j rJ ~_J r-I _J I r- Ifmiddot I r J I rJrJ rJ r-I ~J~J Jrfmiddotmiddot IJJjJJJ~J --rJJ 1~JJ -rj~~JJ~~J ~J

Robert Michulec

~fIJ~fINiI PUBLICATIONS COMPANY

Editor James R Hill

Copyright copy 1994

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Front Cover A good overhead study of a unit of Polish T-72M tanks_ The T-72M was c hybrid type having the thinner armor of the Soviet T-72 tank but thE improved laser rangefinder fire controls of the Soviet T-72A

Back Cover In this photo is the right side of a Kub On the rear part of the roof is lowered brace for keeping the missiles stable when driving_ Note the sho down aircraft emblem painted on the front side of the superstructure_ In thE background is another launcher vehicle being reloaded_

2

INTRODUCTION -e armed forces of the Warsaw Pact

posed of the armies of seven diverse _ untries deployed most powerful ground = c es in the history of 20th century Europe --e most important elements of the Warsaw ~ c t armies were their armored forces -~igned to fight in western Europe they were

d er the complete control of Soviet enerals From the end of the 1940s to the

te 1980s when the Warsaw Pact sintegrated their ostensible objec1-ive was to o feguard the Communist bloc But their real -8sk was to carry the war onto the territories of - e neighboring NATO countries This was the -eason for their need for strong armored rees

The specific tasks of the non-Soviet a rsaw Pact armies depended on their c ation The East German NVA was an tegral part of planned Soviet operations gainst West Germany The Czechoslovak SLA was given a significant role in Soviet p erations towards Austria and southern

---ermany Poland was assigned the task of ~izing and holding the Danish straits as well

s operations against Sweden hence its significant amphibious warfare capabilities

The armed forces of the Warsaw Pact vere neither well motivated nor parl-icularly ell equipped with the possible exception of - e East Germans In many cases particularly - e Balkan countries of Romania and Bulgaria - ey were armed with second-rate weapons T e quality of their armored vehicles left much fO be desired For example the thickness of

rmored plates on the standard Warsaw Pact ormored infantry transport used from the 1960s -- rough the 1980s- the BTR-60 and BTR-70 was

nly a thin 6mm Many armored vehicles uffered engine problems and during field exercises commanders had to halt attacks

ue to the large number of vehicles which ad broken down in a field or were helplessly

stalled in the middle of a river By the mid-1980s there were about 39000

1- is a Nheeled and tracked vehicles in the 40 firstshy -shot

the ine Warsaw Pact divisions posted at the ATO-Warsaw Pact border with some 19000

ombat vehicles in the second-line divisions

3

Opposing them were about 40000 NATO combat vehicles some of which were of better quality While many NATO armies consisted of well-trained and well-equipped professional troops the Warsaw Pact forces did not hold all of the NATO forces soldiers in high esteem Some of the NATO armies were not considered a major challenge Many people in eastern Europe whether specialists in military affairs or not thought that the armies of Warsaw Pact could simply plow through western Europe by brute force to win a war if needed Whether this view was correct or not such a war in Europe could have been the bloodiest war Europe ever experienced It is fortunate for the Warsaw Pact and all other nations that would have been involved that such a war never occured

This book is not meant to be an encyclopedia of all the armored vehicles of the Warsaw Pact So many different types of vehicles were built often in small numbers and many vehicles were modified during their service To cover all these permutations would be very difficult and is not the intention of this book Instead in this book you will find a review of the main types of combat vehicles used by -~he armored and mechanized units of the Warsaw Pact from the 1950s until the 1990s with a special focus on those used by the non-Soviet Warsaw Pact countries It is my intention to provide readers with a visual picture of what war in Europe might have looked like from the perspective of photos taken during Warsaw Pact wargames

I would like to -~hank Mr Staszynski Vadim Siesarev Inga and my mum for their materials information and help I would also like to offer a very special word of thanks to Miss Paciorek for her time and patience

The first standard tank in all the Warsaw Pact armies was the T-34-85 in its 1944 version It was armed with a 85mm ZIS S-53 gun and two machmiddotshyguns The T-34 Model 1944 served to the end of 1950s when it was theoretically replaced by the T-34-85 Model 1960 The T-34-85 in this photo is in service of the East German Army (NVA)

The T-34-85 was in service up to the beginning of 1970s So countries used them even until the middle of the 1970s In th is photo Bulgarian Army T-34-85 drives through a shallow river Note the red-whit blue Bulgarian national emblem visible on the turret

The NVAs T-34-85 Model 1960s were configured with an addition storage box at the rear of the turret The metal boxes on the right fender a chocks used to prevent the tanks from moving during rail transport Ti white bands painted on these vehicles identify them as opposing fore during wargames

4

---

5

----- - -- _ _--shy

- ional er are

k_ The r orces

A shot of the Czechoslovak Army T-34-85 Model 1944 This type of tank Ias produced in Czechoslovakia from

e end of 1952 until 1960 Note the WWII German pattern Notec night riving headlight on the left side of the

superstructures front plate

18-2s and IS-3s were used in the ~ et Union as a support for units =-~sd with medium tanks but in the - Ie of 1960s they were judged lete Their combat characteristics

0-8 unsatisfactory so they were ~ -linated from combat units Here is a Oo--S of an 18-2 in Polish service with 7 - Jiory X markings painted on the gun 2-rel

- shy~

Here a Polish T-34-85 storms over some shore defense barriers This is a good example of why combat engineer forces are needed to clear obstacles as such tank traps could easily stop a tank such as this Note the small identification number 409 painted on the end of the log attached to the top of the right mud guard The early white eagle Polish national insignia seen on the turret would be replaced on future Polish tanks by the checkered red and white design

In the Soviet Union theishywere no light tan manufactured after 1943s raishyT-80 In early 1951 a new ligr tank the PT-76 we developed PT mear swimming tank and 76 the caliber of a gun The phoshyshows a PT-76 with a raise drivers central periscope belongs to a Soviet Grou Forces reconnaissance unit

All reconnaissance units of the Warsaw Pact armies were equippe with PT-76 tanks A Romanian vehicle is shown in this photo The turret hatches clearly seen here blocking the two crew members were ver similar to those found on the T-34 and were just as troublesome On th vehicle the muzzle brake has been removed for some unknown reason

PT-76Bs were usually used in the first wave of marine units The one shown here is part of a Soviet Naval Infantry unit in the beginning of 1980s Note the four added fuel tanks on the engine roof and the Soviet nava ensign painted on the side of the vehicle

Another example of a tank missing its muzzle brake This is a PT-76E without a fording trunk The tank is marked with markings of the crew of the socialist duty Polish national emblems and the emblem of the 7th Nava Assault Division which are painted on both sides of the hull and turret

6

s rare light was

- --76B Jf the

aval

=shy

This rear view of a Soviet PT-76B 0-~ s the open ports of the hydrojet _ _ J lsion system nozzles The PTshy~ 3 as been in service since 1962 and =ltl s from the PT-76 due to the -- lied D-76TS gun and larger fuel ~acity Note how the trunk fitted to - rear of the turret is bent for

- ection against a high sea wave

T-54As of the Czechoslovak Army oss a pontoon bridge under the gaze i the soldiers directing the crossing zechoslovakia produced T-54s and Tshy

55s from 1960 until about the middle of - e 1970s adding improvements to the ydraulic clutch system even before the

Soviets did

For a many years the T-545562 tanks were regarded by the Soviets as the best tanks in the world They were built in the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1985 and many were exported Poland and Czechoslovakia also manufactured versions of the tank This photo taken in the 1980s shows a column of East German T-54 Model 1951 mounted with the D-10T gun as they traverse a grassy field

7

Several T-54s of the Soviet Army roll into action during a field exercise at the end of the 1970s Note that the ubiquitous DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun is missing on each tank as is the water brake on the front armor plate

A tanker passes a message to the crew of an Mi-1 helicopter hovering above and it seems dangerously close to this T-54A that is in the service of a Czechoslovak Army staff unit Open ports in the front of the tanks turret are clearly visible and the barrel of a co-axial machine gun protrudes from the one located to the right of the 1 OOmm gun Note that the tricolor circular national insignia can be seen on the left side of the turret

This Polish T is being trannrgtrtpshya tracked mechanized Production version of the began in 1 954 in Soviet Union It

system and a fume extractor

8

~~-------------------------------

3pecial markings and extra track sections affixed to the side of the The profile views of Czechoslovak T-54A numbers 364 and 384 as r- ~ distinguish this Czechoslovak T-54A The white signal bands on the they advance on the battlefield show that they bear the same white --- 3 5 of the mud guards served as identification markers while the vehicle marking around the barrel of their 1 OOmm guns Note the two 55-gallon fuel ~ 2 led in convoys They were particularly useful at night drums stowed at the extreme rear of their hulls The white barrel markings

were probably used to identify aggressor tanks during wargames

Czechoslovak armor was often - - ullaged for summer wargames as

_ Jsed to the bland paint schemes __ -~ on the armor of other Warsaw

- - nations Here is an example of a -_~t painted in camouflage that is ~- similar to the ambush

- ouflage scheme used by the ~ n ans during World War Two

Here is another example of a Tshy54A finished in a dramatic camouflage

) r scheme-three shades of paint on top -e T-54 of the standard green After having

made the necessary preparations the tank enters the water for some amphibious action Note the sealed exhaust on the left side of the hull the OPVT deep wading equipment tube extending above the turret and the protective covering on the tube of the gun

9

This photo shows a Czechoslovak Army T-54A staff _ tank emerging from a river Note the absence of the froni guards The large pipe rising above the turret is the full-I version of the OPVT combat snorkel

The Hungarian Army received its first T-54As from the Soviet Union at the end of the 1950s Here we see one of these tanks being transported to an exercise field somewhere in Czechoslovakia (that countrys flag is flying from the upper window of the building at left) Note the Hungarian star insignia on the side of the T-54s turret

The T-54A entered service in Poland in 1954 and was produced under license from 1956 to 1964 After many internal modifications the tank rece a new designation - T-54AM All tanks made in Poland were equipped with an additional box on the front left side of the turret

10

=~ units ~ 1t mud

-length

Since the Soviets did not have a sufficient number of armored personnel transports for their mechanized units by the end of the 1950s they often trained acks with infantrymen perched on tanks as this photo illustrates In an attempt to conceal their position the third and fourth tanks have used the TDA

_ ~1l to create a smoke screen This system involved spraying diesel fuel on to the engine manifold to generate white clouds from the exhaust

- other shot of a Soviet T-55A tank attack this time without infantry e standard boxes for DShK machine gun ammo near the gunner s

~-- - (like on the T-72) on late production T-55s The unit emblem and the _- -middot~andard mud guards are also interesting

This rear view of a T-55 shows a non typical storage box located on the rear of the turret This tank belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit and is equipped with KMT-4 mine rakes and two additional 55 gallon (400 I) fuel drums Note the OPVT snorkel tube located above them

I I

f+

This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

-ti

-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

are

have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

but ere

-=-- l1g to to

0 - - =1ia - cgest

- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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INTRODUCTION -e armed forces of the Warsaw Pact

posed of the armies of seven diverse _ untries deployed most powerful ground = c es in the history of 20th century Europe --e most important elements of the Warsaw ~ c t armies were their armored forces -~igned to fight in western Europe they were

d er the complete control of Soviet enerals From the end of the 1940s to the

te 1980s when the Warsaw Pact sintegrated their ostensible objec1-ive was to o feguard the Communist bloc But their real -8sk was to carry the war onto the territories of - e neighboring NATO countries This was the -eason for their need for strong armored rees

The specific tasks of the non-Soviet a rsaw Pact armies depended on their c ation The East German NVA was an tegral part of planned Soviet operations gainst West Germany The Czechoslovak SLA was given a significant role in Soviet p erations towards Austria and southern

---ermany Poland was assigned the task of ~izing and holding the Danish straits as well

s operations against Sweden hence its significant amphibious warfare capabilities

The armed forces of the Warsaw Pact vere neither well motivated nor parl-icularly ell equipped with the possible exception of - e East Germans In many cases particularly - e Balkan countries of Romania and Bulgaria - ey were armed with second-rate weapons T e quality of their armored vehicles left much fO be desired For example the thickness of

rmored plates on the standard Warsaw Pact ormored infantry transport used from the 1960s -- rough the 1980s- the BTR-60 and BTR-70 was

nly a thin 6mm Many armored vehicles uffered engine problems and during field exercises commanders had to halt attacks

ue to the large number of vehicles which ad broken down in a field or were helplessly

stalled in the middle of a river By the mid-1980s there were about 39000

1- is a Nheeled and tracked vehicles in the 40 firstshy -shot

the ine Warsaw Pact divisions posted at the ATO-Warsaw Pact border with some 19000

ombat vehicles in the second-line divisions

3

Opposing them were about 40000 NATO combat vehicles some of which were of better quality While many NATO armies consisted of well-trained and well-equipped professional troops the Warsaw Pact forces did not hold all of the NATO forces soldiers in high esteem Some of the NATO armies were not considered a major challenge Many people in eastern Europe whether specialists in military affairs or not thought that the armies of Warsaw Pact could simply plow through western Europe by brute force to win a war if needed Whether this view was correct or not such a war in Europe could have been the bloodiest war Europe ever experienced It is fortunate for the Warsaw Pact and all other nations that would have been involved that such a war never occured

This book is not meant to be an encyclopedia of all the armored vehicles of the Warsaw Pact So many different types of vehicles were built often in small numbers and many vehicles were modified during their service To cover all these permutations would be very difficult and is not the intention of this book Instead in this book you will find a review of the main types of combat vehicles used by -~he armored and mechanized units of the Warsaw Pact from the 1950s until the 1990s with a special focus on those used by the non-Soviet Warsaw Pact countries It is my intention to provide readers with a visual picture of what war in Europe might have looked like from the perspective of photos taken during Warsaw Pact wargames

I would like to -~hank Mr Staszynski Vadim Siesarev Inga and my mum for their materials information and help I would also like to offer a very special word of thanks to Miss Paciorek for her time and patience

The first standard tank in all the Warsaw Pact armies was the T-34-85 in its 1944 version It was armed with a 85mm ZIS S-53 gun and two machmiddotshyguns The T-34 Model 1944 served to the end of 1950s when it was theoretically replaced by the T-34-85 Model 1960 The T-34-85 in this photo is in service of the East German Army (NVA)

The T-34-85 was in service up to the beginning of 1970s So countries used them even until the middle of the 1970s In th is photo Bulgarian Army T-34-85 drives through a shallow river Note the red-whit blue Bulgarian national emblem visible on the turret

The NVAs T-34-85 Model 1960s were configured with an addition storage box at the rear of the turret The metal boxes on the right fender a chocks used to prevent the tanks from moving during rail transport Ti white bands painted on these vehicles identify them as opposing fore during wargames

4

---

5

----- - -- _ _--shy

- ional er are

k_ The r orces

A shot of the Czechoslovak Army T-34-85 Model 1944 This type of tank Ias produced in Czechoslovakia from

e end of 1952 until 1960 Note the WWII German pattern Notec night riving headlight on the left side of the

superstructures front plate

18-2s and IS-3s were used in the ~ et Union as a support for units =-~sd with medium tanks but in the - Ie of 1960s they were judged lete Their combat characteristics

0-8 unsatisfactory so they were ~ -linated from combat units Here is a Oo--S of an 18-2 in Polish service with 7 - Jiory X markings painted on the gun 2-rel

- shy~

Here a Polish T-34-85 storms over some shore defense barriers This is a good example of why combat engineer forces are needed to clear obstacles as such tank traps could easily stop a tank such as this Note the small identification number 409 painted on the end of the log attached to the top of the right mud guard The early white eagle Polish national insignia seen on the turret would be replaced on future Polish tanks by the checkered red and white design

In the Soviet Union theishywere no light tan manufactured after 1943s raishyT-80 In early 1951 a new ligr tank the PT-76 we developed PT mear swimming tank and 76 the caliber of a gun The phoshyshows a PT-76 with a raise drivers central periscope belongs to a Soviet Grou Forces reconnaissance unit

All reconnaissance units of the Warsaw Pact armies were equippe with PT-76 tanks A Romanian vehicle is shown in this photo The turret hatches clearly seen here blocking the two crew members were ver similar to those found on the T-34 and were just as troublesome On th vehicle the muzzle brake has been removed for some unknown reason

PT-76Bs were usually used in the first wave of marine units The one shown here is part of a Soviet Naval Infantry unit in the beginning of 1980s Note the four added fuel tanks on the engine roof and the Soviet nava ensign painted on the side of the vehicle

