e

s s au l t

o rm a t i o n .

n f an t ry ,

ounted

r

d i s m ou n t e d ,ollowhe

a n k s

o

he

objective.

;

i>

*V '

V

'

''

21


28/45

SECTION

V

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0

DEFENSIVE

OPERATIONS

Sovietunitsconduct

defensive

operationsonly

as

atemporary

measure

and

seek

everyopportunityto

resumethe

offensive.

Tank

unitsdefend only

until

they

are

relievedby

motorized

rifle

units.

Characteristics

of

a

Soviet

defense

are:

Depth

Mutualsupport

betweenpositions

Antitank

orientation

Counterattacksbytank-heavy

forces

Themedium

ank

companynormallydefendsaspartofabattalion,

performing

oneor

more

of

the

following

roles:

Holding

an

area

Counterattacking

an

advancing

enemy

Beinforcinga

motorized

rifle

battalion

B

overing

a

sectorbetween

nuclear,

iological,

andchemical

NBC)

contaminated

areas

Bonducting

a

tank

ambush

Asartf

a

battalion

defense,

he

ank

companyusually

ecures

strongpointpproximately000

meters

idend00eters

eep.

Normally,hereare0 0

meters

betweenplatoons.ndividual

anks

are

spacedabout

50meters

apart

with

overlappingfieldsof

fire,

as

shown

below.

SOVIET

TANK

SPAC ING

N

DEFENS IVE

POS IT IONS

RANGE

2000

METERS

2 2


29/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0

SECTION

V

If

the

enemy

launches

an

attack,

the

Soviet

tank

companycommander

concentrates

his

fire

on

themost

threatenedposition.The

order

to

fire

is

given

whenthe

enemyis

about

1500

meters

from

the

company.

Attached

infantry

nd

upporting

rtillery

ngage

he

nemy

with

he

im

f

separating

infantry

from

tanks.

When

a

reservetankcompany

is

positioned

in

depthwithin

a

battalion

area,

it

is

not

only

prepared

to

hold

terrain

but

alsotocounterattackon

order.

The

following

illustration

shows

a

typical

defensivepositionemployinga

tank

companyreinforced

with

a

motorized

rifleplatoon.

SOVIET

TANK

COMPANYDEFENS IVEPOSIT ION

- ' ?


30/45

SECTION

VI

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0

VI

H O W

T ODEFEATIT

The

T-62

medium

tank

is

vulnerable

to

a

number

ofantitank

weaponsand

defensivetechniques.These

includethe

following:

Tanks

TOW

and

Dragon

antitank

guided

missiles

Lightantitankweapons

Close

airsupport

Field

artillery

weapons

Minesand

obstacles

Smoke

Field

expedient

techniques

Terrain

ThebestwaytocompletelydestroytheT-62istohit thefuel

cells

or

the

main

gun

ammunition.

Internal

fuel

cellsare

located

along

therightside

of

the

tank

withthemajority

around

thedriver'scompartment.External

fuel

cells

arelocatedalongtheright

fenders.

Auxiliary

fuel

drumsareusually

jettisoned

prior

to combat. The

main

gun

ammunition

isstowed

throughout

theturret,both

in

the

floor

and

onthe

bulkheads.

Aflank

shot,

which

hits

the

fuel

ellsandignites

both

fuel

and

ammunition,is

themost

effective

method

of

attack.

T-62's

MOST

VULNERABLE

AREAS

r

X

=nzz:

I L . .

24


31/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0

SECTION

VI

TANKS

To

defeat

Soviet

armored

formations,US

tankers

mustfollow

fourrules of

tank

gunnery.

That

is ,

theymust

engage

at

long ranges,

fire

first,

firefast

and

accurately,

and

fire

flanking

shots.

Engageat

long

ranges.

US

ank

crews

must

engage

T-62s

at

maximum

rangewith

Shillelagh

missilesandAPDSrounds.

Fire

first.

The

ank

rew,whichiswelltrained

and

canfire

first

ina

tank

duel,

normally

has

a

substantial

edge

in

winning.

Firefast

and

accurately.

Thecrewthatfires

fast

increases

its

hit

probability.Battlefieldgunnery

techniques

give

US

crews

a

high

probability

of

firstroundhitsat500

meters,

firing

5

to

8seconds

after

target

identification.

Fire

flanking

shots.

US

tank

crews

thatfireattheleftflankhave

a

goodchanceof

hitting

the

externaluelells

ndhe

stowedammunition.This

s

he

T-62's

most

vulnerablepoint.Baseduponnormal

T-62tactics,the

top

and

rearofthe

tankare

rarely

open

to

attack.

