Ukraine's Ancient Tanks - The T-55 Fights Again!
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- Опубліковано 30 бер 2023
- Ukraine has deployed a heavily-upgraded version of the old Soviet T-55, a tank that first appeared in 1945. Discover the story of the M-55S, with 28 serving in the Ukrainian Army today.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA, is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
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Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; Ukrainian Army; Slovenian Armed Forces; Forbes
A war featuring drones and guided missiles on the same battlefield as Mosins, Maxim machine guns and t-55 tanks. What a time to be alive
The trick in Ukraine is to ensure you use those things to *stay* that way
Not to mention conditions that look like ww1.
Some weird cyber-diesel-punk universe we live in.
@@scratchy996 ikr
It's like a game of 'Warthunder'!
Imagine being a Soviet tanker in the 1950s, knowing your tank would be put back into service to fight a war that breaks out in the early 2020s
They probably thought we'd have hover tanks by now lol.
@Tom Kazansky or that the war takes place on the moon or something
tbh it's crazy that a war even broke out in Europe in 2022
@@elacme626not really. It does every century
@@AbuHajarAlBugatti But Europe is different than other places. Now in Europe there is basically a war between first world countries.
It reminds me of an incident which occured in my home town back in the early '90s. We have a large shopping mall, which caught fire. As the fire spread, more fire departments responded, but they still needed more equipment and personnel. They began pulling trucks out of storage. It was like watching a history film being rewound, as trucks and equipment from the 1960's, then the '50s, the '40s and finally, pre-war mid 1930's fire trucks which would normally be used in parades showed up. Each truck being driven by older and older retired firemen who knew how to shift old, straight cut gear transmissions. None of the younger firemen knew anything about double clutching.
Absolutely mad, that would've made some great great pictures
Well "If it works, it works". Same with this tanks they dont need to be in the front but it can still haul and carry trools and baggages so its still useful
in the Netherland we still have some steampowered water pumping stations, they are in museums but function as a backup in extremely wet conditions to add capacity to the electric stations, these thing are from around 1800
@@DOI_ARTS they use too much fuel, need too many people, and are way slower, plus maintenance for that
@@lt.lasereyez8891 wow, that is pretty cool. I remember during 9/11, the authorities were trying to evacuate people from lower Manhattan. The U. S. Coast Guard put out an urgent request for boats. There was an old fireboat in a museum up the Hudson river. It hadn't been out on the water in years. Museum volunteers manned her and she came down the river to help evacuate people. When fire officials saw her, they asked her to use her old pumps and help with the major fires burning all over the place. After all those decades of being in a museum her pumps still operated, but the valves were stuck. They were able to stick plastic water bottles into the valves to direct water into the fire hoses.
Goes to show how in a time of scarcity, a weapon is still a weapon - whether it was built yesterday or 120 years ago. I am sure in WWII, there were examples of ever more ancient weapons being used in the rear and reserve units.
The vickers and lewis machine guns are an example of that.
bayonets
the longbow in ww2
The Soviets came across destroyed ww1 British Mark V tanks during the battle for Berlin, maybe they were used as a last ditched attempt as well
In world war one it was not uncommon for single shot black powder guns like the Remington Rolling Block, Martini-Henry to come out of storage for guards and reserve units. The channel C&Rsenal does a wonderful dive into the history of creation, engineering, adoption and usage for each weapon in that war. It was a mad scramble to deal with an attritional war nobody had ever considered the extent of before, so everything that could be used, was. A church bell over 400 years old in Germany was melted down because they needed the iron, the town held a funeral ceremony for it as it was one of their proudest possessions.
At this rate i'm half expecting to see a T34-85 with Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor on it
A sight to be seen.
Now we are seeing Ukrainian leopard 2a7's being fitted with kontakt-1 era,god help us all.
at this rate I'm expecting Russia and Ukraine to bring back the WW1 Mark V's as that's where most of the remaining ones are.
@@darthvader4594 oh I just saw it today and it looks amazing 🤣. It's one way to try and prevent cook-offs due to the position of the ammo. I wonder how it will look on a challenger 2 ?
@@davidrenton I bet they already have been used as decoys
The T-55 fights again...? Comrade. The T-55 is unique. It never stopped fighting.
best ever, small versatile, i love that tank
beautiful, magnificent stallion of the old world but still viable today, it can actually side shot t-72s and ZTZ tanks with even just a WWII style armor piercing high explosive shell, which has no HEAT charges, no super kinetic penetrators, no discarding sabots, just plain old giant hulking projectile punching it's way through steel. Which it has done in some cases, piercing and blowing up T-72s by hitting the side in the Ukraine war.
Putin - "Write that down! Write that down!"
Russians use T-55 like MOBILE ARTILLERY NOT AS CLASIC TANK..
RUSSIANS HAVE LOT OF T-72 ,T-80 AND T-90..
TGOSE T-55 are behind first line using as artilerry vehicle....because its easy target....coplet mehanical tank without electrons and protection....
T-55 have good protection of nullear atack....one of the best of alll time...but they dont have activ armor against antitank rockets....thats why they usemthemmas artillery..
@@vladimirbilbija9596 pusti buraz neka se lože da su rusi propali, dok ih rusi ne popale.
You are producing a war documentary before our eyes, chapter by chapter. This is extraordinary.
what are you his personal little taint tickler?