Another example of a tank missing its muzzle brake This is a PT-76E without a fording trunk The tank is marked with markings of the crew of the socialist duty Polish national emblems and the emblem of the 7th Nava Assault Division which are painted on both sides of the hull and turret

6

s rare light was

- --76B Jf the

aval

=shy

This rear view of a Soviet PT-76B 0-~ s the open ports of the hydrojet _ _ J lsion system nozzles The PTshy~ 3 as been in service since 1962 and =ltl s from the PT-76 due to the -- lied D-76TS gun and larger fuel ~acity Note how the trunk fitted to - rear of the turret is bent for

- ection against a high sea wave

T-54As of the Czechoslovak Army oss a pontoon bridge under the gaze i the soldiers directing the crossing zechoslovakia produced T-54s and Tshy

55s from 1960 until about the middle of - e 1970s adding improvements to the ydraulic clutch system even before the

Soviets did

For a many years the T-545562 tanks were regarded by the Soviets as the best tanks in the world They were built in the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1985 and many were exported Poland and Czechoslovakia also manufactured versions of the tank This photo taken in the 1980s shows a column of East German T-54 Model 1951 mounted with the D-10T gun as they traverse a grassy field

7

Several T-54s of the Soviet Army roll into action during a field exercise at the end of the 1970s Note that the ubiquitous DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun is missing on each tank as is the water brake on the front armor plate

A tanker passes a message to the crew of an Mi-1 helicopter hovering above and it seems dangerously close to this T-54A that is in the service of a Czechoslovak Army staff unit Open ports in the front of the tanks turret are clearly visible and the barrel of a co-axial machine gun protrudes from the one located to the right of the 1 OOmm gun Note that the tricolor circular national insignia can be seen on the left side of the turret

This Polish T is being trannrgtrtpshya tracked mechanized Production version of the began in 1 954 in Soviet Union It

system and a fume extractor

8

~~-------------------------------

3pecial markings and extra track sections affixed to the side of the The profile views of Czechoslovak T-54A numbers 364 and 384 as r- ~ distinguish this Czechoslovak T-54A The white signal bands on the they advance on the battlefield show that they bear the same white --- 3 5 of the mud guards served as identification markers while the vehicle marking around the barrel of their 1 OOmm guns Note the two 55-gallon fuel ~ 2 led in convoys They were particularly useful at night drums stowed at the extreme rear of their hulls The white barrel markings

were probably used to identify aggressor tanks during wargames

Czechoslovak armor was often - - ullaged for summer wargames as

_ Jsed to the bland paint schemes __ -~ on the armor of other Warsaw

- - nations Here is an example of a -_~t painted in camouflage that is ~- similar to the ambush

- ouflage scheme used by the ~ n ans during World War Two

Here is another example of a Tshy54A finished in a dramatic camouflage

) r scheme-three shades of paint on top -e T-54 of the standard green After having

made the necessary preparations the tank enters the water for some amphibious action Note the sealed exhaust on the left side of the hull the OPVT deep wading equipment tube extending above the turret and the protective covering on the tube of the gun

9

This photo shows a Czechoslovak Army T-54A staff _ tank emerging from a river Note the absence of the froni guards The large pipe rising above the turret is the full-I version of the OPVT combat snorkel

The Hungarian Army received its first T-54As from the Soviet Union at the end of the 1950s Here we see one of these tanks being transported to an exercise field somewhere in Czechoslovakia (that countrys flag is flying from the upper window of the building at left) Note the Hungarian star insignia on the side of the T-54s turret

The T-54A entered service in Poland in 1954 and was produced under license from 1956 to 1964 After many internal modifications the tank rece a new designation - T-54AM All tanks made in Poland were equipped with an additional box on the front left side of the turret

10

=~ units ~ 1t mud

-length

Since the Soviets did not have a sufficient number of armored personnel transports for their mechanized units by the end of the 1950s they often trained acks with infantrymen perched on tanks as this photo illustrates In an attempt to conceal their position the third and fourth tanks have used the TDA

_ ~1l to create a smoke screen This system involved spraying diesel fuel on to the engine manifold to generate white clouds from the exhaust

- other shot of a Soviet T-55A tank attack this time without infantry e standard boxes for DShK machine gun ammo near the gunner s

~-- - (like on the T-72) on late production T-55s The unit emblem and the _- -middot~andard mud guards are also interesting

This rear view of a T-55 shows a non typical storage box located on the rear of the turret This tank belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit and is equipped with KMT-4 mine rakes and two additional 55 gallon (400 I) fuel drums Note the OPVT snorkel tube located above them

I I

f+

This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

-ti

-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

are

have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

but ere

-=-- l1g to to

0 - - =1ia - cgest

- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The first standard tank in all the Warsaw Pact armies was the T-34-85 in its 1944 version It was armed with a 85mm ZIS S-53 gun and two machmiddotshyguns The T-34 Model 1944 served to the end of 1950s when it was theoretically replaced by the T-34-85 Model 1960 The T-34-85 in this photo is in service of the East German Army (NVA)

The T-34-85 was in service up to the beginning of 1970s So countries used them even until the middle of the 1970s In th is photo Bulgarian Army T-34-85 drives through a shallow river Note the red-whit blue Bulgarian national emblem visible on the turret

The NVAs T-34-85 Model 1960s were configured with an addition storage box at the rear of the turret The metal boxes on the right fender a chocks used to prevent the tanks from moving during rail transport Ti white bands painted on these vehicles identify them as opposing fore during wargames

4

---

5

----- - -- _ _--shy

- ional er are

k_ The r orces

A shot of the Czechoslovak Army T-34-85 Model 1944 This type of tank Ias produced in Czechoslovakia from

e end of 1952 until 1960 Note the WWII German pattern Notec night riving headlight on the left side of the

superstructures front plate

18-2s and IS-3s were used in the ~ et Union as a support for units =-~sd with medium tanks but in the - Ie of 1960s they were judged lete Their combat characteristics

0-8 unsatisfactory so they were ~ -linated from combat units Here is a Oo--S of an 18-2 in Polish service with 7 - Jiory X markings painted on the gun 2-rel

- shy~

Here a Polish T-34-85 storms over some shore defense barriers This is a good example of why combat engineer forces are needed to clear obstacles as such tank traps could easily stop a tank such as this Note the small identification number 409 painted on the end of the log attached to the top of the right mud guard The early white eagle Polish national insignia seen on the turret would be replaced on future Polish tanks by the checkered red and white design

In the Soviet Union theishywere no light tan manufactured after 1943s raishyT-80 In early 1951 a new ligr tank the PT-76 we developed PT mear swimming tank and 76 the caliber of a gun The phoshyshows a PT-76 with a raise drivers central periscope belongs to a Soviet Grou Forces reconnaissance unit

All reconnaissance units of the Warsaw Pact armies were equippe with PT-76 tanks A Romanian vehicle is shown in this photo The turret hatches clearly seen here blocking the two crew members were ver similar to those found on the T-34 and were just as troublesome On th vehicle the muzzle brake has been removed for some unknown reason

PT-76Bs were usually used in the first wave of marine units The one shown here is part of a Soviet Naval Infantry unit in the beginning of 1980s Note the four added fuel tanks on the engine roof and the Soviet nava ensign painted on the side of the vehicle

Another example of a tank missing its muzzle brake This is a PT-76E without a fording trunk The tank is marked with markings of the crew of the socialist duty Polish national emblems and the emblem of the 7th Nava Assault Division which are painted on both sides of the hull and turret

6

s rare light was

- --76B Jf the

aval

=shy

This rear view of a Soviet PT-76B 0-~ s the open ports of the hydrojet _ _ J lsion system nozzles The PTshy~ 3 as been in service since 1962 and =ltl s from the PT-76 due to the -- lied D-76TS gun and larger fuel ~acity Note how the trunk fitted to - rear of the turret is bent for

- ection against a high sea wave

T-54As of the Czechoslovak Army oss a pontoon bridge under the gaze i the soldiers directing the crossing zechoslovakia produced T-54s and Tshy

55s from 1960 until about the middle of - e 1970s adding improvements to the ydraulic clutch system even before the

Soviets did

For a many years the T-545562 tanks were regarded by the Soviets as the best tanks in the world They were built in the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1985 and many were exported Poland and Czechoslovakia also manufactured versions of the tank This photo taken in the 1980s shows a column of East German T-54 Model 1951 mounted with the D-10T gun as they traverse a grassy field

7

Several T-54s of the Soviet Army roll into action during a field exercise at the end of the 1970s Note that the ubiquitous DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun is missing on each tank as is the water brake on the front armor plate

A tanker passes a message to the crew of an Mi-1 helicopter hovering above and it seems dangerously close to this T-54A that is in the service of a Czechoslovak Army staff unit Open ports in the front of the tanks turret are clearly visible and the barrel of a co-axial machine gun protrudes from the one located to the right of the 1 OOmm gun Note that the tricolor circular national insignia can be seen on the left side of the turret

This Polish T is being trannrgtrtpshya tracked mechanized Production version of the began in 1 954 in Soviet Union It

system and a fume extractor

8

~~-------------------------------

3pecial markings and extra track sections affixed to the side of the The profile views of Czechoslovak T-54A numbers 364 and 384 as r- ~ distinguish this Czechoslovak T-54A The white signal bands on the they advance on the battlefield show that they bear the same white --- 3 5 of the mud guards served as identification markers while the vehicle marking around the barrel of their 1 OOmm guns Note the two 55-gallon fuel ~ 2 led in convoys They were particularly useful at night drums stowed at the extreme rear of their hulls The white barrel markings

were probably used to identify aggressor tanks during wargames

Czechoslovak armor was often - - ullaged for summer wargames as

_ Jsed to the bland paint schemes __ -~ on the armor of other Warsaw

- - nations Here is an example of a -_~t painted in camouflage that is ~- similar to the ambush

- ouflage scheme used by the ~ n ans during World War Two

Here is another example of a Tshy54A finished in a dramatic camouflage

) r scheme-three shades of paint on top -e T-54 of the standard green After having

made the necessary preparations the tank enters the water for some amphibious action Note the sealed exhaust on the left side of the hull the OPVT deep wading equipment tube extending above the turret and the protective covering on the tube of the gun

9

This photo shows a Czechoslovak Army T-54A staff _ tank emerging from a river Note the absence of the froni guards The large pipe rising above the turret is the full-I version of the OPVT combat snorkel

The Hungarian Army received its first T-54As from the Soviet Union at the end of the 1950s Here we see one of these tanks being transported to an exercise field somewhere in Czechoslovakia (that countrys flag is flying from the upper window of the building at left) Note the Hungarian star insignia on the side of the T-54s turret

The T-54A entered service in Poland in 1954 and was produced under license from 1956 to 1964 After many internal modifications the tank rece a new designation - T-54AM All tanks made in Poland were equipped with an additional box on the front left side of the turret

10

=~ units ~ 1t mud

-length

Since the Soviets did not have a sufficient number of armored personnel transports for their mechanized units by the end of the 1950s they often trained acks with infantrymen perched on tanks as this photo illustrates In an attempt to conceal their position the third and fourth tanks have used the TDA

_ ~1l to create a smoke screen This system involved spraying diesel fuel on to the engine manifold to generate white clouds from the exhaust

- other shot of a Soviet T-55A tank attack this time without infantry e standard boxes for DShK machine gun ammo near the gunner s

~-- - (like on the T-72) on late production T-55s The unit emblem and the _- -middot~andard mud guards are also interesting

This rear view of a T-55 shows a non typical storage box located on the rear of the turret This tank belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit and is equipped with KMT-4 mine rakes and two additional 55 gallon (400 I) fuel drums Note the OPVT snorkel tube located above them

I I

f+

This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

-ti

-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

are

have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

but ere

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0 - - =1ia - cgest

- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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5

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k_ The r orces

A shot of the Czechoslovak Army T-34-85 Model 1944 This type of tank Ias produced in Czechoslovakia from

e end of 1952 until 1960 Note the WWII German pattern Notec night riving headlight on the left side of the

superstructures front plate

18-2s and IS-3s were used in the ~ et Union as a support for units =-~sd with medium tanks but in the - Ie of 1960s they were judged lete Their combat characteristics

0-8 unsatisfactory so they were ~ -linated from combat units Here is a Oo--S of an 18-2 in Polish service with 7 - Jiory X markings painted on the gun 2-rel

- shy~

Here a Polish T-34-85 storms over some shore defense barriers This is a good example of why combat engineer forces are needed to clear obstacles as such tank traps could easily stop a tank such as this Note the small identification number 409 painted on the end of the log attached to the top of the right mud guard The early white eagle Polish national insignia seen on the turret would be replaced on future Polish tanks by the checkered red and white design

In the Soviet Union theishywere no light tan manufactured after 1943s raishyT-80 In early 1951 a new ligr tank the PT-76 we developed PT mear swimming tank and 76 the caliber of a gun The phoshyshows a PT-76 with a raise drivers central periscope belongs to a Soviet Grou Forces reconnaissance unit

All reconnaissance units of the Warsaw Pact armies were equippe with PT-76 tanks A Romanian vehicle is shown in this photo The turret hatches clearly seen here blocking the two crew members were ver similar to those found on the T-34 and were just as troublesome On th vehicle the muzzle brake has been removed for some unknown reason

PT-76Bs were usually used in the first wave of marine units The one shown here is part of a Soviet Naval Infantry unit in the beginning of 1980s Note the four added fuel tanks on the engine roof and the Soviet nava ensign painted on the side of the vehicle

Another example of a tank missing its muzzle brake This is a PT-76E without a fording trunk The tank is marked with markings of the crew of the socialist duty Polish national emblems and the emblem of the 7th Nava Assault Division which are painted on both sides of the hull and turret

6

s rare light was

- --76B Jf the

aval

=shy

This rear view of a Soviet PT-76B 0-~ s the open ports of the hydrojet _ _ J lsion system nozzles The PTshy~ 3 as been in service since 1962 and =ltl s from the PT-76 due to the -- lied D-76TS gun and larger fuel ~acity Note how the trunk fitted to - rear of the turret is bent for

- ection against a high sea wave

T-54As of the Czechoslovak Army oss a pontoon bridge under the gaze i the soldiers directing the crossing zechoslovakia produced T-54s and Tshy

55s from 1960 until about the middle of - e 1970s adding improvements to the ydraulic clutch system even before the

Soviets did

For a many years the T-545562 tanks were regarded by the Soviets as the best tanks in the world They were built in the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1985 and many were exported Poland and Czechoslovakia also manufactured versions of the tank This photo taken in the 1980s shows a column of East German T-54 Model 1951 mounted with the D-10T gun as they traverse a grassy field

7

Several T-54s of the Soviet Army roll into action during a field exercise at the end of the 1970s Note that the ubiquitous DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun is missing on each tank as is the water brake on the front armor plate

A tanker passes a message to the crew of an Mi-1 helicopter hovering above and it seems dangerously close to this T-54A that is in the service of a Czechoslovak Army staff unit Open ports in the front of the tanks turret are clearly visible and the barrel of a co-axial machine gun protrudes from the one located to the right of the 1 OOmm gun Note that the tricolor circular national insignia can be seen on the left side of the turret

This Polish T is being trannrgtrtpshya tracked mechanized Production version of the began in 1 954 in Soviet Union It

system and a fume extractor

8

~~-------------------------------

3pecial markings and extra track sections affixed to the side of the The profile views of Czechoslovak T-54A numbers 364 and 384 as r- ~ distinguish this Czechoslovak T-54A The white signal bands on the they advance on the battlefield show that they bear the same white --- 3 5 of the mud guards served as identification markers while the vehicle marking around the barrel of their 1 OOmm guns Note the two 55-gallon fuel ~ 2 led in convoys They were particularly useful at night drums stowed at the extreme rear of their hulls The white barrel markings

were probably used to identify aggressor tanks during wargames

Czechoslovak armor was often - - ullaged for summer wargames as

_ Jsed to the bland paint schemes __ -~ on the armor of other Warsaw

- - nations Here is an example of a -_~t painted in camouflage that is ~- similar to the ambush

- ouflage scheme used by the ~ n ans during World War Two

Here is another example of a Tshy54A finished in a dramatic camouflage

) r scheme-three shades of paint on top -e T-54 of the standard green After having

made the necessary preparations the tank enters the water for some amphibious action Note the sealed exhaust on the left side of the hull the OPVT deep wading equipment tube extending above the turret and the protective covering on the tube of the gun

9

This photo shows a Czechoslovak Army T-54A staff _ tank emerging from a river Note the absence of the froni guards The large pipe rising above the turret is the full-I version of the OPVT combat snorkel

The Hungarian Army received its first T-54As from the Soviet Union at the end of the 1950s Here we see one of these tanks being transported to an exercise field somewhere in Czechoslovakia (that countrys flag is flying from the upper window of the building at left) Note the Hungarian star insignia on the side of the T-54s turret

