3 ARMORED VEHICLE BA-6M

The BA-6 was a medium, six-wheeled armored car of Soviet construction. The first prototypes were built in 1935, and serial production lasted from 1935 to 1938/1939 and ended with the production of about 390 vehicles. The car was powered by a 40 HP GAZ-AA carburettor engine. The main armament was a 20K wz. 1932 caliber 45 mm, and the auxiliary armament was provided by 2 DT 7.62 mm machine guns. The BA-6 was created as a successor to the BA-3. In the new car, efforts were made to keep the advantages of its predecessor (strong main armament) in the absence of its main disadvantages (low maneuverability and high failure rate of the engine and transmission). For this purpose, the new GAZ-AAA chassis was used (a license copy of Ford's chassis), increasing the track width and reinforced structure of the gearbox. However, the vehicle's performance deteriorated. Despite this, the BA-6 was put into mass production. In its course, two main development versions were created: BA-6ŻD (adapted to driving on rails) and BA-6M (a car with a new engine, new turret and thicker armor). BA-6 cars underwent their baptism of fire in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Later, they also fought against the Japanese in the Battle of Chałchyn-Goł (1939) and took part in the aggression against Poland in September 1939 and in the Winter War with Finland. A huge number of them were lost by the Red Army in the first months of the war with Germany in 1941.