7TP-jw (7 tonne polish) light tank - case report

Żołnierze!

(Soldiers!)

       I'll show to you guys a project of recycling a scrap-kit, which I got from a friend. An old and odd kit that reproduces the  Seven tonne Polish Light Tank, the famous 7TP.  Polish rules !!!

      This topic is dedicated to my Canadian friend George Bradford ( the master of AFV Plans)  who like me, loves a weird kit!!!

Polska wiecznie !!!

7TP-jws in salute ...

History:

       The 7TP (siedmiotonowy polski - 7-tonne Polish) was the Polish light tank of the Second World War. A development of the British Vickers 6-ton, it was significantly better armed than its most common opponents, the German Panzer I and Panzer II. A standard tank of the Polish Army during the Polish Defensive War of 1939, its production never exceeded 150 vehicles. Its chassis was used as the base for C7P artillery tractor.

C7P artillery tractor in action

      The 7TP was the Polish development of the British Vickers 6-ton Mark E tank licence. Comparing to Vickers, the main new features of 7TP were: a better, more reliable and powerful diesel engine, a 37 mm anti-tank gun, thicker armour (17 mm instead of 13 mm on the front), modified ventilation, the Gundlach tank periscope, and a radio. About 132 tanks were produced between 1935 and the outbreak of the war, plus four iron prototypes. The designation 7TP meant "7 Tonne, Polish" (in fact its weight increased to 9 tonnes after the initial prototype).

      Although 7TP is often claimed to be the world's first (production) diesel-powered tank, this distinction actually goes to Japanese Type 89B I-Go Otsu, produced with a diesel engine from 1934 onwards. Barring that, the claim of a first purpose-designed diesel-powered tank is tied with Type 95 Ha-Go, whose series production also commenced in 1935. The diesel oil used as fuel had an important advantage of being much less flammable than gasoline.

typical smoke from a diesel engine

Diesel Saurer VBLDd engine

     Like its British predecessor, the 7TP was initially produced in two variants: twin turret version armed with 2 Ckm wz.30 machine guns...

7TP-dw with twin turrets

...and a single turret version, armed with 37 mm Bofors wz. 37 gun. After initial tests, it became clear that the twin-turret variant was obsolete and lacked firepower, so it was abandoned in favour of the more modern single turret design.

7TP-jw with single turret

      Prior to the outbreak of World War II most of the twin turret tanks were converted to single turret versions and only 24 twin-turret types remained in Polish service (as opposed to roughly 108 of the other type). It is to be noted that twin and single turret variants had no specific designations. In some modern books they are unofficially designated "7TP dw." and "7TP jw." (Polish abbreviations for dwuwieżowy - dual turreted; jednowieżowy - single turreted).

      In 1938 Państwowe Zakłady Inżynierii also produced 13 prototype models of a better armored version of the 7TP - the 9TP. Although the 9TP never entered production, these prototypes were used in the defense of Warsaw in September 1939.

Combat history:

      All 7TP tanks took part in combat in the Invasion of Poland of 1939. Most of them were attached to two light tank battalions (the 1st and the 2nd). The remaining tanks, that is the ones used for training as well as tanks that were finished after the outbreak of the war, were used in an improvised tank unit fighting in the defence of Warsaw. Although technically superior to any of the German light tanks of the era, the 7TP was too scarce to change the outcome of the war.

A 7TP-jw going to face the invaders

          The 1st Light Tank Battalion (49 single turret tanks) fought in the ranks of the Prusy Army as part of the strategic reserve force of the Polish Army. It entered combat on September 4, 1939 and fought with distinction in a variety of roles, mostly as a mobile reserve and for covering the withdrawal.

      It fought in a number of battles, most notably in the battles of Przedbórz, Sulejów, Inowłódz, Odrzywół and Drzewica. On September 8 it managed to stop the German advance on the centre of the Polish forces, but the following day it got separated from the main force and had to be withdrawn to the rear. Part of the battalion was destroyed in the Battle of Głowaczów, while the remainder on September 13 managed to break through to the other side of the Vistula, where it joined the Lublin Army and Col. Stefan Rowecki's Warsaw Armoured Motorised Brigade. As part of that unit, the battalion took part in the Battle of Józefów and formed part of the spearhead of the Polish units trying to break through to Lwów and the Romanian Bridgehead. After the Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski, on September 21, 1939, the remaining tanks were destroyed by their crews and the unit surrendered to the Germans.

      The 2nd Light Tank Battalion (49 single turret tanks) was attached to the Piotrków Operational Group of the Łódź Army. It entered combat on September 4 near the river of Prudka, Bełchatów.

      The following day it was ordered to lead the Polish counter-assault on Piotrków, but the attack failed and the unit suffered heavy losses. The battalion was then rallied and withdrawn to Warsaw and then to Brześć, where it shielded the mobilization of the Polish 60th Infantry Division. On September 15 it took part in a two-days long Battle of Włodawa, but suffered heavy losses due to air bombardment and was withdrawn southwards. The remaining tanks had to be destroyed by the crews due to lack of oil and on September 17, after the Soviet Union joined Germany in her war against Poland, the crews and the staff of the unit crossed the border with Romania.