The T-54A entered service in Poland in 1954 and was produced under license from 1956 to 1964 After many internal modifications the tank rece a new designation - T-54AM All tanks made in Poland were equipped with an additional box on the front left side of the turret

10

=~ units ~ 1t mud

-length

Since the Soviets did not have a sufficient number of armored personnel transports for their mechanized units by the end of the 1950s they often trained acks with infantrymen perched on tanks as this photo illustrates In an attempt to conceal their position the third and fourth tanks have used the TDA

_ ~1l to create a smoke screen This system involved spraying diesel fuel on to the engine manifold to generate white clouds from the exhaust

- other shot of a Soviet T-55A tank attack this time without infantry e standard boxes for DShK machine gun ammo near the gunner s

~-- - (like on the T-72) on late production T-55s The unit emblem and the _- -middot~andard mud guards are also interesting

This rear view of a T-55 shows a non typical storage box located on the rear of the turret This tank belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit and is equipped with KMT-4 mine rakes and two additional 55 gallon (400 I) fuel drums Note the OPVT snorkel tube located above them

I I

f+

This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

-ti

-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

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have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

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- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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In the Soviet Union theishywere no light tan manufactured after 1943s raishyT-80 In early 1951 a new ligr tank the PT-76 we developed PT mear swimming tank and 76 the caliber of a gun The phoshyshows a PT-76 with a raise drivers central periscope belongs to a Soviet Grou Forces reconnaissance unit

All reconnaissance units of the Warsaw Pact armies were equippe with PT-76 tanks A Romanian vehicle is shown in this photo The turret hatches clearly seen here blocking the two crew members were ver similar to those found on the T-34 and were just as troublesome On th vehicle the muzzle brake has been removed for some unknown reason

PT-76Bs were usually used in the first wave of marine units The one shown here is part of a Soviet Naval Infantry unit in the beginning of 1980s Note the four added fuel tanks on the engine roof and the Soviet nava ensign painted on the side of the vehicle

Another example of a tank missing its muzzle brake This is a PT-76E without a fording trunk The tank is marked with markings of the crew of the socialist duty Polish national emblems and the emblem of the 7th Nava Assault Division which are painted on both sides of the hull and turret

6

s rare light was

- --76B Jf the

aval

=shy

This rear view of a Soviet PT-76B 0-~ s the open ports of the hydrojet _ _ J lsion system nozzles The PTshy~ 3 as been in service since 1962 and =ltl s from the PT-76 due to the -- lied D-76TS gun and larger fuel ~acity Note how the trunk fitted to - rear of the turret is bent for

- ection against a high sea wave

T-54As of the Czechoslovak Army oss a pontoon bridge under the gaze i the soldiers directing the crossing zechoslovakia produced T-54s and Tshy

55s from 1960 until about the middle of - e 1970s adding improvements to the ydraulic clutch system even before the

Soviets did

For a many years the T-545562 tanks were regarded by the Soviets as the best tanks in the world They were built in the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1985 and many were exported Poland and Czechoslovakia also manufactured versions of the tank This photo taken in the 1980s shows a column of East German T-54 Model 1951 mounted with the D-10T gun as they traverse a grassy field

7

Several T-54s of the Soviet Army roll into action during a field exercise at the end of the 1970s Note that the ubiquitous DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun is missing on each tank as is the water brake on the front armor plate

A tanker passes a message to the crew of an Mi-1 helicopter hovering above and it seems dangerously close to this T-54A that is in the service of a Czechoslovak Army staff unit Open ports in the front of the tanks turret are clearly visible and the barrel of a co-axial machine gun protrudes from the one located to the right of the 1 OOmm gun Note that the tricolor circular national insignia can be seen on the left side of the turret

This Polish T is being trannrgtrtpshya tracked mechanized Production version of the began in 1 954 in Soviet Union It

system and a fume extractor

8

~~-------------------------------

3pecial markings and extra track sections affixed to the side of the The profile views of Czechoslovak T-54A numbers 364 and 384 as r- ~ distinguish this Czechoslovak T-54A The white signal bands on the they advance on the battlefield show that they bear the same white --- 3 5 of the mud guards served as identification markers while the vehicle marking around the barrel of their 1 OOmm guns Note the two 55-gallon fuel ~ 2 led in convoys They were particularly useful at night drums stowed at the extreme rear of their hulls The white barrel markings

were probably used to identify aggressor tanks during wargames

Czechoslovak armor was often - - ullaged for summer wargames as

_ Jsed to the bland paint schemes __ -~ on the armor of other Warsaw

- - nations Here is an example of a -_~t painted in camouflage that is ~- similar to the ambush

- ouflage scheme used by the ~ n ans during World War Two

Here is another example of a Tshy54A finished in a dramatic camouflage

) r scheme-three shades of paint on top -e T-54 of the standard green After having

made the necessary preparations the tank enters the water for some amphibious action Note the sealed exhaust on the left side of the hull the OPVT deep wading equipment tube extending above the turret and the protective covering on the tube of the gun

9

This photo shows a Czechoslovak Army T-54A staff _ tank emerging from a river Note the absence of the froni guards The large pipe rising above the turret is the full-I version of the OPVT combat snorkel

The Hungarian Army received its first T-54As from the Soviet Union at the end of the 1950s Here we see one of these tanks being transported to an exercise field somewhere in Czechoslovakia (that countrys flag is flying from the upper window of the building at left) Note the Hungarian star insignia on the side of the T-54s turret

The T-54A entered service in Poland in 1954 and was produced under license from 1956 to 1964 After many internal modifications the tank rece a new designation - T-54AM All tanks made in Poland were equipped with an additional box on the front left side of the turret

10

=~ units ~ 1t mud

-length

Since the Soviets did not have a sufficient number of armored personnel transports for their mechanized units by the end of the 1950s they often trained acks with infantrymen perched on tanks as this photo illustrates In an attempt to conceal their position the third and fourth tanks have used the TDA

_ ~1l to create a smoke screen This system involved spraying diesel fuel on to the engine manifold to generate white clouds from the exhaust

- other shot of a Soviet T-55A tank attack this time without infantry e standard boxes for DShK machine gun ammo near the gunner s

~-- - (like on the T-72) on late production T-55s The unit emblem and the _- -middot~andard mud guards are also interesting

This rear view of a T-55 shows a non typical storage box located on the rear of the turret This tank belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit and is equipped with KMT-4 mine rakes and two additional 55 gallon (400 I) fuel drums Note the OPVT snorkel tube located above them

I I

f+

This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

-ti

-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

are

have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

but ere

-=-- l1g to to

0 - - =1ia - cgest

- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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s rare light was

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This rear view of a Soviet PT-76B 0-~ s the open ports of the hydrojet _ _ J lsion system nozzles The PTshy~ 3 as been in service since 1962 and =ltl s from the PT-76 due to the -- lied D-76TS gun and larger fuel ~acity Note how the trunk fitted to - rear of the turret is bent for

- ection against a high sea wave

T-54As of the Czechoslovak Army oss a pontoon bridge under the gaze i the soldiers directing the crossing zechoslovakia produced T-54s and Tshy

55s from 1960 until about the middle of - e 1970s adding improvements to the ydraulic clutch system even before the

Soviets did

For a many years the T-545562 tanks were regarded by the Soviets as the best tanks in the world They were built in the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1985 and many were exported Poland and Czechoslovakia also manufactured versions of the tank This photo taken in the 1980s shows a column of East German T-54 Model 1951 mounted with the D-10T gun as they traverse a grassy field

7

Several T-54s of the Soviet Army roll into action during a field exercise at the end of the 1970s Note that the ubiquitous DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun is missing on each tank as is the water brake on the front armor plate

A tanker passes a message to the crew of an Mi-1 helicopter hovering above and it seems dangerously close to this T-54A that is in the service of a Czechoslovak Army staff unit Open ports in the front of the tanks turret are clearly visible and the barrel of a co-axial machine gun protrudes from the one located to the right of the 1 OOmm gun Note that the tricolor circular national insignia can be seen on the left side of the turret

This Polish T is being trannrgtrtpshya tracked mechanized Production version of the began in 1 954 in Soviet Union It

system and a fume extractor

8

~~-------------------------------

3pecial markings and extra track sections affixed to the side of the The profile views of Czechoslovak T-54A numbers 364 and 384 as r- ~ distinguish this Czechoslovak T-54A The white signal bands on the they advance on the battlefield show that they bear the same white --- 3 5 of the mud guards served as identification markers while the vehicle marking around the barrel of their 1 OOmm guns Note the two 55-gallon fuel ~ 2 led in convoys They were particularly useful at night drums stowed at the extreme rear of their hulls The white barrel markings

were probably used to identify aggressor tanks during wargames

Czechoslovak armor was often - - ullaged for summer wargames as

_ Jsed to the bland paint schemes __ -~ on the armor of other Warsaw

- - nations Here is an example of a -_~t painted in camouflage that is ~- similar to the ambush

- ouflage scheme used by the ~ n ans during World War Two

Here is another example of a Tshy54A finished in a dramatic camouflage

) r scheme-three shades of paint on top -e T-54 of the standard green After having

made the necessary preparations the tank enters the water for some amphibious action Note the sealed exhaust on the left side of the hull the OPVT deep wading equipment tube extending above the turret and the protective covering on the tube of the gun

9

This photo shows a Czechoslovak Army T-54A staff _ tank emerging from a river Note the absence of the froni guards The large pipe rising above the turret is the full-I version of the OPVT combat snorkel

The Hungarian Army received its first T-54As from the Soviet Union at the end of the 1950s Here we see one of these tanks being transported to an exercise field somewhere in Czechoslovakia (that countrys flag is flying from the upper window of the building at left) Note the Hungarian star insignia on the side of the T-54s turret

The T-54A entered service in Poland in 1954 and was produced under license from 1956 to 1964 After many internal modifications the tank rece a new designation - T-54AM All tanks made in Poland were equipped with an additional box on the front left side of the turret

10

=~ units ~ 1t mud

-length

Since the Soviets did not have a sufficient number of armored personnel transports for their mechanized units by the end of the 1950s they often trained acks with infantrymen perched on tanks as this photo illustrates In an attempt to conceal their position the third and fourth tanks have used the TDA

_ ~1l to create a smoke screen This system involved spraying diesel fuel on to the engine manifold to generate white clouds from the exhaust

- other shot of a Soviet T-55A tank attack this time without infantry e standard boxes for DShK machine gun ammo near the gunner s

~-- - (like on the T-72) on late production T-55s The unit emblem and the _- -middot~andard mud guards are also interesting

This rear view of a T-55 shows a non typical storage box located on the rear of the turret This tank belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit and is equipped with KMT-4 mine rakes and two additional 55 gallon (400 I) fuel drums Note the OPVT snorkel tube located above them

I I

f+

This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

-ti

-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

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have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

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The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

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s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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Several T-54s of the Soviet Army roll into action during a field exercise at the end of the 1970s Note that the ubiquitous DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun is missing on each tank as is the water brake on the front armor plate

A tanker passes a message to the crew of an Mi-1 helicopter hovering above and it seems dangerously close to this T-54A that is in the service of a Czechoslovak Army staff unit Open ports in the front of the tanks turret are clearly visible and the barrel of a co-axial machine gun protrudes from the one located to the right of the 1 OOmm gun Note that the tricolor circular national insignia can be seen on the left side of the turret

This Polish T is being trannrgtrtpshya tracked mechanized Production version of the began in 1 954 in Soviet Union It

system and a fume extractor

8

~~-------------------------------

3pecial markings and extra track sections affixed to the side of the The profile views of Czechoslovak T-54A numbers 364 and 384 as r- ~ distinguish this Czechoslovak T-54A The white signal bands on the they advance on the battlefield show that they bear the same white --- 3 5 of the mud guards served as identification markers while the vehicle marking around the barrel of their 1 OOmm guns Note the two 55-gallon fuel ~ 2 led in convoys They were particularly useful at night drums stowed at the extreme rear of their hulls The white barrel markings

were probably used to identify aggressor tanks during wargames

Czechoslovak armor was often - - ullaged for summer wargames as

_ Jsed to the bland paint schemes __ -~ on the armor of other Warsaw

- - nations Here is an example of a -_~t painted in camouflage that is ~- similar to the ambush

- ouflage scheme used by the ~ n ans during World War Two

Here is another example of a Tshy54A finished in a dramatic camouflage

) r scheme-three shades of paint on top -e T-54 of the standard green After having

made the necessary preparations the tank enters the water for some amphibious action Note the sealed exhaust on the left side of the hull the OPVT deep wading equipment tube extending above the turret and the protective covering on the tube of the gun

9

This photo shows a Czechoslovak Army T-54A staff _ tank emerging from a river Note the absence of the froni guards The large pipe rising above the turret is the full-I version of the OPVT combat snorkel

The Hungarian Army received its first T-54As from the Soviet Union at the end of the 1950s Here we see one of these tanks being transported to an exercise field somewhere in Czechoslovakia (that countrys flag is flying from the upper window of the building at left) Note the Hungarian star insignia on the side of the T-54s turret

The T-54A entered service in Poland in 1954 and was produced under license from 1956 to 1964 After many internal modifications the tank rece a new designation - T-54AM All tanks made in Poland were equipped with an additional box on the front left side of the turret

10

=~ units ~ 1t mud

-length

Since the Soviets did not have a sufficient number of armored personnel transports for their mechanized units by the end of the 1950s they often trained acks with infantrymen perched on tanks as this photo illustrates In an attempt to conceal their position the third and fourth tanks have used the TDA

_ ~1l to create a smoke screen This system involved spraying diesel fuel on to the engine manifold to generate white clouds from the exhaust

- other shot of a Soviet T-55A tank attack this time without infantry e standard boxes for DShK machine gun ammo near the gunner s

~-- - (like on the T-72) on late production T-55s The unit emblem and the _- -middot~andard mud guards are also interesting

This rear view of a T-55 shows a non typical storage box located on the rear of the turret This tank belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit and is equipped with KMT-4 mine rakes and two additional 55 gallon (400 I) fuel drums Note the OPVT snorkel tube located above them

I I

f+

This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

-ti

-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

are

have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

but ere

-=-- l1g to to

0 - - =1ia - cgest

- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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3pecial markings and extra track sections affixed to the side of the The profile views of Czechoslovak T-54A numbers 364 and 384 as r- ~ distinguish this Czechoslovak T-54A The white signal bands on the they advance on the battlefield show that they bear the same white --- 3 5 of the mud guards served as identification markers while the vehicle marking around the barrel of their 1 OOmm guns Note the two 55-gallon fuel ~ 2 led in convoys They were particularly useful at night drums stowed at the extreme rear of their hulls The white barrel markings

were probably used to identify aggressor tanks during wargames

Czechoslovak armor was often - - ullaged for summer wargames as

_ Jsed to the bland paint schemes __ -~ on the armor of other Warsaw

- - nations Here is an example of a -_~t painted in camouflage that is ~- similar to the ambush

- ouflage scheme used by the ~ n ans during World War Two

Here is another example of a Tshy54A finished in a dramatic camouflage

) r scheme-three shades of paint on top -e T-54 of the standard green After having

made the necessary preparations the tank enters the water for some amphibious action Note the sealed exhaust on the left side of the hull the OPVT deep wading equipment tube extending above the turret and the protective covering on the tube of the gun

9

This photo shows a Czechoslovak Army T-54A staff _ tank emerging from a river Note the absence of the froni guards The large pipe rising above the turret is the full-I version of the OPVT combat snorkel

The Hungarian Army received its first T-54As from the Soviet Union at the end of the 1950s Here we see one of these tanks being transported to an exercise field somewhere in Czechoslovakia (that countrys flag is flying from the upper window of the building at left) Note the Hungarian star insignia on the side of the T-54s turret

The T-54A entered service in Poland in 1954 and was produced under license from 1956 to 1964 After many internal modifications the tank rece a new designation - T-54AM All tanks made in Poland were equipped with an additional box on the front left side of the turret

10

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Since the Soviets did not have a sufficient number of armored personnel transports for their mechanized units by the end of the 1950s they often trained acks with infantrymen perched on tanks as this photo illustrates In an attempt to conceal their position the third and fourth tanks have used the TDA

_ ~1l to create a smoke screen This system involved spraying diesel fuel on to the engine manifold to generate white clouds from the exhaust

- other shot of a Soviet T-55A tank attack this time without infantry e standard boxes for DShK machine gun ammo near the gunner s

~-- - (like on the T-72) on late production T-55s The unit emblem and the _- -middot~andard mud guards are also interesting