@@wordofswords5386 i will tickle your taints
@@wordofswords5386 are we not allowed to express appreciation?
To be fair, these T-55 tanks are like the proverbial "grandfather's axe": where almost everything has been swapped out for newer and better systems, even the armour has been upgraded with ERA panels.
Or Trigger's broom .
Russia's reactive armor has been shown to be little more than rubber panels. These tanks were not stored away properly as Russia never intended to use them again. They didn't recycle them as that costs money.
@@Mokimanify He was talking about the M55-S.
Gun, base armor, engine, transmision, suspension, tracks, machine guns - all is original.
Only optics and FCS, but it is crucial upgrade.
The only thing really missing is a better stabilization of the gun.
@@Mokimanify that’s not true at all.
45 years of Cold War weapons stockpiles burned through in 2 years of hot war and at the same time jumpstarting drone development. And at the same time seeing guided weapons in a trench warfare setting. What a crazy war.
Stationed in West Germany in 1986-89. I could see that if our Cold War ever went hot.
We would be throwing rocks soon after contact. We just didn’t have the replenishment stocks at hand.
The worst war scenario we could think of, was the Soviets charging across the border with no obvious build up or warning.
@@tigershark7155 I was stationed in Berlin from 92 to 94 and we were told we were just a speed bump for the Soviets.
new COD might just be top 5 COD games
It's only been 1 year, unless you count it from 2014 when it all kicked off for the DPR. I also don't think that Russia have burned through their cold war storage either. We say it about the missiles but they keep flying.
the thing its after 1990 the wealthier nato-west europe countries dissarmed themselfs, seeling their cold war main weapon systems and selling or using for training purposes the old ammunitions for them without buying new ones. they buy only small numbers of modern weapon systems with limited ammunitions becouse they are expencive and none beleive they could get in a war in europe again! they thought only peacekeeping missions would be realistic. germany and holland they dissarmed them selfs for most part. only some european countries like Greece retain their cold war arsenal and even expanded it becouse the possibility of a Turco-greek war its more than possible. but even greece, sold some of its cold war arsenal becouse of new treaties like the treaty for banning the antipersonel mines, we got ridd more than 500.000 antipersonel mines, and we even in the post 1990 atmosphere of new long peace we sold and melt old tanks like M-48/M-60 for few thousand of euros, instead of long stored them, now we wonder if we made the corect decition! yes all want the new modern stuff, but they get so expencive that a MBT now costs 10-15 million dollars! small countries cannot pey for that! and if your in a long war you must use all the equipment that could be usefull no matter what age their at. also in some cases the cold war ammunitions were not in endless quantities, we buy 501 BMP-1 from germany in 1994. they come with all their ammo germany had stockpilled. their 73mm ammo were only 250 shells for every vehicle, enough for a short term war, but not enough for a war that last years! and if that was the cold war East german stockpiled ammo, i wonder how many less shells the modern vehicles have? Tank shells had jump in price from 1500 euro equivalent in 1990 per shell, in 6000+ euro today per shell!.
In times of war, there are no obsolete things as long as they are useful in one way or other. Great video Dr. Felton!
That’s true in times when there is no war either.
Russia is hailed as a super power
Them using T55 is like the US using M48s
@@Omni_Shambles They're old both ways, but it's kinda pathetic for a nation that big to lose so many tanks they have to bring out T-55s to fill in the gaps, especially when their modern tanks still lagged decades behind the standards set by other nations.
This is super relevant as old weapon systems are re-appearing in Ukraine to deal with the drones, like quad maxims and hunting shotguns
@@tomhenry897 Russia is not 35 trillion in debt either
Miniaturization of electronics means that things like thermal vision scopes can be installed in older tanks. It should also be noted that tanks have mostly been used for things like infantry support and breaching of defenses rather than for tank vs tanks battles. The older tanks are capable and it is the reason why they were stored rather than scrapped.
Even much later tanks like T-72 have terrible sights, rangefinders, communications. They all were outdated in 80-s. But T-55 is a slight modification of T-54 of 1946. Adding lack of trained tankers the situation looks terrible. Actually, people in T-55 are kamikadze.
Agree, it may be outdated as mbt, but with a few upgrades they are still good gun platforms for infantry support..
@@grootjohnmorrison4165not really, as in Ukraine there is a rather significant over abundance of man portable antitank weaponry that old school steel armor is woefully under equipped to deal with, and adding some contact 1 won’t solve the problem of tandam or top attack weapons. The gun is an old 100mm and it’s 115mm on the t62 these guns have exceptionally poor performance against composite armor and the HE shells they can use will be significantly less effective than modern ones. A major issue these vehicles face is that because they are so old and went out of service so long ago there is not going to be almost any decent ammo for them that incorporates all the massive advances made to ammunition since they went out of service. The only reason they are used is desperation (on both sides). Russia uses them as artillery because Russia is running out of 152mm and 155mm shells and wants to dip into another ammunition supply that has not yet been used and they need to replace the barrels on all their artillery as each gun is eating through barrel life at a rather terrifying rate. Using the old tanks as SPGs is not great but it’s a way to add some firepower while they try to fix the real artillery and Ukraine is using them because they would probably field an IS-3 if they found one just to get anything and everything they can into the field as they are desperate for armor support
It's fairly common in the military aviation community to use old equipment, but most of these aircraft have had most of the structures, powerplants, and avionics changed and upgraded multiple times. It is not the age of the equipment, but rather the current capabilities and the training of its user.
