I served as a gunner in T55 86-87. As a fighting force. T55 could run much more quickly than 35 km/h. We were jumping sometimes 1m high on terran. Can you imagine the loader without any clinging!? Driver has his poles, gunner has the stabi and sights to fix his hand, commander has his periscope, loader had just his one clinging ;) In our version of t55 the commander had his own turret, could turn, as i remember he could sign a target and the main turret turned to the signed direction, he could shot the main gun also. Stabilizator kept the gun on the target even if the tank turned or the terrain was bumpy. T55 had automatic atomic and chemical protection sys, and fire protection system. Well, practiced loader could load 5.4s at least our ones. Limit to onboard the whole crew from a line in front of the tank, to close rhe hatches was 8s. Gunner and commander on the same! All the handguns, submachineguns, machine gun and the wedge lock had to be able to be repair blindfolded during given times. We had 18s to change the firing pin of the AMD 65. As i remember the shrapnel ammo was 38kg, not easy to play with it, especially not on the field in action. It was very noisy inside, sometimes painful. I useg wax balls beside the special "helmet" but sometimes I cried from the pain. I was the closest to the motor.
One correction, the button on TC sight isn't intercom switch, it's actually a target - marker, when TC push the button, the turret will rotate to match at bearing of TC sight. it's a 1st gen hunter-killer system. It's done by sending a electrical signal to turret motor. The intercom switch is on crew headset.
Chieftain,my father said(according to his former commander,who happened to be my grandfather from my mother's side) those handles were very useful for opening beer :D By the way,I think you saw the russian tankers headgear.It doesn't offer you much protection,when someone suddenly headbutt thirty-tons of steel.That's why they install those handles.And that's why my grandfather had a second scar in his head.
For those, who are interested: Some stencils on the driver's panel are damaged but with some imagination they say: Spúšťač - starter Tlak oleja - oil pressure Teplota výstupného oleja - oil temperature at output Teplota výstupnej vody - water temperature at output they are in slovak language as well as are the stencils on the fuse panel for lights Word "stiskni" on the voltage/current gauge means "push" and is in czech language. Same goes for gunners position - table on the main gun control is in czech language, another table with selector of the main gun and MG are in slovak. I suppose that this mix comes from parts built in different parts of czechoslovakia - both slovak and czech and then assembled together. Interesting to see that left-hand push of the round into the breech. Still puzzles me, how these tanks can have ROF of 7-9 rounds a minute in the game ... way higher than 107mm equipped US and british counterparts. :-)
That's because in WOT making the game balanced as far as mechanics of the program is concerned trumps reality. As an example how many times have you ever seen a vehicle do a tight turn and through track?
My commander in the army used to be a T-55 tankie before they transferred him to the infantry. He mentioned that, because there was no turret basket, besides having a firing safety switch (which they used to call "isključivač", freely translated as the "off switch-er") that blocks powered turret traverse, the loader also had a safety hand brace. As he mentioned, there are only 2 safe positions for the loader to be in during combat, and that both these positions required him to hold the hand braces, unless he wants his arms/legs got sheered off by the turret ring/ breech recoil. Frankly, this is all very vague information- I'm a dirt kisser, not a tanker, and I've only been in a couple of old scrapped T-55, so don't count on it being reliable info.
I'm a British tank crewman, about 6' tall. I have trouble getting in to a T54/55 (or T62) and being able to operate it. I believe the max height for a Soviet crewman was about 5' 6". The ammo stowage is horrible on it. With Chieftain I've had three rounds in the air at once (ok, we cheated on loading). One of our gunnery instructors was also an instructor on T62s. Apparently they have a very simple, but fairly effective system. With Chieftain I can decide where to hit, a T62 is happy with a hit.
@@peterking2651 at the time that the T-54/55 was in active russian service, Nato tanks were like surgeons with sabot and the russian tanks just aimed centre mass.
MrSoulphoenix Well, he did look pretty uncomfortable in there. I guess the only way to drive that thing would be if his knees where close to his ears. 8D
+WindmillStalker I link people to this video when they indignantly insist that the Soviets did not, in fact, have any kind of mandatory height limit for their tankists. I realize they're just doing the "Russian kneejerk" in response to criticism of the Rodina, but still, "comrade, please". haha I'm pretty sure it'd be impossible for Nicholas to be combat capable (forget combat EFFECTIVE) in a T-55 filled with 3 other guys and an ammo load. In the TC position, the poor guy's feet are on the GUNNER's footrests and if he was wearing a helmet he wouldn't even be able to get the hatch shut!
Apart from the space issues, and thats a tradeoff of having the low profile, it doesn't look to bad for a late 40's-early 50's design. Which of course is exactly what it is.
In most respects, it's the Russian Centurion or the Russian M-48. I was generally impressed with the layout. Where the tank really falls short compared to Western tanks is its total disregard for crew safety.
+Sky Scraper21 you jest but there is some viability to the term. in an enclosed space it actually works. it uses oxygen deprivation as the means to kill the fire altogether. it's not the ideal way to fight a fire, but in a pinch in the right situation, it does actually work.
it can be used in unenclosed spaces to stop the spread of forest fires, the basic principal is if you burn down a section of forest in advance of the oncoming fire storm you will be able to ensure it doesn't spread any further through deprivation of fuel
Another useful coverage of an iconic tank and chassis for a medium weight combat vehicle family. I'm glad to hear you speak of this particular weapons system with respect. Thanks for posting!