This rear view of a T-55 shows a non typical storage box located on the rear of the turret This tank belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit and is equipped with KMT-4 mine rakes and two additional 55 gallon (400 I) fuel drums Note the OPVT snorkel tube located above them

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This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

-ti

-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

are

have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

but ere

-=-- l1g to to

0 - - =1ia - cgest

- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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This photo shows a Czechoslovak Army T-54A staff _ tank emerging from a river Note the absence of the froni guards The large pipe rising above the turret is the full-I version of the OPVT combat snorkel

The Hungarian Army received its first T-54As from the Soviet Union at the end of the 1950s Here we see one of these tanks being transported to an exercise field somewhere in Czechoslovakia (that countrys flag is flying from the upper window of the building at left) Note the Hungarian star insignia on the side of the T-54s turret

The T-54A entered service in Poland in 1954 and was produced under license from 1956 to 1964 After many internal modifications the tank rece a new designation - T-54AM All tanks made in Poland were equipped with an additional box on the front left side of the turret

10

=~ units ~ 1t mud

-length

Since the Soviets did not have a sufficient number of armored personnel transports for their mechanized units by the end of the 1950s they often trained acks with infantrymen perched on tanks as this photo illustrates In an attempt to conceal their position the third and fourth tanks have used the TDA

_ ~1l to create a smoke screen This system involved spraying diesel fuel on to the engine manifold to generate white clouds from the exhaust

- other shot of a Soviet T-55A tank attack this time without infantry e standard boxes for DShK machine gun ammo near the gunner s

~-- - (like on the T-72) on late production T-55s The unit emblem and the _- -middot~andard mud guards are also interesting

This rear view of a T-55 shows a non typical storage box located on the rear of the turret This tank belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit and is equipped with KMT-4 mine rakes and two additional 55 gallon (400 I) fuel drums Note the OPVT snorkel tube located above them

I I

f+

This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

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The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

are

have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

but ere

-=-- l1g to to

0 - - =1ia - cgest

- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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-length

Since the Soviets did not have a sufficient number of armored personnel transports for their mechanized units by the end of the 1950s they often trained acks with infantrymen perched on tanks as this photo illustrates In an attempt to conceal their position the third and fourth tanks have used the TDA

_ ~1l to create a smoke screen This system involved spraying diesel fuel on to the engine manifold to generate white clouds from the exhaust

- other shot of a Soviet T-55A tank attack this time without infantry e standard boxes for DShK machine gun ammo near the gunner s

~-- - (like on the T-72) on late production T-55s The unit emblem and the _- -middot~andard mud guards are also interesting

This rear view of a T-55 shows a non typical storage box located on the rear of the turret This tank belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit and is equipped with KMT-4 mine rakes and two additional 55 gallon (400 I) fuel drums Note the OPVT snorkel tube located above them

I I

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This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

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This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

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One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

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The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

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The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

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Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

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The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

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- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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This photo shows an amphibious assault on the Black Sea in the middle of the 1980s Note the non-standard covers for middot the Luna searchlights mounted on the tanks numbered 180 and 110 T-55s are still used by the Soviet Naval Infantry units but with Kontakt explosive reactive armor

Another T-55 in the service of the Romanian Army Note the identification number C234 painted on all sides of the turret This tank features the starfish wheels that were configured on the later versions of the T-54 tank to replace the earlier spider-web wheels

The Romanian Army was not on the best of terms with the rest Warsaw Pact members especially since the beginning of the 1970s S(

did not often train with them Here amidst exhaust steam and cas water the Romanian T-55 number V672 rises from a river

- - ~ -

This cia photo of the front snow-covered Poll 55 provides excellent view of rifling in the barr the tanks 100mm visible just on inside of the m Notice that the v number-51 shyrepeated on all 0

crewmens helmet well as on commander s gunners inf equipment

12

closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

-ti

-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

are

have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

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- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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closeshy- rant of =-8 Polish shy- 9 3 a -oN of II barrel ~Jmm g

on t

This T-55 churns the water in this tank training ditch into froth as it -C s steam and spray on the infantrymen that are following in its wake ~ ih e several lights affixed to the hull and turret of this tank there are no ~ -nan 15 There are nine small position lights mounted on the corners - 9 hull and one on the rear of the turret

This view of Czechoslovak T-55 number 574 shows yet another style i ofthe

ali of It - =Imets ~

on tr

infrarE uds of smoke fail to obscure the frontal view of these T-55s At 10 ft (327 m) wide and 75 ft (235 m) high this model of tank is smaller and therefore _5 - to see at long distances than American and German tanks On the other hand they are less comfortable for their crews

13

_- amouflage used around the end of the 1970s and early 1980s The tankmiddot so they ~ - bably painted in two-tone green paint divided by sand colored veins - ~cadinQ

-- = photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s Note the addition of a x-Con of track on the turret

Two companies of Hungarian T-55s are shown here participating in a parade in East Germany following a 1980 exercise The T-55s D-10T2S cannon was the first Soviet tank gun to employ the new (Typhoon) two-axis stabilization system which allowed the gun to be more quickly readjusted for accuracy after the tank had been on the move

The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

-ti

-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

are

have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

but ere

-=-- l1g to to

0 - - =1ia - cgest

- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The Polish national markings are painted in more subdued tones on this T-55 the outline is painted in white only This front view provides a good at a commonly seen feature of the tank- the highly visible orange-circle-with-black-triangle road sign located on the left mud guard

In this photo two T-55As flank amp

55AM during an exercise modification to the commanda cupola on the T-55AM version is cle~ seen here This cupola contai additional anti-rad iation shielding

The Polish T-55A shown here is participating in exercises during the summer of 1987 It is well concealed under a stack of foliage and pine boughs and has its markings painted over with sandy camouflage In open terrain such as is shown here the Tshy55A is able to reach a maximum speed of 34 mph (50 kmh)

14

Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

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One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

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-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

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Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

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-=-- l1g to to

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- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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Another view of Polish T-55A tank The T-55 had been made in the ~ - iet Union since 1955 in Poland since 1960 in Czechoslovakia from ~CUt 1964 to the middle of the 1980s A total of over 30000 of these tanks -2 ) been produced

amouflage netting effectively hides the turret of this - - -made T-55A The contours of this tank are further - - -ed by the Soviet BTU-55 dozer blade combat engineer

ent that was borrowed from one of the East German -ank a T - ~ d added to the front of the vehicle ThE

der~

s clearl ~ntaine

9middot

One of the camouflaged T-55s belonging to the blue force is shown here after it was hit and destroyed by an enemy tank This tank has a blue band on the turret rear to identify which side it belongs to during summer wargames This is a particularly good profile view of the T-55

The muzzle blast of a single 100mm gun eerily illuminates a platoon of T-55As which are engaged in night firing exercises The first infrared night vision systems configured on the T-55 were the TPN-1 and the TPN2 they were installed in the mid-1950s While undergoing minor modifications over the years these systems have been used on all other Soviet-designed tanks from the T-34-85 to the T-72 up until the present time

15

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-

The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

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have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

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- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

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The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

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0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

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A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

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A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

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Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

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Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

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Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The T-54AMs that had been used in the Polish Army were relegated to the reserve units at the beginning of the 1980s when they were replaced by the more modern T-55s The swift movement of the T-55 shown here denotes a sense of urgency that is commonplace in wargame exercises This particular tank certainly has a much cleaner appearance than other Tshy55s discussed so far Note the covered 762mm coaxial machine gun protruding from the turret on the right side of the gun mount

The repair of broken down armored vehicles is a common during large-scale exercises In this photo four soldiers wearing issue helmets pose for a photographer During their normal work the men would not wear such restrictive headgear Note how the turret allow for easier access inside the turret

The camera has captured moment when all three of this T-5 middot crew members-driver gunner commander-are entering respective hatches Compare the fenders of the lead tank with thOSE the vehicles in the background and will notice how they have been cut to allow for the installation of a K~ mine clearing device

16

_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

are

have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

Pact were

1 the Romanian many of

the early It is

note that Poland

possessed number of

entire Pact-about

-~e first =- ian

-=- Warsaw - sD there ~out 300 of these

but ere

-=-- l1g to to

0 - - =1ia - cgest

- in the

The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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_ -rence -egular bull utine f~ jacks

The tanks shown here were produced in Poland but are in the service - 8 East German Army The one in front is ready to be fitted with a KMTshy~ - _ clearing device as is evidenced by the altered mud guards The box _ -~e left side of the turret is a characteristic of a Polish- or Czechoslovakshy-c-=e T-55

n ese T-55s belong to East Germanys National Peoples Army (NVA) are being used here for practice on a tank drivers training course ow the identification numbers that are normally so conspicuous on the the turret have been painted out on the lead tank

~ The large tube rising above the loaders hatch on this T-55 is a training

evacuation hatch It was designed to be used in the event that the tank was stalled while fording a river and the crew needed to escape Usually used on WZTBTS recovery vehicles the pipe proved too bulky to transport and too complicated to use on tanks in combat conditions

e first major upgrade of T-55 = seen in the late 1970s These Tshy

- - --inders

-

- -=--

_ 8

--

- =rm ed

anks were equipped with laser and updated tracks

_-1 other things In early 1983 the 3 Union began to produce the Tshy

and the T-62M Both new S were fitted with better armor engines and newer armament

2quipment all of which breathed into the old T-55s Appearing

photo are rows of T-62Ms in istan in 1988 Only one of the

tan ks is equipped with smoke -$ (the first from the left) and two

with anti-aircraft machine

17

The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

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Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

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The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

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- _

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- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The thickness of the new laminate front plate armor is clearly shown in th is photo of a branch-covered T-55 The Merida version of the tank was built in Poland from 1986 to 1989 for the Polish Army exclusively unlike the Czechoslovak Klavidos (Soviet T-55AMMs that were built under license) that were exported to East Germany

The T-55s modified in Poland 2

little different than the Sovie Czechoslovak versions They designed to accept the Polish control system called Merida though only a few tanks actually he installed Usually they have ani infrared system a wind sensor a shyballistics computer The T-55AM2 0

has new armor on the superstru front plate and the front of the and sideskirts over the wheels

Two more of the super T-55 are shown here While these tashysport thermal covers on their barrels not all of these tanks are equipped Many of the T-55AMs configured with laser rangefind however The Polish version of the fire control system is called MerishyThis model varies slightly from Czechoslovak version known Klavido and the Soviet version knC as 1K13

18

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have it ln ly an

- - and c 12 also

--ructure c turret

- T-55AM --e tan - eir 9

Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

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1 the Romanian many of

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note that Poland

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The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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Soviet T-62s each bearing a unit insignia on its turret make short work = - ing some shallow water obstacles in this photo_ Until 1975 T-62s ~ -= not armed with a 127mm DShK AA gun Their arsenal consisted of a

-lhbore 115mm UT-5TS gun that was stabilized by the two-axis =eo r system This gun was the major new feature on this tank

--Jared to the T-55

e T-62 tank was developed under the code name of Obiekt 166 - entered service in the Soviet armored units in 1961 The experimental

167 with a multi-fuel 700 hp engine and a Malyutka rocket er appeared on the scene that same year A new model equipped

- - gas turbine engine was introduced in 1963 and the Obiekt 150 (the - - 8n k destroyer) was produced in 1968 The latest model the T-62M

into being in the mid-to-Iate 1980s

This tank that is so effectively dug into the earth is a T-55AM2 with the full Merida fire control system-a wind sensor (located behind the Luna-2 searchlight) a laser rangefinder (under the commanders hatch) and a thermal cover wrapped around the barrel of the gun Notice the indentation in the bra armor where it goes around the drivers head

Although widely used by the Soviet Army few T-62s were used elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact except for a handful in Bulgaria The T-62 was also produced in Czechoslovakia for export but surprisingly enough was not used in the Czechoslovak Army due to its cost Here is a platoon of this model tank from a Soviet Guards unit The first T-62 has a red lanceshypennon which means it is the commanders tank

19

A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

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T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

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The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

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ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

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r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

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A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

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10te the D dition2

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CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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A T-62 (without any markings) leads a long column of ZSU-23-4V1 Shilka vehicles down a road At the time these new medium tanks were known as a suppression tank or a support tank They were distributed over a number of companies (with a few tanks per company) or even concentrated into one company of T-62s in one tank battalion

A line of T-62s from a Guards unit practice crossing a river With their OPVT snorkels attached and their engines sealed up they can cross any river up to a maximum depth of 17 It (55 m) The two snorkels in the water in the background indicate the locations of two T-62s still in the process of fording the river

A view of the rear of a T-62 Almost everything on this tank is the s= as on the T-55 except the completely new turret The range of the Tshy280 miles (450 km) or 400 miles (650 km) with additional fuel drums (1 shycan be installed on the curved racks visible here over the unditching beeshyIn the rear of the turret are found a ventilation mushroom and a shell eje hatch

This photo taken in 1980 sho column of T-62s with white be around the turrets an alterne wargame marking for Soviet aggr units during wargames

-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

omiddot ows c = bands ~m ati ve

unit of T-728s

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The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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-Jresso

T-72 and T-80 tanks The T-64 has always been exclusively in

21

~ viet T-64A tanks are shown here on parade in East Germany (DDR) e anti-Solidarity exercises in 1980 When it first appeared in the

vhicr ~ the T-64 was considered more of a heavy tank than a modern Jeam) tank Over the years a number of changes have been made to ~ectior - roblems that have arisen with the T-64 This resulted in the more

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The next generation of the Soviet main battle tank was the T-72 which entered service in the Soviet Army in 1973 In 1978 the first of the T-72s were sold to the Soviets allies In the place of the T-72A came a new modification-the T-72M The licensed production of the T-72 began in Poland and Czechoslovakia around j 981-82 This photo of a parade of Hungarian T-72s was taken at the beginning of the 1980s this is the original Soviet T-72 model

The crew members of a company of Czechoslovak T-72s make final preparations prior to undertaking a deep river passage Although Czechoslovakia and Poland eventually manufactured the T-72M locally both countries bought small numbers of T-72s from the Soviet Union to familiarize themselves with this tank The contrasting image of the horseshydrawn cart and the modern armored vehicles is striking There is little doubt as to which would be more useful in the event of mobilization for war

A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

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0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

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lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

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26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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A column of Polish T-72s These tanks were imported from the Soviet Union in the late 1970s by all the countries of Warsaw Pact All tanks in this photo have attachments for gill armor

Though it appears this squad of T-72Ms is embroiled in mortal combat they are merely undergoing some rather realistic exercises at a firing ground Two of the more important changes in the M modification relate directly to protection during an actual combat situation-the installation of the TDA device and the addition of thicker armor

These three T-72Ms were built under license in Eastern Europe Each is fitted with gill armor on the fenders and has a windshield for the com man Note the mock-up of a German PzKpfw V Panther () in the distance behind and to the left of the last T-72