TOW

ANDDRAGONANTITANKGUIDEDMISSILES

Givenahit,the

TOW

andDragon

ATGMs

can

penetrate

andkill

aT-62

tank.

Thechart

below

shows

theprobability

of

a

first

round

hit

on

aT-62

by

both

weapons.

100

TOW AN DDRAGON I R STROUNDHITPROBABILITY

ON

A

STAT IONARY

T-62

c c

5 0

DR A G O N -

- TOW

6 5

1000 00 0

R A N G E

M E T E R S )

3000

2 5


32/45

SECTIONVI

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0

ATGMaccuracyis

relatively

unaffected

bytargetspeedsupto32kmph.

TOW

gunners

usually

engage

T-62

tanksat

maximumranges

(3000

meters).

Whentheenemyformationmoves

to

within

1000

meters,

Dragon

gunners

are

also

committed.

Flanking

shots

are

preferred

from

well-covered

and

concealedpositions.

LIGHTANTITANKWEAPONSLAW)*

The

M72A2

AW

s

oundfammunitionwith shaped

charge,

containedn

hrowaway

auncher.t's

esigned

or

lose

protection

against

armor.Thechartshowstheeffectivenessof

the

LAWagainsta

moving

target.

LAW AGAINSTMOVINGEXPOSEDTARGET

10 0

90

80

T

F IRSTROUND

HIT

PROBABILITY

70

60

z

5 0

UJ

o

4 0

Q-

3 0

2 0

1 0

10 0 20 0

3 C

0

40 0 I

R A N G E

M E T E R S )

J

The

LAWhasa

maximum

range

of

200

meters for

moving

targets

and

250

meters

for

stationary

ones.

It

is

best

to

fire atthe

most

vulnerable

pointson

theT-62suchas

the

turret,engine,fuelcells,tracks,

and

turret

rings.

Tomaximizehitand

kill

probabilities

with

the

LAW,thefollowingfactors

areessential:

Thorough

training.

Volley,

pair,and

sequence

firing

to

reduce

ranging

errors.

Sufficient

LAWs

to

saturate

target

density.

Obstaclestoslowandconfineenemy

tanks.

Detailed discussionof

the

LA

W maybe

found

inTRADOC

Bulletin

No

5,

TrainingWithLAW.

26


33/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO0

ECTION

VI

CLOSEAIRSUPPORT

US

AirForce

close

air

supportaircraft

and

US

Army

attack

helicopters

can

engage

anddestroyT-62tanks.Recent

field

tests

indicate

that

the

best

results

areachievedwhentheyoperatetogetheras

ajoint

air

attack

team.

TheA10closeairsupport

aircraft

has

A

GAU-8,

30-mm

Gatling

gun

which

can

penetrate

and

destroy

a

T-62.

Precision

guidedbombs,

suchas

the

Maverick,whichcan

destroy

T-62

tankswith

a

highfirst

round

hitprobability.

Conventional

munitions,

suchas

machineguns

or

bombs,

which

can

disrupt

enemy

formationsand

cause

extensivemobilitykills toboth

T-

62

tanks

and

infantry

carriers.

The

AH-1S

attackhelicopter

carries

TOWmissileswhichcan

destroy

enemy

tanksat

long

ranges.

2.75-inchrockets whichcancausemobility kills

and

causeenemycrews

tobutton

up.

7.62-mm

gunsand

0-mm

renade

auncherswhichan

egrade

infantryformations.

FIELDARTILLERY

WEAPONS

Field

rtillery

eapons

ave

ignificant

ffect

n

oviet

attle

formations.They

slow

theenemy's

rateofadvance

and

increase

US

weapon

engagementtime.

They

also

strip

supportinginfantry from

tank

units

and

destroy

tanks

with

precision

munitions.

Fieldrtillery

weaponsanire

avarietyofmunitions.

Each

has

a

different

effect

onthe

enemy.

Cannon

aunched

guidedprojectileCLGP)

munitions,

soon

to

be

fielded,

candestroy

enemy

armored

vehicles

by

usingartillery

projectiles

guided

into

point

targetsby

a

laser

beam.

Improvedconventionalmunitions

fuel-air

munitions

or

bomblets)

can

immobilize

the

T-62

tank

by

creatingan

overpressure

whichruptures

lines

in

the

tank

engine.

Highexplosive andwhitephosphorousmunitions

can

forceenemy

tankrewsoemainuttoned

up,

herebyecreasing

heir

abilityo

maneuverandacquire targets.Also,

these

munitions

cancausedamageto

personnel

carriers

and

dismountedinfantry.

