The BA-27 was a Soviet first[1] series-produced armoured car, manufactured from 1928 to 1931, and used for scouting and infantry support duties early in the Second World War. The BA-27 was a heavy armoured car, having the same turret and armament as the first Soviet tank, T-18, manufactured at the same time: the main gun was a modified copy of the French 37 mm Puteaux SA 18 cannon, and it was supported by an additional machine gun.
| BA-27 | |
|---|---|
 BA-27M in the Kubinka Museum | |
| Type | Armoured car |
| Place of origin |  Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| Used by |  Soviet Union Nazi Germany (captured) |
| Production history | |
| No. built | 215 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.4 tonnes (4.9 short tons) |
| Length | 4.62 m (15.2 ft) |
| Width | 1.81 m (5.9 ft) |
| Height | 2.52 m (8.3 ft) |
| Crew | 4 |
| Armor | 7 mm |
Main armament | 37 mm Hotchkiss gun |
Secondary armament | 7.62 mm DT machine gun |
| Engine | 4-cylinder gasoline AMO 35 hp (26 kW) |
| Power/weight | 8 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | 4×4 wheeled |
Operational range | 350 km (220 miles) |
| Maximum speed | 48 km/h (30 mph) |
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The production of the first Soviet truck, AMO-F-15 truck (a copy of the Fiat 15), started in 1924. Using the chassis of this truck, the Izhorsky Factory design team developed BA-27 heavy armoured car in 1927. There was no significant production of AFVs in Russia since 1918, and the indigenous automobile industry was practically non-existent at the time.[2] After lengthy trials, the new vehicle was accepted into Soviet Red Army service in 1929. Two hundred fifteen were built between 1928 and 1931. The last batch of BA-27 was mounted on Ford Model AA truck chassis. Both chassis were found to be inadequate to carry the heavy armour, and around 20 were later rebuilt on heavier, three-axle Ford-Timken truck chassis at Repair Base No. 2 (Rembaz No. 2), bearing designation BA-27M.[3]
193 of BA-27 and BA-27M still remained in service on 1 June 1941,[citation needed] just before the German invasion of the Soviet Union. During the early stages of the war, several units were captured by Germans and pressed into their own service.
References
edit- ^ Russian Armored Cars: A Historical Perspective Archived 20 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Erickson, John R. (2001). The Soviet high command: a military-political history, 1918-1941. London: Frank Cass. ISBN 0-7146-5178-8.
- ^ The Russian Battlefield - BA-3, BA-6, and BA-9 armoured car
- Zaloga, Steven J., James Grandsen (1984). Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two, London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-606-8.
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