BA-20
BA-20 | |
---|---|
DT machine gun[1] | |
Engine | GAZ-M1 50 hp (37 kW) |
Power/weight | 20 hp/tonne |
Suspension | wheeled |
Operational range | 350 km (220 mi) |
Maximum speed | 80 km/h (50 mph)[2] |
The BA-20 (Russian: Broneavtomobil 20) was an armored car developed in the Soviet Union in 1934.[3] It was intended to replace the FAI and its field trials were completed in 1935.[4] The BA-20 was then used in the early stages of World War II.
Design and production
The BA-20 armored car was developed in 1934 for use by HQ staffs, reconnaissance and communications units. It was derived from the civilian GAZ-M1 car using its chassis,[3] which was itself a modified version of a Ford design, produced by the Nizhny Novgorod-based vehicle manufacturer GAZ. Full production of the BA-20 started in 1935. The chassis was built at the Nizhny Novgorod factory; the body was built at the Vyksinskiy plant, where final assembly of the BA-20 occurred as well.
Service
The principal use of the BA-20 was as a scout vehicle. The BA-20's tires were designed to be resistant to bullets and shrapnel by the simple expedient of filling them with spongey rubber. A variant, the BA-20ZhD, could travel on railway lines by replacing the normal wheels with flanged metal rail-type wheels.
The vehicle was exported to the
In common with most armored cars derived from cars, the BA-20 was largely roadbound. The lack of all-wheel drive, high
Mistaken identification
The BA-20 is often mistaken for the very similar FAI armoured car. The main recognition feature is the flat roof of the BA-20; the FAI has two dome-shaped covers over the driver's and co-driver's stations. Early BA-20s (built in 1936–37) had the same vertical-sided turret as the FAI, although most vehicles had a conical-shaped turret.
Variants and further development
- BA-20, initial production; command version has clothes-rail antenna. 749 built.
- BA-20M, improved version (9 mm thick armor, upgraded suspension); command version has whip antenna.[3] 1180 built.
- BA-20ZhD, railroad scout car with replaceable flanged wheels. 137 built, 76 of them with BA-20M improvements.
- BA-21, prototype only, 1938
- LB-23, prototype only, 1939
Notes and references
- ^ https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_BA-20.php, retrieved 26/12/2022
- ^ https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_BA-20.php, retrieved 26/12/2022
- ^ a b c d e "Soviet Union's BA-20 armored car". wwiivehicles.com. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ^ "BA-20". russati.su. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ^ "Soviet Union's BA-20 armored car". wwiitanks.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ^ Finland registered both FAI-M and BA-20 as BAB B, so some of the 18 vehicles may be FAI-M