Well, regardless of any actual knowledge of armored vehicles, their operation and what not, I can at least say I'm happy with this video as I saw I'm not the only one who talks with inanimate objects when I want them not to roll off of something. And it proved it worked, the shell stayed in it's rack.
We had T-55 turrets installed in concrete as coastal defence guns. The loader had more space since the ammo was stowed below in a full-height bunker room and lifted up for the loader in a cradle lift through a trap door in the cage floor, next to the gun. The cradle held the round in a 45-degree nose-down position and came up roughly to the loaders waist , so all he had to do was lift the round up and load it. The lift was manually operated by two guys below and came up very quickly, so the loader had a safety button on the floor that he had to stand on before the lift could be operated -- otherwise he was in danger of getting the rear end of the rising round straight in the family jewels. They didn't tell us whether that button was the result of good planning or painful experience...
Got a "Drive a Tank" experience for Christmas and the choice is a BMP or a T55. Now I know what to expect in a T55....... great vids, keep em coming! :-)
That's actually a tank which was captured by the IDF, which was then modified to IDF standards, with a new main gun, the 105mm, and put into IDF service.
One of my favorite reviews. I know that many of the tanks in reviews have no power but a view of how they look with hatches closed would be great. Seeing the instrumentation lit up and getting a better feeling of how cramped the space is would interesting.
as a rough guess from an engineering students point of view, the gearing system you mentioned with its odd layout is possibly due to 2 reasons, either its a design limitation meaning the gears had to be arranged in that particular order which isnt your conventional layout you would see in a standard car. Or, the other reason, mainly to do with the reverse gear being center forward, is to make it easier the shift the tank into reverse gear quickly and easily when under fire. just simply grab the stick, clutch down, slam the gear stick center forward and get the hell out of dodge. also with the handles for each crew member in the turret, i can definitely say that those are more than likely for crewmen to hold onto when going over rough terrain and stop themselves from jerking around and avoid hitting their head on something. nothing that is placed into a tank even if it looks like some pointless handle, has some use or other.
Excellent video. This anecdotal but is supported by the layout of the tank: combat performance during the 70s and 80s by crews in the Middle East suffered considerably due to the mental and physical fatigue they experienced in what can only be described as an excruciating interior. It is interesting how you can contrast this with the IS 7 review and again, you can see some of the indicators Soviet designers followed to the exclusion of crew comfort. Thumbs up!
Missiles normal carry is 4 or 5 at most due to cost and time needed as some come in two parts that are assembled as needed downside is they take up storage space and can be very finicky about getting bumped once assembled.
The gear pattern weirldy makes a fair bit of sence. All you need to use are at the extreme ends. If you need 1st gear, you'll be still and can easily put a bit of tought on shifting. But when you are on the move, no need for presise movement, just shove it as far as it goes.
That "cylinder" beneath the commanders feet, is pre-heater. And the idea "man" type for loader is left-handed powerlifting midget. The handle in the loaders position is surprisingly, for holding on to something. Who would have thought of that?
Yep the ideal loader is usually a power lifting midget who may or may not be on steroids. Yet strangely the fastest loader I've ever seen was actually a tall lanky guy kind of like chieftain up there. Guy put 11 rounds down the tube in about a minute and a half most of which were HEAT. This was on an Abrams about 3 years ago during gunnery table 12.
Just gonna say, I LOVE the TG Hilux mention there and as well in keeping with the durability of Russian designs I find that short of just melting the whole thing down all you would need is some diesel, a mallet, and maybe a torch and you'll be able to bring it back to life, just like an old Hilux.
I was just watching video of the Qala-i-Jangi Prison Uprising in Nov 01 The US special forces and CIA with the Northern Alliance had a single Uzbek T-55 which was firing into the complex, this would be an example of when a T-55 as old as it is would be very valuable.
Great series! :D Any chance you'll be doing stuff from Saumur's tank museum? Like that running Tiger II? Heck, even a video giving an overview of the museum would be cool (only been there once, almost a decade ago; missed out on seeing the Tiger II & other stuff running during their annual Carrousel)
Awesome work as always chief :) Really love this vehicle. Like the Sherman, it served with distinction in various countries for decades. And oh my - is that the M47 I spot at the end? Looking forward to the video! (And maybe, the M48 and M60A3 would come next, ja?)
I absolutely love these videos. Very thorough, loads of information, a decent amount of humor, and you're easier to listen to than Challenger (just don't like his voice for some reason). Probably a dumb question given that its still in service, but is there any possibility of you doing one of these with an Abrams?
Hi Chieftain, The button in the commander's sight is a gunner override switch : Together with the possibility to traverse the turret, the commander could also seek for targets independently from the gunner. With a push of a button located on the left handle of the TPKU-2b device, the turret swung into the center of the commander's TPKU-2b visor lines not only in horizontal plane, but in vertical too. The turret swung with maximum recommended speed on the view line of the commander and stopped with correspondence of the visor lines. Source : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-54/55_Fire_Controls
The odd gearing layout, and I'm just speculating here, might be down to how often would the tank go into 4 and 5? I'm guessing mostly on road travel, where it doesn't go up or down a lot. So the need to gear to 4 and 5 is probably less than gearing to Reverse. Hence putting Reverse in 'front' of them. This is naturally very odd to a modern person, but I wouldn't be surprised to find a similar setup on old tractors.
