NI tank


The NI tank, was an improvised Soviet armoured fighting vehicle, based on an STZ-3 agricultural tractor, manufactured in Odessa during the Siege of Odessa in World War II.

Development

At the beginning of the war between the Axis and the Soviet Union, a majority of the factories were evacuated, including most of the equipment from the January Uprising Factory. There was machinery left and it was decided that it would be used to service battle-damaged tanks arriving from the front.
When the army fighting on the outskirts of Odessa started experiencing shortages in tanks, the workers from the factory decided to build a fighting vehicle of their own design. Aided by the workers from other factories, January Uprising workers built a large metal box and put it on the tractor. Also added was a traversable turret with either a mountain gun or a large-calibre machine gun. The armour was a sandwich of thin naval steel or boiler plate and wood or rubber sheeting to improve protection against small arms. The resulting machine was unlike any other fighting vehicle of the time and made a loud noise when it moved.
Armament was varied to whatever was on hand, including machine guns ShVAK cannon, sub-turrets from T-26 Model 1931 tanks, new turrets with 37 mm Model 15R mountain guns or 45 mm anti-tank guns.

Production history

A total of 69 NI tanks were produced.

Combat use

Romanian forces captured numerous tanks at the end of the siege, with 14 still being on hand as of 1 November 1942.