Tank Lebedenko (also known as the Tsar tank, Bat, Bat, Mastodon or Mammoth) – a fighting machine, which was developed by Russian designer Nikolay Lebedenko in 1914-1915. Today we will know her better.
In fact, the tank Lebedenko, a photo that looks very unusual, is not a tank in the conventional sense of the word. Rather, it is a wheeled combat vehicle. In its development, in addition to Nikolai Lebedenko, took part N. Zhukovsky and two of his nephew - A. B. Mikulin and Stechkin. According to the results of tests carried out in 1915, the tank was deemed unusable in a real fight. In the end the project was closed. Later built prototype was disassembled for scrap. Despite the complete failure of the tank Lebedenko, he went down in history as an extremely bold and unusual project. Thanks to the originality of this war machine remember about it to this day.
According to the memoirs of Nikolai Lebedenko, to create such an unusual design it gave the carts-carts that were used in Central Asia and thanks to the huge wheels without problems overcame the roads. Thus, from the usual tanks, which are used for the movement track, the Tsar tank was distinguished primarily by the presence of wheels. By design, it resembled the gun carriage, greatly increased in size.
A huge Pair of front wheels specefic tank Lebedenko, a photo of which affects the scale of construction, had a diameter of about 9 meters. The diameter of the rear of the rink was much smaller – about 1.5 meters. The upper gun deck was fixed and was at a height of about 8 meters. Width of T-shaped box-like hull was 12 metres. At the end points of the Pro-plane wheels have been installed sponsons with guns. In addition, it was assumed the ability to install guns. Under the bottom of the hull was planned to install additional machine gun turret. Design machine speed was 17 km/h.
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Surprisingly, despite the complexity, singularity and huge dimensions of the machine designer Lebedenko has managed to convince the highest authority as to its suitability for use in a real fight. The tank was approved in several government agencies, however, the main rating it received 8 January 1915 during his audience with Nicholas II. The designer gave the Emperor reduced a clockwork model of his tank, made of wood, with engine, underpinned by a gramophone spring. According to the memoirs of courtiers, the Emperor, along with the engineer “like little children crawling on the floor chasing a toy across the room”. Wooden tank quickly went over the carpet and without problems overcame stack of several thick books. The result impressed machine the Emperor ordered to start financing of the project. The creation of the tank Lebedenko was allocated to 210 thousand rubles.
Design Bureau, which develops the Tsar tank Lebedenko, worked in Moscow, street Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya street. Design details was done at the factory, located in Khamovniki. Work under the patronage of the Emperor moved quickly. Soon the car was ready at metal. From late spring 1915, it secretly began to gather in the woods near the station Rudieva, in the North of Dmitrov.
27 Aug 1915 the tank was fully prepared and passed its first test. Thanks to the use of a huge wheel device has a higher throughput – it was broken birch trees in its path like a match. However, the rear roller because of the small size and irregular distribution of the mass of the car almost immediately stuck in the soft ground. Big wheels, even though the application is very powerful for those times propulsion, could not get him out. By the way, the tank Lebedenko development of 1914-1915 there were two trophy motor company "Maybach". Each of them developed a capacity of 240 horsepower, which was much higher than the capacity of power units of Russian tanks of the time. These engines were taken from downed enemy airship.
In addition, the tests revealed significant vulnerability of the machine, which later will seem obvious. The weakest link design steel wheel, which in the case of enemy fire high-explosive shells quickly fell into disrepair.
The result is not the most successful test in September 1915, the project was closed. The official reason was the negative conclusion of the High Commission. Despite the closure of the project, Stechkin and Mikulin continued to develop it and tried to create a new engine for the tank. However, their efforts came to nothing lead, as well as attempts to move stuck in the ground tank and withdraw it from the test area.
Until 1917 tank Lebedenko stood tests under guard until the outbreak of political problems not forgotten about it. Seven years a huge war machine rusted in the forest. In 1923 it was dismantled for scrap.
In General, the fate of the tank Lebedenko development 1914-1915 yearssimilar to the fate of almost all the prototypes that were developed in those days. Due to the lack of established canons in the design of such machines and any of their concept, they all ended their existence rather prosaic. In part this may explain a paradoxical situation, when a very ambitious and promising project receives approval at the high levels, but in fact is just a pile of metal.
At the first test were revealed incredible vulnerability of the tank – the usual volley of shrapnel, sent to the spokes of the wheels, took the car out of action. However, due to the enormous size of the tank and low speed of his movements he was a great target. The dimensions of the machine determined its low permeability. Hidden transfer of tanks to the front lines was unlikely.
Use the tank Lebedenko, whether it is built serially, was possible except as a psychological weapon. By far, the vast majority of the soldiers of those times could see such a machine except in a nightmare. Military history shows that to write off such mechanisms of intimidation definitely not worth it. During the second world war, for example, Soviet soldiers successfully forced the enemy to retreat, “dressed” tractor in simple wooden frames, reminiscent of the tanks. However, mass production of such machines in those days was itself unlikely. The main reason was a shortage of powerful engines. And it is unlikely the country would have mastered such production.
Final “defeat” the project was related to the fact that the establishment and construction of the tank Lebedenko had virtually no effect on domestic (and certainly world) tank. War machine was another dead-end attempt in the development of the industry, which at that time made it to the world mainly through trial and error.
The Only positive result from this project was the experience gained by young designers Mikulin and Stechkin. When it was found that the capacity of the power plant of the tank is not enough, they developed a new engine, dubbed ABS-1. This engine was implemented cutting-edge for the time of the decision, for example, direct injection of fuel into the cylinders. Both constructors later became outstanding specialists in the field of aircraft propulsion and members of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
With extraordinary machine is so many interesting facts. Here only the main ones are:
Finally, we note the basic tactical and technical parameters of the tank Lebedenko development 1914-1915:
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Alin Trodden - author of the article, editor
"Hi, I'm Alin Trodden. I write texts, read books, and look for impressions. And I'm not bad at telling you about it. I am always happy to participate in interesting projects."
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