Yeah look at the b52. That plane is on version g or something like that.
They shouldn’t be at this point yet if their loses they are reporting are true
You are confused. Old air equipment it is active in their original role. T54 it is being used as mobile artillery, and main reason it is cos they have huge ammounts of 100mm ammo that russia no longer use. At 6 km of the front, they can be very usefull. Otherwise would be just making maintannance cost
It’s oddly ironic that the T-55 are being replaced with the British version, designed to take them out. Fascinating.
I always knew we should have kept some Centurions around.
Just like a lot of Western weapon systems used by Ukraine are utilized along their ideal enemies. The NLAWs and Javelin missiles are used along the armoured vehicles that their "smart" warheads are programmed to recognize and hit in a top attack fashion. Such an occurance isn't rare at all when it comes to countries bordering Russia and as a Finnish CV90 crewman it always felt funny that, our main rival both within our own forces and among the potential enemy is the same BMP-2.
tiran5/tiran6 tanks already did it.
i believe the m55 is based on the same principles.
@@loupgarou-dj3tm too bad British army is selling does tanks and AIFV to Private museum or person thats why lots of UA-camr in Uk want to own Tanks
Remember that tank in Rambo 3 during the night raid? That was a Syrian T-62 captured by Israel. Now those things I saw as a child are now taken out of museums and movie makers' garage and back to combat.
The M55S isn't the only modernized T55 in service. Vietnam has most of their tank fleet as upgraded T54/T55s as well and those were in active service for decades now.
Doesn't vietnam have a ton of m41s too?
And it makes sense for them. What I don't understand is the Ramses II. They took the T-55, chopped it, and added another wheel... Is it really worth doing all that? I'd rather just get Leopard 1s at that point.
I believe these are the very same tanks 5:42
Sri Lanka too
@@ABCantonese nope, the Ramses II is just a M60/T-55 hybrid
So weird to see slovenia being mentioned in a mark felton video so happy my homeland is being mentioned in this masterpiece!
5:47 "thats a story for another time"
I look forward to more of your stories, Dr. Felton, love the educational content
I swear the music that you use to start every video is always stuck in my head 😂
You have my sympathies!
In the '80s, I worked for a company that remade a T-55, adding road wheels and a 950hsp diesel along with a 105mm. Looks like an M-48, Eugpt wanted to see what it would be like.
Gonna take a wild guess that the Slovenian T55's are in slightly better nick then the ones that have been sitting in a Russian depot for the last 40 years
Yeah, they were prettier much mint condition.
Slovenia scored a really good deal here. They were trying to sell those M-55s for about $30k each and nobody wanted to buy them, so they offered to give them to Ukraine in exchange for Germany to give them Leopards to replace them. The Germans didn't budge so they offered them Brand New 8x8 Rheinmetall trucks that are worth 1 million each. The entire lot of M-55s isn't even worth $1 million and the Germans are giving them 40 trucks that are each worth $1 million. That's a sweet deal for Slovenia.
If no one wanted to buy them that mean there was no market for them back then. Now there obviously is market! Hmm. When I google I see that in 2018 one tank with ammunition was sold for $800k. And at same time they were unsuccessfully selling two lots of 13 together for $2.6 million. Are you sure noone wanted to buy them for $30k each? Where did you got this information? 25 years ago Slovenia paid $50 million to upgrade this tanks. If you consider inflation that is over $100 million today. Soon after upgrade they were conservated and meant for strategic reserve.
I'm afraid German truck will not be for free.
@@febo48 his source is trust me bro
Trucks can't shoot projectiles
@@febo48 They were unsuccessfully trying to sell them for quite some time. They had a list price on them, but that doesn't mean anything. If you pay list price you're a sucker. Last year a company I worked for bought some equipement with a list price of 54.000 EUR for 32 K.
What the country paid, doesn't matter. It's the price somebody is willing to pay.
28 tanks in strategic reserve? Some strategy...
Unfortunately Ukraine became a dump site for old junk for nothing more than 'moral' and PR reasons and to justify spending more on new toys.
I love it when old things get modernized
Boomer
We’re you saying this when russia did it too? Or do you only think it’s cool when the ZOG mercenaries for Israel (Ukrainian Army) does it?
You must really love the B52 bomber...or the Chinook helicopter! Recycling/upcycling rules!
Just another GREAT informative video by Mark Felton. I learn so much from this UA-cam channel. 😀
Tanks Mark! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you mr Felton for being so dedicated to being non political and unbiased. The recent war in Ukraine has made it very challenging to find a neutral reporting of this conflict and many others, I applaud you mr Felton!
Not gonna lie, the upgrades on the T-55 look amazing...
But I bet you were one of the ones making fun of Russia for doing it, right?
@@stingingmetal9648 I think all T-55s still look beautiful to this day :((
@@stingingmetal9648 yes. Because the M-55S is better than a T-54B.
Looks like a m24 chafee
@@stingingmetal9648 damn, that's one of the dumbest things Ive read on a while.
