In the bonfire of the Anti-Japanese War, in June 65438 +0938 65438+10/October 65438 +05, China established the first mechanized unit-200 Division, which was expanded from the original armored force. The basic equipment of the unit is the T-26 tank aided by the Soviet Union.

In the past, "tanks produced the most"

In 1930s, the Soviet Union purchased design drawings from Britain and developed T-26 light tank on this basis. The early T-26s were divided into two types, namely, two machine gun T-26A and one machine gun T-26B. However, the Soviet Union found that the T-26A tank with only machine guns was not practical on the battlefield, so starting from 1933, the Soviet Union completely switched to the T-26 tank with only 45 mm main guns.

The standard T-26 tank has a total weight of 9.6 tons, a maximum speed of 45 km/h, and the thickest armor15 mm. The biggest highlight of T-26 is its 20K 45mm main gun, which can penetrate 60mm thick homogeneous steel armor within 500m distance. This power was not backward even at the beginning of World War II, especially for Japanese tanks and armored vehicles.

Generally speaking, in 1930s, T-26 was a light tank with balanced performance and powerful firepower. Also favored by the Soviet Red Army. Many factories put it into mass production, with a total output of more than 1. 1.00 million, making it the world's most productive and equipped tank on the eve of World War II.

Solve China's "urgent need"

1937 After the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in China, China had to turn to the Soviet Union for help because western countries stopped supplying weapons to China. According to the archives, before the Pacific War broke out in 194 1, the Soviet Union was China's most important weapon supplier. Among the Soviet aid materials to China, T-26 tanks were the earliest equipment delivered, with 83 vehicles. Most of these tanks were assigned to China's first mechanized division-200 Division.

1938 in may, the newly established 200th division dispatched two chariot battalions to participate in the battle of Lanfeng and besieged the 6th division of the Japanese army. In the battle, a chariot platoon equipped with T-26 participated in the attack, captured Xiaowangzhuang and other places in one fell swoop, and destroyed one enemy. 1939, the 200 th division was expanded into the 5 th army, and soon participated in the Kunlun Pass campaign. T-26 tanks belonging to the Army Chariot Regiment showed their talents in the front line.

65438+February 18, Chariot Corps 1 Battalion 2 1 Honorary Division launched a fierce attack on the Japanese at Kunlun Pass. The Japanese fought back and bombed with five planes, but failed to stop the advance of China tanks. In the Battle of 19, China's chariots made another effort to fight bravely with the infantry, and finally the Japanese army in the 653 highland northeast of Kunlun Pass was wiped out.

194 1 At the end of the year, the Pacific War broke out and the Japanese army swept through Southeast Asia. China formed an expeditionary force to Myanmar, and the Fifth Army became the main force again, and the T-26 of the Chariot Regiment also attacked together. In order to save precious motorcycle time, all tanks are transported by car. However, due to the shortage of cars and the rapidly changing war situation, the T-26 failed to catch up with the expeditionary force's first Burma campaign.

1944 65438+ 10, the former armored forces of the fifth army were reorganized into the 48th division, and all tanks were incorporated into the 142 regiment. However, this tank regiment was never used as an organizational system, but was divided into battalions, companies and even platoons, which were assigned to infantry units as accompanying fire support weapons.

At the beginning of August, 1944, in order to solve the siege of Hengyang, the 3rd Battalion of 142 Regiment was ordered to send a reinforced platoon equipped with six T-26s into Hunan, but it was shelled by the Japanese on the way and forced to retreat.

165438+1October16th, Japanese troops entered Longjiang ferry in Guangxi. Because the main force was far away, the China army had to piece together the independent 8th Engineering Corps, 8th Company of 14 Corps and 2nd Battalion of 142 Corps for protection on the west bank of Longjiang River, and at least six T-26 tanks entered the bunker.