But,

they

are

not

expectedto

kill

tanks.

27


34/45

SECTI0N

Vl

RADOCBULLETIN

N O

0

MINESAND

OBSTACLES

All

standardUSmplacedrscatterablentitank

mines

an

either

immobilizeor

kill

heT-62mediumank.

Minesshould

be

horoughly

integratedintothe

defense

plan.

Allmined

areas

must

be covered

with

both

antitank

nd

ntipersonnel

ires.

catterable

mines

an

e

ired

nto

movingT-62

formations,thus

placingthemin

the

center

of

a

minefield.

SMOKE

Smokeis

an

effective

counterto

the

T-62

tank.When

placed

infront

of

known

orsuspected

enemytanklocations,

itdegrades

the

enemy

gunner's

ability

o

acquire

argets.Smoke

s

alsoanextremely

effective

cloaking

device

whichcan

be

usedduringattacksandduringmovementtoalternate

positions

ornew

battle

locations.

Smokecan

be

delivered

by

field

artillery

weapons,mortars,mokeots,

moke

generators,mokegrenades,r

vehicle

smoke

grenade

launchers.

FIELDEXPEDIENT

TECHNIQUES

Theintensityof

modern

battle

increasesthelikelihoodthatenemy tanks

maynfiltrateear

reas

whichave

ewntitankefenses.n

uch

situations,

theinitiativeofthe

individualsoldier

can

help

defeat

the

enemy.

Here

area

few

techniques

used

to

immobilize

the

T-62

tank.

Handgrenades

can

be

thrown

inanopenhatchtherebykilling

the

crew.

Molotov

cocktailsglassbottles

filled

withgasoline

and

ignitedby

a

cloth

wick)

can

be

hrown

on

he

backdeck.

Whenheglass

bottle

breaks,

he

gasolineignites

and

seeps

into

the

engine

compartment.

Thisdestroysthe

rubberhoses

in

theengineanddisables

thetank.

Any

firensidehengineompartmentctivatesheutomatic

ire

extinguisher

system.This

releases

amixture

of

highly

toxicgas(carbon

dioxide

and

ethylene

bromide)which

forces

the

crew

to

leave

the

vehicle

or

suffocate.

Satchelcharges(large,

fuzed

packagesofplasticexplosiveordynamite)

can

be

thrown

on

theback

deck

or

underthe

tank

immobilizingthe

T-62.

Antitank

minescan

be

placeddirectly

in

the

pathofan

oncoming

T-62

immobilizing

the

tank.

TERRAIN

Armored

and

mechanized

forces

mustalways

use

carefully

selected

routes

that

providecoverandconcealment.Vehicle

commanders

and

drivers

must

alsouse

errain

killfully,selecting

good

hull-downiring

28


35/45

TRADOC

BULLETIN

NO

0

SECTIONVI

positions.

ontinuous,

apid

movement

makest

difficultor

T-62

ank

gunners

to

acquiretargets

and

fire

accurately.

The

ground

can

provide

cover

and

concealment.

Tank

commanders

must

shoot

and

moverapidly.Theymustfire,backoff,and

move

to

an

alternate

firing

position.

Then,

they

must

engage

the

enemy again.The

graph

below

shows

how

defilade

positionsncrease

a

tankcrew'schancesof survival.

M60A1

URVIVALRATEAGA INST

T-62

(F IRSTROUND )

o

c c

LLI

Q.

10 0

9 0

8 0

7 0

6 0

5 0

40

3 0

2 0

1 0

M60A1

STATIONARY

y

HULL

DEFILADE,

M60A1EXPOSED

MOVING2

M PH

500

1000

/:

,...:

50 0

v

RANGEMETERS)

2000;

:2500,;

JSOOPi

29


36/45

SECTION

I

TRADOCBULLETIN

O

0

m

Th efollowingtableexplainshowUSunitsonth edefensiveca ndefeat

a

formationof Sovietmainbattletanks.

Ho wto

defea t

th eSovie t m a i n

bat t le

a n k

BEYOND 3000METERS

OU T

TO

3000

METERS

WITHIN1500

METERS

LESS

THAN

1000

METERS

LESS

THAN

500

METERS

Close

ai r

supportis

employed.

Artillery

and mortarfiresar e Artillery

and mortarfires

ar e

Artilleryan dmortarfires

ar e

Protect ive mines ar e

em -

using

the30-mmGatling

gun.

continued.

continued.

continued.

ployed.

precision-guided

bombs,

an d

conventional

ordnance.

