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MT-25

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MT-25

AnnoR101_MT25.png
Battle Tier
1234567891011
Overview
Mouse over "
Well, the ones further down, of course.
" for more information
[Client Values; Actual values in
Specifically, the mismatch in crew values caused by commander's 10% crew skill bonus. Outside of a crew of 1 commander only, 100% crew is a fiction. The client values, given for 100% crew, will normally be taken into battle with 110% crew skill members aside from specific functions, causing their actual performance to deviate from the expected client value. These differences are taken into account in tooltip boxes.
]
880,000  Credits Cost
660132 HP Hit Points
25.06/2613.72/28 t Weight Limit
Crew
  1. Commander
  2. Gunner
  3. Radio Operator
  4. Driver
  5. Loader
Mobility
600740 hp Engine Power
62/23 km/h Speed Limit
4448 deg/s Traverse
23.9453.94 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio
NoNo Pivot
Armor
// mm Hull Armor
45/40/4045/40/40 mm Turret Armor
Armament







{{#ifeq:ARMOR_PIERCING_CR|ARMOR_PIERCING||



{{#ifeq:HIGH_EXPLOSIVE|ARMOR_PIERCING||


AP/APCR/HE







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{{#ifeq:HIGH_EXPLOSIVE|ARMOR_PIERCING||


AP/APCR/HE
Shells




















38/2000/24




















80/2400/48
Shell Cost
70/70/85115/110/165 HP Damage
90/130/23125/156/39 mm Penetration



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30 r/m 

Standard Gun

Reload Times
Nominal: 2 s
50% Crew: 2.48 s
75% Crew: 2.16 s
100% Crew: 1.92 s
Rammer: 1.73 s
Vents: 1.88 s
Both: 1.69 s
Both and BiA: 1.65 s
Both and Max Crew %: 1.58 s

See Crew, Consumables, or Equipment for more information.



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13.33 r/m 

Standard Gun

Reload Times
Nominal: 4.5 s
50% Crew: 5.57 s
75% Crew: 4.87 s
100% Crew: 4.31 s
Rammer: 3.88 s
Vents: 4.22 s
Both: 3.79 s
Both and BiA: 3.71 s
Both and Max Crew %: 3.56 s

See Crew, Consumables, or Equipment for more information.
Rate of Fire






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2100

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 1 (70 Damage):


Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 2100
50% Crew: 1695.4
75% Crew: 1941.8
100% Crew: 2190.3
100% Crew
Vents: 2239.3
Rammer: 2433.9
Both: 2488.5
Both and BiA: 2543.8
Both and Max Crew %: 2653.7

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 2170
50% Crew: 1765.4
75% Crew: 2011.8
100% Crew: 2260.3
100% Crew
Rammer: 2503.9
Vents: 2309.3
Both: 2558.5
Both and BiA: 2613.8
Both and Max Crew %: 2723.7

See here, here, or here for more information.

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 2 (70 Damage):


Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 2100
50% Crew: 1695.4
75% Crew: 1941.8
100% Crew: 2190.3
100% Crew
Vents: 2239.3
Rammer: 2433.9
Both: 2488.5
Both and BiA: 2543.8
Both and Max Crew %: 2653.7

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 2170
50% Crew: 1765.4
75% Crew: 2011.8
100% Crew: 2260.3
100% Crew
Rammer: 2503.9
Vents: 2309.3
Both: 2558.5
Both and BiA: 2613.8
Both and Max Crew %: 2723.7

See here, here, or here for more information.

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 3 (85 Damage):
With wholly penetrating hits

Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 2550
50% Crew: 2058.7
75% Crew: 2357.9
100% Crew: 2659.65
100% Crew
Vents: 2719.15
Rammer: 2955.45
Both: 3021.75
Both and BiA: 3088.9
Both and Max Crew %: 3222.35

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 2635
50% Crew: 2143.7
75% Crew: 2442.9
100% Crew: 2744.65
100% Crew
Rammer: 3040.45
Vents: 2804.15
Both: 3106.75
Both and BiA: 3173.9
Both and Max Crew %: 3307.35

See here, here, or here for more information.






