Landships II

Theburk, are you thinking of John Milsom's 'Russian Tanks 1900-1970'? It was in my local library when I was a lad, and I've now found it in the library at work.

I have also discovered the joys of good OCR scanning software...

Here is what Milsom says about Vezdekhod (remember, this was written in 1970):

Vezdekhod

In August 1914, a Russian engineer by the name of Porokovskikov approached the Russian War Department with a project for an armoured and armed fully‑tracklaying combat vehicle (this project deserves particular attention since it could well be classed as a tank, representing an idea which would be exploited later in Britain through the efforts of Carden and Martell).

Porokovskikov wrote:

“To the factor of mobility I took a fresh approach. Whilst observing a soldier crossing the line, it suddenly occurred to me that it is no joke running in to attack an enemy armed with machine‑guns. And so, why could we not send to storm a trench, not only infantry, but also men protected against heavy lead, provided with an engine, covered in armour and armed with machineguns? ... The design problems I contemplated to be in the production of an endless‑band, tracked running gear of the tractor type. The problem of steering with tracks also arose. An idea came to me: steering could be carried out on the spot by skidding, in braking one of the tracks. During the following days I thought of new considerations. In heavy conditions my vehicle should run on tracks, and along good roads it should run on wheels.”

Porokoskikov was a master machinist at a factory in Riga, and in August 1914 he presented his vehicle design to the authorities, the project being considered by the Deputy Chairman of the Air Fleet. This was for a fast‑moving fighting vehicle, capable of moving not only by road, but also across country. By virtue of its mobility it was called ‘Vezdekhod’ (‘Go Anywhere’). The inventor considered two possible types of running gear: in the first scheme it was proposed to have one wide, endless track mounted under the hull floor. For the second scheme it was proposed to employ two tracks on the American Holt principle.

Porokovskikov wrote:

“All these factors I incorporated in its design, and during mid August 1914, I handed this over to the HQ of the Supreme C‑in‑C. An expert colonel gave the conclusion that my vehicle was not feasible.”

The Main Military Technical Department did not approve the various drawings, documents, and estimated construction costs. On 21 December 1914, however, this material was submitted to the Chief Engineer Officer of the Army of the North‑Western Front, who after studying the project, compiled a special report for the Army Commander. In this report he expressed the necessity of constructing a Vezdekhod‑type vehicle and outlined how useful it would be in combat. At the Headquarters of the Supreme Cornmander‑in‑Chief, it was thought that the vehicle had great possibilities.

An official despatch dated 24 December (No. 6686) commissioned the Chief Engineer Officer of the Army of the North‑Western Front to construct a prototype of this new combat vehicle. Since in the design and construction of the prototype it would prove simpler to undertake the first scheme with one wide track, this version was approved. For a prototype, on which to test the inventor’s principles, it was not considered necessary at this stage to evaluate other than the running gear and automotive components, there being little doubt about the feasibility of the project, and resistance to the construction and testing of the vehicle being but very small.

On 13 January 1915 preparations were made for the construction of Vezdekhod. A workshop was hastily constructed in Riga, at the front of the Nizhegorod Regimental Barracks, and on 1 February work was begun on the construction of the first Russian tank. The workshops were provided with special equipment for carrying out this task, and actual manufacture was undertaken by highly‑skilled military technicians, especially appointed to this task by the Chief Engineer Officer of the Army of the NorthWestern Front. In order not to delay tests of the automotive components, the hull of the first prototype was produced of wood. with neither turret nor armament. The exceptional skill and enthusiasm of the personnel resulted in minimum building time, and the work was completed on 15 March 1915.

In parallel with the assembly of the experimental chassis, work was also undertaken on the construction of an armoured hull. Experiments were carried out with temperhardened stainless‑steel leaf, between which was sandwiched soft‑tempered mild steel (for absorbing the impact of bullets). Initial ballistic trials were carried out with separate plates of leaf armour, but later an armoured hull was constructed and attached to the chassis of a RussoBaltic lorry for testing its ballistic immunity. The vulnerable suspension was to be protected by armoured sides. It was planned to mount two machine‑guns located in a fully rotating turret.