Smokeis employedtoobscure

the visionof tankcrews.

Standard

minefields ar e

used.

M6 0A 1

tanks continue to

Minefieldsar e

used.

M6 0A 1

tanks

continue

to

Dragons

continueto engage.

{P u

-

greaterthan3ou tof4

rounds)

(P

hk

= greaterthan75%)

Artillery and

mortars

ar e

employed,

firing

conventional

munitions

nd

dual

urpose

Scatterablemines ar e

firedby

f ield

artilleryweapons.

engagewithAPDS rounds.

(P

h

= 2or 3ou tof4rounds)

engage.

(P

h

= greaterthan3ou tof4

improved

conventional

muni-

M6 0A 1

anks

re

mployed

rounds)

tions

(DPICM).

using

APDS rounds.

(P

nk

= greaterthan

50%)

L A W s

ar e

employed.

(P

R

= out

of

3or

4 rounds)

M60A2

tanks continue to

engagewith

Shil lelagh

mis-

{P

n

greaterthan

ut

of2

M60A2 Shil lelagh missiles

engagewith

Shil lelagh

mis-

si les.

rounds)

are

employed.

(P

h

=

greaterthan

3

out

of4

T O W sngagewithlanking

f ires.

(Pugreater

than3

ou t

of

4

rounds)

(P

nk

= greaterthan3 3 %)

Field

expedients

ar e

em -

rounds)

{P

hk

=

greater

than

75%)

{P

n

=

9

reater

tnan

3

ou t

of4

(P

nk

= greaterthan 7 5 %)

ployed.

T OW s ar e employed.

(P

hk

= greaterthan75%)

T O W s continue

to

engage

fromtheflanks.

(P

n

=

greater

than

3

ou tof

4

{P

n

= greaterthan3outof 4

rounds )

rounds )

(P

hk

=

grea te r

than

7 5% ) '

(P

hk

= greaterthan75%)

Dragonsar e employed.

{P

h

= greaterthan

ut

of2

rounds)

(P

nk

= greater than75%)

Th em a i n

gu n

of

he

T-62 a n k sn ow n

r a nge

of

de fens i vepos i t i ons .

Comm an d e r s

m u s temploygood

h

n i l -downpos i t i ons .

de fens i vepos i t i ons .

KEY

All

US

armoran dA T G M

systemsca n

penetrate

the T-62

at

an yplace

on

thetank.Th e

probabil it ies

indicated

in

thistable

ar e

at 0

obliquity.

P

n

= Probabil ityof

hitt

ng

a

moving {0-32kmph)T-62tankatgiven

distance.

P

nk

= Probabil ityofki

lingaT-62tank,

fhit,

at given

distance.

30

LuiTh


37/45

TRADOCBULLETINNO

0

PPEND I X A

APPENDIX

A

T-64

AND

T-72

TANKS

The

SovietUnion

hasrecently

deployed

twonew

main

battle

tanks: the

T-64andthe

T-72.

Sinceitsissuein1973,

about

2000T-64s

havebeen

fielded

in the Group

of

Soviet

Forces

in

East

Germany.

TheT-64,

however,

isonly

aninterimimprovementovertheT-62,andmanyof

itsfeaturesnowappear

on

the

T-72.

Duringa

parade

inMoscow's

Red

Square

on

7November

1977,

theT-72

tank

madeitsofficialdebut.

Whileanevolutionaryimprovement

on

the

older-54,

-55,nd

-6 2

models,

he-7 2medium

ankas

ome

significant advances.Comparedwitholder Soviettanks,theT-72 featuresa

lower

silhouetteandashorterlength.Butitweighs

about

onetonmorethan

heT-62.Its

diesel

enginedevelops750horsepower,andtheSovietsclaim

he

ank

caneachapeedof00

kmph.

ts

cruising

angehasbeen

increased

by

about0% .Theracksnowofthelive-type,

using

rubber

bushingsin

the

pads

andthreesupportrollersratherthan the traditional

ChristiesystemofSovietarmor.Thesuspensionsystemisprotected

by

a

series

ofadjustableskirts,

designed

to

reduce

damage

from

shaped-charge

warheads.

The

-7 2

ire

ontrolystemas

een

reatlymproved

iving

he

commandertheability

to

accurately

range,

using

animproved

rangefinder.

The

main

un

s

f

arger

aliber

125-mm)uthemoothbore,

hypervelocity,

armor-piercingcapabilityremains.