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1532.95

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 1 (115 Damage):


Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 1532.95
50% Crew: 1237.4
75% Crew: 1416.8
100% Crew: 1598.5
100% Crew
Vents: 1634.15
Rammer: 1775.6
Both: 1815.85
Both and BiA: 1856.1
Both and Max Crew %: 1936.6

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 1647.95
50% Crew: 1352.4
75% Crew: 1531.8
100% Crew: 1713.5
100% Crew
Rammer: 1890.6
Vents: 1749.15
Both: 1930.85
Both and BiA: 1971.1
Both and Max Crew %: 2051.6

See here, here, or here for more information.

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 2 (110 Damage):


Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 1466.3
50% Crew: 1183.6
75% Crew: 1355.2
100% Crew: 1529
100% Crew
Vents: 1563.1
Rammer: 1698.4
Both: 1736.9
Both and BiA: 1775.4
Both and Max Crew %: 1852.4

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 1576.3
50% Crew: 1293.6
75% Crew: 1465.2
100% Crew: 1639
100% Crew
Rammer: 1808.4
Vents: 1673.1
Both: 1846.9
Both and BiA: 1885.4
Both and Max Crew %: 1962.4

See here, here, or here for more information.

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 3 (165 Damage):
With wholly penetrating hits

Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 2199.45
50% Crew: 1775.4
75% Crew: 2032.8
100% Crew: 2293.5
100% Crew
Vents: 2344.65
Rammer: 2547.6
Both: 2605.35
Both and BiA: 2663.1
Both and Max Crew %: 2778.6

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 2364.45
50% Crew: 1940.4
75% Crew: 2197.8
100% Crew: 2458.5
100% Crew
Rammer: 2712.6
Vents: 2509.65
Both: 2770.35
Both and BiA: 2828.1
Both and Max Crew %: 2943.6

See here, here, or here for more information.
Damage Per Minute


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0.36 m 

With 50% Crew: 0.446 m
With 75% Crew: 0.389 m
With 100% Crew: 0.345 m
With BiA: 0.338 m
With BiA and Vents: 0.33 m
Maximum possible: 0.317 m

For more details, see Crew


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0.42 m 

With 50% Crew: 0.52 m
With 75% Crew: 0.454 m
With 100% Crew: 0.403 m
With BiA: 0.394 m
With BiA and Vents: 0.385 m
Maximum possible: 0.369 m

For more details, see Crew
Accuracy


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2 s 

With 50% Crew: 2.478 s
With 75% Crew: 2.163 s
With 100% Crew: 1.918 s
With GLD: 1.743 s
With BiA: 1.875 s
With BiA and Vents: 1.835 s
With both and GLD: 1.668 s
Maximum possible: 1.599 s

For more details, see Crew or Equipment


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2.3 s 

With 50% Crew: 2.849 s
With 75% Crew: 2.488 s
With 100% Crew: 2.205 s
With GLD: 2.005 s
With BiA: 2.157 s
With BiA and Vents: 2.11 s
With both and GLD: 1.918 s
Maximum possible: 1.839 s

For more details, see Crew or Equipment
Aim time
4848 deg/s Turret Traverse
360° Gun Arc
-7°/+25°-5°/+25° Elevation Arc
36070 rounds Ammo Capacity
General
1512 % Chance of Fire






360 m 

With 50% Crew: 282.8 m
With 75% Crew: 321.5 m
With 100% Crew: 360 m
With Recon and Situational Awareness: 378.2 m
With Coated Optics: 396 m
With Binocular Telescope: 450 m
Maximum possible: 515.4 m

For more details, see Skills or Equipment






360 m 

With 50% Crew: 282.8 m
With 75% Crew: 321.5 m
With 100% Crew: 360 m
With Recon and Situational Awareness: 378.2 m
With Coated Optics: 396 m
With Binocular Telescope: 450 m
Maximum possible: 515.4 m

For more details, see Skills or Equipment
View Range


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525 m 

With 50% Crew: 423.8 m
With 75% Crew: 485.4 m
With 100% Crew: 547.5 m
With 100% Signal Boost: 630 m
When affected by 100% Relaying: 577.5 m
Maximum possible: 788.1 m

For more details, see Skills or Equipment


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730 m 

With 50% Crew: 589.3 m
With 75% Crew: 674.9 m
With 100% Crew: 761.3 m
With 100% Signal Boost: 876 m
When affected by 100% Relaying: 803 m
Maximum possible: 1095.9 m

For more details, see Skills or Equipment
Signal Range
Values are Stock - click for Top
MT-25


VI

AnnoR101_MT25.png

880000

The MT-25 is a Soviet tier 6 light tank.