+snipermakedonski Yea, the British guy isn't very good. His review of Panzer 4 was horrible , he just spoke a few words for it and that was it (for iconic vehicle as the Mk 4). Jagdtiger was overall not bad , but it can be much better.
After re-watching several of these older videos, I have come to the conclusion that you need to do follow up videos with several Mini Me Chieftains to show how a crew of average sized (i.e. small) tankers would fit in some of these tanks.
So before ww2 the Poles invented a periscope that could be flipped to look rearward so you didn't have to turn it all the way around, and i gather they were pretty much standard issue on most WW2 tanks. So i find hard to believe that they gave the T-55 "no rearward visibility".
I believe the compasses in Soviet tanks are gyro-compasses, not magnetic compasses. Sort of an early version of the inertial navigation systems (INS) in fighter aircraft or smart bombs.
Looks like oh shit handles. Specially the one for the loader. You also did say that the vehicle is kind of a rough ride. A hand held seems to make sense to me.
+Teutone I don't think so. The main battle tank in Slovenia is M-84, which is heavily modernised variant of T-72. :) You can see it in a short video on my channel.
+Teutone I checked now on the official army web page, and they really do use some T-55's with ERA, so I take my statement back ;) I said they don't have them because I was once in an event that was held in one of our (Slovenian) army bases where they keep all the tanks, and I didn't see any T-55's. Well atleast I learned something new...
Titan191 Iv'e seen one at a defense trade show where they were marketing the upgrade program for the T55. I think particularly the modernization to the targeting system.
how can you get better than a tank with whitewall roadwheels? I still think those look super sharp. They used to do the same on steam locomotives. It seems to go well with many wheels.
About time cheif, what took so long? Usually the second part comes out in a week or so. Anyways awesome video as always. While you are on cold war icons, do the t72. If you think the t55 turret is cramped, boy the t72 will redefine cramp
+Soham Sarfare I've had the 'pleasure' of sitting inside a T-72 in the gunner's position and in the driver's seat. That redefined my understanding of claustrophobia, and I'm not a big lad (170cm, or about 5'7").
+Redneck Fury Not surprised, even with my small stature I barely fit in the hatch. Once I got inside it wasn't all that bad, but I can't imagine how difficult it must be to leave the tank when it brews up.
I believe the handle that is located on the turret wall in the loader's position is for the loader to give him more leverage in ramming the round into the breech. Since it's a position where the loader would load using his left arm/hand and put his right hand on the grab bar and slam er home.
Loader handle - 1. Your ram the round into the breech with left hand, while holding the handle with right. 2. Then you pushed in the Loader safety switch ( located on the right of the breech) in with your left hand 3. Finally, you held that dumb handle with both hands to ensure the loader was out of the recoil path. 4. The loader finally shouts " loader safe". The drill ( and holding the dumb handle with both hands) ensured loader safety.
Having just come out of ww2, the soviets should have known better about the importance of internal ergonomics and crew comfort in a tank. They prioritized a low profile too much by sacrificing the former aspects, to the detriment of those who took this tank to battle.
They absolutely did not. As Chieftain pointed out you have to be a dwarf by dutch standards (especially the TC) but everything is well laid out otherwise and the average height in USSR at the time was 170cm anyway, not as big of an issue as people tend to think. thesovietarmourblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/t-54.htm scroll down to ergonomics if you want to know more
Well you mentioned the Romanians version which is the ultimate version of the T55 called the TR-85M1. It adds a new 100 gun rear turret bustle and applique armour and the hull is lengthened with an extra road wheel each side. On exercise a year or two ago with the American army they beat the Abrams crews in mock combat. So an old tank modernised with a good crew is capable of defeating the mighty fuel thirsty Abrams tank.
And once again the Soviet ocd desire to put ammo wherever it will physically fit is revealed. Also for the compass I don't know about how it works in the tank but Boat compasses use correcting magnets if I remember right.
It's a small tank and the dome turret further restricts interior volume - it's not so much a case of putting ammo where it fits for the hell of it but because that's the only way of carrying any ammo at all. The original T-55 carried 34 shells, which was increased to 45 by removing the hull machine gun. For comparison, the Leopard 1 carries 55 main gun rounds, the Centurion 62 and the M60A1 carries 63.
Correct me if I'm wrong but wazsn't this the one that was in "The Beast"? If so this really gives you a better idea of how cramped things are that you don't get in the movie.
This cylinder of sorts is actually the engine pre-heater. :) PS. This must be an early T-55A, hole for the bow machine gun and R-113 radio set suggest that.
I see why the turret likes to pop off even after what seem like glancing hits by an ATGMs in Syria, all the ammo is basically just all around the turret exposed.
i got into one yesterday and i cant imagine how small you have to be so you can drive that tank i mean i am 177cm and still my head was out and i cant fit :D
@JayJay-vs5nl Passive infrared systems consist of both a spotlight and a receiver optic. They are not NV/Low Light Vision devices. These are two different systems that work on two different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Whenever I see those old vidio's of T54 drivers or operators I see mittens on their hands. I wonder, are those supplied to the crew or are they more creature comfort things.