What I like about Mark Felton is that he treats all sides with respect and facts
Unless its about the ukrainian war he is not nutral at al.
Then again I asked myself how reliable is this source when it comes to history. Maybe he is another allied or NATO simp.
@@e-0703 He is way more reliable than any other western creator about this subject.
wish we have more content creators like him
but the problem is that Ukraine does not pretend to world domination and creation of multipolar world
@@user-xx5oy7ie7q even if thats the case soo? Is that a reason to be not honest about stuff?
Tanks for uploading that!
Once again an excellent video. I wasn't aware these old MBT's, T 55's, were being upgraded and used.
You may have mentioned it before, but every nation has done this in pretty much every war. Here in America the USS New Jersey was commissioned and decommissioned four times over 50 years, and she is actually still eligible for recommissioning.
@@SoloRenegade -- How is recommissioning a battleship (4 times for 4 wars over 50 years) different than recommissioning a 40 year old tank? The NJ had to be drydocked and refitted completely each time she was brought out of mothballs. Now she's over 80 years old (keel laid in 1940) and a museum ship but she's still on the rolls for possible recommissioning. And that was just one example, it's certainly not the only one.
she is in dock for recoms. been there for 6 months already
@@HadToChangeMyName_UA-camSucks i guess the main difference is that tanks are still prevalent in combat while battleships have been phased out for destroyers and carriers
@@STG42_44 -- She's at the pier made for her in Camden where she's a museum. Where did you get that she's being refitted for recommissioning for the last 6 months? Did a joke of some sort just fly over my head?
I think the chances of seeing an Iowa being pressed back into service is about a 1% chance at best. If we get to the point of desperation that we need to run an 80 year old battleship, we probably don't even have the resources by then to actually be able to reactive one.
I don't know much about tanks. But ships can have a service life that can easily reach that long. My first ship was laid down before D-Day and I served on her in the 90's. My second ship was from the 70's and while no longer on the American fleet, is now serving with another navy.
Hello Professor Felton, yes, the venerable T-55, the staple of Soviet armor in the 50’s 60’s and early 70’s is back again!
Yeah, basically what it is, too. A staple with some treads attached.
Professor at UA-cam University? 😃
Funny thing. The T-34 got a combat upgrade in 2015 (I think). Yemeni Houties were using T-34's normally however finding new ammunition became a very big problem (of course). So they started reloading T-34 shells. Welp after a few crews got a bit toasty because the round wasn't reloaded properly they decided to modify the T-34. They added a lanyard to the main gun trigger and ran it outside the tank to make it safer for the crews firing them.
Panzer IVs were used in the Yom Kippur war in 73. Saddam used T55s in the Iraqi war too.
Dr. Felton, you should do a video on outdated weapons used as last ditch weapons in other conflicts. Like the Lebel 1886 being used in WW2 for example.
Having seen the reports on this war where Ukrainian fighters are driving around in ordinary trucks and cars I can’t but imagine anything is better than the family van.
The family van has many good advantages , the greatest is of being there , then
for your satisfaction , check the " Toyota War " armed pick-up against tanks
@@sparkyfromel
The ever popular Toyota pick up (a terrorist favorite) is in a class by itself.
The upgraded t-55 looks slick
Keep 'em coming Mark!
Thanks for keeping us up to speed
Few military experts talk about production time for replacements, both men and material. It’s easy to run out of anything. 135 f35 are produced each year, 20 m1 tanks per month, a tank crew man takes 6 months to be proficient an f35 pilot @2 years.
"a tank crew man takes 6 months to be proficien"
It takes 6 months of training to not unintentional break the tank! 2 years to master it.
@@thetruth7633 surely not or you draft middle west idiots Swiss soldiers could do that in 17 weeks including all other military aspects
@@thetruth7633 It is actually much easier to get hands on to the T-54/55 tanks.
A brand new M1 has not been made since the early nineties. Upgraded, yes, new, no. And the US has no new MBT's under development, to replace the M1.
20 Abrams tanks a month isn't actually true, the assembly lines were dismantled and only few remain, so it's much lower than 20 a month.
Better to have a tank, any tank, than no tank.
Except for the crew, for whom it is a driving coffin.
@@flitsertheonot much more than walking around
@@AbuHajarAlBugatti I disagree. An infantryman is a less economically viable target than an old MBT. Killing an infantryman as an infantryman is also probably harder than killing an old MBT.
Well, any tank so long as it's got a good reversing speed(!)
Me ww1 tank
Was on a range package on Sennybridge in the early 90's and watched the REME tow a T55 off the range that had rounds bounced off it for a couple of decades, and get it started. These things just work!
Thank You Mr. Mark Felton.
Thnx for the nice video Mark.
If I remember correctly Slovenian Army had them in the storage for the last 20 years. I remember it was sort of a scandal as the government decided to upgraded them in early 2000 and in 2004 we joined NATO and decided that they are too obsolete to be in active service. 2016 they were put on sale but was no interest.
Must be a decade ago, when I was talking with guys serving in old tank units, they had particularly negative feedback on mobility after the upgrade. Tanks gained a lot of weight with the new armor so engine was still underpowered even with extra +300bhp. Not sure if the reverse speed was also increased, could be as the old gearbox was probably replaced with something younger.