A proposed project of a light wheeled caterpillar vehicle. The draft was completed in February 1943. The most innovative feature was the suspension design. The suspension wheels were interleaved, and power was delivered to all wheels. No prototypes were manufactured.

The MT-25 leads to the LTG.

Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables

Modules

Ico_gun_alpha.png

Guns

Tier Gun Penetration
(mm)
Damage
(HP)
Rate of fire
(rounds/minute)
Dispersion
(m/100m)
Aiming time
(s)
Weight
(kg)
Price
(Credits)

VI 76 mm S-54M 125/156/39 115/110/165 13.33 0.42 2.3 1390 49600
V 57 mm ZiS-4M 112/160/29 85/85/95 20 0.36 2.3 740 39200
V 45 mm VT-43M 90/130/23 70/70/85 30 0.36 2 312 32800

Ico_engine_alpha.png

Engines

Tier Engine Engine Power
(hp)
Chance of Fire on Impact
(%)
Weight
(kg)
Price
(Credits)

VII V-16M 740 12 750 39000
VI V-2-10M 600 15 750 28000

Ico_suspension_alpha.png

Suspensions

Tier Suspension Load Limit
(т)
Traverse Speed
(gr/sec)
Rmin Weight
(kg)
Price
(Credits)

V MT-25 26 44 B/2 8000 9000
VI MT-25 reinforced 28 48 B/2 8000 15000

Ico_radio_alpha.png

Radios

Tier Radio Signal Range
(m)
Weight
(kg)
Price
(Credits)

VIII 9RM 525 100 24240
X R-113 730 80 52200

Compatible Equipment

Low Noise Exhaust System Class 2 Vertical Stabilizer Class 2 Light Spall Liner Camouflage Net Class 2 Coated Optics Class 2 Stabilizing Equipment System Experimental Optics Wear-Resistant Gun Laying Drive Improved Configuration Venting System Innovative Loading System Enhanced Gun Laying Drive Class 2 Improved Hardening Class 2 Additional Grousers Class 2 Modified Configuration Class 2 Improved Rotation Mechanism Class 2 Improved Aiming Class 2 Improved Ventilation Class 3 Binocular Telescope Class 2 Gun Rammer Class 2 Turbocharger Class 2 

Compatible Consumables

Stabilizer Greasing Automatic Fire Extinguisher Natural Cover Optical Calibration Aim Tuning Experienced Firefighters Manual Fire Extinguisher Pre-Battle Maintenance Vent Purge Large First Aid Kit Large Repair Kit Duty Comes First Lend-Lease Oil Shell Organizer Orderly Ammo Rack Focus on Target Extra Combat Rations Removed Speed Governor Increased Focus Small First Aid Kit Small Repair Kit Gearbox Intricacy Steady Hand Combat Course 


Player Opinion

Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Excellent terrain resistance, makes for turning good as well

- Good ramming capabilities due to weight and high speed (only against other light weight vehicles)

- Can drift through turns at high speed


Cons:

- Disastrously slow per light tank standards. Cromwells (medium tank) will have no trouble accompanying you, especially when stock

- Overall sub-par guns -- below average penetration and alpha damage for all its guns

- Very low DPM (1600 with 76mm, 1700 with the 57mm gun), worst out of all Tier VI lights except the AMX 12 t, which however is an autoloader

- Long aim time compared to other light tanks

- Tied for worst view range of the Tier VI light tanks (same as French AMX & Chinese 59-16)

- Slows down a lot when going over fences or houses due to a "flat" track design, prone to drifting

- Large hull has capabilities to bounce due to angles and thickness, but is bulky and easy to hit if standing still

- Weak and large tracks makes it easy to get immobilized


Performance

The MT-25 too big for the most effective passive scouting, however its sheer speed allows for easy active scouting. Just like the Tetrarch, when the MT-25 moves over obstacles (fences, brick walls, etc.) it rapidly decelerates because of the way the suspension is designed. This tank's mobility is probably the strongest point of the vehicle, try to use it as much as you can. With a powerful engine, high speed limits, & great terrain resistance combined with good traverse speed, this tank outruns almost every opponent it faces, & deserves to bear the name of "pocket rocket", at least before 9.18.