Thank you for another video, Chieftain! The T-55 is an indispensable part of tank history. I actually was supposed to have the opportunity to operate one of these at Drive a Tank, but their T-55 was in the shop with mechanical issues so I was allowed to drive their M4A2E8 instead. It might be just as well, I'm 6', bigger than I think the T-55 was designed for.
Hi chieftain, I'm senior in high school and I accepted into AROTC.. I was wondering how hard is it to get into armour as an officer and was wondering how you did became one! Any information helps!
If you do get a commission as an Armor Officer thank your lower enlisted support cadre at ABOLC. They go through a lot of shit to accommodate your training and miss a lot of family time to make it happen. I used to work there and have a lot of friends who still do.
Chief as another theroy could've the oh crap bars been have been for when the crew moved around the either changing their positions or getting in or out of the tank.
The Russian's actually did experiments with even smaller tanks but there was never enough "little people" to field more then a very few armored fighting groups.
Okay, go to a three man crew when a crew member goes down, what do you do with the crew member who was occupying that spot? Assuming they're dead or injured?
I served as a gunner in T55 86-87. As a fighting force. T55 could run much more quickly than 35 km/h. We were jumping sometimes 1m high on terran. Can you imagine the loader without any clinging!? Driver has his poles, gunner has the stabi and sights to fix his hand, commander has his periscope, loader had just his one clinging ;) In our version of t55 the commander had his own turret, could turn, as i remember he could sign a target and the main turret turned to the signed direction, he could shot the main gun also. Stabilizator kept the gun on the target even if the tank turned or the terrain was bumpy. T55 had automatic atomic and chemical protection sys, and fire protection system. Well, practiced loader could load 5.4s at least our ones. Limit to onboard the whole crew from a line in front of the tank, to close rhe hatches was 8s. Gunner and commander on the same! All the handguns, submachineguns, machine gun and the wedge lock had to be able to be repair blindfolded during given times. We had 18s to change the firing pin of the AMD 65. As i remember the shrapnel ammo was 38kg, not easy to play with it, especially not on the field in action. It was very noisy inside, sometimes painful. I useg wax balls beside the special "helmet" but sometimes I cried from the pain. I was the closest to the motor.
You was a gunner how would you have any idea how fast you was going?
One correction, the button on TC sight isn't intercom switch, it's actually a target - marker, when TC push the button, the turret will rotate to match at bearing of TC sight. it's a 1st gen hunter-killer system. It's done by sending a electrical signal to turret motor.
The intercom switch is on crew headset.
Well, there goes the gunner's extra leg room...
@@bollywig7871 It is used only in battle.
Honestly? The T-55A having such a thing was not something I was expecting. Explains why my country keeps over 100 of the damn things in reserve.
Chieftain,my father said(according to his former commander,who happened to be my grandfather from my mother's side) those handles were very useful for opening beer :D
By the way,I think you saw the russian tankers headgear.It doesn't offer you much protection,when someone suddenly headbutt thirty-tons of steel.That's why they install those handles.And that's why my grandfather had a second scar in his head.
For those, who are interested: Some stencils on the driver's panel are damaged but with some imagination they say:
Spúšťač - starter
Tlak oleja - oil pressure
Teplota výstupného oleja - oil temperature at output
Teplota výstupnej vody - water temperature at output
they are in slovak language as well as are the stencils on the fuse panel for lights
Word "stiskni" on the voltage/current gauge means "push" and is in czech language.
Same goes for gunners position - table on the main gun control is in czech language, another table with selector of the main gun and MG are in slovak.
I suppose that this mix comes from parts built in different parts of czechoslovakia - both slovak and czech and then assembled together.
Interesting to see that left-hand push of the round into the breech. Still puzzles me, how these tanks can have ROF of 7-9 rounds a minute in the game ... way higher than 107mm equipped US and british counterparts. :-)
That's because in WOT making the game balanced as far as mechanics of the program is concerned trumps reality. As an example how many times have you ever seen a vehicle do a tight turn and through track?
My commander in the army used to be a T-55 tankie before they transferred him to the infantry. He mentioned that, because there was no turret basket, besides having a firing safety switch (which they used to call "isključivač", freely translated as the "off switch-er") that blocks powered turret traverse, the loader also had a safety hand brace. As he mentioned, there are only 2 safe positions for the loader to be in during combat, and that both these positions required him to hold the hand braces, unless he wants his arms/legs got sheered off by the turret ring/ breech recoil.
Frankly, this is all very vague information- I'm a dirt kisser, not a tanker, and I've only been in a couple of old scrapped T-55, so don't count on it being reliable info.
THERE IS BASKET IN 54, 55 AND 62
@@alexspielberg4090 ..depends
As a late 70's M-60A1 tanker we were always told that Russian tankers were very short. By watching your video I think they were right.
They liked to use Siberians and other Asians because they were considerably shorter on average.
+Hugh Batesel yep that was a common practice... basically, if you happened to be taller than 170, you ain't going into the tankers
I'm a British tank crewman, about 6' tall. I have trouble getting in to a T54/55 (or T62) and being able to operate it. I believe the max height for a Soviet crewman was about 5' 6".