22

- of th~

s Noi~

0 tank - 1e gur

- _

- - 0 is the

- --3

lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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lumn of first series Polish Tshyout mud guards Visible in

ditch digging blade zo 0 the underside of the front

is incorporated in the tanks is intended to assist the tank

r-=-ching A crew needs only - - 3 an hour to dig a trench 5 It

=- -eep

A second column of T-72Ms camouflaged in splotchy tan and green skirts around the marshy terrain The two blue stripes located on the forward portion of the barrel of the 125mm smoothbore gun identifies these tanks as belonging to the second company Note the impressive 127mm antishyaircraft machine guns held at the ready

~~~ -~---

~~ middotitshy l1mandemiddot

Camouflaged with pine branches 1-72M engages in combat with an

=- =l1Y during exercises Note how s urret is turned rearward

23

The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

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~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

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26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The T-72M was theoretically the main battle tank in all the Warsaw Pact countries but in fact all of them were equipped with too few of these tanks Here is a company of Polish T-72M1s in a frontal attack All of these tanks show overpainted tactical numbers (and some national markings too)

Following exercises tank members clean the barrels of th~

81TM (2A46) 125mm guns guns are capable of firing two anti-tank (AT) shells-the 3VB later types) Armor-Pie Stabilized Discarding Sabot which has an initial muzzle 1800ms and the 3VBK7 (or later High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) velocity of 900 ms

In this photo is one of the 72As painted in the standard color except the side skirts which its natural black rubber color this version of T-72 has addi armor on the turret with the 73 painted on it This thicker and side skirts are the most vi_ differences between the T-72A fa and previous models In Polish Czechoslovak production the Tmiddotshywas designated T-72M1

24

Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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Soviet Tmiddot cd greeshy- hare i

10te the D dition2

- 9r armo st visibl

CDl umn of T-72s stops to take on fuel at a field refueling station Fuel -- is 264 gallons (1000 liters) for the T-72A model and 317 gallons

- ers) for the later Soviet T-72S and S1 versions This allows for a -=-um range of about 280 miles (450 km) and 360 miles (580 km) -=gt-ampUvely

ere a T-72M traverses a battlefield during maneuvers The T-72M

4j

~~

~-~ ~~~~middot middot ~i~~i~ The Czechoslovak Army had the most T-72s of all the Warsaw Pact

countries-about 850 examples This Czechoslovak T-72M seems hopelessly trapped in a quagmire of mud and water but the commander of the tank appears confident that his vehicle will extricate itself in short order

C~ _ ~__ ~~~_~_ The 750 hp engine that powers this East German T-72M1 has sent it

- 2ft famit = middot middoton is not the same as the Soviet M model and no counterpart is found literally flying through the air over a slope There were about 550 T-72M and ~Clish an --e Soviet Union It is in fact an intermediate version between the T-72 M1 tanks in service in the East Germany This tank is painted in the - T-72 =T-72A with the thinner steel armor of the T-72 The tank shown here is standard green color but splotches of white have been added as wintertime

=r-_ pped with covered KMT-6 mine rakes camouflage

25

A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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~ -4- ~ __C-____

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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A pair of Polish T-72 M1 s during a winter exercise Based on this model of the T-72 the Polish military industry developed its own new model named the PT-91 Hard In fact it is a modified T-72M1 equipped with a new 780 HP engine 24 smoke mortars Polish reactive armor and the Drawa 2 FCS with thermal imaging

~ ~ ~- - 0 _lt r_

J I I

_

26

A platoon of Polish T-72M1 d_ winter march There were proposE sell the newer T-80s to the W~ Pact members in the end of 1980s Poland leased several for trials plans to produce it locally Howeve Soviets wanted too much mone license production rights so Pc stuck with the T-72 (now in its PshyTwardy version)

Another shot of the Polisr 72M1 s during winter exercises photo gives us a good view of example of the variety of camouflage added to the tanks other features worthy of attention the smoke mortars on the turret anc skirt armor on the fenders of the ta

u ri~ ~sals

arsa - - ar) - - wiir c r ttk -y fCY

olan PT-9

- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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- olumn of Polish T-72M1 s at rest with the unit commanders tank in the front Note the windshields fitted in the commmanders cupolas of the second - _~d1 tanks This photo shows the locations of the driver and commander of the tank crew

- ~ecent fall of wet snow creates a 2l lintry landscape as two tanks

l1pany of T-72M1s lead their - - toward a distant firing ground

$ I provides a good look at the nd on the front of a T-72M1

Some of the camouflage applied to the T-72s during the winter is worth further study Little of the standard green undercoat is visible on this tank Note how the sandy colored paint (or mUd) on the skirt armor and glacis plate contrasts with the green seen on the hatches and on the second tank

=ention a Even on the Luna searchlight the ~ rret and t green is given a coat of white then one ~ the tan of mudsand

27

Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

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~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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Here is a close-up of a T-72M1 covered with shyIn the area where the mud is fresh and wet it shOl dark in the photo it appears light where it has Visible on the turret are several of the twelve s 902 S smoke mortars which contain 81 mm 306 sshyshells Note the five mortars installed on the amp laminate armor

-

The three rings (yellow or blue) around the barrel of the gun on this Polish T-72M1 identify the tank as belonging to the third company The positioning of the twelve smoke mortars are clearly visible here Note the incomplete KMT-4 mineclearing blade system attached to the front of the hull

The last tank developed under the Warsaw Pact treaty was the T-80 which was used only in the Soviet Un ion Here are a pair of T-80SVs tha covered with bricks of explosive reactive armor This armor is attached to the existing armor plating When it is struck by a shaped charge Morh explodes outward thus preventing the charge from penetrating the conventional armor Today in the CIS the Arena active defense system is being i to protect tanks from missiles

28

- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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- - S Jhoto shows an East German - -- - - ng a sweep through a mine -~ ~ 32ring it for use by other tanks

_- - the use of a KMT-5 mine --~ device The KMT-5 is

_ =-ll of a KMT-4 mine rake and a -ne roller It is a dramatic

---n of the potential effect of a - --e on armored vehicles

Shown here is a Polish T-54AM tank mounted with a KMT-4 mine rake In the background is a WPT-34 recovery vehicle passing through a gate made by the use of a BGL-60 bridge This photo was taken at the beginning of the 1980s

The interesting tank seen here is a T-55 made in Poland modified with a BTU-155 (also known as the USCz-55) bulldozer blade The BTU-155 blade weighs about 1 4 tons It is lighter than some of the earlier blades attached to the T-55 but no less effective

2 9

Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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Here is a BLG-60 bridging tank in action Working together =shyGermany and Poland developed the design for this model of scissors br This photo shows the top of the hull of the modified T-55 chassis anc actual electro-hydraulic system that opens the bridge

Many special vehicles have been built on the chassis of the T-St Here is one of the most popular-an BLG-60M bridging tank It produced in East Germany at the end of the 1960s based on Polish chassis This one is shown crossing over a ravine on the same ty scissors bridge that it carries

The BLG-60 bridging tank in this photo is driving onto a section of pontoon bridge that is connected to the shore by another BLG-60 scissors bridge The BLG-60 reduces the launch time of the bridge from 5 minutes (using the Soviet MTU system) to 15 minutes

The BTS-3 shown here holding aloft a BRDM reconnaissance vehicle was not the first tank recovery vehicle made in the Soviet Union but it was the first one equipped with a heavy duty crane Its first modification the BTS-2 which had no crane was built under license in Poland (the WZT-1) and Czechoslovakia (the VT-55A)

--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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--545~

~ viet Union began to develop a tank recovery vehicle following ~ VO Other Warsaw Pact nations eventually followed suit Here

- IZT-2 is shown in action with a damaged infantry fighting vehicle --shy_ has been equipped with a crane that can lift up to three tons

It WOE

~h ta ~ ype ~-2 the mid-1980s the WZT-2 has been replaced by the WZT-3

~- vehicle that is built on the chassis of a T-72 tank Another is the MID (road engineering machine) which has a crane that

_ to 15 tons and a capacity to safely evacuate up to three wounded bull8

-

For many years following World War Two self-propelled artillery was the main support for tanks and infantry This photo taken in the 1960s shows an - 52 (at left) in Polish service during spring exercises By the end of the 1960s in the Soviet Union a new generation of self-propelled artillery was

31

The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The most popular gun in the Czechoslovak 1950s was the locally

In the beginning of 1960s Polish para units received new combat vehicles - the ASU-85 assault gun which was armed with the 85mm D-70 gun Its anti-armor performance was inadequate and its heavy weight meant that it had to be airlanded rather than air-dropped It was used only by Soviet and Polish para units

The most popular of all the self-propelled artillery in the Warsaw Pact were those shown here the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika (carnation) It served in all the armies as a self-propelled medium howitzer Built since the end of the 1960s it is one of the vehicles that for a long time was secretly exported to Soviet allies The Polish Army has used them since 1973

SU-100 It was built under I

that country from 1952 to the end cr 1950s and was used up to beginning of the 1970s Many of met their end in the sands of the East where they were sold to Egyp Syria

is mounted on a lengthened MT-LB chassis the hull t constructed of thin armored plates It is armed with a modernized verso the Soviet 122mm D-30 howitzer This photo depicts two 2S1 as appeared shortly after jOining their unit Both vehicles are samples (j

initial version there is no hatch on the right side of the turret and the) infrared equipment

3 2

--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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--8 T-72M in its final version with side skirts in an unusual exercise camouflage scheme Note the four Type 902 Tucha smoke mortar tubes installed - = eft and right sides of the turret Two boxes for AA ammo are located near the right side of the commanders cupola Note the badge of the Polish

-- 0 =Forces behind the infrared searchlight

= - tal view of a Polish T-72M (initial version) belonging to a unit ~ by the white puma insignia (located on the turret to the immediate barrel of the 125mm gun) This tank is equipped with KMT-6M

- ring blades with covers

In the late 1980s tanks in Polish armored units were painted with unit emblems such as a fox wild boar or windmill The first T-72M tank in this column does not have a puma emblem painted on its turret while the next two tanks do

- passage This T-72M shown here slogging down a waterlogged _ s not equipped with mud guards but it is configured with three aiding gill armor typical of the initial production batches of tanks

-o middotJred in Poland at Labedy The first version of the T-72M had four - ~ Janels per side which fold out at a 65 degree angle to protect - ~- t i-tank weapons Often the forward panel would be knocked off r- - training

33

A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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A column of T-72M tanks pc through a soggy field during an exe- in 1987 The T-72s are painte improvised wargame camouflags mopping the tank with a mixture of shyNote that each of the tanks is equi with folding gill armor

The third company of the blue forces advances in march formation in this scene Note the white identification numbers painted on a blue background on the storage boxes at the rear of turret on each tank The nearest tank has the full array of side panels

A T-72M1 its national mar shypartially obscured by camouflage ~ =shyup a cloud of dust as it races down c

road The tanks engine enables tt-o shy72 to achieve a maximum speed of -~

mph (60 kmh) That is an impre~ speed for a tank that weighs 41 (42000 kg) Note the several mcshytubes located around its turret

34

- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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- his view shows a Polish T-72M1 with the later pattern of smoke - - 3rs mounted on a stepped launch rack this feature was peculiar to

= 2- tanks This particular T-72M1 is camouflaged with sand and ochre -3 over the standard green this type of camouflage was usually only

0 during summer wargames and was often applied with washable ra paints

After having refueled this column of T-72Ms heads toward an exercise field Note the red and white Polish national insignia on the turrets In the Polish Army (LWP) there are about 780 T-72Ms and M1s The expense of the tanks prohibits any major increase in this number In 1991 -92 only about ten T-72s were purchased annually

- column of Polish T-72Ms is seen here as it snakes up a road - Ihere in the middle of a forest Located above the storage boxes are

- Jhts which project the tanks number towards friendly tanks to the rear ~ lights are especially useful when the tanks travel in long columns on

_-as in adverse weather and at night Note the tank at the far right has 311 letter E near its tactical number

T-72M1 makes an impressive through some fl ooded ground

~ he remains of red anti-rust paint -0 the muzzle of the gun breech _ ~ yellow lance-pennon on the radio - l a This indicates that this is the - any commanders tank

35

Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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Here are three T-72M1 tanks in dug-in positions Note the non-standard This photo provides a view of some of the detail found on the turremiddot number on the closest It looks as if the tank in the middle has been a T-55A particularly the large anti-radiation combing around camouflaged a very long time its pine branches are not green anymore commanders hatch Note the finely crafted regimental banner held alo

the commander The Polish Army has a long and proud military tradirshywhich the Soviets tolerated in the hopes of maintaining morale amongst middot-shytraditionally anti-Russian Poles The traditional banner was usually car- o at parades marking the start or conclusion of major Warsaw Pact wargarr -shy

The final combat modificatio the T-55 is the T-55AM which bo gt increased armor and the improve 55U engine The BOD (Horse-sl-- applique armor that surrounds ~ turret was nicknamed bra armo( ~

the Warsaw Pact troops It consisE steel boxes filled with layers of rrshyand penapolyeurethane While trs shy55AM can be hard to drive in dir terrain the parameters of its fire CO shy

system are equal to the T-72

A pair of muddy T-55AMs The first tank clearly shows the Polish version of T-55AM2 with the large armored covering over the gunners sight and a hammerhead wind sensor characteristic of the Polish Merida fire control system

36

- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

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A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

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A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

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Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

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Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

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Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

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~ -4- ~ __C-____

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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- --55A moderately camouflaged with a few pine branches and mud escorting several BMP-1 infantry combat vehicles on maneuvers

During this exercise all Polish tanks and other armored vehicles were painted in sand camouflage color over standard khaki Only the Czechoslovak Army camouflaged its vehicles in the 1950-70s but the Poles began doing so later Soviet and East German vehicles were for many years painted only in the standard Soviet green color

This unusual photo depicts a GSP - ~hanized ferry) transporting a Tshy

- - across a body of water River ---3sing practice was one of the most - vrtant aspects of the Warsaw Pact

=-cises due to its offensive =l tation The numerous rivers in ~[ern Europe would pose a idable problem for any invading

Jred units

37

A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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A T-55A carrying the standard 200-liter barrels of fuel is seen here fording a river With this additional external fuel supply the tank can increase its range from about 310 miles (500 km) to nearly 440 miles (700 km) It takes about 200 extra liters on the road (and 320 liters in open terrain) to travel an extra 100 km

Stretching back into the horizor column of T-55As adds the impri r ~

their tracks to ground that has obvio ~

seen a lot of earlier tank maneuv shyThe additional storage box on the side of the turret was characteristic Polish and Czechoslovak manufactL = T-55s The orange circle with b =

triangle is a Polish traffic ma shyindicating a dangerous or wide vehi

To create as accurate a scena = as possible of what kind of resistar-~ Warsaw Pact armored units mi shyencounter during an invas ion western Europe concrete tashyobstacles are deployed to slow r advance of the troops involved in - exercise Here crew members of a - shy55A employ their tow cables in ~shy

attempt to remove the concre~

fortification by force

38

A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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A company of T-55As is shown O-e in attack formation The mud

=~ed on the fenders and underbelly of -= tanks attests to the T-55s ability to =Jotiate all kinds of terrain The fourshy

middot1numbers on the sides of the tanks __middot-sts can be seen to have been l Ied with a stencil four-digit _ bers were common in many Polish _ sions in the Cold War years

Due to its design this vehicle presents the appearance of a battle tank but it is really a PT-76B reconnaissance vehicle No NATO force had an amphibious scout tank like it until the appearance of the US Armys M551 Sheridan in 1969 This particular PT-76B sports two additional external green fuel tanks located on the engine deck as well as a 127mm DShK heavy AA machine gun These tanks were widely used by Polands 7th Naval Assault Division on the Baltic the Polish equivalent of the US Marines

_G bridging tanks have been in use in the Polish Army since the

A rear view of an East German Army (NVA) BLG-60M carrying two external fuel drums The detail of the extension mechanism located at the middle of the bridge is clearly visible The bridge itself unfolds to a length of 71 It (216 m) and has a support capacity of 50 tons

- hey were jointly manufactured by Poland and East Germany This shows a modernized version of an BLG-60MP (designed for T-72 _ uring summer exercises in 1992 The MP version has its channels -- ~ by four inches (10 cm) new surfaces and a slightly different

n mechanism than earlier models Note the colorful summer _middotage

39

Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

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The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

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Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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Another special version of tI- ~ shyis a technical recovery vehicle knc Polish as the WZT-2 It has a shyspacious superstructure than the -- 1 and it is more useful on a ~ shy

battlefield

A group of Polish BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles waiting for their marching orders While the BMP-1 was fitted with the Malyutka anti-tank missiles in the 1970s the vehicles were usually seen without them in the 1980s partly due to the fact that some armies converted over to the BMP-1 P model which was armed with the dismountable 9P135 Konkurs launcher usually left stowed in the hUll

In Poland the BMP is referr~ as BWP (Bojowy woz piechota) -shycamouflaged BWP-1 s advanc ~

formation With the possibility nuclear weapons might be emp shyWarsaw Pact troops used the me of their armored vehicles to conceshyfor assaults and to disperse to d~ middot= themselves against fire strikes shyBWP allowed the soldiers to fire the interior of the vehicle where would be protected from nu c biological and chemical wea They would also enjoy the supp shythe BWPs gun

40

An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

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The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

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The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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An exercise provides an excellent opportunity to practice crossing a river using different bridging techniques The crossing is accomplished over three es The first is a pontoon bridge the second is made by the two bridging tanks (with a pontoon in the center) and the third is built on four mechanized

T vehicles (GSPs)

3ecause of modern Europes urban congestion street fighting would _-e in any Warsaw Pact-NATO confrontation These skills were actively

_~lt by the Warsaw Pact armies In this photo a BWP-1 patrols along the ~ o~s of a mock-up city

Here is a close-up frontal view of the new turret of the BWP-2 entrenched during a summer exercise The crew wears the usual Soviet style tankers helmet but the infantry squad wear normal steel helmets There are about 200 BWP-2s in Poland

