T-55 Tank
Loading the tank in Czechia for delivery in England.
The T55 was the main battle tank of the Soviet Army from the 1950s through the 1980s. Mass-produced and widely exported, it became the most common tank in the world — with over 100,000 units built.
Though it was designed as a battle tank, it was predominantly used to impose or maintain communist rule.
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1956 The Hungarian Revolution
Thousands rose up to demand independence, democracy and free speech. T54 tanks were sent into Budapest to maintain Soviet control for another 35 years. You can still see some of the damage done to buildings.
FOTO:FORTEPAN / Nagy Gyula
- 1968 The “Prague Spring”
The Czechoslovak leader, Alexander Dubček, was willing to allow democratisation and more freedom of speech and travel. The Soviet Union and its allies sent in thousands of T54 and T55 tanks to re-impose its control.
Czechoslovaks carry their national flag past a burning tank in Prague.
- 1963–1973 Invasion of South Vietnam
The 1953 Geneva Accord divided Vietnam into two halves: North Vietnam and South Vietnam. But communist North Vietnam had no intention of respecting the agreement. It left agents in South Vietnam to organise terror and assassinations. In 1963, the North Vietnamese army invaded. Its weapons included Chinese Type 59 tanks – licensed copies of the T-55 tank. - 1991 Lithuanian independence
Lithuanians were operating the TV station but the Soviet Union was not willing to accept this and Soviet tanks were sent in to capture it. People in their path were crushed to death. Lithuania nevertheless succeeded in establishing its independence at last. - 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, China
A Chinese-made version – the Type 59 – was used in the suppression of the Tiananmen Square student protests in favour of free speech and other reforms. One of the most famous photographs of the 20th century shows a lone man carrying shopping bags standing in front of a column of these tanks, trying to block their path. Some 400–2,700 people were killed in the Tiananmen Massacre. The image of that solitary act of peaceful defiance continues to resonate across the world.
‘Tank Man’ – watch the footage here
This Soviet T55 tank is part of the Foundation’s collection of artefacts from totalitarian regimes. It stands as a reminder of how such regimes relied on military power to crush democratic movements and maintain control.
Transporting the tank to Britain
On a cold morning in a forest in Czechia, the T55 tank we purchased for exhibition was loaded onto a trailer to begin its journey to Bremerhaven and then to Portbury, a port near Bristol. When the tank arrived in Portbury it was no longer on a trailer as we had expected. It was on the floor and no tank driver had been arranged to drive it off. A big problem. But an enterprising Polish docker Googled how to drive this type of tank and successfully drove it down the ramp. We sent him a bottle of champagne to thank him.
Specifications
Designed by
T‑55: Leonid Kartsev; T‑54: Aleksandr Morozov
Chassis & Gun Numbers
A18KKP; gun Nr. 100 56 TK (serial Nr. 22265)
Built in
Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, China
Date Built
1957–83 (T‑55)
Combat Weight
36–37.5 metric tonnes
Crew
4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
Length
9m including gun
Engine
V‑55 V12 diesel, 580 hp
Main Armament
100mm D‑10T2S rifled cannon
Gun Range
4,000 metres
Machine Gun
7.62mm SGMT (not on this model)
Turret
Two‑plane stabiliser
Speed
Up to 31mph (50kph)
Range
404–444 miles (650–715km)
Fording Depth
1.4m (unprepared), 5m with snorkel
Obstacle Crossing
0.73m vertical; 2.7m trench
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