The ammo stowage is horrible on it.
With Chieftain I've had three rounds in the air at once (ok, we cheated on loading).
One of our gunnery instructors was also an instructor on T62s. Apparently they have a very simple, but fairly effective system. With Chieftain I can decide where to hit, a T62 is happy with a hit.
The modern official Russian army rules provide that tankmen cannot be taller than 175 cm.
@@peterking2651 at the time that the T-54/55 was in active russian service, Nato tanks were like surgeons with sabot and the russian tanks just aimed centre mass.
"Now we'll try the driver's hull"
I'm thinking, this is gonna be good.
*sees Chief absolutely wedged in there*
Yup, it's good!
+WindmillStalker
I believe it was "drivers *hole*", not "hull".
+WindmillStalker i think most of us are here to see Chief attempting to climb into the driver compartment
MrSoulphoenix
Well, he did look pretty uncomfortable in there. I guess the only way to drive that thing would be if his knees where close to his ears. 8D
+WindmillStalker I link people to this video when they indignantly insist that the Soviets did not, in fact, have any kind of mandatory height limit for their tankists. I realize they're just doing the "Russian kneejerk" in response to criticism of the Rodina, but still, "comrade, please". haha
I'm pretty sure it'd be impossible for Nicholas to be combat capable (forget combat EFFECTIVE) in a T-55 filled with 3 other guys and an ammo load. In the TC position, the poor guy's feet are on the GUNNER's footrests and if he was wearing a helmet he wouldn't even be able to get the hatch shut!
I suspect the intercom cut off is to protect other crew against someone banging their head and screaming.
Apart from the space issues, and thats a tradeoff of having the low profile, it doesn't look to bad for a late 40's-early 50's design.
Which of course is exactly what it is.
In most respects, it's the Russian Centurion or the Russian M-48. I was generally impressed with the layout. Where the tank really falls short compared to Western tanks is its total disregard for crew safety.
@@folgore1 Such as?
"firefighting vehicles" *picture of a flamethrower tank*
+Rexery66 ever heard "fight fire with fire" :P
+Sky Scraper21 you jest but there is some viability to the term. in an enclosed space it actually works. it uses oxygen deprivation as the means to kill the fire altogether. it's not the ideal way to fight a fire, but in a pinch in the right situation, it does actually work.
it can be used in unenclosed spaces to stop the spread of forest fires, the basic principal is if you burn down a section of forest in advance of the oncoming fire storm you will be able to ensure it doesn't spread any further through deprivation of fuel
+Sky Scraper21 How do you put out the fire you used to burn down that section of the forest?
with more fire, eventually you'll stop the fire or burn down the forest, but never give up comrade!
Another useful coverage of an iconic tank and chassis for a medium weight combat vehicle family. I'm glad to hear you speak of this particular weapons system with respect. Thanks for posting!
Well, regardless of any actual knowledge of armored vehicles, their operation and what not, I can at least say I'm happy with this video as I saw I'm not the only one who talks with inanimate objects when I want them not to roll off of something. And it proved it worked, the shell stayed in it's rack.
We had T-55 turrets installed in concrete as coastal defence guns. The loader had more space since the ammo was stowed below in a full-height bunker room and lifted up for the loader in a cradle lift through a trap door in the cage floor, next to the gun. The cradle held the round in a 45-degree nose-down position and came up roughly to the loaders waist , so all he had to do was lift the round up and load it. The lift was manually operated by two guys below and came up very quickly, so the loader had a safety button on the floor that he had to stand on before the lift could be operated -- otherwise he was in danger of getting the rear end of the rising round straight in the family jewels. They didn't tell us whether that button was the result of good planning or painful experience...
Best episode yet! Can't believe you actually got into the driverseat, that's tight!
These videos are really well made and are informative thanks!
Got a "Drive a Tank" experience for Christmas and the choice is a BMP or a T55. Now I know what to expect in a T55.......
great vids, keep em coming! :-)
Having watched Beast of War a bunch of times, everything on the inside looks so familiar...
Heh heh, good movie! Didn't really convey the crampedness of the tank, though.
That's actually a tank which was captured by the IDF, which was then modified to IDF standards, with a new main gun, the 105mm, and put into IDF service.
That is like saying that all women are the same: its true but not nice thing to say.
One of my favorite reviews.
I know that many of the tanks in reviews have no power but a view of how they look with hatches closed would be great. Seeing the instrumentation lit up and getting a better feeling of how cramped the space is would interesting.
as a rough guess from an engineering students point of view, the gearing system you mentioned with its odd layout is possibly due to 2 reasons, either its a design limitation meaning the gears had to be arranged in that particular order which isnt your conventional layout you would see in a standard car. Or, the other reason, mainly to do with the reverse gear being center forward, is to make it easier the shift the tank into reverse gear quickly and easily when under fire. just simply grab the stick, clutch down, slam the gear stick center forward and get the hell out of dodge.
also with the handles for each crew member in the turret, i can definitely say that those are more than likely for crewmen to hold onto when going over rough terrain and stop themselves from jerking around and avoid hitting their head on something. nothing that is placed into a tank even if it looks like some pointless handle, has some use or other.