This shot of a BWP-1 being refueled gives a good idea of the vehicles size relative to the height of a man it stands only 6 It (29 m) tall It drinks 101 gallons (460 liters) of fuel which provide it with a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) Both rear doors contain fuel cells and there is a large central tank in the infantry compartment that is being filled by the crewman on the roof The unditching beam at the back is to help extract the vehicle from mud

41

middot

-

The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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The MT-LB is a multi-purpose light armored tracked vehicle which has been built in the Soviet Union Poland and Bulgaria They have been in the service of all the Warsaw Pact member armies since the end of the 1970s The MT-LB served in recovery artillery engineering and other units Here is one of the Polish vehicles during a 1987 exercise

The Soviets employ the IRM (built on the chassis of the BMP-IK) in its engineer reconnaissance units In the Polish army the MT-LB TRI is used instead as its engineering recce vehicle since the basic chassis is built under license in Poland This version was locally developed in Poland It is armed with a 127mm NSVT heavy machine gun and can carry up to nine soldiers Among the many features of the vehicle is the capability of detecting mines in the ground and in the water

The TOPAS-R2M is a modifie TOPAS designed for use by compashycommanders The one shown he-o from the 7th Naval Assault Division the command vehicle for an anti-tashycompany Note the open turret shie for a machine gunner (absent t 0

weapon in this view) that IE o

developed by the Polish Milit shyInstitute for Automotive and Armor~

Technology (WITPiS)

The TOPAS is a Czechoslovak version of the Soviet BTR-SOPK 1shyphoto it is in its final Polish modification (TOPAS-2AP) armed v middotshy14Smm KPVT heavy machine gun in the turret originally develop - Poland for the OT-64 SKOT wheeled APC This version is equipped more effective fording trunk and four fuel tanks

42

The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

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These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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The MT-LBu universal chassis has been used as the basis for Three Soviet Naval Infantry BTR-60PBs emerge from the gaping - I and and control vehicles for battery and battalion staffs They differ mouth of a landing ship in the largest exercises in the history of the

2 -Iy in the radio equipment used This photo shows a MP23 Rangir air Warsaw Pact the anti-Solidarity maneuvers of 1980 These BTR-60PBs ~lse command vehicle Note the emblem of the Polish Armored Forces have a speed in the water of 6 mph (10 kmh) They have a normal

-e front plate complement of eleven men (3 crewmen and 8 SOldiers)

The SKOT has been in service since 1964 but this -- version SKOT-2AP has been around only since - 3 Notice the water deflector screen mechanism on lull front The main problem with the SKOT is its ~s engine which made the vehicle as tricky to drive in - r as the BTR-60 A small tactical insignia is painted - -e hull front

SKOTs were produced in many modifications among them five command versions with about eight to ten modifications They differed in radio equipment and superstructures In this photo are two SKOT-R3s camouflaged with spots of sand color and foliage

43

The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

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The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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~ -4- ~ __C-____

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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The BRDM-2 was built on a modified BRDM-1 chassis but its superstructure was completely changed so that its interior became more spacious It was armed with a 145mm heavy machine gun installed in a turret derived from the type used on the BTR-60PB In this photo is a command version the BRDM-2D locally developed in Poland and serving with the 7th Naval Assault Division Note the folding antenna mount on the left hull side

Along with recce units special troops staff units and a variety of C

units are also equipped with BRDM-2s This photo depicts the BR 2RKhb (called BRDM-2RCh in Poland) used to locate NBC-wea~ shy

contamination On the b of this vehicle the turret has been modifie deleting the 145mm heavy machine gun replacing it with a 76~shy

machine gun and a flare dispenser At the rear is a flag dispenser whl ~

used to mark contaminated areas the flags are in bright yellow

Another famous armored vehicle created by the Soviet military industry is the ZSU-23-4 Shilka a self-propelled air defense system The ZS_ entered service in the Warsaw Pact countries in the mid-1960s about four years later than in the Soviet Union The photo shows the later model ZS _-_ 4V1

44

A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

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The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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A close-up of the front of a Polish == ) -23-4 This time it is the earlier ~ J-23-4V Shilka version Under the ~- =Is there is an inscription in Russian _ 19 Do not stand under barrels - ~ Polish national markings on the - - plate of a turret ( on both sides of ~ 9uns )have been painted out The

o of four-commander driver radar =~rver and gunnermiddot are visible here

Since its earliest development the most impressive aspect of the ZSU-23shy4 Shilka has been the powerful quadruple 23mm AZP-23 cannon The practical rate of fire of this weapon is about 200 rounds per minute per barrel The weakest element of the ZSU-23 has been its RPK-2 radar and the electronic equipment This photo shows a ZSU-23-4V1 the standard production variant

Sand colored paint has been -= sd over the green base coat of 7 281 Gvozdikas to break up the - ines of their nearly 24 It (73 m) ~ ulls This battery of 2S 1 s are

participating in maneuvers the summer of 1987 A UAZ-469

- 910nging to the staff of a unit can ~sn in the background

45

This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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This photo shows two more 2S1 s as they negotiate a slippery muddy slope For all their positive aspects the 2S1 has some flaws For insta- - seems odd that the vehicles are not armed with a 127mm AA machine gun and that the drivers have no infrared night vision system Also notice fK driver has limited visibility to the right side of the road

The largest producer of armaments in the Warsal was the Soviet Union The second was Polaoo Czechoslovakia had more independence in its military ir It was the only Warsaw Pact country that was allo ~

produce a relatively wide range of weapons One of theshythe Dana 152mm self-propelled gun several of which ar~

here in Polish service

This shot of a 2S1 taken while the 4-man crew replenishes the howitzers ammunition supply displays a good close-up view of the vehicles turret and roof The 2S1 s cannon can fire the complete range of Soviet 122mm ammunition It can fire a standard high-explosive round about 9 miles (152 km)

46

The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

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The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

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A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

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A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

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Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

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Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

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Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The camera is literally looking down the barrel of the 85mm gun - )unted on the ASU-85 tank destroyer that leads this foliage-covered ==-ade These vehicles were used in Polands 6th Pomeranian Airborne lision the only country other than the Soviet Union to use the ASU-85 - hough the ASU-85 is very thinly armored (its frontal armor is only 15 in - mm) thick) it carries variety of ammunition that is eHective against many es of targets and it is equipped with various night-vision systems ASUshy

5s in the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s were additionally armed with middot27mm AA machine gun

Here is a good shot of the left side of a mobile rocket launcher with a Luna-l (NATO FROG) tactical missile Four of these short range rockets each with the range of 21 miles (35 km) were in a divisional artillery-rocket regiment They were later replaced by the Luna-2 rockets which could carry nuclear warheads

__

-

-

- S 19505 Soviet tactical Luna =- -surface rockets were

n the chassis of PT-76s slicles did not adequately -e job however so in the

- Soviets produced their first - of multi-purpose eightshy Jcks for second line duties - em the ZIL-135BAZ-135

-= ped for the Luna-M (FROGshy ocket launcher Here is a ~ Luna-M in firing position - ~ leuvers in the summer of

47

a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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a ZIL-131 A close-up of three 9M9s with combat warheads (white color) at a

camouflaged combat position The Kub launcher system known in the west as the SA-6 Gainful formed AA regiments on the divisional level In each battery there were four of these vehicles with a mobile radar station on a fifth vehicle and a command vehicle on a sixth

In the 1950s the first long 8K11 (Scud) missiles were mour~

the best available chassis at the t - shythe ISISU heavy tank tracked c 03 In the middle of the 1960s the ~ the so-called eight-legged == chassis entered service In tto 1960s the 8K14 missile syste mounted on the MAZ-543 chas3~ the first time in the Soviet Union shymissile launcher became famous the coverage of the Gulf War v was used to launch Scud missile3

This profile view of supply truck shows exactly he vehicles crane is employed in the loading of missiles The crane car shyto 1400 Ibs (640 kg) Note how the soldier holds the Kub missile ste~ it is lowered into place

Here a lengthy convoy of ZIL-131 trucks delivers a fresh supply c missiles to an anti-aircraft battery made up of SA-3 Goa static lau r The convoy consists of six supply trucks and between five and eig hi vehicles including a fire truck Note the manner in which the missi l~~

secured while en route

48

Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

49

The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

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The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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Mechanised units of the Warsaw Pact armies received their modern SPGs in the beginning of 1970s The Soviets were iled to build two main types of SPGs - one with 122mm and

-- ~nd with 152mm howitzers - because those were the two = types of artillery still in the Soviet Army service at the end -S60s and they thought that both calibers were still useful

-=- is a squadron of 2S1 Carnation SPGs (in their first -= BI) in Hungarian service in 19aO

Another battery of 2S1 Theoretically there were four battalions in a division which should have had eighteen 2S1 sin each However as it was frequently unattainable in the Warsaw Pact countries battalions very often used towed D-30s or even Model 43 howitzers In the LWP (Polish Army) in the 19aOs there were even Model 3a howitzers still in use

The 2S1was the most numerous SPG in the Warsaw Pact armies its use being more prevalent by a margin of anywhere between 31 and 61 over the 2S3 (Akatsiya) or its Warsaw Pact equivalent the Dana For example when the Warsaw Pact dissolved there were 49a 2S1 s compared to 93 152mm Danas in the Polish Peoples Army A Polish Army 2S1 is shown here in an entrenched position

he profile view of these two 2S1s shows two sets of _ inexperienced and cold crew members receiving their 3ssons on driving these formidable vehicles Note how the

--zers are secured with their muzzles covered In operation n can fire only 9 miles (15 km) compared to the 15 miles

) range of an American M109 SPH

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The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

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The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

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The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

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This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

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The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

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East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

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The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

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The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

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The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

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A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

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Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

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When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

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An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

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These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

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A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

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A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

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Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The 2S1 weighs in at just ~

35000 Ibs (16000 kg) It is pov by a V-8 engine that can achieve hp The mobile howitzer can travf to 37 mph (60 kmh) The vehic also fully amphibious and can err its tracks to propel it through water = speed of 3 mph (45 kmh)

At the end of the 1970s the Warsaw Pact countries were offered the new Soviet 2S3 SPG with a 152mm howitzer About the same time Czechoslovakia developed a new and much cheaper SPG known as the Dana that was mounted on the wheeled Tatra 815 chassis Shown here is a four-gun battery of Czechoslovak Danas

The massive turret that oCClf almost 60 of the whole superstructure is clearly visible in shyphoto This turret houses automatically loaded 152mm Sshyvz77 howitzer The gun hao maximum range of 124 miles (20 with 0-20 howitzer shells and miles (185 km) using CzechosI and Soviet ML-20 shells

50

The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

~

The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The vz 77 152mm Dana SPG can drive through rivers up to a depth of 45 ft (14 m) It has a range of 372 miles (600 km) weighs a heavy 29 tons - ~ nas a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh) It has a crew of five Those with inquiring minds will be interested to learn that the full name of the guns

c ssis is VP31 29265 8X81 R

ere a battery of vz77 Dana SPGs in Polish service - Is into formation Only three of the Warsaw Pact nations ~ the 152mm Dana-Poland Czechoslovakia and the

t Union Depending upon on the military industry policy S 9 the Warsaw Pact Czechoslovakia was willing to produce

~ n armored infantry vehicles because they were cheaper or ~- than those made by the Soviets In this case though the

- --=- was of a lesser quality than the 2S3 even though it was - - - This view shows an excellent close-up of the Danas

- -m AA machine gun

The Czechoslovak 152mm Dana self-propelled gun is not as good a weapon as the SPGs developed by the Soviets or the United States but it has many laudable features It has an automatic loader which permits the firing of four shells per minute (two if manually loaded) Today in Czechoslovakia the same turrets on the same chassis are being tested with 30mm AA guns for an anti-aircraft version called Strop

51

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The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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The history of the 2S3 is a long one The oldest ancestor known as the SU-100P was introduced in 1949 Next came two SPGs (mou- shy152mm guns) and a transport vehicle The first true prototype of the 2S3 was built in 1965 and had an M-69 gun mounted in a closed turret At tr~

the 1960s a design change was made and a D-20 howitzer was installed along with light armor That model which appears here was produceD beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1980s

This is a photo of seve= German 2S3 SPGs gathereuro training field Only in the Sov and East Germany were many 152mm SPGs found In HE Warsaw Pact countries 152mm gun batteries were to~ only a few units being armed self-propelled howitzers Unl middotshy2S1 the 2S3 is armed with a NSVT AA machine gun Toda CIS the 2S3 is being replaced _ 2S19 which is built on the T-72

Included in this group of various Warsaw Pact vehicles is the IV-13-the command and communication vehicle used by battery commanders It is located at the extreme right of the photo Lined up behind it is a battery of 2S1s

Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

53

This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

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The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

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About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

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For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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Rocket artillery has had good and bad times in the Soviet Union This sort of artillery was very successful for almost 20 years until the way style of thinking was changed from a point of view of rockets to smart weapons and systems In the photo is a group of BM-13 multiple rocket launchers on the ZiL-157 truck which were in service up to the end of 1960s

1964 the Soviets started producing a new version of the - - ~ 5D truck From the beginning it was built in different - s one of them as a platform for the multiple rocket

~ -sr ( MRL) - the BM-21 Grad In the end of the 1960s they -= lxported to the Warsaw Pact countries for example to

- J where BM-21 s replaced the old standard BM-13s in

A profile shot of the highly acclaimed BM-21 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) mounted on the chassis of the capable Uralmiddot 375D truck This one serves in the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division judging from the insignia on the cab side This system can rain down a salvo of rockets in a concentrated area with terrible effect

-m the BM-21 entered service it was quickly seen that ~ ery good rate of fire especially when compared to the

=- the BM-31 MRLs It proved to be an amazing and very ~ leapon Here is a battery of Soviet BM-21s during an

s= in the mountains

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This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

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East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

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The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

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The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

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The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

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Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

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About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

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The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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This view of the rear of the BM-21 shows eight stanGo M-21 OF rockets in tubes This Soviet MRL has 40 tubes w can fire 40 rockets in 20 seconds at a range of 12 miles (20 There are 18 BM-21 s in each rocket launcher battalion of eo divisional artillery regiment

The insignia on the door of the middle truck shows that this battery of BM-21 multiple rocket launchers is in East German (NVA) service The BM-21 is a hefty vehicle weighing a little over 13 tons It can achieve a speed of 47 mph (75 kmh) and can fire its 122mm rockets up to a range of 127 miles (205 km)

The BM-21 Grad ( Hail) is served by a crew of 4 soldiers who load tubes and aim at a given target manually The Grad is still the standard MRL in service in the ex-Warsaw Pact armies In the CIS it has been replaced since 1978 by the same MRL but on the stronger Ural-4320 chassis and by other MRLs with a larger caliber

54

The camera has captured a display of Warsaw _ firepower in this photo of a portion of an MRL battery firing scshyof its rockets While the 20-second salvo or ripple displamp shyhere is very impressive it is also highly visible to the enem is easy to imagine how unsafe the position would be for the = crewmen during actual combat

A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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A squadron of a Czechoslovak Army multiple rocket launchers mounted on Praga V3A three-axial trucks This 32-tube rocket system was manufactured at the end of 1950s and it was used only by the Czechoslovak Army It was not as good a combat vehicle as the BM-21 but unlike the BM-21 it could carry additional ammo for a second salvo

In 1970 the more efficient Soviet 122mm MRL (built on the 3Choslovak mUltipurpose Tatra 815 chassis and pictured ) replaced the MRL on the V3A chassis This change - ed to be a success for the Czechoslovak military industry --=BM-21 on the Tatra chassis known as the RM-70 (vz70)

- ore mobile and has better cross-country capabilities plus it - e s additional ammo in a rapid-reload system located in the --er of the vehicle

This Czechoslovak RM-70 sends a rocket skyward in this photo This model has been built since 1970 in two modifications one with an armored cabin to protect the crew (vz70) and an

- - pound

unarmored version with changes in the middot~bullbullAt~~ engines exhaust system (vz7085 )

55

East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

------ f

Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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East German NVA vz70s thrill a crowd of patriotic onlookers during a parade commemorating the 25th anniversary of the good Germany in 1974 The vz70 MRL can be armed with a 127mm heavy AA machine gun but only a few of the Czechoslovak Army vehicles actually have one installed on their cab s roof

