Kolohousenka
| Kolohousenka | |
|---|---|
 Kolohousenka KH50 | |
| Type | Wheeled/tracked light tank |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Skoda, ČKD, Tatra |
| Designed | 1923 |
| Manufacturer | Skoda, ČKD, Tatra |
| Variants | 2 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 7.5 t (8.3 short tons) |
| Length | 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in) |
| Width | 2.39 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 2.53 m (8 ft 4 in) |
| Crew | 2 (commander/gunner, driver) |
| Armor | 14mm front |
Main armament | KH-60: 1× 37mm ÚV vz. 38 KH-70: 2x Schwarzlose machine gun |
| Engine | Hanomag WD 50PS KH-50: 50 hp KH-60: 60 hp |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
Operational range | 300km |
| Maximum speed | 15 km/h (9.3 mph) tracks 35 km/h (22 mph)wheels |
Kolohousenka was a series of Czechoslovakian wheeled and tracked light tanks developed by Skoda, ČKD and Tatra.
Development
After the appearance of tanks in World War I, Czechoslovak began to build their own tanks. As two disadvantages of tanks are the low durability of the tracks and slow speed, the Czechoslovak Army decided to build a vehicle which could run on both tracks and wheels.
In 1923, the Czechoslovak Army acquired a blueprint for a tank with tracks and wheels from the German engineer, Joseph Vollmer. Skoda, ČKD and Tatra produced the first two prototypes of the Kolohousenka series under the designation KH-50, KH for Kolohousenka and 50 for the engine size in horsepower.[1][2][3]
KH-50
The KH-50 was meant to be an artillery tractor and was built on the chassis of the Hanomag WD-50 tractor. The vehicle was manned by a crew of two and the driver was seated at the front.
The chassis combined wheels with tracks. The wheeled chassis could be lowered and lifted, giving the vehicle optimum performance when traveling on the road as well as off-road. The vehicle needed about 15 minutes to switch from wheels to tracks with the aid of a ramp.
The KH-50 had 14 mm (0.55 in) of armour at the front and was powered by a 50 hp engine at the rear. The speed was 15 km/h (9.3 mph) on tracks and 35 km/h (22 mph) on wheels.
The two prototypes underwent trials but both broke down after a short period of time. One of the prototypes was badly damaged and was scrapped. The Czechoslovak Army rejected the prototype and no serial production was started.
Škoda, ČKD and Tatra continued to work on the project and came up with two variants, the KH-60 with a 60 hp engine installed and the KH-70 with an upgraded 70 hp engine and two machine guns as the primary armament.[1][2][3]
KH-60
The KH-60 was the first tank built in the Kolohousenka series. The KH-60 was a modification of the sole surviving KH-50.
The KH-60 was fitted with a 37mm ÚV vz. 38 mounted in a cylindrical turret. The engine was upgraded to 60 hp. Two KH-60 were built and exported to USSR.[1][2][3]
KH-70
The KH-70 was another variant of the KH-50 in the Kolohousenka series.
The KH-70 was fitted with two Schwarzlose machine guns in the turret. The engine was upgraded to 70 hp and a tail piece was attached to the rear to help the vehicle cross trenches. One KH-70 was built and exported to Italy.[1][2][3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Jobse, Leander. "Kolohousenka". tanks-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d "ČKD KH-50 \ KH-60 \ KH-70 Light tanks" (in Russian). Retrieved 12 March 2020.
Bibliography
- Kliment, Charles K.; Francev, Vladimír (1997). Czechoslovak Armored Fighting Vehicles 1918-1948. Atlgen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 0-7643-0141-1.
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