T-26

The T-26 is the Soviet's light tank. With its low-caliber light cannon, the T-26 is of little threat to any other tank or armored vehicle, its armor being barely tough enough to face an AA emplacement.

History[]

The T-26 tank was a Soviet light infantry tank used during many conflicts of the 1930s as well as during World War II. It was a development of the British Vickers 6-Ton tank, and is widely considered one of the most successful tank designs of the 1930s.

It was produced in greater numbers than any other tank of the period, with more than 11,000 produced. During the 1930s, the USSR developed approximately 53 variants of the T-26, including other combat vehicles based on its chassis, some of them pretty bizarre, like the remote controlled chemical warfare unit. Twenty-three of these variants were mass-produced.

The T-26 was used extensively in the armies of Spain, China and Turkey. In addition, captured T-26 light tanks were used by the Finnish, German, Romanian and Hungarian armies.

Though nearly obsolete by the beginning of World War II, the T-26 was the most important tank of the Spanish Civil War and played a significant role during the Battle of Lake Khasan in 1938 as well as in the Winter War. The T-26 was the most numerous tank in the Red Army's armoured force during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. The Soviet T-26 light tanks last saw use in August 1945, in Manchuria, where the Japanese only had comparable or weaker tanks.

T-26 formed the basis for many other AFV. A total of 50 variants and vehicles were based on it.

The T-26 was reliable, cheap and simple to maintain, its design was continually modernized. However, no new models of the T-26 were developed after 1940, replaced by entirely new designs, the T-60 and T-70.

In 1940 there was a variant of the T-26 named the T-26E which had heavier armor but the tank could only go in low gear and the tracks had a higher chance to come off during a turn. Nonetheless it could take a 45mm shot at the range of 1600 meters, rendering it invulnerable from enemy small caliber Anti-tank guns from the front. However, it was still vulnerable from the rear and lower sides of the hull.

Strategy and Tactics[]

In-game, these tanks are light, easy to destroy and rather slow. They should be used against infantry and paratroopers.
These tanks do well against other light tanks, but try not to engage Panzer IIIs and other bigger tanks.
The only time period where the T-26 will be somewhat effective at all is in 1939 Mode, and this is only under the condition that the tank is not assaulting fortified positions. If your economy is permitting, mass producing this tank and sending it forward en masse could prove to be a nasty thorn in the enemy's side. The T-26 is nearly useless against mid-war medium tanks (and of course heavy tanks). If you see any tank heavier than a Panzer IV it should be avoided, no matter how many T-26s you have in your arsenal. One shot from a Tiger, ARL 44, or any other heavy tanks will immediately destroy a T-26.

Pros and Cons[]

+$10, it has an edge over other other light tanks

+Considering the T-34 is faster than the T-26 irl, the T-26 outruns the T-34 just fine in-game.

+/-it rivals the Chaffee in the manner of costing ½ the currency, 2x T-26 will defeat 1 Chaffee on paper and have an over all higher DPS + the various flexibilities of being in pairs or outnumbering your foe.

-None of the 50 variants and prototypes are in the game, one of the things that made the T-26 a good tank.

-T-26 is an infantry light tank rather than a cavalry light tank.

-The T-26 cannot be replaced by the BT-series, cavalry light tanks.