I really love the way you try to put your 6 foot + frame into the tanks that were designed for smaller people
Excellent video. This anecdotal but is supported by the layout of the tank: combat performance during the 70s and 80s by crews in the Middle East suffered considerably due to the mental and physical fatigue they experienced in what can only be described as an excruciating interior. It is interesting how you can contrast this with the IS 7 review and again, you can see some of the indicators Soviet designers followed to the exclusion of crew comfort. Thumbs up!
Missiles normal carry is 4 or 5 at most due to cost and time needed as some come in two parts that are assembled as needed downside is they take up storage space and can be very finicky about getting bumped once assembled.
The gear pattern weirldy makes a fair bit of sence. All you need to use are at the extreme ends. If you need 1st gear, you'll be still and can easily put a bit of tought on shifting. But when you are on the move, no need for presise movement, just shove it as far as it goes.
That "cylinder" beneath the commanders feet, is pre-heater. And the idea "man" type for loader is left-handed powerlifting midget. The handle in the loaders position is surprisingly, for holding on to something. Who would have thought of that?
Yep the ideal loader is usually a power lifting midget who may or may not be on steroids. Yet strangely the fastest loader I've ever seen was actually a tall lanky guy kind of like chieftain up there. Guy put 11 rounds down the tube in about a minute and a half most of which were HEAT. This was on an Abrams about 3 years ago during gunnery table 12.
By what I've heard, the fastest loader on the T-55 in Finnish service actually was a weight-lifting Olympic gold medalist.
@@jarmokankaanpaa6528 BEST !
Just gonna say, I LOVE the TG Hilux mention there and as well in keeping with the durability of Russian designs I find that short of just melting the whole thing down all you would need is some diesel, a mallet, and maybe a torch and you'll be able to bring it back to life, just like an old Hilux.
My guess is that the handle for the loader is to hold while the tank is traveling over rough ground.
Regards,
Geoff. Reeks
NO, ITS TO SERVE AS A POINT TO HOLD ON TO WITH THE RIGHT HAND, WHILST OPENING THE BREECH BY THE LEFT HAND
Love dis guy! Thanks again for the upload Chief...
Those are called "Oh Shit!" handles lol.
I was just watching video of the Qala-i-Jangi Prison Uprising in Nov 01 The US special forces and CIA with the Northern Alliance had a single Uzbek T-55 which was firing into the complex, this would be an example of when a T-55 as old as it is would be very valuable.
Great series! :D
Any chance you'll be doing stuff from Saumur's tank museum? Like that running Tiger II?
Heck, even a video giving an overview of the museum would be cool (only been there once, almost a decade ago; missed out on seeing the Tiger II & other stuff running during their annual Carrousel)
Awesome work as always chief :) Really love this vehicle. Like the Sherman, it served with distinction in various countries for decades. And oh my - is that the M47 I spot at the end? Looking forward to the video! (And maybe, the M48 and M60A3 would come next, ja?)
Thank you, I really enjoyed that. Seeing inside and loading the shell was very informative. Thank you.
always makes me happy when you put out a new video
I absolutely love these videos. Very thorough, loads of information, a decent amount of humor, and you're easier to listen to than Challenger (just don't like his voice for some reason).
Probably a dumb question given that its still in service, but is there any possibility of you doing one of these with an Abrams?
Beautifully preserved.
Hi Chieftain, The button in the commander's sight is a gunner override switch : Together with the possibility to traverse the turret, the commander could also seek for targets independently from the gunner. With a push of a button located on the left handle of the TPKU-2b device, the turret swung into the center of the commander's TPKU-2b visor lines not only in horizontal plane, but in vertical too. The turret swung with maximum recommended speed on the view line of the commander and stopped with correspondence of the visor lines.
Source : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-54/55_Fire_Controls
I was thinking .. maybe the weird gear stick layout was to accommodate fast switching between 1 and reverse.
Nyet no step back for stalin
The odd gearing layout, and I'm just speculating here, might be down to how often would the tank go into 4 and 5? I'm guessing mostly on road travel, where it doesn't go up or down a lot. So the need to gear to 4 and 5 is probably less than gearing to Reverse. Hence putting Reverse in 'front' of them.
This is naturally very odd to a modern person, but I wouldn't be surprised to find a similar setup on old tractors.
Got a old ford tractor and its gearing of 1,2,3 then reverse
NO, JUST A GEARBOX DESIGN
Hi Chieftain, you went to Bovington, did you do any filming for Inside the Hatch their?
+Zach Glen I did do one vehicle. But we were there for other reasons.
+TheChieftainWoT Are you going to do a series there? I would love to see a jagdtiger from inside the hatch :)
+snipermakedonski The Biritsh WoT dude has already done it IIRC.
+Cohac yea but i want a proper full on review like from the chieftan, not a glance over like those videos.
+snipermakedonski Yea, the British guy isn't very good. His review of Panzer 4 was horrible , he just spoke a few words for it and that was it (for iconic vehicle as the Mk 4). Jagdtiger was overall not bad , but it can be much better.
can you find a centurion 7 to take a look around it would be neat to have videos on soviet american and British designs from similar time periods!