The

increased

caliber

of

thegun

isdue,

perhaps,

tothefact

thata

shorter

main

gunround

is

required

to

perate

henewutomatic

main

gun

oading

ystem.his

ystem

eliminates

heneedforafourthcrewmembertheloader.

The

T-72can

trackand

shoot

on

he

move,

havingtsgunsystem

stabilized

on

both

verticalandhorizontalplanes.

Basicoadorhe

main

gunis

40

rounds.Secondaryweaponsystems

includethe

7.62-mm

coaxialmachinegunanda

new

12.7-mm

antiaircraft

machinegun. Botharesimilar

to

themachinegunsontheT-62

model.

Unlike

otherSovietanks,

externalstowagesextensive

on

heT-72,with

he

attachmentf

oxes

oheutsidefheurret.herincipal

characteristics

ofboththe

T-72

andT-64tanks

are

showninthe

table

on

page32 .

3 1

J


38/45

T-64

EXHAUSTVENTS

ATREAR

REMOTECONTROLLED

1 2 . 7 -mm MACHINEGUN

IR LIGHT

TOLEFT

OF

MAINGUN

S IX

SMALL,TAMPED

ROADWHEELS

T-72

PINTLE

MOUNTED

12 .7- inmMACHINEGUN

IR LIGHT

TO

RIGHT

OF

MAIN GUN

VENTS

ON

REAR

DECK

S IX URGE .

DIE-CAST

ROADWHEELS

er


39/45

SECTION

VI

TRADOC

BULLETIN

O0

fr

The

followingtableexplains

how

US

units

on

the

defensive

candefeat

a

formation

of

Soviet

mainbattletanks.

Howto defea t

th e

Sov ie t

m a i n

bat t le

t a n k

BEYOND3000METERS

OUT

TO3000METERS

WITHIN1500METERS

LESSTHAN1000METERS

LESS

THAN500METERS

Close

air

support

is

employed,

Artilleryand

mortar

fires

are

Artillery

and

mortar

fires

are

Artillery

and

mortar

firesare

Protective

mines

are

em-

usingthe

30-mmGatling gun,

continued.

continued.

continued.

ployed.

precision-guided

bombs,

and

Smoke

isemployedtoobscure

Standard

minefields

are

used.

Minefields

are

used.

Dragonscontinue toengage.

conventional

ordnance.

the

vision

of

tank

crews.

M60A1 tanks

continue

to

M60A1

tanks

continue

to

(P. =

greater

han3outof

4

Artillery

and

mortars

are

employed,

firing

conventional

munitions

nd

dual urpose

Scatterablemines

are

firedby

field

artilleryweapons.

engage

with

APDS

rounds.

(P

h

=

2

or

3

out

of

4

rounds)

engage.

(P

h

greater

han

out

of

4

rounds)

(P

hk

= greaterthan

75%)

improved

conventional

muni-

M60A1anks re

mployed

tions

(DPICM).

using

APDS

rounds.

(Pu^-greaterthan50%)

M60A2

tanks

continue

to

LAWs

are

employed.

(P

h

=

out

of

3

or

4 rounds)

M60A2

tanks

continue

to

engage

with hillelagh

mis-

(P

n

greaterthan

utof

M60A2

Shillelagh missiles

engage

with

hillelaghmis-

siles.

rounds)

are

employed.

(Pu

greater

han

out

of4

(P

n

l=greater than

33%)

(P u

greater

than

3outof

4

TOWs

ngage

ith

lanking

rounds)

Field

expedients

are

em-

rounds)

(P

n

9

re3ter

nan

ou

4

{Pui.= greaterthan

75%)

ployed-

(P

hk

= greaterthan75%)

TOWs

continue

to

engage

TOWs

are

employed.

from

the

flanks.

(P

h

greater

than

3outof

4

(P

n

=

greater

han3outof

4

rounds)

rounds)

(P..

greater

than

75%)

'

p

hk

=

9

reaer

tnan

75

%'

Dragons

are

employed.

(P

h

greaterhan utof2

rounds)

(Puv

=

greater

than

75%)

The

maingun

ofh

3

T-62

anks

now

n

The machineguns of the

rangeof

defensive

pc

sitions.

Commanders

T-62

tank

are

now

in

rangeof

must

employ

good

h

ull-down

positions.

defensive

positions.

KEY

AllUS

armor

and

ATGMsystems

can

penetrate

heT-62atany

place

on

thetank.

The

probabilities

ndicated

n

iis

able

are

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Probability

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T-62ank

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pobablit

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of

ki ling T-62

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at

given

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Documents

SOVIET MEDIUM TANK T-62