The MT-25's guns are usually considered lackluster when compared to those of its main opponents (eg T37). The 57 mm ZiS-4 has high accuracy & shell velocity but takes long to aim, lacks both penetration & damage per shot, rate of fire & the gun depression are less than stellar. Make the best use of your mobility by attacking isolated tanks & flanking them with your superior speed. When flanking & shooting the sides of enemies, regular AP shells are usually enough to do the job. Since accuracy is high, you can try flanking opponents & shooting their sides at longer ranges as well.

Alternatively, if they are in another light tank or a light TD, you can finish them with a ram many times due to quick speed & fairly heavy weight. Early on in the game before you do this, try to do passive scouting or mainly active scouting. Although view range & camo are outclassed, the speed (pre 9.18 but is still fairly fast) allows you to quickly get to positions or duck from cover to cover before other rival scouts & you can help your team a lot. This tank's specialty is in hunting other lights, TDs, & SPGs.


Early Research

  • First research the Suspension.
  • Then research the 57 mm ZiS-4 gun (it is best to use the 57mm over any other gun)
  • Next, research the V-16 Engine. The engine should not be missed as it brings out the supreme mobility of this tank.
  • Followed by researching the R-113 Radio.
  • Finally, the 76 mm S-54M gun.


Suggested Equipment


Vertical Stabilizer Mk 1 Coated Optics Improved Ventilation Class 1Binocular Telescope Camouflage Net 


Gallery

Historical Info

MT-25 drawings

Difficult battles of the Soviet-German front in 1941-1942 negated the advantages of light tanks. Equipped with relatively weak weapons & mostly bulletproof armor, light tanks as a class were becoming obsolete. The Germans were the first to see the end of the pre-war concept of a light tank, ceasing production in 1942. In the USSR, engineers were still trying to boost the combat performance of the T-70. The result of this work was the T-80 tank, but it came too late.

Meanwhile, proposals for radically new light tanks arrived. A proposal for the MT-25 tank was sent by Chelyabinsk engineers to Stalin on February 24th, 1943. Unlike many proposals, this one contained interesting ideas, was well thought out, & piqued the interest of the Main Armored Directorate. What were these ideas & why was the tank never built?

Ideas from practice

One of the main problems with the T-70 & its predecessors was that there was a very small resource for modernization. The tank widely used automotive parts which were simply unsuitable for the loads of a tank. The mass of the T-70 could not exceed 10 tons for this reason. The later T-80 grew to 12 tons, & that was also the limit. The capacity for supercharging the engine was exhausted, & any further increase in weight would have a negative effect on reliability.

In addition, the T-70 was very small. In order to fit in a two man turret, the GAZ design bureau headed by N.A. Astrov had to apply a titanic effort. It was impossible to install anything bigger than a 45 mm gun, & the long barreled VT-42 gun was never put into production.

The two-man turret made the T-80 more difficult to service & the engine was now very close to the loader, which did not make his job comfortable. It is not surprising that GABTU began looking back at the T-50 in the spring of 1943, a project which was only completely shelved in early 1942.

MT-25_from_the_side.jpg

MT-25 from the side. At 25 tons, it was only 10 cm longer & 10 cm taller than the 14 ton T-50.

One of the possible solutions for further development of light tanks arrived through personal initiative. On February 24th, 1943, a letter arrived for Stalin:


Proposal letter:

"To the Chair of the State Committee of Defense of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, I.V. Stalin.

Fulfilling our duty to the Motherland in this period of relentless & heroic struggle of the Soviet people against the German fascist occupants, & protection of our honour, freedom, & independence, we developed blueprints of a new combat vehicle.

During development, we have considered the following factors:

1. High movement speed.

2. Low damage as a result of being hit.

3. Large operational range.

4. Ability to suddenly attack the enemy.


The vehicle we have developed is called MT-25, & is a wheeled vehicle, with every wheel being a drive wheel. If tracks are added, the MT-25 becomes a tracked vehicle. The vehicle's mass is 25 tons. The average speed is 40-45 kph, maximum 100 kph. Since every wheel is a drive wheel, the vehicle is very survivable. Even if half of the wheels are disabled, the vehicle does not stop. When the engine uses a muffler, the vehicle moves silently. Armament: 47 mm gun & 3 machine guns. We ask you to consider our proposal & accept it as a gift in honour of the Red Army's 25th anniversary.

