4-2015 RADZIECKI CIĘŻKI CIĄGNIK GĄSIENICOWY "KOMINTERN"

The Comintern is a Soviet crawler tractor from the interwar period and World War II. Serial production of this vehicle was carried out in the years 1934-1940, and in its course about 1,800 tractors of this type were created. The cart was 5.76 meters long and 2.2 meters wide. The drive was provided by a single 131 HP engine, allowing it to reach the maximum speed on the road of 30 km / h. The tractor did not have a permanent armament. The Komintern tractor was developed at the Kharkiv Steam Engine Factory (PKZ for short) in Kharkiv for the needs of the Red Army, which in the early 1930s sought to obtain a new artillery tractor for its new cannons and howitzers to be commissioned and planned to be introduced. The first prototypes of the tractor turned out to be unsuccessful, and in the course of trials they were subjected to far-reaching modifications - including a new engine with twice the maximum power and a completely new suspension. Finally, a vehicle with performance and properties acceptable to the Red Army was created. In general, the tractor was rated high already in the course of operation, due to its high thrust, resistance to weather conditions and good top speed. The disadvantages were primarily very high fuel consumption and low off-road maneuverability. In the Red Army, Comintern tractors were used to tow, among others: AA guns. W-Z cake. 31 caliber 76 mm, howitzer M-30 caliber 122 mm or howitzer B-4 caliber 203 mm.