"Komintern" Heavy Artillery Tractor
In 1930, the General Tech Bureau of GUVP VSHKh together with head design bureau OAT undertake several projects of tractors for Red Army needs: "small tractor for RKKA", "medium tractor for RKKA" and "big tractor for RKKA". It supposed that all tractors would be based on production tanks, which served already in Red Army.
To solve such problems like transporting heavy artillery (guns and howitzers up to 11 tones), crew and ammunition, development of a new heavy tractor has begin. By 1934, tractor was built and passed all trials successfully. It was accepted for service as "artillery tractor Komintern" (means "Communistic International"). It was based on "maneuverable tank T-24" (according to old Soviet classification).
"Komintern" artillery tractor. Probably 1934. (Ì.Êîëîìèåö)It powered by diesel engine of 131 h.p. Despite of dismal fate of its predecessor (T-24), that tractor was luckier and was put into mass production.
Of course, "Komintern" inherited several disadvantages of T-24, but some of them were fixed by designers, some other, being important for tank, weren't so significant for tractor. It used widely for transporting all types of field artillery and howitzers, including 18-ton 203 mm howitzers B-4. From 1940, mass production of "Komintern" was cancelled and switched to more modern "Voroshilovets". From 1934 to 1940 about 1800 tractors were manufactured.
| Parameter |
"Value |
| Year |
1933 |
| Crew, men |
2 |
| Weight, kg |
10 500 |
| Length, m |
5.765 |
| Width, m |
2.3 |
| Height, m |
2.538 |
| Specific ground pressure, kg/sm2 |
0.495 |
| Clearance, m |
0.4 |
| Engine |
4-cylinder diesel, 131 h.p. |
| Fuel, litres |
550 |
| Max speed, km/h |
30 |
| Range, km |
220 |
Sources:
E.Prochko, "Technika-Molodezhi" historical series;
A.Beskurnikov, M.Svirin "First Soviet Tanks", Armada #1
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