Nevertheless, we cannot underestimate those vehicles, they already have some battle experiences, as they plaid their part in the Ten-Day War(Mark my suggestion for the future video :)
The engine was never upgraded. It has the same V55 580HP one as the old T55's
You miss the main reason why the underwent such feat ...Slovenia was under weapons embargo at the time ....and only Israel was willing to help them ....this is why. Slovenia also has 155mm howitzers from Israel
The T-55 from Slovenia is surprisingly modernized.
so Slovenia sold last bits of Yugoslav scrap leftovers, now they will ride armored bycicles if they make some xD
@@plazmica0323 Not exactly .... They have M-84 tanks (not sure about the number but around 55-60)
Great coverage as usual. Give the Ukrainians some credit - I doubt they would plan on using these against more modern tanks but in an infantry support/assault gun role. A 105mm gun will take out a BMP/BTR/APC/Truck etc just as well as a 120mm/125mm.
Wow. Hilarious. “Give Ukraine some credit”? But when Russia does it they should be endlessly insulted? Are Ukrainians magic fairy people who can never do wrong? Or are you just a brainwashed NATO bot
They did try to use them in exactly that role around Kharkov if I recall well. They had some BMP-s accompantying them and some infantry. It did not go well at all. Also as I've heard from a Slovenian aquaintance ... well this video might be kind of inacurate in capabilities of those T-55's and not in a good way.
That's what the Russians will doing also. They still have many many tanks and are able to make and refurbish around 1000 per year from now.
@@markbryant4641 They have different purpose for different types of tanks, even refurbished Russian T-55's will not go to the first but 2nd or third line.
Another thing is that they are upgrading T-72M into T-90M which are the last gen.
What I can not figgure out at this point is how many Terninators will then create from T-72's.
@@maxmagnus777. Yes, max I presume you're right.
As far as the terminator goes Id say it depends on how well they've done in Ukraine.
They might have been very useful. Maybe not.
I saw footage of a bmp with a single 30mm absolutely destroying an apartment block in Bakhmut.
I mean this building was collapsing.
Short bursts were breaking huge chunks of the building away.
Scary stuff.
My point is that if a bmp can take out an apartment block is the terminator worth the price?
Terminators will be destroyed with one anti tank shot. That's a big loss.
Always enjoy your educational videos, thanks.
Hail Felton...bless him for such a wonderful and knowledgeable channel...
Notifications work so well got first thumbs up AND comment! Thanks for your hard work❤
Military history visualized covered this really well, he got a UAF vet on record talking about how even the advanced modern tanks are all being relegated to assault gun roles, acting more as a fast well protected forward SPG shooting mostly indirect fire. In fact that has been one of the big parts of Ukraine's winning sauce paired with all their swarms of porsumer quad copter spotters acting as a cheap force multiplier for each tank command by rather then giving him some expensive, sensitive, high magnification panoramic thermal sight on top of the turret ya just give him one of those drones most of which can carry affordable thermal camera gimbles which dont need high magnification or resoution cause you can fly your camera right over the target to spot shell splashes. Cheap refurbished and reliable platforms with a nice accurate rifled gun (L7 being one of the very best even better then newer Reihnmetal snoothbores in indirect fire) are perfect for this kinda role of tank drone pairing.
The inescapable reality is that those "SPGs" will be called to perform the duties of tanks when needed. We still see the footage of Russian tanks being used in assaults, and both the Kharkiv and Kherson offensives required the use of tanks as tanks by Ukrainian forces.
They're being used as SPGs because the conditions for concentrating force an breaching frontlines simply aren't there yet.
Tank drones, wasn’t that in the Tron game in the early 80’s.
Maybe the future is in fact here. If so, where’s my flying car.
The "assault gun role" was the original (WW1) role of the tank, and continued to be a major role of the tank in WW2.
lol what winning sauce
@@JD-jc8gp Shhh, don't tell the performing seals clapping along with the gloriously victorious Ukranian forces who aren't getting butchered in the slightest. After all, they are getting the Leopard 2A4s which performed magnificently for the Turks in Syria and a handful of verging on obsolete un-upgraded C2s which will allow them to turn the tide of the war for the not at all corrupt and totally Nazi free bastion of democracy that is Ukraine...
That reactive armor package on it looks absolutely sick. Like something straight from a B tier low budget sci-fi movie
Hey, it doesn't have to look good, it just has to work.
I love the iconic dome wok turret design. When I was a kid I always thought it would just ricochet rounds for days
Let me be the 1st to comment: no matter how old or obsolescent a weapon may be, if there's no better option at the time, and it works, do USE IT!
Dr. Felton proves his investigative research skills once again by getting the story out first before the rest. His style is cutting edge and he would have made a great news reporter, but History is fortunate enough to have him first.
A doctorate was never so well deserved.
Ya, I said that on the last video about the Russians using older tanks and there was plenty of people here that would rather have a M16 over a T 55 tank. Just an insane level of fantasy gamer world coming out.
Worded as well as it could be
Even a sword is better than your bare fists.
"In times of war, the technical specs take a back seat to the fact of simply being available " (c) - Another British historian UA-camr
AMAZED that there's no rust on these bad boys.