Engineers F.F Gorodkov A.I. Starodubtsev

February 9th, 1943"


At the time, a torrent of various proposals came at GABTU & other organizations, including proposals for tanks. GABTU's Department of Inventions reviewed dozens of them. Some of them, like Lieutenant Provornov's light tank (LTP) were rather interesting.

Meanwhile, the invention with the aforementioned memo can be found in GABTU's main repository, which means a great deal of attention was paid to it. The authors of this proposal were engineers F.F. Gorodkov & A.I. Starodubtsev from Chelyabinsk.

They worked at the interesting factory #200. This factory, separated from factory #78 in 1941 (modern day OOO Stankomash) specialized in the production of KV hulls & turrets, which were sent to the Chelyabinsk Tractor Factory (ChTZ). Factory #200's design bureau worked closely with the ChTZ design teams, which contained many engineers that used to work at the Kirov factory in Leningrad. In addition to KV parts, factory #200 built orders from the design bureau of experimental factory #100.

MT-25_width.jpg

The MT-25 was even wider than the T-34.

Factory #200's engineers had impressive experience. Perhaps this is why Gorodkov & Starodubtsev's invention was rather extraordinary & had a series of novel solutions.

A heavier A-20

As the authors wrote in the foreword to the draft project of the tank they called "Mototank MT-25", technical literature & manuals from the KV-1 & T-34 were mostly used during development.

"Personal experience at a defense factory" was cited as another source of necessary information, & the influence of this experience can be clearly seen. The MT-25 resembles the KV-1 in some ways. The characteristic "step" of the upper front plate is there, & the turret is essentially a smaller KV-1 turret. However, the proposed tank had a series of important differences from the KV-1, especially when it came to the suspension:

"Existing tank designs largely consist of tracked tanks, where the drive sprockets are elevated & the road wheels are not powered. The drawback of this design is that if the tracks are destroyed, the tank loses the ability to more, even though its internal mechanisms remain undamaged. In battle, an immobilized tank is as good as a destroyed tank. The new type of combat vehicle that we propose, the mototank, is free of the aforementioned drawback. The mototank is a wheeled, & if necessary, tracked, fighting vehicle, where all the road wheels are powered. If the track or a portion of the wheels are destroyed, the tank does not lose its ability to move & can still fight the enemy or, if necessary, evacuate on its own power. The vulnerability of the suspension of the new vehicle is drastically reduced. It can live & fight for as long as the engine runs. Existing designs of tracked armoured vehicles are limited in speed to 50 kph, & only convertible drive tanks can reach a speed of 70-75 kph. The mototank retains a valuable quality of wheeled vehicles: high speed of movement & maneuver. When driving on wheels, the mototank can reach a speed of up to 100 kph, or 40-45 kph on average. The design characteristics of the "MT" class allow light, medium, or heavy tanks of this type to be built. The area of application of the "MT" concept is unlimited & is only dictated by the strategic ideas of high command."

In other words, Gorodkov & Starodubtsev suggested the return to a convertible drive tank, one where the wheeled mode, in their opinion, was the main means of movement. On difficult terrain, chain tracks like on the ZIS-33 truck could be used.

One could think that the engineers did not come up with anything new, but this is not the case.

On one hand, the ideas of convertible drive tanks with power to more than one axle already existed. N.F. Tsyganov worked a lot on this idea. In the spring of 1934, he began working on the BT-2IS tank, which had power to the second, third, & fourth pairs of road wheels. The maneuverability of this tank was higher than the regular BT-2, but the massive system of shafts was not very reliable. Further development of Tsyganov's design was used on the BT-5IS, BT-SV, and A-20 tanks.

Front_and_rear_view_of_MT-25.jpg

Front & rear views. The MT-25 had large bustles above the tracks that could be used to store fuel or ammunition.

However, the Chelyabinsk proposal differed radically from what Tsyganov envisioned. The BT-2IS and similar tanks transferred power through drive shafts. The MT-25 had a gear system that ran along the side of the tank. It took up less space & was more reliable. In addition, it could power all the road wheels at once.