The experimental chassis, utilising automobile components. consisted of a welded framework, on which were mounted four metal cylinders supported on ball‑bearings. On the external surface of each cylinder was attached three sprocket rings, in which engaged the guide‑horns of the track. At the front of the frame was a tension regulator which permitted the front axle, together with its cylinder, to move up and down in two forks. A similar arrangement for regulating the tension of the rear roller was also fitted. With the aid of these two tension regulators it was possible to control the tension of the single track under the hull floor. For steering the vehicle it was necessary to turn two steering wheels, placed one on each side of the vehicle. By means of a tiller‑bar, acting through a normal automobile steering system, the driver could turn the forks on which these wheels were mounted and thereby steer the vehicle. In the rear part of the hull was located the 20hp petrol engine which drove the rear cylinder via a planetary transmission and Carden shafts. The attitude of the track at the front of the vehicle aided in ascending obstacles, the track being raised slightly above the ground. The rear part of the track passed under the driving roller and rested on the ground. On good, hard roads the vehicle was supported at the front by the steering wheels, and the rear part of the track lay on the ground. When travelling across soft ground the steering wheels would submerge in the soil and all the weightbearing surface of the track came into contact with the ground, the wide track provided a low ground pressure. In the latter case the steering wheels could create sufficient torque to alter the vehicle’s direction. When moving along roads, therefore, the vehicle was practically wheeled, and across soft ground, tracked.

During the first preliminary automotive tests on 18 March 1915, it was found that the track shed during motion of the tank.

Porokovskikov wrote:

“To start the engine, I engaged the lever. The vehicle shook. I pressed the lever, to engage the clutch, and after a few turns ‑ I heard a shout: ‘The track has broken!’”

After a month of investigation the cause of track‑shedding was detected and overcome by the installation of cylinders with sprockets in place of those which were formerly smooth. On 20 June 1915, Vezdekhod was once more sent for trials, this time in the presence of an official committee. A series of trenches, pot‑holes, and other obstacles were laid out in the Regimental Barracks Square, across which Vezdekhod performed well. The vehicle also gave a display of turns, easily making rapid manoeuvres in a figure‑eight pattern, and very quickly gathering speed. The results of the test commission were outlined in Report No. 4563:

“It appears that Vezdekhod is a sound and practical idea; it can achieve a speed of 25 Verst/hour. In addition, Vezdekhod can ascend a slope of 40 degrees inclination, cross a trench three metres wide, and a vertical obstacle of 3/4 metre. All significant holes and rough surfaces were crossed wherever tests were carried out. Vezdekhod steers easily during fast motion, and turns very satisfactorily. In all, Vezdekhod crosses terrain and obstacles impassable to conventional motor vehicles.”

On 29 December 1915, during winter tests at Petrograd, Vezdekhod attained a speed of 40 Verst per hour, and generally performed very well. In order to deduce the speed which would be attainable by an armoured Vezdekhod, the prototype was ballasted to simulate the weight of the armoured hull‑total weight about 3.5–4 tons. It was further intended to adapt this vehicle to swim, but this part of the work was not completed. The peculiar feature of Vezdekhod was its wide, single track, occupying practically the entire width of the vehicle. Its large supporting surface provided good mobility due to the small ground‑pressure. It also had a high angle of approach for good obstacle ability.

It appears that a great deal of potential was exhibited by Vezdekhod during its final trials, and it should have attracted considerable attention in higher military circles. But this was not so: the Army expressed no interest in continuing work on the project. Even if they had the poor conditions of Russian industry at this time would have made manufacture of this vehicle, in any quantity, impossible. Out of 18,000 Roubles allotted for work on this project by the Government, only 9,660 Roubles were actually spent on the vehicle – the remainder was kept by the inventor. The famous Soviet tank historian Mostovenko has since stated:

“The original drawings of Vezdekhod have not yet been found [1958], but comparatively recently a document was discovered which contained basic drawings for its construction and also a photograph of the vehicle taken at the time of the tests… In spite of the successful results of the trials, work on improving Vezdekhod was discontinued. The Main Military Technical Department did all it could to discourage experimental work, and to frustrate the organization of the industrial production of tanks in Russia. To various suggestions for further developing Vezdekhod, the Chief of the Main Military Technical Department replied with the following typical statement: ‘Why should we meddle in this business? What is it to us?’ From December 1915 to October 1916 all further work on Vezdekhod was forbidden.”

So, make of that what you will... By the way, the photo of the turretless prototype is reproduced in the book.