The vz7085 MRL was put to use by the Polish Army too The 7

visible differences between this model and those of other Warsal countries For instance the design of the truck is obviously altered be~ shythe wheels Also a new exhaust system appears behind the unarr- _ cabin on this new model that is not on the earlier vz70

56

The Luna-1 was quite a small rocket I 1950s its builders thought that it did not nec chassis that was larger than the rocket itset they used the PT-76 chassis These caI gave good protection to its crews but the roo was ineffective They were replaced by a ~~ model of the Luna rocket the Luna-2 s r here

This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

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Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

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About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

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The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

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These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

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Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

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In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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This is an East German version of the Luna-2 Note how the lack of -2ce at the rear of the vehicle makes it difficult for the crew to operate the

ile When the Luna-2 was removed from service in the mid-1980s the = icles remaining in the Warsaw Pact countries were used as recovery = cles

There are two methods for transloading Luna surface-toshy ce missiles onto a ZIL-135 missile carrier vehicle Here a 2 F (FROG-7) is hoisted onto the ZIL-135 by means of a

=--B mounted on a STAR 100 truck The ZIL-135 itself is -gured with an onboard crane so is also able to load them

self

This is a battery of Czechoslovak 8K11 tactical missiles mounted on the IS chassis These big powerful and heavy vehicles were well suited for this purpose Like the PT-76 though they proved to be difficult to use and were too cramped for the missile The heavy IS chassis was replaced in the 1960s by a larger wheeled vehicle The missile system shown in this photo ended its service at the end of the 1970s

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Here is the Luna-M rocket on the ZIL-135LM rocket launcher camouflaged with sand ochre and light green colors This vehicle is manned by crew members who probably like paint very much They marked one of the vehicles cabins with five emblems of the Polish Armored Forces one on the left part of the front window two on the doors and two on the mask Note that the information on the crane says it can lift up to 26 tons

57

The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

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Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

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About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

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The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

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These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

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A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

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Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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The rear view of a 9P113 Luna-M launcher vehicle with a 9M21 also known as the R-65 rocket Two BAZ-135LTM tranloader trucks can carry six Luna-M rockets for the whole battery of launchers

This photo shows the ZI shycrane loading on a 9M21 (FROG-7B) from a BAZ-1 ~shy

transloader vehicle The crane (shylaunch vehicle allows for rapid =shyreducing the reload time from or= to about 20 minutes Note the information stencilled on the from ~ bumper indicating the 28 m (9 ft)

of the truck

58

The production of the 9P started in 1966 and the first vehiC2 reached the Soviet all ies armies in -shybeginning of the 1970s The ZIL-13~ powered by two ZIL-375 engines (ec_ with 180 HP) which make it very diffi to drive

In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

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For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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In the 1960s and 1970s the famous Scud missile was probably the - - - secret weapon in the Warsaw Pact countries A combination of the Rshy- -gteket and the MAZ-543 truck the 8K14 Scud has shown itself to be a

idea that has proven successful up to the present time This is a Polish iJd B in its older modification

Framed between two birch trees a Soviet BK14 rocket (also known as the R-17 and R-300) sits waiting to be put to use In Warsaw Pact war doctrine the Scud with its range of over 43 miles (70 km) was acknowledged as a tactical nuclear weapon for use at the army level Brigades of Scuds are placed in the hands of army commanders

In the 1960s the Soviet Union was so proud of its missile forces that the Soviet generals considered replacing almost all other parts of the army with ile units In this photo a number of rocket systems await the beginning of a May Day parade in Red Square In the middle of the picture are supply

icles for AA units carrying among other things S-75 (SA-2) and System A (GriHon) missiles In the left corner are BM-25 MRLs on Kraz-214 trucks and -21s on Ural-375D trucks At right are two UR-96 missiles being towed by MAZ-537 tractors In the second wave are Luna-2s on PT-76 chassis and 1 s on IS-2 tracks

59

A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

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A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

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Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

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Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

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About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

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The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

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These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

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A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

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A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-152Vs in the company of a Mi-4 helicopter This modification was built on the ZIL-157 chassis from 1955 to the beginning of the 1960s The BTR-152V was not a very good vehicle especially due to its poor crossshycountry capability

The first batch of Soviet APCs were used throughout all of the Warsaw Pact nations except in Czechoslovakia where they produced their own OTshy810 This photo shows a BTR-152 armed with a 127mm DShK heavy machine gun that belongs to a Soviet reconnaissance unit These vehicles were used in the East European armies until the end of the 1960s

The BTR-152 produced in 1950 and mounted on the = 151 chassis was the first armored personnel carrier built i Soviet Union since 1939 The Soviet Army needed a fast f _

to-produce infantry transport though so they decided or armored truck This East German BTR-152 is armed 762mm machine gun Note the firing ports on the side ana shyof the superstructure

A Polish Army BTR-152V in a photo taken in the middle of 1960s TshyAPC could carry 19 soldiers and was armed with one 762mm machine Gshyor KPVT 145mm heavy meachine gun In special versions A and VIshywas equipped with the ZTPU-2 system (two 145mm AA KPVT hmg-s) or shyZTPU-4 system (four 145mm KPVTs) Note the tire-pressure regula~ system

60

A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

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About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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A BTR-60P from a Soviet Naval Infantry unit during the 1980 - euvers This vehicle is armed with a 145mm KPVT hmg and it is partly sred by a canvas on a top of the vehicle which used as a roof The main

~ness of the BTR-60 were two GAZ-40P engines with 180 HP which had --hronization problems

The first modification of the BTR-60 took place in 1963 it consisted of - -mping the superstructure and adding an armored roof This vehicle the

-60PA was armed with one 762mm SGMB machine gun It could also ~r-y 10 soldiers who were able to more easily fire their weapons from inside s ehicle since their positions faced the interior walls of the hull

The next generation of wheeled APes was developed at the end of the 1950s and built from 1960 to the middle of the 1970s The BTR-60P was a completely new 8x8 design for 16 soldiers It was armed with two 762mm machine guns and one 127mm DShK heavy machine gun In this photo is a column of BTR-60Ps during a parade in Red Square in Moscow at the end of the 1960s

In 1965 the BTR-50 was modified again This version the BTR-60PA had two new GAZshy49B engines Also in that year the next model-the BTR-60PB-entered service This modification was equipped with two improved stations (for the driver and commander) and a turret with a KPVT heavy machine gun The BTR-60PB shown here has its water deflector in the raised position

6 1

Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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Half of the Soviet mechanised infantry units have been equipped with The command modification of the BTR-60 is known as the BTRshythe BTR-60PB eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers since 1960 Note the additional antennae Three of these vehicles form a staff co l_ Almost all BTR-60 vehicles in the Warsaw Pact armies were produced in the every battalion In this photo two BTR-60PUs froni the staff of a shySoviet Union with the exception of Romanian variants It was not exported Naval Infantry unit participate in the 1980 exercises to Czechoslovakia though since this country produced its own eightshywheeled vehicle Here is the view of the front of a BTR-60PB from the Soviet Naval Infantry

This photo shows a pair of BTRshy60PAs from the Bulgarian Army Note the spare wheels carried on the rear of the hull roof The Bulgarians were rarely seen guests at the Warsaw Pact maneuvers in central Europe because it was expensive to transport their armored units to exercise areas

At the beginning of the 1970_ license for the BTR-60 was so Romania where this vehicle produced in the early 19805 as TAB-71 77 and 79 In the Romoshylanguage TAB means the samo BTR does in Russian- arm transporter

62

Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

6 3

A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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Here is a BTR-60PB marked with the C-172 identification number of the Hungarian Army The BTR-60 is armored with thin plates of 6mm Only the _ t of the vehicle is armored with 8mm plates The whole vehicle weights 105 tons Today the BTR-60 is still the standard Hungarian transport along with ~r 100 BTR- 80s

These three BTR-60PBs of East =s m anys NVA churn the water to a E1l1y white as they cross a river The R-60 is able to reach a speed of 6

_ (10 kmh) as it swims through = ~e r These vehicles are also -_ ~i pped with grapnels

A company of the NVA BTR-60PBs in the course of passing over a river by using a pontoon bridge The BTR-60 family was the most widely used in the Warsaw Pact armies although they were not popular among their crews These vehicles were produced in the Soviet Union for almost 15 years for a total of about 20000 pieces in some 20 modifications

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

6 4

About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

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The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

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For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

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When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

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~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

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There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

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In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

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This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

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One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

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Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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A pair of East German NVA BTR-60PBs on exercise Note the fake windmill in the background

Four years after the birth of the BTR-60 another eight-wheele shyentered service Known as the OT-64 in Czechoslovakia and as the shyin Poland it has proven to be a slightly better vehicle than the equivalent and a little larger too The SKOT-2AP in this photo is tall shythe BTR-60PB by 16 in (41 cm)

The smooth-as-glass body of water in the foregroshythis photo has produced a mirror image of a row CzechoslovakPolish-produced SKOT It is considered shybetter and more European than the Soviet BTR-60PB i is more comfortable better armored and has two gears for driving

The SKOT was designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland This photo shows an example of a basic model Czechoslovak OT-64 taking part in exercises in 1980 Upon close inspection of the vehicle a camouflage paint job of two shades of green divided by outlines of a sand color becomes visible

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About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

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When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

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The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

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Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

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Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

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When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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About ten different command and communication vehicles were built on the original SKOT chassis Among them is the SKOT-R2 shown in this photo which is equipped to mount all kinds of radio masts The antenna these men are erecting is the telescoping Hawk Eye type

Sitting alone on a rail platform is an SKOT-R2 model of the SKOT wheeled troop transport The SKOT in the R2 and R3 versions were built on the SKOT-2 superstructure The R2 version has additional radio sets and is able to mount a variety of radio masts Note the frame antenna visible in this photo

Here is another example of a command model SKOT this time an R3 - is parading through a town as part of the 1980 exercises Due to some - anges in its superstructure and the addition of extra radio equipment this =hicle may seem to have a different appearance than other SKOTs

This view into the interior of an SKOT transport shows the vehicle ployed in sapper duty Here these soldiers demonstrate the technique for

Ey ing mines manually Those with an interest in scale modeling will note -at the interior of the infantry compartment of the SKOT is painted white

ile the interior side of the doors are painted a standard green color

65

When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

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The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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When a SKOTs infantry contingent has to fight during a raid through enemy positions or when using a deep penetration tactic they can shoot from the interior of their compartment as well as from the roof hatch where they are protected by roof doors It was the desire to make an improvement over the design of the exit doors of the infantry compartment in the Soviet BTR-60PB that prompted the Polish army to adopt the SKOT

66

An optional method of la) mines on a battlefield is presenteuro[ this photo SKOT-1 version t r~

transports are hauling the mine la machines The -1 version of the S shycan be distinguished by the absen c~

any armament

The BTR-50P entered serviCE 1952 as a supplement to six-wheE BTR-152 APCs but it was not bui so large a number It was 5(

replaced by the BTR-50PK which shyan armored roof In the photo is a Br= 50PK with one cupola for the veil commander Note the raised roof the typical of vehicles produced in -shySoviet Union

Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

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There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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Two columns of Czechoslovak BTR-50PKs and a Mi-4 helicopter with a Polish flag are shown preparing for a post-exercise parade The first modifications of the BTR-50 were used as a mUlti-purpose transporter including roles such as a carrier for an 85mm anti-tank gun or a battery of 82mm mortars Later it was used as a standard APC

An NVA BTR-50PK called SPW-50PK by the Germans with heavy 2ge camouflage These vehicles are better armored and have better

-Dility than the BTR-6070 BTR-50s were for a long period the best - Cs in the Warsaw Pact armies Due to this fact they were produced - er license in Czechoslvakia as the OT-62 from 1962 to the end of the = Os

The last vehicles in the final waves of landing forces belong to unit O iaffs In the foreground is a command BTR-50PU (a modification of the -TR-50PK) with fuel drums on the roof of the engine compartment and the

ushroom of a modernised venlilation system in the corner of the crew xgtmpartment roof In the background is a MT-LB armored transport vehicle

its standard modification Both are from one of the Soviet Naval Infantry rigade staffs

Another SPW-50PK this one marked with the number 542 of the East German NVA armored unit It has been photographed in action near a forest Note the ventilation mushroom on the roof In other series it was transferred to the rear corner of the infantry compartment These vehicles have been in the East German Army since 1962

6 7

The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

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~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The vehicle in the foreground is a BTR-50PN one of about eight commandcommunication versions Since the late 1950s this vehicle has been built in small numbers as an option for lower command level staffs It differs from the BTR-50PU only in its radio equipment The PU had four radio stations while the PN had three

The first series of the Czechoslovak OT-62 were armed with the 82shyTarasnice recoilless gun and 762 machine gun in the modified right tL In this photo is an anti-tank unit additionally armed with 107mm B-1- shyrecoilless guns The OT-62 was produced on the base of the BTR-50PA had a lower roof over the infantry compartment

The OT-62 known as TOPAS _ abbreviation for tracked armashytransporter) has been in service in shyPolish Army since 1963 In this phot ~

seen the TOPAS in its first stane-shyversion without any armament but some interesting winter camouflage

These TOPAS armored personnel carriers move steadily on through the surf during amphibious landing exercises Note the new ventilation system designed by the WITPiS research institute in the 1960s The stand for a 762mm AA machine gun located on the right turret was installed in a workshop of the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

68

- ~

~~ l~middot-middotmiddot -1 -

The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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The last modification of the TOPAS-the TOPAS-2AP- was made in = osnd in the middle of the 1970s A new enclosed turret of Polish design

- h featured a KPVT heavy machine gun was installed in the middle of the II vehicle This turret replaced the small open turret that sported a - ~2mm machine gun which was seen on earlier versions The TOPAS-2AP _ ~ here belongs to the 7th Naval Assault Brigade (formerly the 7th Naval -=ult Division until the late 1980s)

The MT-LB (multi-purpose lightly armored tractor) is quite an old ehicle but it is still considered very useful One of its main assignments as serving with anti-tank artillery units in mechanized divisions Here are

T-LBs of the East German Army rolling along in a parade in 1980

A view of the rear of the final version of the TOPAS - the TOPAS-2AP The rear of the turret and the open hatches of the hydrojet systems are visible On the roof and inside the infantry compartment are four doors for eight soldiers of an infantry section

A Soviet Naval Infantry staff amphibious vehicle slips into the surf This MT-LB armored transport is a special staff version Note the special cupola located in the middle of the vehicle behind the turret which mounts an infrared searchlight

69

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle several of which are shown here was the next step in the evolution of armored warfare It provided quite a shock to NATO specialists when it appeared on the scene at the end of the 1960s The versatile fighter would prove its value in subsequent years

The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehi shyentered service in 1966 One year later participated in a parade in Moscow and 2- years afterwards it was sold to Warsaw P~ member nations It can travel in water a ~ speed of 4 mph (7 kmh) to a range of a Ii= over 60 mph (100 km) Note that the W2-shy

deflector shield the central periscope and shygun barrel have all been raised This is standcshyprocedure when entering into a river

A view of a pair of swimrr Polish BWP-1s In Poland the BMF referred to as BWP The crew of B - consist of three men the driver (in shyphoto in the first hatch on the left) shyvehicle commander (in the secc hatch) and the gunner In the infar compartment are eight soldiers Nshythe fording trunk behind the turret the vehicle in the background

70

These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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These BWPs are camouflaged with a combination of sand colored paint applied over a green base color Crew members have finished the job by adding -Jlotches of fresh mud over the paint scheme Notice that there is waterproof caulking around the side firing ports

The BWP was the first infantry combat vehicle in the world armed with a major caliber gun in the turret (the earlier German HS30 had a 20mm cannon) gave good protection to its crew and was characterized by very good mobility It was perceived in the 1960s as an ideal vehicle