After re-watching several of these older videos, I have come to the conclusion that you need to do follow up videos with several Mini Me Chieftains to show how a crew of average sized (i.e. small) tankers would fit in some of these tanks.
and no BLOODY music!
Great video as always, shame about that bloody non-stop 'music' in the background!
Awesome series Guys... Always say "Yes...!" when the next episode comes in. Thanks and keep up the great work!!! ^_^
Love these videos . . . i wish you would make some more and with shorter intevals between them!
So before ww2 the Poles invented a periscope that could be flipped to look rearward so you didn't have to turn it all the way around, and i gather they were pretty much standard issue on most WW2 tanks. So i find hard to believe that they gave the T-55 "no rearward visibility".
I believe the compasses in Soviet tanks are gyro-compasses, not magnetic compasses. Sort of an early version of the inertial navigation systems (INS) in fighter aircraft or smart bombs.
Chieftain, thanks for the Video. I really like this Tank Videos. Please keep on doing it.
Looks like oh shit handles. Specially the one for the loader. You also did say that the vehicle is kind of a rough ride. A hand held seems to make sense to me.
Countries like Slovenia actually still use it in a heavily modernised variant.
+Teutone I don't think so. The main battle tank in Slovenia is M-84, which is heavily modernised variant of T-72. :) You can see it in a short video on my channel.
Titan191 I'm pretty sure they have both. There are photos on Google if you type in Slovenia T55, it's unmistakably smaller than the M84
.
+Teutone I checked now on the official army web page, and they really do use some T-55's with ERA, so I take my statement back ;)
I said they don't have them because I was once in an event that was held in one of our (Slovenian) army bases where they keep all the tanks, and I didn't see any T-55's. Well atleast I learned something new...
Titan191 Iv'e seen one at a defense trade show where they were marketing the upgrade program for the T55. I think particularly the modernization to the targeting system.
+Titan191 yeah you did pretty good job with your 55s, wish we in Serbia do something with ours... we have more than 200 pieces just laying around...
the handle is simply for the crew to hang on when the tank is going through rough terrain
I'm guessing the handles are for crew members to hold onto so they have a place to anchor themselves, maybe during motion for stability, hills?
how can you get better than a tank with whitewall roadwheels? I still think those look super sharp. They used to do the same on steam locomotives. It seems to go well with many wheels.
About time cheif, what took so long? Usually the second part comes out in a week or so. Anyways awesome video as always. While you are on cold war icons, do the t72. If you think the t55 turret is cramped, boy the t72 will redefine cramp
Maybe he got stuck inside the tank...
+Soham Sarfare I've had the 'pleasure' of sitting inside a T-72 in the gunner's position and in the driver's seat. That redefined my understanding of claustrophobia, and I'm not a big lad (170cm, or about 5'7").
+Soham Sarfare That Autoloader is a bitch for comfort.
+Firefly i believe the high limit for a T72 driver was 5 foot 5 inches or something of that nature
+Redneck Fury Not surprised, even with my small stature I barely fit in the hatch. Once I got inside it wasn't all that bad, but I can't imagine how difficult it must be to leave the tank when it brews up.
Can we see the universal carrier.
Yes, please!
i think the chief would need a microscope
I believe the handle that is located on the turret wall in the loader's position is for the loader to give him more leverage in ramming the round into the breech. Since it's a position where the loader would load using his left arm/hand and put his right hand on the grab bar and slam er home.
Loader handle -
1. Your ram the round into the breech with left hand, while holding the handle with right.
2. Then you pushed in the Loader safety switch ( located on the right of the breech) in with your left hand
3. Finally, you held that dumb handle with both hands to ensure the loader was out of the recoil path.
4. The loader finally shouts " loader safe".
The drill ( and holding the dumb handle with both hands) ensured loader safety.
Having just come out of ww2, the soviets should have known better about the importance of internal ergonomics and crew comfort in a tank. They prioritized a low profile too much by sacrificing the former aspects, to the detriment of those who took this tank to battle.
They absolutely did not. As Chieftain pointed out you have to be a dwarf by dutch standards (especially the TC) but everything is well laid out otherwise and the average height in USSR at the time was 170cm anyway, not as big of an issue as people tend to think.
thesovietarmourblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/t-54.htm scroll down to ergonomics if you want to know more
Can you please take a look at the Spähpanzer 1 C/Spähpanzerjäger? I know its not in Bovington, but if you could, please do.
Nice to see a tank from Slovakia....
Well it isn't
you can pull down on the TCs periscope and look backwards that way
Long awaited video, When's the next episode?
The archival footage shows that Russian tank crew were quite short. I'd suspect they had a maximum height restriction on tank crewmen.
Well you mentioned the Romanians version which is the ultimate version of the T55 called the TR-85M1. It adds a new 100 gun rear turret bustle and applique armour and the hull is lengthened with an extra road wheel each side. On exercise a year or two ago with the American army they beat the Abrams crews in mock combat. So an old tank modernised with a good crew is capable of defeating the mighty fuel thirsty Abrams tank.
tasman006 probably more to the story
A wonderful tour. thank you.
And once again the Soviet ocd desire to put ammo wherever it will physically fit is revealed. Also for the compass I don't know about how it works in the tank but Boat compasses use correcting magnets if I remember right.