Great video as always
You and several others discussing the M-55S have neglected to speak of the new transmissions that were installed in these tanks that enable them to reverse at speed, which most Russian tanks can't do. A video discussing the Ukrainian T-84 Oplot which had a crew member of one of these tanks praising the fact they can now reverse quickly, which turn saves their lives by getting away from enemy return fire. Giving the ability of "Shoot and Scoot".
More like die and not scoot. A Bradley can do it faster, and has about the same lethality. I saw a pick of a Challenger II in front of a T55. It was HILARIOUS! By comparison the T55 looked like a child's toy with a toothpick sticking out of a tiny turret. I'm not exaggerating, and good luck with that.
@@MrJdsenior Oh, your one of those people who think that Russia is the U.S.S.R. I must remind you the Russia is a broken, corrupt, trashed out husk of the U.S.S.R. The tanks they are going up against are rusted out old hulks with phony Kontak 5 amour made up rubber and cardboard. In any case, I rather go after Russian BMP's with a M-55S that has night vision equipment, targeting equipment, and laser aiming equipment. And guess what, Russia does not have Challenger 2 tanks.
@@MrJdsenior "I saw a pick of a Challenger II in front of a T55. It was HILARIOUS! By comparison the T55 looked like a child's toy with a toothpick sticking out of a tiny turret. I'm not exaggerating, and good luck with that."
And yet, a T-55 can easily destroy a Chally 2 from the side or rear.
"More like die and not scoot. A Bradley can do it faster, and has about the same lethality."
*lol*
A Bradely is a drastically easier target, has a tiny fraction of the protection and drastically inferior firepower against anything that small calibers isn't effective against. Guess why noone else wants IFVs with anything below 30mm guns and preferably 35 or 40mm?
@@DIREWOLFx75 Bradleys destroyed more tanks in Iraq than M1 tanks if I remember correctly, they carry TOWs along with the cannon. But yes, one hit from any tank and it will be toast.
@@DIREWOLFx75 Good luck getting around the side of a C2 unless it is from ambush. The C2 massively outranges a T54/55 and if it sees one coming that T54/55 is dead. Even from the side it isn't a guaranteed kill.
Lmao I love how mark said taking a 70 year old tank that’s just a standard stock t55 isn’t “advisable” that made me die laughing a little bit 😂😂😂
The 115mm gun on the T62 was able to knock out Chieftain MBTs in the Iraq - Iran War, this led to the development of upgraded Chieftains (Mk9s and above) and the Challenger series
Tanks for the video Mark
Thanks Mark Felton Productions!! I enjoyed all your presentations immensely!! Appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos!
Pity he is full of western propaganda.
A tank is still a tank and giving both sides are using tanks as makeshift self propelled guns the t55 still has a role it can play
Also crap tank vs no tank on the battlefield is a advantage
They are not made for artillery, all you can do is basically randomly shell in a general direction that way.
While a tank, even an outdated one can be an asset in many battlefield situations it isn´t universally preferable. Tanks have a large logistical footprint and especially old models require lots of maintenance, a single tank requires the comparable logistics-effort of a whole light infantry platoon.
Additionally they are slower and less strategically mobile, they are easily spotted, preventing many of the roles an infantry unit might otherwise be tasked with, forcing you to leave it behind while still having to detach personnel to keep it supplied, guarded and operational.
There are other mainly psychological and harder to quantify impacts as well, officers may overestimate the operational impact of a tank and task a unit with objectives they are incapable to meet, causing unnecessary casualties.
On the battlefield tanks are targets of high priority and with the widespread use of infantry anti-tank weapons, as an untrained and inexperienced crew with lackluster support, you may be more vulnerable in an armored vehicle than outside of one.
@@airthrowDBT a self propelled gun is not always indirect fire artillery...
I don't really agree, when you're that old, a tank is more like a moving coffin.
@@xyxxanx9810 All that you said is somewhat true, but tanks are still necessary for offensive actions, which both Russia and Ukraine plan doing.
Mark. Thanks for providing my Friday Night entertainment!
WOW the gun used to take out a T55 is then placed on a T55!!!!!
if you cant beat them join them
Yet another insightful vid. keeping us all up-to-date on relevant events and related matters! Thank You Dr.! Enjoyed!
"....but that's a story for another time!"
I look forward to the next episode of Story Time with Dr Felton
Thank you Mark!
im waiting for the T-34-85 to make its debut 😂
I'm looking into it!
The decommissioned PT76 fleet are also another prospect that have yet to debut.
@@MarkFeltonProductionsI think you can already begin producing it and wait with the upload a few months.
This war ain't Yemen....yet.
@@lIllIlllIlIllIlllIlIllIlllIl I always wondered how they didn't send in the PT76 since some are still in service and they have abundance of them in stocks. It would be very good and useful as mobile artillery
Mark I love how you are essentially explaining history as it happens.
While he drinks a 6 pack.
Then it is NOT history.
It is News.
excellent Dr Mark
During the Yugoslav war, T-34/85s were used side by side with T-55s and T-72s.
when this war is over ( please god soon ) there will be so much content for historians
It ain't over 'til Putin's replaced
He's painted himself into a corner (&)
Its not a great prospect looming my time soon
Both sides want to keep that flame burning.
thanks Dr. Felton!
Another really good and informative video. Thanks
Mark Felton is so dreamy!
Imagine a modernized mark v tank on the battlefield. That actually runs and moves faster than their ancient counterparts. But that'd be out of sheer desperation.
