PIBWL presents:

Polish amphibious tank prototype PZInż.130

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	© Michał Derela, 2002

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History - Armament and armour - Construction - Data - Model kits

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One of the most interesting armoured vehicles designed in Poland was a light amphibious reconnaissance tank PZInz.130. It belonged to a family of Polish modern tracked vehicles, developed by E. Habich in the late thirties. It also included a light reconnaissance tank PZInż.140 (4TP), a tractor PZInż.152 and a tank destroyer PZInż.160, using unified chassis.

The genesis of the Polish light amphibious tank PZInż.130, just as similar light tank PZInż.140, lays in the designs of well-known in the world British designers, J. V. Carden and V. Loyd. Working in Vickers works, they designed numerous succesfull light tanks, which were exported to many countries and influenced many other designs in the world. Since 1928 they developed a line of the Light Tanks for the British Army, and similar light tanks for an export (Vickers Carden-Loyd 4 ton - more on 4TP page). In 1929 they designed Vickers Carden-Loyd Amphibian Tank. It retained the features of 4 ton light tanks, like the paired bogey-type suspension, two wheels per bogey, sprung on leaf springs; an engine placed in the right part of the hull; two men crew and a rotating turret, MG-armed. The new design introduced a watertight hull of a pontoon shape, the mudguards serving as the floats. In water it was driven by a propeller and steered with a rudder. It was the first succesfull design of an amphibious tank in the world, and the first one, that was produced in series. The British Army did not order this tank eventually (it was tested there as A4E11 and A4E12), but a small series was built for China (29), Soviet Union (8), Siam (2), the Netherlands (2 for the Dutch East Indies) and Japan. Its influence on other designs was yet bigger. Basing roughly upon its licence, the Soviet Union developed its own line of amphibious tanks: T-33, T-41, T-37 and T-38 - the later two were built in a big numbers.

Meanwhile in Poland, the tank contest was caried out in 1926, in which a design of amphibious tank WB-10, by Prof. L. Eberman, was awarded. However, the prototypes, built afterwards, revealed so many faults, that this project was abandoned. Unfortunately, there is no further information about it.

In September 1932 Vickers Carden-Loyd Amphibian Tank was demonstrated in Poland, with Carden-Loyd 4-ton light tank and an artillery tractor. In October the amphibian tank was demonstrated swimming on the Vistula in Modlin. As a result, in May 1933 the Chief of the Engineering Department, Col. Tadeusz Kossakowski proposed to buy one Carden-Loyd Amphibian Tank, along with five 4-ton light tanks, in an evaluation and research purpose, which was not proceeded because of a lack of funds. Instead, it was decided to develop similar tanks in Poland, basing on a specification by the BBT BP (the Testing Centre of the Armoured Weapons). The designing of the Polish amphibian tank and 4-ton reconnaissance tank, sharing the same components, was commissioned the PZInz. (the State Engineering Works) in 1935. The Armoured Weapons HQ expected the main usage of amphibious tanks on the eastern territories of pre-war Poland, especially in Polesie (now in Belarussia). It was the wide land full of swamps, rivers and lakes, and lacking of roads, where the usage of regular tanks was almost impossible.

The main designer of both tanks was the chief of the PZInz. Studies Section, engineer Edward Habich. The design and the documentation of the amphibious tank was ready in the autumn of 1936. Apart from a general inspiration by the Carden-Loyd layout, the new design was entirely Polish. It utilised some of the world's newest conceptions, and also Polish ideas, for example a modern suspension on a torsion bars and reversible periscopes. The engine (PZInż.425) was Polish-constructed as well. The amphibious tank shared the same layout, as tank 4TP, with many shared components, like engine, transmission and suspension. The roadwheels and tracks were lighter in order to improve floating. A watertight hull had a shape fit for swimming; for a better stability on water the mudguards were floats with balsa inside. Under the rear hull section, there was a propeller in a ring cover. The ring cover was movable, fullfilling the role of a rudder. In an initial project the engine was placed transversally in the rear, but eventually it was placed on the right (in both tanks).

