Tankopedia
WW2LightLight TankSoviet Union

T-70

In service 1942 - 1945

Mass-produced Soviet light tank built in car factories; chassis of the SU-76.

Built byGAZ

T-70
T-70, technical museum, Togliatti — ShinePhantom, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Development history

Built where medium-tank plants could not reach, the T-70 used paired automotive engines and was cheap enough to produce in thousands. A one-man turret overloaded the commander and the 45 mm gun was marginal by 1943, so production shifted to the SU-76 assault gun on the same chassis.

Variants

One canonical record, 3 recorded variants.

  1. T-70

    1942

    Initial version with 45 mm gun and 35-45 mm armour.

  2. T-70M

    1942

    Wider tracks, strengthened suspension, no radio in most vehicles.

  3. T-80 (light)

    1943

    Two-man turret with elevated gun for urban fighting; few built.

Notable actions

  • Stalingrad 1942-1943
  • Kursk 1943