In addition, as on the KV-1, the MT-25 used a torsion bar suspension, unlike coil springs on the BT-IS & A-20. This radically reduced the volume inside the tank that was taken up by the suspension.

The new project also had no turning wheels. Gorodkov & Starodubtsev let the MT-25 turn like a tank, with the aid of final drives & friction clutches.

Suspension_and_drive_gear_layout_of_MT-25.jpg

Suspension & drive gear layout.

The running gear of the MT-25 consisted of six doubled up 700 mm wheels per side, without idlers or return rollers. The wheels were interleaved, which was a first in Soviet tank building. It is not known if the designers came up with the idea themselves or saw a German halftrack. Either way, German halftracks used a different layout.

Close_up_view_of_MT-25_suspension.jpg

Close up view of the suspension.

This was not the end to the unusual design decisions. The hull looked quite interesting, which is not surprising given that it came from factory #200. Work on an improved IS-1 (KV-13) was underway in early 1943, & the new design used casting extensively. The MT-25 used even more casting. The rounded shape of the MT-25's hull suggests that few rolled parts would be used.

Since the Izhor factory successfully cast KV-1 & T-211 hulls in the fall of 1940, the use of this technology to make a light tank hull was very much possible. The only steps left would be to weld on a roof for the fighting & engine compartments. The thickness of the armour was 40-45 mm, same as the T-34. The authors of the MT-25 compared their tank to the T-34 several times, but the 45 mm gun (47 mm in the description) suggests that they thought of their design as a light tank. The short hull, only 5.3 meters, 10 cm more than the T-50, also implies this classification.

The non-standard suspension influenced the layout of the tank. The engine & transmission were in the rear, but the transmission was in front of the engine instead of behind it. This allowed the length of the hull to be reduced. Of course, removing the transmission became more complicated, but it was possible to service the gearbox & final drives without exiting the tank.

The decision to move the transmission forward was dictated by the drive wheel requirement. The gearbox bulged out slightly into the fighting compartment, but did not take up much space.

The V-2K engine was chosen for the MT-25, giving the tank an impressive 24 hp per ton. The claimed speed of 100 kph was doubtful, but characteristics on the level of the A-20 were attainable.

Cutaway_of_MT-25.jpg

Cutaway of the MT-25. There is a lot of room, even for a medium tank.

The fighting compartment was large even for a medium tank. Thanks to the wide hull (the tank was 2900 mm wide) & lack of massive suspension elements in the sides, there was a lot of room in this small tank. This let the inventors estimate an optimistic 300 45 mm shells for the vehicle's ammo rack, & 120 disk magazines for the machinegun. This is a rather bold evaluation, but looking at the volume available above the tracks, it does not seem too far fetched.

The number of crewmen was not specified, but the similarity of the turret to the KV-1 & the slightly larger turret ring diameter (1570 mm) suggests that a commander, gunner, & loader could fit in the turret. There was enough room to install a 76 mm gun. The driver & radio operator were placed in the driver's compartment in the front, as on the KV-1.

Harbinger of future projects

The MT-25 was reviewed, but no conclusions were ever made. On one hand, the layout was very bold, & there was nowhere this kind of tank could be built. On the other hand, the amount of work put into this design was high, & it stood head & shoulders among similar inventions, which were largely conceptual. The MT-25 was stuck in limbo, both as an unrealistic & rather interesting project.

Reconstructed_MT-25.jpg

Reconstruction of the MT-25. Author: Dmitriy Shuvalov

There was another reason why Gorodkov & Starodubtsev's proposal did not end up in the Department of Inventions. Conceptually, the tank was perfect for the tactical-technical requirements for a new light tank that were developed in the spring of 1943. Initially, GABTU tried to revive the T-50 by installing a 76 mm gun, but the mass of the tank rapidly reached 20 tons, then 22 tons, and finally reached the same value of 25 tons.

Soviet designers weren't the first to hit that mass with a light tank. The pioneers here were Germans, whose VK 16.02 Leopard tank became almost that heavy, at which point work on it was stopped, since it started to resemble a medium tank.

The Americans were next, whose 14 ton light T7 tank grew into the 25 ton M7 Medium Tank. Work on it also stopped, but already in production, since it was obvious that the American army did not need another medium tank.

The 25 ton limit for light tanks surfaced many times after the war. Many French & American designs ended up with a similar weight. One tank that was almost as heavy (M41 Walker Bulldog, 23.5 tons) was even put into production.

