T-27
In service 1931 - 1941
The Soviet tankette built in thousands, then turned into tractors, trainers and airborne experiments.
Built byBolshevik Factory, Leningrad; GAZ
Development history
Derived from the Carden-Loyd Mk VI under licence and widened for Soviet conditions, the T-27 was produced in enormous numbers between 1931 and 1934 as a cheap way to mechanise cavalry and infantry support. It fought in Central Asia against Basmachi insurgents, featured in famous trials where TB-1 and TB-3 bombers carried slung T-27s, and by 1941 survivors served as artillery tractors and training vehicles. Its real value was teaching Soviet industry mass tank production.
Notable actions
- Basmachi campaigns
- Operation Barbarossa (training and tractor roles)