T-54/T-55 Main Battle Tank

By: the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.  | 
The T-44, an unsatisfactory model, became the T-54 Main Battle Tank when the T-44 chassis was equipped with a new turret and a heavier 100mm main gun.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.

The T-54/T-55 series of Main Battle Tanks were descended directly from the famous Prinadlezhit-Chetverki, or T-34 Medium Tank, the Soviet Union's armored savior. The T-34 evolved into the T-44 medium tank, which had a different engine, a torsion bar suspension system, a larger chassis, and a dome-shaped turret lying close to the hull.

The T-44 had serious design problems and was not widely produced. Design work on a new, heavier medium tank was started. In 1946 the first prototype of the T-54 rolled onto the testing grounds.

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The T-54 was built on the T-44 chassis and had a 100mm Model 1944 main gun. The turret was cast in one piece with the top welded on, a technique Soviet industry worked out for the T-34 turret. Early production models had manual gun-laying systems, but these were later upgraded to powered models.

The T-54 carried two 7.62mm machine guns, one in the hull and the other in the turret. A third machine gun was mounted on the turret at the loader's cupola.

The T-54 Main Battle Tank, more heavily gunned than the T-34, was supplied to a large number of military forces around the world.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.

The T-54/T-55 fired a wide range of ammunition, including armor-piercing-tracer; high-explosive; armor-piercing, capped-tracer; high-explosive fragmentation; high-explosive, fin-stabilized; and high-velocity, armor-piercing, discarding sabot-tracer.

Like the T-44, the T-54 used a torsion bar suspension system. The AV-12 diesel engine was mounted transversely to drive the rear sprockets and produced 520 horsepower.

Five rubber-tire road wheels were mounted per side. There were no return wheels; the track ran across the top of the road wheels on its return.

The distinguishing identification feature of the T-54/T-55 series is the gap between the first and second road wheels. The T-54 was the first Soviet tank able to operate completely underwater. It could cross rivers at depths down to 18 feet by using a snorkel.

The T-55 Main Battle Tank was basically the T-54 with a new turret and more powerful engine.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.

The T-55 model entered service in 1959 or 1960. It was essentially an improved T-54: a more powerful version of the same V-12 diesel engine (580 horsepower), a rotating turret floor, the elimination of the loader's cupola, and an improved transmission.

The antiaircraft 12.7mm turret machine gun and the 7.62mm machine gun mounted in the bow plate were removed in the T-55A version to allow more room for main-gun ammunition.

The T-55A was given an antiradiation lining, although no version of the T-54 or T-55 had true nuclear-biological-chemical warfare protection for its crew.

The T-54 and T-55 were built in the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the People's Republic of China. Estimates of total numbers vary from 42,000 to 57,000.

The T-55 is still in wide use with Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces -- estimates range between 31,000 and 39,000. The series is, or has been, used in some 47 other nations on both sides of the Iron Curtain.

The T-54/T-55 series has proved so popular that an array of modernization packages are available around the world.

See the next page for specifications of the T-54/T-55 Main Battle Tank.

To learn more about historical tanks, check out:

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T-54/T-55 Main Battle Tank Specifications

The United States acquired a number of Soviet tanks as a result of the wars in the Middle East. This American-owned T-54 is used for training exercises.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.

The heavily armored and mightily gunned T-54/T-55 Main Battle Tanks have proven popular with countries around the world even today. Find specifications for the T-54/T-55 Main Battle Tank below.

Date of service: T-54, 1949; T-55, 1959 or 1960

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Country: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Type: Main Battle Tank

Dimensions: Length, 6.4 m (21 ft); width, 3.3 m (10.8 ft); height, 2.4 m (7.8 ft)

Combat weight: 36,000 kg (39.7 tons)

Engine: T-54, V-12 diesel 520 horsepower; T-55, V-12 diesel 580 horsepower

Armament: One 100mm D-10T main gun; T-54: two 7.62mm SGMT machine guns; one 12.7mm DShKm machine gun; T-55: one 7.62mm SGMT machine gun

Crew: 4

Speed: T-54, 48 km/h (30 mph); T-55, 50 km/h (31 mph)

Range: 600 km (372 mi)

Obstacle/grade performance: 0.8 m (2.6 ft)

To learn more about historical tanks, check out:

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Frequently Answered Questions

Is T-55 tank still used?
The T-55 tank is still used by some countries today. It is a very reliable and durable tank, and its low cost makes it a popular choice for countries that cannot afford more modern tanks.

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