Object 416

Overview
Object 416 was an odd experimental Soviet light tank constructed in Kharkov by Plant Number 75. Development on the vehicle began in 1950. In 1951 the vehicle was re-designated as an assault gun/tank destroyer. In 1953 the design was finalized after problems with the unusual turret had been solved.

Design
The Object 416 was designed as a light heavily-armored tank with an extremely low silhouette. The vehicle stood at an amazingly short 5 feet 2 inches in height, and weighed just 24 tons. Despite the vehicle's weight, the armor was surprisingly good, about 110 mm on the turret and 75 mm on the hull. But the vehicles most unusual feature was its unique rear-mounted turret, which did not have a full 360 degrees of traverse. The fact that all four crew members sat in the turret (including the driver) meant that the turret could only rotate around 70 degrees because the drivers seat could only move so far.

The Object's armament was the 100 mm M-63 gun, which was 58 calibers long. The gun could elevate to an astounding 36 degrees, allowing for a great hull down, however the depression was bad due to the rear mounting of the turret. The tank's loading mechanism was also very interesting, the loader would place a shell on a tray. Then a chain drive loading system would grab the shell and ram it into the breech, saving effort in what was a rather small fighting compartment. However if a failure occurred in the system, shells could be loaded manually.

The tank was powered by a 400 hp V12 engine, which could push the 24 ton object at around 50 km/h. The sprocket wheels were placed at the front of the tank, and external guide horns on the tracks kept them aligned, rather than more usual center guide horns.

Action
The tank was never accepted for production, and only a single prototype was ever produced. The major problem with the vehicle was steering, due to the unusual placement of the driver, and the limited traverse of the turret made firing on the move difficult. Eventually the Object became regarded as a tank destroyer, and received the designation SU-100M. Nonetheless, funding eventually ceased and the project was abandoned.