[Milsurplus] Tank (radio) vs. Tank (radio)

[Meir WF2U]

The Soviets had fairly decent tank radios from the late 30's. The 71TK-1
radio set was issued from 1935, followed by the 71TK-3 version in 1939.
These were installed in the early T-34 tanks. The 71TK-(*) was a separate
transmitter and receiver configuration, the transmitter covered 
4 - 5.63 MHz, CW/AM, with 3 W output.
Starting in 1943 the radios installed in tanks were the 9RM which was a much
smaller set (an adaption of the RSI-3M1 aircraft radio) covering the same
frequency range as the 71TK, AM only with 1.5 W output. The receiver was the
RSI-4T, the companion airborne receiver for the RSI-3M1. The 9RM may have
been a stopgap solution while a new, higher power radio was in the works and
was operational in the same year, 1943. The new 10RK set was comprised of
the 10RK-26 transmitter (3.75 - 6.0 MHz, CW/AM, 10W output) and the 10RT-26
receiver. The performance and perhaps reliability of this set must have been
satisfactory, as it was manufactured and used into the 1950's.

The Lend-Lease Wireless Sets 19 MkII manufactured in the US probably filled
the need for additional radio sets between 1942 and 1943 for the T-34 tanks
which were rolling off the production lines in increasing quantities, and
the electronics industry - which at the time was not as developed as the
heavy industries in the Soviet Union - probably couldn't keep up with the
volume of production. Many of the Wireless Sets 19 destined for the Soviet
Union never made it there because it seems, at least as tank radios were
concerned, that after 1943 the 10RT radios must have been supplied in
sufficient quantities.

Basically it's a myth that the Soviets didn't want to install radios in
their tanks. The Soviet-made radio equipment listed above, with the upgrades
and new designs disprove this. In the 1930's they evidently didn't plan on
large-scale tank battles spread over large areas, and the older low-power HF
radios just didn't cut it in the post-1943 situation. Regarding the 19 Sets,
there may have been a reluctance based on very strong national pride to use
large quantities of foreign materiel when their industry finally caught up
with the production volume necessary for the war effort. 
I heard once that many 19 Sets after the war were supplied to remote
collective farms to maintain communications with each other, and/or with
their higher authorities because of lack of landlines in many areas.  


This is my opinion, YMMV as they say.

73, Meir WF2U
Landrum, SC 


   
-----Original Message-----
From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Hue Miller
Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2012 8:06 AM
To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Tank (radio) vs. Tank (radio)

Regarding Rossians, I don't believe it's a case of they just weren't into
radios in their tanks, more like they didn't have an adequate supply.
Something that puzzles me still, and I have not managed to get to the
bottom of it, is that despite vast numbers of the various Marks of No.19
sets built, you very rarely, or maybe never, see them in Russia, altho
many different sets of USA manufacture turned up there. More variety,
in fact, than you'd ever expect, such as a complete TBW set, for example.
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