Um, tanks rarely engage other tanks, except in video games. The main purpose of a tank is to support infantry.
In the second gulf war I think there was an engagement between Challenger 2s and T-54s. Needless to say, the T-54s were all wiped out for no loss of the Challengers.
@@MrSloika
That is only partly true. Yes, tanks are meant to support infantry and other parts of the army, but they fight each much more frequently than you think (not to levels seen in video games, true, but it’s not rare).
Hell, tanks have been shooting at each other since WW1.
@@stevenchoza6391 If anything this war has shown that the concept of main battle tanks is completely outdated and pointless. I'm willing to bet that there has been fewer than a dozen MBT vs MBT skirmishes in the last 50 yeaars.
@@MrSloika yes it's rare but desert storm have tank battles.
Right now there's several videos of tank battles during recon or offensive operations on open field in Ukraine
The Maxim machine gun (100 years + old) is also in use and praised as it doesn’t jam
There will be a maxim gun still shoting when we are all long dead
Always interesting, thank you.
Thank you for sharing
🎖️🙏🇺🇲🏆
Hi Mark, another great vid about the unusual and little known elements of war.
Re WWII, have you done a video about the Czechoslovakian 1945 campaign? I am fascinated about how so much fighting occured even after the fall of Berlin, and even the general surrender. I think it is a perfect subject for a Mark Felton video, if you haven't already done one ( I can't find one). Cheers
We love you mark keep being the best history channel on UA-cam! Long live Mark Felton!!!
It still amazes me almost a year ago Mark was making mainly ww2 videos and now is covering modern conflicts.
It's free real estate that writes itself
Covering WW2 only gets BORING
@@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701 I don't whole heartedly agree with you, Mark also made ww1 and cold war videos that most people never heard of for like 2 or 3 years already
@@Qadir-24 But about 90% are WW2 related Videos afaik
He's almost talking about WW2 weapons here. At this rate he'll be talking about T34s with reactive armour and upgrade fire control soon enough!
I'm definitely pro-western but I love Mr.Felton's approach to being as non-biased as possible
It's just amazing the quality of build back in the day... vs the stuff that is built today.
Mark Felton...now there's a man who knows what he's talking about.
But does he know where his towel is...
Imagine the USA invading Mexico, barely getting anywhere, and 1 year later bringing out the m47 patton tanks
It would more ironic to use M27 Pershing tanks.
Why waste our Abrams when the same job can be provided with an older, more expendable vehicle? Of course, the US no longer has any stocks of M47s left lol
@@randomlyentertaining8287 Because the crew are still the most valuable part of the tank.
@@randomlyentertaining8287 It's impossible to 'waste' Abrams tanks considering due to pork spending Congress keeps giving more Abrams than the army even asks for. It's a scam. And don't for a second beliebe Russia is holding on to great equipment sending their forces into the meatgrinder to hide theor real strength from NATO if that's what you are trying to imply
Mexico? A few .50cals mounted on the back of pickups is all you'll need.
Get on the phone to Bovington and get them to warm up "Little Willie" LOL 🤣
Great job Mark
The best tanks cannot be everywhere. The dreaded Tiger was the classic example. Anywhere else a functional tank is in the game. " A Sherman can give you a very nice edge".
Woof, woof...that's my dog impression...😂
This war shows you have to have different tanks (shitty, medium, good)
I think of these old tanks as basically self propelled infantry support guns.
My father told me recently that he was a gunner in a T-55 during his time in the National Peoples Army of the GDR. A bit strange to hear that at this point in time.
Thanks Mark
Early M1 variants also used the L-7/M68 105mm. Quite a good gun.
Apparently not just a meat grinder, but a tank grinder war as well.
For tanks it's grinder, for IFVs it's metapforical graveyard. And for people literal one.
Love you videos Mark!
Mr Mark you forgot to mention one very important thing. If nuclear weapons are used, there will be an EMP wave that can fry all modern electronics, and those old tanks will work without any problems from the consequences of a nuclear attack, because that tank has very little electronics in it and is immune to EMP. The crew of T-55 and T-62 tanks will be protected from external radiation. The T-54 is another story, because it has absolutely no protection for the crew against radiation and that tank is definitely unusable on a modern battlefield.
@@terasestHammasratas A nuclear electromagnetic pulse (nuclear EMP or NEMP) is a burst of electromagnetic radiation created by a nuclear explosion. The resulting rapidly varying electric and magnetic fields may couple with electrical and electronic systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges. An energetic EMP can temporarily upset or permanently damage electronic equipment by generating high voltage and high current surges; semiconductor components are particularly at risk. The effects of damage can range from imperceptible to the eye, to devices literally blowing apart. Cables, even if short, can act as antennas to transmit pulse energy to the equipment.
Brian Berletic of The New Atlas did an excellent video on this topic. He’s a former USMC M-1 Abrams tanker and has some insight.
Brian is the most reliable source of information on the Ukraine. I have enjoyed Mark’s content for years however his recent work that touches on current events seems to have a mainstream filter.
@@kanenolan7642 agreed on all counts
WOW!! Scrolling through the comments I'm shocked to see a reference to B.B. And no-one's called you Vlad yet, asked you how many rubles you're getting paid, or had your comment disappeared.