It's a small tank and the dome turret further restricts interior volume - it's not so much a case of putting ammo where it fits for the hell of it but because that's the only way of carrying any ammo at all. The original T-55 carried 34 shells, which was increased to 45 by removing the hull machine gun. For comparison, the Leopard 1 carries 55 main gun rounds, the Centurion 62 and the M60A1 carries 63.
Correct me if I'm wrong but wazsn't this the one that was in "The Beast"? If so this really gives you a better idea of how cramped things are that you don't get in the movie.
+William Rolston Similar. The Beast was a Tiran tank, an Israeli modification of a captured vehicle
loco ya no dejan mas video en español?
This cylinder of sorts is actually the engine pre-heater. :) PS. This must be an early T-55A, hole for the bow machine gun and R-113 radio set suggest that.
The pre heater had an oil and water pipeline to liquify and warm up both engine oil and cooling system before attempting to start the tank.
great video. could you do a video on the m4 Sherman.
Love to see it, great work bros!!!
I see why the turret likes to pop off even after what seem like glancing hits by an ATGMs in Syria, all the ammo is basically just all around the turret exposed.
2:18 -- stirrup to exit, or set foot against if seated atop the open hatch as well, perhaps?
19:45 that was NOT what I had in mind when he said "firefighting"-vehicles O.O
fire fightingvehicle
Old T-55 crewman here... Those ''handles'' are actually vodka dispensers, comrade.
what unit
+Tele Player You don't get that kind of comfort as a Russian crewman.
+Tele Player we Brits get a toaster for the crumpets too, plus the tea pot...
Really?
Liar! Everyone knows that it was the commanders job to pour everyone a shot after every kill and before every battle
i got into one yesterday and i cant imagine how small you have to be so you can drive that tank i mean i am 177cm and still my head was out and i cant fit :D
The temperature displays are probably "oil" and "water", as suggested by "oleja" and "voda" labels.
Hey Chief ! Gotta ask, the german tanks like the Panther, Königstiger, Tiger 1, did they had nightvision scopes? Thanks !
They had infrared spotlights that functioned somewhat like primitive Night vision but it wasn't quite like true NV devices.
@JayJay-vs5nl Passive infrared systems consist of both a spotlight and a receiver optic. They are not NV/Low Light Vision devices. These are two different systems that work on two different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Really want to see the inside of the IS-3, or a T-10.
+FedorovAvtomat Or IS-2 as well! Too bad there aren't any in the US...
Whenever I see those old vidio's of T54 drivers or operators I see mittens on their hands. I wonder, are those supplied to the crew or are they more creature comfort things.
Thank you for another video, Chieftain! The T-55 is an indispensable part of tank history.
I actually was supposed to have the opportunity to operate one of these at Drive a Tank, but their T-55 was in the shop with mechanical issues so I was allowed to drive their M4A2E8 instead. It might be just as well, I'm 6', bigger than I think the T-55 was designed for.
Yo cheify, you ever thought about blagging a trip to Saumur in France? King Tiger? ELC AMX?
+Mickleblade Considering the size and armor of the ELC, I think The Chieftain will exit the tank with the turret attached to him.
+Demolition Mike
"will exit the tank with the turret attached to him."
Chief in his final form, I suppose.
Sir, could you do an episode on the Sherman? Love the series
Will we see the mighty SU-100Y on this show?
"Short people... ain't got no reason... to li-ive..." Except for the T-55, Mr. Newman.
Hi chieftain, I'm senior in high school and I accepted into AROTC.. I was wondering how hard is it to get into armour as an officer and was wondering how you did became one! Any information helps!
If you do get a commission as an Armor Officer thank your lower enlisted support cadre at ABOLC. They go through a lot of shit to accommodate your training and miss a lot of family time to make it happen. I used to work there and have a lot of friends who still do.
Chief as another theroy could've the oh crap bars been have been for when the crew moved around the either changing their positions or getting in or out of the tank.
Can you do a ARL 44
Is there a bag/box for catching spent casings from the main gun?
That compass looks to be a GPK-48 gyrocompass.
A T55 has a Four on the Floor ?! "Hey, buddy, wanna drag?"
oh yeah a nother 20min of tank awesomeness !
is that a Gvozdika beside the T-55A?
+Wolvenworks Yup. He did a snapshot review of that, too.
Can you get inside the Panzer III or the Stug 3 PLEASE
These sticks: Add a button on the top and a wire - there is your intercom switch!
i believe those handles are the intercom, missing the button of course
+wikikomoto Crew has intercom switchbox attached to the wall. There is no button on the handles, nor any wires.
The Russian's actually did experiments with even smaller tanks but there was never enough "little people" to field more then a very few armored fighting groups.
as for the missing clock, a oil temperature meter, perhaps ?
Thank you for sharing. The music became kind of annoying when you re talking.
As usual very good video
Okay, go to a three man crew when a crew member goes down, what do you do with the crew member who was occupying that spot? Assuming they're dead or injured?
Three-man crew is usually an administrative thing: one member is on leave, sick or unavailable.
So the tank leave the base with the gunner seat empty.
We’re not Soviet Tank crews restrict in height? I seen some experts say 5’6” to 5’9”.
Which is the current average height in russia, never mind 1950's USSR.
Have you ever got stuck in a tank?