A prototype of amphibious tank, designated PZInż.130 (factory designation), was finnished in the summer of 1937. After short factory trials, on 15 August 1937 it was given to the Army, along with a prototype of light tank PZInż. 140 (4TP). During a demonstration in Beniaminowo, on 2 October, the tank showed the ability of swimming in the lake, driven by the designer. Since 5 November it took part in a trial called "Autumn 1937", on a route of 1861 km. Also other prototypes were proved in this trial, among others the light tank PZInż.140 and the tractor PZInż.152. The swimming tests were carried out as well in Lubiaz lake and in the Pina near Pinsk. The general evaluation of the tank was high. The tank had good power-to-weight ratio, it was fast and it rode wery well off-road and on swampy terrain. It showed big reliability, and its maintenance was easy. After the trial it was sent back to the PZInz. workshops to apply some repairs and improvements. The trials revealed only few faults of a gearbox and water pumps, and a bad quality of return rollers and tracks. Too soft suspension caused rocking of the tank, and was making impossible a relatively efficient fire on the move. All these faults, however, were insignificant and easy to be eliminated. After improvements, the tank took part in another trial in May 1938, and in manoeuvres in August. It negotiated 1500 km without any series faults.

The last trials of the prototype took place in May 1939. During all the test programme, it rode over 3500 km without major breakdowns (or 4200 km - according to the source [2]). In the meantime, however, Polish Main Staff gave up the idea of developing an amphibious tank, and thus the programme of PZInż.130 was canceled. Despite it appeared to be a succesfull design of a modern light amphibious tank, but it was right decision, that such a special tank was not necessary for Polish forces, lacking of funds. Its swimming capabilities would be rarely useful, while its thin armour would be vulnerable against most anti-tank means. Anyway, PZInz.130 remained one of the most interesting Polish-designed armoured vehicles. The prototype was sent to the Experimental Workshop in Ursus, its further fate is not known.

Construction

Engine - PZInż.425: petrol, 4-stroke, 6-cylinder inline, power output: 95 HP at 3600 rpm, displacement: 3880 cm³, water-cooled, bore diameter 82mm, stroke 92mm.
Fuel tank - at the rear, capacity about 210 l (160 l - source [2]).
Transmission - dry multi-disc main clutch, mechanical gearbox, 4 forward gears, 1 reverse gear, side clutches with band brakes, side drives. The 3-blade propeller was driven independently of the tracks. The tracks could run as well along with a propeller, which was making easier riding into and out off the water, and moving in a shallow water. The steering in water was maintained by a movable ring propeller cover.

Suspension: drive sprocket in the front, idler at the rear. Paired bogey-type suspension. On each side four single roadwheels, rubber-rimmed, blocked in a bogey by two. The roadwheels were suspended on individual suspension arms, sprung by torsion bars. Each pair of wheels in a bogey had one horizontal hydraulical shock absorber. Two return wheels on each side. Single-pin, twin-spur metal tracks, each made of 76 links. Link width 260 mm, pitch about 100 mm, length of track on the ground 2.1 m, track 1.8 m. The track links had holes for the lightening of the weight.

Hull: riveted of armour plates. The crew compartment was on the left, the engine compartment on the right of the hull. The crew was 2: the driver and the commander. The driver's seat was in front of the crew compartment, to his right there was a transmission. Before the driver there was a one-part hatch (smaller, than in 4TP), that could be lowered onto the front armour plate. The hatch had a small openining vision port, with a vision slot. The driver had also a modern reversible periscope, of Polish design, by R. Gundlach. Above the crew compartment there was one-man turret, moved to the left, with the commander's seat. The turret had a two-leaf door in the rear wall and a hatch on the roof. The turret traverse was manual.
Probably the tanks were not to be fitted with a radio.

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Painting

The tanks were to be painted in a standard camouflage scheme of three colours: greyish sand and dark brown (sepia) over brown-green (base color). The patches were airbrushed, with soft transitions, the shapes were horizontal mainly. The interior was painted in sand. The prototype could be all in brown-green color.

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Top of the page

• "Mały Modelarz" 9/81 - PZInż.130 - paper model, decent quality (old issue).
• "Mały Modelarz" 9/95 - PZInż.130 - as above, but easier available.

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Links:
- Amphibian Tank Carden-Loyd on a page <Tanks! - section: Great Britain - light tanks.
- a demonstratin in Poland of a tractor Carden-Loyd in 1932 on a page Wojsko i Technika.

Sources:
1. Janusz Magnuski: "Czołgi rozpoznawcze PZInż.-130 i PZInż.-140"; "Nowa Technika Wojskowa" nr. 11/93.
2. Piotr Zarzycki: "Czołg pływający PZInż. 130"; "Młody Technik" nr. 8/86.

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