@@markbryant4641 hahaha I exactly thought the same
@@markbryant4641 probably because he makes too much of an ass out of himself to be taken seriously. Also hard to resist the urge to chalk up my pool cue for his shiny ass head 🎱
If I remember right I think Slovenia wasn't under embargo anymore when those tanks were modernised, I think we had options to either modernise T55 or buy used german tanks. Thank was in late 90s I think.
That intro music is such a banger
Soon they'll drive Shermans. With loud speakers, to play music very loud. And shoot paint grenades, for colourful pictures. No negative waves now, it's a beautiful tank, baby!
Woof Woof :-)
They have Tigers too, but those are only armoured cars.
I am always amazed at how dramatically both warplanes and tanks evolved up until the 1950s, but in the nearly seven decades since then, there's been (comparatively) far less change to the basic forms of these weapons. Certainly, many upgrades and generations of technology have been added, but the basic skeletons of these weapons haven't changed nearly as much as they did in their early development. When the B-52 was being designed in the 1940s, I doubt many people in the project would have dreamt that the same basic design they were creating would be in active service for (potentially it seems) up to 100 years. Especially considering that its predecessor, the B-17, basically only had an active service life for its primary purpose as a bomber over the course of four years (1941-1945).
Well, maybe. But try to penetrate a late medieval plate armor with an arrow made in the early middle ages. Not a chance without VERY much luck.
Thanks …. Another interesting video….!
Since my father was a Sherman driver in the 3rd Armored Division, in WW2, I have always been fascinated by tanks. T-54's, T-55's, and T-62's? Fascinating. Effective in their own right, their crews had better hope that they don't meet up with any modern NATO tanks, as Dr. Felton aptly described.
Well Arent M48 and M60 Modern?
Even the non-upgraded T55 would be useful *in some roles*
-Against a light thunder run of MRAPs or Hummvees they would be in a fair fight
-As pillboxes against infantry after an armoured spear breaks thru they can provide in-depth defense
If you have hammers...if life gives you lemons... if you have thousands of T55s... you get the idea
They most likely do not have "thousands" of T-55s in a usable condition. The thousands of T-72 turned out to not really be there so they needed the thousands of T-62s, of which they're planning to refurbish... Around eight hundred. Hulls sitting on the rain and snow for decades really aren't up to snuff.
Ive heard they will be used as assault guns. But a double standard exists depending on who is using the tanks. Russians? Antiques and old. Ukraine? Old but powerful. Game changers.
@@Davitofrito Yep... there is a lot of that.
@@_DeadEnd_ "can't touch this" 😆
@@Davitofrito There is no double standard! These are better tanks than the T-54/55 that Ru is pulling out of stockpiles and are a gift, not ancient tanks that the so called "second most powerful army in the world" is pulling out of storage to try to replace their losses that they have had while conducting an invasion!
Any tank is better than no tank.
"Any tank is better than no tank." Probably not if the tank {or any other piece of equipment, for that matter} gives the tank crews, and infantry following, a false sense of security and protection. Initially that may be a positive, but once the tanks start burning, that sense of security will evaporate very quickly.
The T54/T55s will presumably be used by the Russians as cover for the supported/following infantry, rather than for their firepower. However, their use will, very likely, give a false sense of security for both the tank crews and the supported/following infantry.
A T-55 is a poor substitute for a purpose-built howitzer, which might fire twice as far as the tank can do, more accurately, faster and for longer. But in a war where both sides are desperately short of artillery and artillery ammunition, an obsolete 70-year-old tank lobbing less-in-demand ammunition a modest distance might be somewhat better than nothing. {Emphasis on somewhat.}
T55 Tank has about half the range of towed Howitzers, though many are fitted with a (semi) stabilised gun barrel so the gun can be fired on the move.
The main weapon has a maximum range in the indirect fire role of
14,600 m {14.6 km} and can fire high-explosive, armor-piercing, and shaped-charge ammunition.
The ammunition reserve of its main gun has been increased, in the T55, to 43 rounds including
22 high-explosive rounds, 15 armor-piercing rounds,, and 6 shaped-charge rounds.
The T54 carries 34 rounds
Service life of gun barrel 200-400 Rounds depending on rate of fire
4-6 rounds per minute rate of fire.
This table compares Ukraine’s Soviet-era medium caliber towed artillery, the 2A65 MSTA-B, with the comparable U.S. systems; M-777 and M198.
The M-777’s main advantage over the M198 is transportability. It weighs much less than the M198 and is shorter in travel configuration.
Calibre Projectile Range Fire Precision Unassisted Assisted Projectiles
M-777 156 mm 24.7 km 30+ km Yes
M198 155 mm 22.4 km 30 km Yes
2A65MSTA-B 152 mm 24.7 km 28.9 km No
Service life of Howitzer gun barrel: Usually a barrel on a modern artillery system, like the M777, must be replaced after firing up to 2,500 rounds {about 10 times the life of a tank gun}.
4 rounds per minute rate of fire.
@@PNH-sf4jz I would presume that, if the relevant commanders have any sense then the tanks would be used in combined operations scenarios using tanks,infantry, combat helicopters and or fixed wing aircraft. In addition morale is important whether a sense of security is real or imagined.
@@davidbarr9343 Yes, agreed. 👍✅