Recontructed_WOT_MT-25.jpg

Reconstruction of the MT-25 in World of Tanks.

The rapid growth in penetration of tank & anti-tank guns in late 1943 forced tank designers to drastically increase the level of protection. Requirements for light tank armour thickness surpassed even those that were set for medium tanks before the war.

The USSR bet on the revival of amphibious tanks with significantly more powerful armament. That is how the PT-76 came to be. The US initially picked lightly armored, but mobile and well armed tanks (Light Tanks M24 and M41), but also eventually made amphibious tanks (M551 Sheridan).

A mass of 25 tons was too bold for 1943, since tanks with that mass were still classified as medium. If the weight limit on light tanks was raised to this level, the concept of a cheaper, lighter, & more mobile tank than a medium tank, but with comparable armor & armament, could have been successfully developed for another few years.

Of course, history doesn't know the word "if". The situation in Soviet tank building in 1943-1945 left few chances for the MT-25. At 25 tons, the equipment necessary for building this tank would be the same as for the T-34. The new tank with an uncertain future was left without anywhere to build it.


Historical Gallery

Historical Accuracy Errata

The following are consensus errors or inconsistencies which have been identified with the configuration of the vehicle in question and conflict with information available on the public record. The causes for these divergences in the game are normally not disclosed and may be rooted in game balance.

All three main gun configurations are fake.
  • The 45 mm VT-43 gun was only developed for the T-80.
  • The 76 mm S-54 and 57 mm ZiS-4 guns were only developed for the T-34/76.
  • Planned 45 mm 20K gun is missing.
  • Planned average speed was 40-45 kph, maximum 100 kph.