The BWP in this photo presents a -ne example of what the vehicle would oak like in an actual combat situation With the appropriate camouflage of Jine branches and earth tone paint it Jlends in easily with its surroundings -Jate the three open firing ports on the ear hull sides

71

A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

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This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

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In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

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The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

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A repair unit at work on a BWPs UTO-20 engine under the shelter of camouflage netting in a field recovery station The UTO-20 weighs 1463 Ibs (665 kg) and produces 300 HP at 2600 rpm It can take the BWP up to a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 kmh)

72

A shot of deployed mechanmiddot shyinfantry going into action with BWP~ support In a standard batt le format _ BWPs would be in the second and waves of the attack after the first vz of tanks (or in the third and fou rtshythere were two waves of tanks) attack with deployed troops is prefe shyin difficult terrain and during figh heavily forested regions only

A view of a pair of command BV-shylOs called BMP-1 KSh by _ Russians The letter 0 (in Rus~

K) means dowodczy (komand shtabniy) - command This vers ion the BWP family is equipped with spe communication equipment and its c consists of five people There are fshyBWP-10s in one battalion staff

The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

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Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

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The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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The sleek profile of the BWP-1 is shown to advantage here as the 22-foot-long infantry fighting vehicle roars over sandy ground during an exercise in -992 Note that this vehicle has its mud guards knocked off and the various camouflage colors on its hull seem to have been painted in haste Since -9901991 the potential enemy of the Warsaw Pact nations has disappeared So during maneuvers in Poland soldiers fight with an enemy that uses the 3ame armament as they do Prior to the end of the Communist threat in Europe the enemy during maneuvers was equipped with imitations of Leopard 3nks

BMPs were commonly seen in all armies of the Narsaw Pact coalition Usually they composed 30 shy50 of the infantry fighting vehicles of all mechanised nfantry regiments The rest were equipped with IIheeled infantry fighting vehicles and especially in oland BTR-500T-62 vehicles Here is a BMP-1 of the NVA coming out of a river

In this photo is a close-up of an East German BMP-1 The BMP is armed with one 762mm PKT machine gun the smoothbore 73mm 2A28 gun and a rocket launcher for 9M14M AT missiles installed on the turret In the infantry compartment there are 9K32 (SA-7 Grail) and RPG-7 weapons both standard squad armament

73

Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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Here is a front view of a Hungarian BMP-1 1-shythe national insignia outlined on the turret The Sc shyUnion built about 25000 vehicles of the BMP-12 far Apart from Russia many of them can be found i Czech and Slovak republics-over 2000

This photo shows a Czecholsovak BMP-1 practicing at a driver training field The Czechoslovak Army was the best equipped army of the Warsaw Pact nations when it came to armored vehicles At the end of the 1980s it had at its disposal 2538 infantry fighting vehicles some of them in the Czechoslovak modification known as OT-90 (a BMP-1 with a KPVT heavy machine gun)

A squad of soldiers and a BMP-1 are presented in shadowy silhouette in this photo thanks to the flashes of light that split the darkness during a night firing exercise The crew of the BMP-1 are able to perform night operations with the help of several infrared night vision systems the TKN-3B (for the commander) the TVNOshy2 (for the driver) and the TNP-350B (for the gunner)

74

Three years after the BMP-1 was produced a vehicle called the BMD-1 was designed It I

basically a BMP-1 for Soviet para units In para units the other armies of the Warsaw Pact the BMP-1 Igt

used even though it was heavier than the BMD-1 by tons Here some Polish soldiers of the 6th Pomeran ~ Airborne Division pose with their BMP-1

This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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This is a rear view of a pair of Soviet BMP-1 s taking part in the spring exercises Clouds rise behind them as they create a smoke screen to mask their presence There is a box located atop the rear of the right mud guard which identifies this vehicle as one of the relatively rare early production BMPs Note the unit number painted on the right side of the turret as well as the faded tank identification number on the entry hatch at the rear of the infantry compartment

-

Here is a view shot of Soviet BMP-1 Ps this time during inter exercise The BMP-1 P had the Malyutka missile launcher emoved and a simple piece of steel rod welded to the roof for _ llounting the 9P135 launcher for the Konkurs (AT-5) missile Juring training the launcher was usually left inside the hull This ersion also had Type 902 Tucha smoke grenade launchers

110unted on the turret rear but in this view only the attachments lre visible

This Soviet BMP-1 has an added fuel tank on the infantry compartment roof In the background are a few Soviet T-72As with side skirts partly painted vith green color

75

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
  • Pages from arsenal
  • • backend

Another version of the BMP the BMP-2 entered service in 1981 In this photo Soviet BMP-2s train to perform a four-wave attack new turret (with additional armor but without smoke mortars) and the long thin barrel of the 30mm 2A46 gun

A Polish BWP-2 rests inside a prepared entrenchment These concrete lined entrenchments were a characteristic feature of many Warsaw Pact training areas especially firing ranges where they assisted in training armored vehicle crews to fire from hUll-down position

In 1950 along with the BTR-152 the BTR-40 entered service in the Soviet armed forces It was known to the world as a scout car but it was ishyfact a small armored transporter used for multiple purposes by differenshysubunits especially reconnaissance troops In its first modification eig r soldiers could be placed in its infantry compartment

The BTR-40 was built in three main modifications the standard A (since 1950) B with an armored roof (since 1957) and V with a tire-pressure regulation system (since 1956) In this photo is a BTR-40A fire support vehicle It is armed with a ZTPU-2 AA system which consists of two 145mm KPVT heavy machine guns This vehicle is from a Soviet recce troop On the side of the vehicle is the unit identification marking 6N2 Note the lack of firing ports in the side of the hull

76

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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  • Pages from arsenal
  • • backend

~~

emiddot --

The BRDM prototypes did not have an armored roof but the 1958 production model was fully armored The BRDM-1 was produced from 1957 and entering service in the Warsaw Pact armies at the beginning to the middle of the 1960s This photo shows the East German NVA BRDM-1 from a recce unit In the East German Army it was known as SPW-40P and it has been in service since 1964

When the Soviets began selling the BRDM-1 to its allies the Soviet reconnaissance units were issued a new armored scout car-the BRDM-2 Having been in the Soviet service since 1962 it began to be used by the Warsaw Pact nations in the mid-1960s It is one of the most famous armored fighting vehicles in the history of the Soviet military industry About 20000 of these vehicles were built in three versions standard anti-tank and antishyaircraft A Polish BRDM-2 is shown here crossing a river on a PTS-M ferry vehicle

Based on wartime experience the Soviets attached a great deal of importance to delivering secret messages without risk of eavesdropping or being jammed due to the lack of high quality radio and electronic equipment Here is an example of how a message from a pair of recce BRDM-2s can be sent with the assistance of an Mi-4 helicopter at the end of the 1960s

77

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
  • Pages from arsenal
  • • backend

For many years the Warsaw Pact forces employe light armored cars in their reconnaissance units Tr most famous of these was the BRDM-2 shown here shyits standard version The red and white checkerec insignia on the turret indicates that the vehicle is in tt- service of the Polish armed forces

There are two main types of the BROM-2 command vehicle the Soviet U modification and the Polish 0 modification visible here in this photo The first two vehicles have fitted antennae of an R-113 radio (on the left side of the hull) and a frame antenna of a long range radio station This sort of antenna is a Polish equivalent of the Soviet clothes-line antenna used on BTR-60s

The most typical arrangement of a recce troop ishyaction comprises three BROM-2s One serves as co commandcommunication post while the others carr~

out miscellaneous reconnaissance tasks Here two c the armored vehicles embark on a recce missioshyinvolving a water obstacle Note the rubber raft carriec by the second BROM-2

A BROM-20 in flood waters The command BROM is equipped with several radio stations among them is one for a long range communication with a frame antenna This vehicle has three antennae usually these vehicles are used with only two

78

When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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When Poland and East Germany bought Soviet BRDM-1 armored vehicles in the first half of 1960s the Hungarian military industry developed ~ heir own equivalent at the Csepel motor plant This FUG scout car entered production in 1963 It was a much better vehicle than the BRDM-1 and it was sold to Poland Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia Here is a Hungarian FUG in its standard model

Already in 1966 Hungary had started to build a completely new scout car armed with a heavy machine gun installed in the turret This vehicle originally named the FUG-2 was modified at the end of 1960s and entered service at the beginning of the 1970s as the PSzH-IV There are still about 1000 of them exclusively in Hungarian service

A column of Hungarian PSzH-IV armored scout vehicles on exercise Many of the Warsaw Pact countries preferred building armored vehicles locally as Soviet prices were often quite high

The Soviet Union was slow in developing anti-tank missiles due to resistance by the GRAU artillery directorate The first type in common service was the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) These wire-guided rockets were first installed on mobile platforms like the modified GAZ-69 chassis which were known as 2P26 and nicknamed Baby carriages because of the folding canvas cover over their rear ends Here is a battery of this combination in the service of East Germanys NVA

79

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
  • Pages from arsenal
  • • backend

~(~ bullbull ugtd_gtclimiddot~ ~bullbullbulle~~~middot This photo shows a rear view of a 2P27 belonging to the Polish Army

as it performs coastal defense duties along the Baltic coast Although not specifically designed for the task the Shmel could seriously damage a typical landing craft The configuration of the rocket launchers is clearly visible here The three main modifications of tank destroyers built on the BRDM-1 chassis used the 3M6 Shmel (AT-1 Snapper) the AT-2 (Swatter) and the 9M14M Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) missiles They served as the nation s principal anti -tank vehicles up until the beginning of the 1970s

Here is a column of vehicles in an AT unit All these units are equippec with the 9P122 tank destroyers constructed on the BRDM-2 chassis Th~ 9P122 is still a standard tank killer in all ex-Warsaw Pact armies except the former Soviet Union where the 9P133 replaced many 9P122s

At about the same time the more reliable BRDMmiddot1 hull was being fitted with 3M6 Shmel missiles Because of the large size of the missiles though only three could be carried The BRDM-1 missile-launcher entered service about 1960 as the 2P27 self-propelled tank destroyer The one shown here bears Romanian markings

Another famous vehicle the 9P122 appeared in the Warsaw Pact armies AT units ir the middle of the 1960s It was built on the BRDM-2 hull and was armed with six 9M14 missiles The enclosed gunners optical sight i clearly visible on the armored front of the vehicle

80

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
  • Pages from arsenal
  • • backend

There were also some very important anti-aircraft weapons in the Warsaw Pact armies based on the BRDM-2 The Soviets did not believe in using strong aircraft cover for armored units during deep ground penetration so they developed a number of anti-aircraft vehicles This photo shows one of the most rarely seen AA systems mounted on a BRDM-2-the Strela-1 The Polish Army models shown here are armed with 9M31 M missiles

In 1968 anti-aircraft weapons (four 9M31 missiles) were installed on the BRDM-2 chassis Two extra weapons were occasionally stored on the racks on the side of the hull (shown empty here) These vehicles were used at the regimental level

A close-up of a Strela 1 vehicle known in NATO codename as the SA-9 Gaskin Note the Warsaw mermaid emblem of the 1st Warsaw Mechanised Regiment The mode of installation of the missile launchers is clearly shown The pristine appearance of the vehicle on parade is impressive and only two missiles are loaded on the racks

More popular in the Warsaw Pact AA units was the Strela 10M3 system called SA-13 Gopher in NATO It was installed on the MT-LB chassis and armed with four 9M333 missiles Here two Gophers of the Czechoslovak Army are sent skyward during night firing exercises

81

In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
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In the Warsaw Pact armies different AA systems were used for different sized units of troops The 2P24 self-propelled rocket launcher shown here is representative of the first generation of fully mobile surfaceshyto-air missile systems for use at the army level The photo shows 9M8 rockets (SA-4 Ganef) being reloaded from a Ural-375 supply truck onto a 2P24 launcher in the service of the East German Army

A view of the front of the Krug missile vehicle in Soviet service The~ 2P24s were concentrated in independent brigades which were in the han~ of army commanders in all of the Warsaw Pact countries In the Sovi6 Union they were used up to the end of the 1970s as the standard AJ weapon to combat aircraft at high altitude

The 2P25 Kub launcher is based on the same chassis which is used for the ZSU-23 AA vehicle On the front plate of the hull are two hatchways for the 3-man crew The crew consists of a commander a driver and the operator of the system

These 9M9 rockets NATO codename SA-6 Gainful have been the most popular AA missiles since the beginning of the 1960s They were mounted on a modified ASU-85 chassis and were used as the standard air defense weapon against aircraft flying at low-medium altitudes

8 2

This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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This photo shows the left side of the Kub (Cube in English) air defense system in Polish service None of these weapons were license produced by the Warsaw Pact countries and so had to be imported from the Soviet Union at considerable cost Fixtures for hanging tools are visible at the rear of the vehicle on the side of the hull

Reloading of 9M9 missiles from a ZIL-131 supply truck onto a launcher Each truck can carry a set of two rockets which is not enough for one load for one launcher vehicle

A rear view of the 1 S91 (NATO Straight Flush) radar station of the Kub battery in combat position Radar stations were built on the same chassis and lightly armored like all Kub launchers but sometimes other special tracked chassis were used for radars notably the AT-S unarmored tractor with the P-40 surveillance radar Quite often Kub batteries were not equipped with armored command vehicles but truck mounted types

83

One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

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One of the latest AA systems in the Warsaw Pact armies is the combination of the 9M33M2 missiles mounted on the BAZ-5937 sixshywheeled vehicle It is known in the West as the SA-8b (Gecko) and in the Warsaw Pact countries as the Osa-AK (Wasp) The photo shows reloading of containers of 9M33M2 rockets onto a launcher

Another view of the reloading of missile containers The containers are meant to protect the missiles from inclement weather while they are being transported in a loaded position The radar seen in these photos is the H band early warning and search radar It indicates that this is a newer system the SA-8b Gecko Mod 1 which carries six missiles The earlier version carried only four

The BAZ-5937 was one of a family of vehicles that entered service in the middle of 1970s as a chassis for two main missile systems one for the Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab) and one for anti-aircraft Osa (SA-8 Gecko) This system seen here in Polish markings was known as the Romb (Square) in its Soviet version and the Osa (Wasp) in its export model

Tracked vehicles were also used in support units for jobs such as towing missiles In this photo an ATS-59 mUlti-purpose vehicle is used as a tractor for a battery of S-75 (SA-2 Guideline) air defense missiles

84

The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
  • Pages from arsenal
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The Soviets started to manufacture the ZSU-57-2 in 1950 but the first ZSU-57-2s were exported to all of the Warsaw Pact countries in the late time it was seen was at the end of 1957 during a parade in Moscow The 1950s and they used them up to the end of the 1970s The ZSU-57-2 could ZSU-57-2 combined two S-68A guns and a modified T-54 tank chassis In carry 300 rounds of ammunition among them being anti-tank and shrapnel the photo are Soviet ZSUs waiting to join the parade near Red Square in ammo This photo shows Hungarian ZSUs being loaded with ammunition Moscow --

tl

This battery of spotlessly clean Polish Army ZSU-57-2s are lined up prior to participating in a celebration of the birthday of Communist Poland The last ZSU-57s in Polish service were still seen on exercise fields at the end of the 1980s The dual 57mm caliber gun armament is an impressive feature of these ZSU-57-2s but their lack of radar fire control made them inadequate in the jet age

The Polish LWP was one of the first Warsaw Pact armies to be equipped when it appeared in the early 1960s This is one of the ZSU-23-4V Shilka distinguished by the configuration of the vents on the turret side This particular version was notoriously inhospitable for the turret crew as the use of tube electronics meant that it heated up the turret interior to an unbearable degree during the warm summer months

85

In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
  • Pages from arsenal
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In every tank and motor rifle regiment there are two batteries of air defense and anti-tank vehicles The air defense batteries consist of four ZSU-23shy4s and four Strela 10Ms (known by the NATO code of SA-13) Normally the ZSU-23-4s operate in pairs and the one seen here is a ZSU-23-4M sometimes called the Biryusa rather than Shilka However the name did not stick and most Soviet troops called all ZSU-23-4 versions the Shilka

Camouflaged as it is this ZSU-23shy4 Shilka disappears in the cloud of dust that it kicks up during the summer exercises of 1992 Powered by a V-6 240 HP engine the vehicle can achieve speeds up to 27 mph (44 kmh)

Instead of using the ZSU-57-2 the Czechoslovak Army opted for their own locally produced version of an antishyaircraft vehicle which they called the vz5359 Built on the chassis of the Praga V3A truck it was armed with twin 30mm guns and partially armored with thin armor plates over the cab This photo shows a vz 5359 vehicle painted in a two-tone green camouflage scheme at the beginning of the 1980s

86

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
  • Pages from arsenal
  • • backend

Two vz5359s in the front of a column of a company of 2P122s during 1980 maneuvers in western Poland The vz5359s guns are neither the newest nor the most effective weapon but it has seen widespread combat in recent years in Yugoslavia

The K-61 amphibious transporter was designed for transport duties at the beginning of 1950s when not all combat vehicles could swim but it was still considered useful up to the end of the 1970s It was used as a supply carrier or assault vehicle for infantry attacking across rivers In the photo is a K-61 with twin 145mm AA heavy machine guns which belongs to the Polish 7th Naval Assault Division

--=-

-

In Poland the chassis of unarmored trucks like the GAZ-63 the STAR-100 and the STAR-266 were used to create light mobile anti-aircraft artillery vehicles This photo shows the latter truck configured with twin ZU-23 (2A14) guns Each AA squadron in all of the mechanized regiments have eight of these vehicles at their disposal

87

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ -4- ~ __C-____

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
  • Pages from arsenal
  • • backend

f

The K-61 was replaced by a new transporter in the 1960s-the PTS-M It was larger than the K-61 and was able to carry 70 soldiers or over 10 tons of equ ipment The PTS -M in the foreground of this photo is a Czechoslovak version Note how large the vehicle is compared to the size of the driver

K-61 s have been in the service 0

East Germanys NVA since 1957 ThE NVA K-61 shown in this photo i~

transporting an 85mm SO-44 anti-tanf gun along with its crew This versatilE amphibious vehicle can carry 50 troop~

or up to 5 tons of equipment

This Hungarian Army PTS-M flies a red cross flag and is being used for medical evacuation Note the soldier erecting the frame for a soft-top roof This profile shot gives a good view of the long low-profile chassis on which the transporter is mounted

88

All pristine and decorated with a conspicuous Communist star the-- two Bulgarian PTS-M tracked amphibious transports make an impress = addition to a parade Each one carries a crew of finely dressed Commu officials and carries an impressive 100mm T-12 anti-tank gun

7 ____ _ _____

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
  • Pages from arsenal
  • • backend

• cobarsenal
• • arsenalbandwpdf
  • Pages from arsenal
  • • backend