The BA-30 was a Soviet half-track armored car developed in 1937. Only a small number were built.
8-673: Developed at the NATI Institute, it was hoped that the BA-30 would be an improvement on the off-road performance of the previous BA series and was based on the chassis of the NATI-3 half-tracked transporter, whereas its armored hull was fully welded like the BA-20 . The tracks on the BA-30 used 4 small and two large wheels, along with one return roller which was also incorporated on the NATI-3 and GAZ -60. When used in snowy environments two skis could be added to
16-587: The 7.62 mm machine gun was not adequate to penetrate other scout vehicles. The Red Army produced very few wheeled armored fighting vehicles in the war, but replaced the BA-20 with the BA-64 . The BA-20 is often mistaken for the very similar FAI armoured car . The main recognition feature is the flat roof of the BA-20; the FAI has two dome-shaped covers over the driver's and co-driver's stations. Early BA-20s (built in 1936–37) had
24-471: The early stages of Operation Barbarossa in 1941. Production was ended that same year, with some 2066 BA-20s having been constructed by that time. In common with most armored cars derived from civilian car models, the BA-20 was largely roadbound. The lack of all-wheel drive, high ground pressure , and low power prevented it from moving cross-country except on very firm ground. The armor was too thin to stop anything other than fragments or small-arms fire, and
32-507: The front wheels. The BA-30 was noted for having good performance over varying terrains. It was fitted with a 71-TK-1 radio with its antenna on the hull, armed with a 7.62 DT machine gun , while the vehicle needed manning by a crew of three. Only a few BA-30s were built and tested, with some taking part in the Winter War of 1939 between the Soviet Union and Finland. However this armored car
40-627: Was built at the Nizhny Novgorod factory; the body was built at the Vyksinskiy plant, where final assembly of the BA-20 occurred as well. The principal use of the BA-20 was as a scout vehicle. The BA-20's tires were designed to be resistant to bullets and shrapnel by the simple expedient of filling them with spongey rubber. A variant, the BA-20ZhD, could travel on railway lines by replacing the normal wheels with flanged metal rail-type wheels. The vehicle
48-921: Was exported to the Spanish Republican side in the Spanish Civil War , although the vast majority of BA-20s built served with the Soviet Red Army . They first saw combat in the conflict with Japan in 1939 on the Khalkin Gol river in Mongolia (see Battle of Khalkin Gol ). The BA-20 was used by the Red Army in the Soviet invasion of Poland later in 1939 and the Winter War against Finland between 1939 and 1940 in which Finland captured 18 designating them as BAB B, as well as
56-524: Was not approved for mass production as it was felt to be too heavy compared to other lightly armored cars. This military vehicle article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . BA-20 The BA-20 ( Russian : Broneavtomobil 20 ) was an armored car developed in the Soviet Union in 1934. It was intended to replace the FAI and its field trials were completed in 1935. The BA-20
64-464: Was then used in the early stages of World War II. The BA-20 armored car was developed in 1934 for use by HQ staffs, reconnaissance and communications units. It was derived from the civilian GAZ-M1 car using its chassis, which was itself a modified version of a Ford design, produced by the Nizhny Novgorod -based vehicle manufacturer GAZ . Full production of the BA-20 started in 1935. The chassis
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