      The remaining tanks found in Warsaw were formed into 1st and 2nd Company of Light Tanks by the Command of the Defence of Warsaw. The 1st company had 11 twin-turreted tanks, previously used for training. In the opening stages of the Siege of Warsaw the unit took part in heavy fights for the Warsaw's suburb of Okęcie and the major airport located there. 

      Due to lack of anti-tank armament, the tanks of the 1st company suffered losses and were withdrawn to the rear on September 12, where the unit was joined with the 2nd company.

7TP-dw - twin turret

      The 2nd company had 11 single-turret tanks, as well as an unknown number of other armoured vehicles. It took part in successful defence of the borough of Wola against German infantry and armoured units. It was also used for tactical counterattacks, among others for the village of Wawrzyszew, where the company managed to disrupt enemy preparations for the assault. On September 15 the company was ordered to form a spearhead of the Polish attack aimed at linking up with the forces of the Poznań Armywithdrawing after the Battle of Bzura through the Kampinos forest north of Warsaw. The attack ended up as a minor success, although the German aerial bombardment caused heavy losses both in personnel and in tanks. The remaining 7TP tanks were used on various sectors of the front until the end of the defence of Warsaw on September 27, when they were destroyed by their crews.

      The combat experience proved that the Bofors wz. 37 anti-tank gun used in the 7TP was able to penetrate the armour of any of the German tanks of the time, including the modern Panzer IV. On the other hand, the tank was armoured too lightly, especially against aerial bombardment.

     In the end of campaign, 20 were successfully withdrawn to Romania and Hungary, while almost 40 had to be abandoned due to engine problems and lack of fuel.

7TP-jw singles captured by the Germans

      At the same time, one 7TP was captured by the Soviets during their invasion of Poland. After the fall of Poland, the German military incorporated 20 captured 7TPs into Tank Battalion 203 of the 1st Panzer Division, as the Pzkpfw 731 (p). These 7TP tanks were used against Norway and France in 1940 and the Soviet Union in 1941.
font: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7TP

Notice the MG 34 used as main armament

Specs:

7TP Light tank
Type	Light tank
Place of origin	Poland
Service history
Used by	Poland  Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Produced	1935–1939
Number built	149
Variants	twin-turret 7TP
Specifications
Weight	9.9 tonnes
Length	4.6 m
Width	2.4 m
Height	2.27 m
Crew	3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Armor	17 mm
Main armament	1×37 mm Bofors wz. 37
Secondary armament	1×7.92 mm Ckm wz.30
Engine	Diesel Saurer VBLDd 110 hp (80 kW)
Power/weight	11 hp/tonne
Suspension	leaf-spring bogie
Ground clearance	381 mm
Operational range	150 km
Speed	37 km/h

The kit
      As I said, I got this kit already built by a colleague. He still had the original box. The kit was from Spojnia

Old, very old 7TP from Spjnia

      So was the little beast ...

7TP built in very simple way...Turret was glued in the hull, missing gun...

Good news: the tracks with no defects...Vinyl, but ok...

Notice the bogies built in wrong position.
The front bogies had to be inverted

Notice the bogies disassembled. Blue arrows: closing the mantlet gap
Red arrows: making the rotational turret device with plasticard

The screw that allowing the movement of the turret

       Together with this 7TP scrap, I built one 7TP (virgin) with twin turret and snow-plow.

7TP DW from Mirage

The double turreted kit

The version built in parallel...But this story, you guys have ever seen
7TP snow-plow - Based on a George Bradford drawing

The two 7Tps under construction - Notice the metal gun from RB Models (Matilda)

I used Archer decals for the turret rivets

Other side...

Exhasut muffler - texturized with dental acrilyc...

Metal grabs...

Headlights from my spare-box 

Open slits in the turret 

       As I was building two Polish girls, it seemed fair that I called for the party another polish girl... Taking advantage of the opportunity, I built a Vickers double turreted light tank, which was also used by the Poles. But this will be our future history ... Stay tuned ...

        But back to the building, the girls ready for a bath of beauty. Primer firstly ...

Polish girls in primer...Notice the Vickers girl in the right...

Base color: yellow...

Polish cammo : 3 tones...

The real beast

The little beast painted...Future and decals...
3rd Armoured Battalion - Poland, 1939

The 3 girls in cammo...

Adding weight to the vinyl tracks...

       And the Polish girl was ready:

7TP-jw - 3rd Armoured Battalion - Poland, 1939

7TP-jw - 3rd Armoured Battalion - Poland, 1939

Polish Girls lightweight in row...
Vickers, 7TP-Jw and 7TP-DW with snow-plow

Thanks, Gents !!!