The Modelling News: Preview: From the Ukraine via Roumania - Miniart's 35th 76-mm SPG TACAM T-60 Interior Kit

Miniart has combined their new T-60 kit with a 76mm gun to bring us this little Romanian tank destroyer with a lit of bite - We have the CAD feature sheet, sprue layout, colours and all the other features of this new kit due in January from MiniArt...

A new kit from Miniart via Romania...

Romanian 76-mm SPG TACAM T-60 Interior Kit

Kit No# 35240

Scale: 1:35th scale

Box size: 386x240x60 cm

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Don't know anything about the TACAM T-60? Neither did we until we read up on it a little...

The TACAM T-60 (Tun Anticar pe Afet Mobil - Self-propelled Anti-tank Gun) was a Romanian tank destroyer used during World War II. It was built by removing the turret of captured T-60 light tanks and building a pedestal to mount an ex-Soviet 76.2 mm (3.00 in) M-1936 F-22 field gun in its place. A three-sided fighting compartment was built to protect the gun and its crew. Thirty-four were built in 1943, and they served in the Jassy-Kishniev Offensive, and the Budapest Offensive.

The TACAM T-60 had an M-1936 F-22 field gun mounted on a T-60 light tank chassis. The gun was removed from its carriage and mounted on a new pedestal that mated to the chassis. The gun-laying mechanism was modified to suit Romanian practices and a recoil guard was added to protect the gunner. The gun was protected by a three-sided, fixed gun shield with sides 15 millimetres (0.59 in) thick.

The armour plate for the gun shield was salvaged from captured Soviet BT-7 cavalry tanks. The gun could traverse 32°, elevate 8° and depress 5°. A total of forty-four rounds were carried for the main gun. The chassis was modified for its new role; a new engine cover was made to improve engine cooling and the interior was modified to add more ammunition storage. The extra weight of the gun required that the suspension is modified with stronger torsion bars and new road wheels. A brake to lock the wheels while firing was also added. The armour of the hull ranged from 15 to 35 millimetres (0.59 to 1.38 in) thick. It could cross a ditch 1.3 metres (4.3 ft) wide, climb an obstacle .5 metres (1.6 ft) high and ford a stream .6 metres (2.0 ft) deep.

Operational history
A total of thirty-four were converted by Leonida in Bucharest by the end of 1943. Sixteen were assigned to the 61st Tacam Company which was assigned to the 1st Armored Regiment and eighteen were organized into the 62nd Tacam Company and assigned to the 2nd Armored Regiment. Despite these nominal assignments, the TACAM T-60s were assigned as needed. The ad hoc Cantemir Armored Group was formed on 24 February 1944 to reinforce the defences of Northern Transnistria from elements of the 1st Armored Division and included fourteen TACAM T-60s in two batteries. This was later returned to its parent 1st Armored Division and the tank destroyers fought with the division during the Soviet Jassy-Kishniev Offensive.

Nothing is known about any action immediately after Romania's defection to the Allies in late August 1944 or in the defence of Romania during the following month, but it seems likely that all surviving vehicles were repossessed by the Soviets during October 1944.

Stats:

Weight: 9 tons

Length: 4.24m

Width: 2.35m

Height: 1.75m

Crew: 3

Armour (hull): 35/15/25mm

Armour (cabin) 15mm

Main gun: 76.2mm F-22

Secondary gun: 7.92mm ZB-53

Other possible main guns (?): 57mm ZiS-2, 105mm howitzer

Gun elevation: -5°/+8°

Gun traverse: 32°

Engine: GAZ 202 (70/80hp)

Top speed: 40km/h

No. produced: 34 (up to 57 according to some sources)

This new kit from Miniart:

This brand new kit looks to be on the release timescale for early next year. We have some CAD pictures of the kit with detail points notated there - It is a really good way of pointing out on the kit what the company wants to highlight...

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