T-80 (light tank, 1942)
In service 1943 - 1945
The last Soviet light tank of the war - a two-man-turret T-70 whose gun could elevate to fight in cities.
Built byFactory No. 40, Mytishchi
Photograph pending. No clearly licensed photograph of this vehicle was found.
Development history
Not to be confused with the 1976 gas-turbine main battle tank, this T-80 was a T-70 development with a two-man turret so the commander no longer had to load and fire alone, and a gun mount elevating to 65 degrees for urban and mountain fighting. Fewer than about 120 were built before the Red Army concluded that light tanks were a poor use of factory capacity and switched the line to SU-76 production. Survivors fought in 1944 in Ukraine and Romania.
Notable actions
- Eastern Front 1944-45