_GOTOBOTTOM
Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
Hosted by Darren Baker, Mario Matijasic
Soviet split link tracks
JSSVIII
Visit this Community
Massachusetts, United States
Joined: March 28, 2007
KitMaker: 1,169 posts
Armorama: 1,067 posts
Posted: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - 05:09 AM UTC
Ok, here is a silly question from someone who does not know much about WWII Soviet armor. What was the purpose of the "split link" tracks, that is the two piece track link in between every one piece link with a guide tooth?
ComradeMP
#0
Visit this Community
United States
Joined: July 31, 2011
KitMaker: 472 posts
Armorama: 453 posts
Posted: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - 06:29 AM UTC
From some reading, seems it was just an experiment. There were two types of split link even.

Reading:
http://tankarchives.blogspot.com/2016/04/half-size-track-problems.html

Seems they were rather bad.
JSSVIII
Visit this Community
Massachusetts, United States
Joined: March 28, 2007
KitMaker: 1,169 posts
Armorama: 1,067 posts
Posted: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - 03:12 PM UTC
Thank you for that, it does shed some light on the results of the experiment, but, unless I missed it, it still leaves me with the initial question of what was the original purpose of the experiment?
KurtLaughlin
Visit this Community
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: January 18, 2003
KitMaker: 2,402 posts
Armorama: 2,377 posts
Posted: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - 04:01 PM UTC
Somewhere I saw an illustration showing the replacement of the outer half link with a full-width link, creating a sort of duckbill/Ostketten track for better flotation.

There is more to the story than the article because split links were common on KV-series vehicles, far more than if they were just an experiment.

KL
JSSVIII
Visit this Community
Massachusetts, United States
Joined: March 28, 2007
KitMaker: 1,169 posts
Armorama: 1,067 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 03:39 AM UTC
Thanks Kurt, I had read something like that, but I was not sure I was getting it right, hence the question. You make a very good point about the KV-series split links, that article only mentions T-34s.

Has anyone ever seen a photo of the one and a half links being used, or even tested on T-34s or KVs? It just shows how little I know about soviet armor, I had heard of the split links, but never thought to ask what they were for. Seems like an ingenious idea, even though it sounds like it did not work very well. I'd love to see a photo of them in use!
KurtLaughlin
Visit this Community
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: January 18, 2003
KitMaker: 2,402 posts
Armorama: 2,377 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 06:20 AM UTC
The illustration was in the IS-3 technical manual. That track design allowed an extra half link to be attached to the outside as an extender.

KL
Wierdy
Visit this Community
Ukraine / Україна
Joined: January 26, 2010
KitMaker: 570 posts
Armorama: 553 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 02:27 PM UTC
Can't say about KV or IS family, but some factories that produced T-34s had no source/facility to supply cast tracks, so they had to use pressed/stamped ones for which there were no press of proper size/power. Using the halves was a temporary solution. Neccessity is a mother of invention...
Here is how those tracks might be used:
http://www.dishmodels.ru/gshow.htm?p=9207
RobinNilsson
Staff MemberTOS Moderator
KITMAKER NETWORK
Visit this Community
Stockholm, Sweden
Joined: November 29, 2006
KitMaker: 6,693 posts
Armorama: 5,562 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 03:06 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Can't say about KV or IS family, but some factories that produced T-34s had no source/facility to supply cast tracks, so they had to use pressed/stamped ones for which there were no press of proper size/power. Using the halves was a temporary solution. Neccessity is a mother of invention...
Here is how those tracks might be used:
http://www.dishmodels.ru/gshow.htm?p=9207


How did those factories produce the links with the drive tooth in the middle
Were those links also split ???
/ Robin
RLlockie
Visit this Community
United Kingdom
Joined: September 06, 2013
KitMaker: 1,112 posts
Armorama: 938 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 03:32 PM UTC
The split ones were the ones without teeth as I recall. Supposedly (according to one source I saw) the split links were to allow casting in smaller foundries but it would need to be a very small one not to be able to accommodate the full size links so I'm not wholly convinced of that - it's not like casting ship propellers or tank turrets.
RobinNilsson
Staff MemberTOS Moderator
KITMAKER NETWORK
Visit this Community
Stockholm, Sweden
Joined: November 29, 2006
KitMaker: 6,693 posts
Armorama: 5,562 posts
Posted: Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 04:28 PM UTC
So the ones with the teeth would have to be cast or pressed somewhere else? Something is missing somewhere in the reasons for experimenting with the split links ....
Does it matter to us modelers?
/ Robin
JSSVIII
Visit this Community
Massachusetts, United States
Joined: March 28, 2007
KitMaker: 1,169 posts
Armorama: 1,067 posts
Posted: Friday, October 21, 2016 - 07:00 AM UTC
Thanks Paul, that shows how they were used on a kit, and a nice job too! I would still love to see a photo of them on a real tank, especially on a t-34 or KV, there has to be a photo somewhere. Robin, I might be the only one, but I would like to do an example of one, (again on a T-34 or KV) but I would like to have a photo as proof, I have searched for hours with no luck at all.
RobinNilsson
Staff MemberTOS Moderator
KITMAKER NETWORK
Visit this Community
Stockholm, Sweden
Joined: November 29, 2006
KitMaker: 6,693 posts
Armorama: 5,562 posts
Posted: Saturday, October 22, 2016 - 12:46 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks Paul, that shows how they were used on a kit, and a nice job too! I would still love to see a photo of them on a real tank, especially on a t-34 or KV, there has to be a photo somewhere. Robin, I might be the only one, but I would like to do an example of one, (again on a T-34 or KV) but I would like to have a photo as proof, I have searched for hours with no luck at all.


Mee too
I like showing off odd technology in model form
The Ostketten Soviet style looks real cool.

Another interesting variant is the Sherman E9 suspension with duckbill extensions on both sides of the track, the bogies were moved outward by some kind of distance blocks
http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/e9suspension/e9suspension.html
/ Robin
 _GOTOTOP