USSR
Light Tanks IMS-1 IIBT-2 IIT-45 IIT-26 IIT-60 IITetrarch IIIBT-SV IIILTP IIIM3 Light IIIBT-7 artillery IIIT-116 IIIBT-5 IIIT-127 IIIT-46 IIIT-70 IVBT-7 IVT-80 IVValentine II VA-20 VT-50 VIMT-25 VIT-50-2 VIILTG VIIILTTB VIIILT-432 IXT-54 ltwt. XT-100 LT
Medium Tanks IIIT-29 IVA-32 IVT-28E with F-30 IVT-34 with L-11 IVT-28 VMatilda IV VT-34 shielded VM4-85 VT-34 VIA-43 VIT-34-85M VIT-34-85 Rudy VILoza's M4-A2 Sherman VIT-34-85 VIIA-44 VIIKV-13 VIIT-43 VIIT-44-122 VIIIObject 416 VIIIT-54 first prototype VIIIT-44-100 Igrovoy VIIIT-44-100 (R) VIIISTG VIIISTG Guard VIIIObject 274a VIIIT-44 IXObject 430 Version II IXObject 430 IXT-54 XObject 140 XObject 907 XT-22 medium XK-91 XObject 430U XT-62A
Heavy Tanks VChurchill III VKV-220-2 VKV-220-2 Beta Test VKV-1 VKV-1 shielded VIKV-1S VIKV-2 VIKV-2 (R) VIKV-85 VIObject 244 VIT-150 VIIIS VIIKV-3 VIIKV-122 VIIIS-2M VIIIS-2 shielded VIIIS-2 VIIIIS-3 VIIIIS-6 VIIIIS-6 B VIIIKV-5 VIIIKV-4 VIIIIS-5 (Object 730) VIIIIS-3A VIIIIS-3A Peregrine VIIIKirovets-1 VIIIKV-4 Kreslavskiy VIIIObject 252U Defender VIIIObject 252U VIIIIS-M VIIIObject 703 Version II VIIIIS-2-II IXT-10 IXObject 777 Version II IXObject 257 IXObject 705 IXIS-3-II IXST-I XIS-4 XIS-7 XObject 260 XObject 705A XObject 277 XObject 279 early XST-II XObject 780
Tank Destroyers IIAT-1 IIISU-76I IVSU-85A IVSU-76M VSU-85 VSU-85I VISU-100 VISU-100Y VIIISU-122S VIISU-152 VIISU-100M1 VIISU-122-44 VIIIISU-152 VIIIISU-130 VIIIKV-4 KTTS VIIIT-103 VIIISU-130PM VIIIISU-152K VIIISU-101 IXK-91-PT IXObject 704 IXObject 263 XObject 268 XObject 268 Version V XObject 268 Version 4
Self-Propelled Artillery IISU-18 IIISU-26 IVSU-5 VSU-122A VISU-8 VIIS-51 VIISU-14-1 VIIISU-14-2 IX212A XObject 261
Light Tanks
USA IT1 Cunningham IIM2 Light Tank IIT1E6 IIT2 Light Tank IIT7 Combat Car IIIM22 Locust IIIM3 Stuart IIIMTLS-1G14 IVM5 Stuart VM24 Chaffee VM7 VIM24E2 Super Chaffee VIT21 VIT37 VIIT71 CMCD VIIT71 DA VIIIT92 VIIIM41 Walker Bulldog IXT49 XXM551 Sheridan
UK ICruiser Mk. I IIM2 IICruiser Mk. II IILight Mk. VIC IIIValentine IIIStuart I-IV IIICruiser Mk. III IVCruiser Mk. IV VCovenanter VIA46 VICrusader VIIGSR 3301 Setter VIIIFV1066 Senlac VIIILHMTV IXGSOR3301 AVR FS XManticore
Germany ILeichttraktor IIPz.Kpfw. II Ausf. D IIMKA IIPz.Kpfw. 35 R IIPz.Kpfw. 38H 735 (f) IIPz.Kpfw. 35 (t) IIPz.Kpfw. I IIPz.Kpfw. II III43 M. Toldi III IIIPz.Kpfw. M 15 IIIPz.Kpfw. 38 (t) IIIPz.Kpfw. III Ausf. E IIIPz.Kpfw. II Ausf. J IIIPz.Kpfw. I Ausf. C IIIPz.Kpfw. II Ausf. G IIIPz.Kpfw. T 15 IVPz.Kpfw. 38 (t) n.A. IVPz.Kpfw. II Luchs VVK 16.02 Leopard VIVK 28.01 mit 10,5 cm L/28 VIVK 28.01 VIIAufklärungspanzer Panther VIISpähpanzer SP I C VIIIleKpz M 41 90 mm VIIIleKpz M 41 90 mm GF VIIIHWK 12 VIIIHWK 30 IXSpähpanzer Ru 251 XRheinmetall Panzerwagen
France IRenault FT IID1 IIAM 39 Gendron-Somua IIAMR 35 IIFCM 36 IIRenault R35 IIHotchkiss H35 IIIAMX 38 IVAMX 40 VAMX ELC bis VIAMX 12 t VIPanhard AMD 178B VIIAMX 13 75 VIIHotchkiss EBR VIIAMX 13 57 VIIAMX 13 57 GF VIIIPanhard EBR 75 (FL 10) VIIIPanhard AML Lynx 6x6 VIIIBat.-Châtillon 12 t VIIIELC EVEN 90 IXAMX 13 90 IXPanhard EBR 90 XPanhard EBR 105 XAMX 13 105
USSR IMS-1 IIBT-2 IIT-45 IIT-26 IIT-60 IITetrarch IIIBT-SV IIILTP IIIM3 Light IIIBT-7 artillery IIIT-116 IIIBT-5 IIIT-127 IIIT-46 IIIT-70 IVBT-7 IVT-80 IVValentine II VA-20 VT-50 VIMT-25 VIT-50-2 VIILTG VIIILTTB VIIILT-432 IXT-54 ltwt. XT-100 LT
China IIVickers Mk. E Type B IIIType 2597 Chi-Ha IVM5A1 Stuart VI59-16 VIType 64 VIIType 62 VIIWZ-131 VIIIWZ-132 VIIIM41D IXWZ-132A XWZ-132-1
Japan IRenault Otsu IIType 95 Ha-Go IIType 97 Te-Ke IIIType 97 Chi-Ha IIIType 98 Ke-Ni IVType 5 Ke-Ho
Czechoslovakia IKolohousenka IILT vz. 35 IIILT vz. 38
Sweden IStrv fm/21 IIStrv m/38 IIL-60 IIIStrv m/40L IIILago M38
Italy IFiat 3000 IIL6/40
Poland I4TP IITKS z n.k.m. 20 mm II7TP III10TP IV14TP
ja:Tank:R101 MT25