Cuban Tanks, I partRuben Urribarres |
Marmon Herrington CTMS-1TBI Dutch Three Man Light Tank
The
Marmon Herrington, known in Cuba as "3 Man Dutch" (instead of Dutch Three Man),
was the first tank of Cuba. After of the Japan's Attack to Pearl Harbor in December
of 1941, Cuba declares the war to the the Axis powers.
Then the United States send to Cuba Military Aid under the program Lend Leased, that include the delivery of 8 Marmon Herrington tanks in 1942 thought the U.S. Ordnance Department.
These
tanks participated in the war against the guerrilla of Fidel Castro in 1958. At
the revolutionary triumph of January of 1959, remained 5 in service. They
served of training and little later scraped by for lack of pieces and by the arrival
of the soviets armors.
| Built:
1941 Dimensions: lenght 4203 mm, height 2451 mm, width 2337 mm Armament: One 20 mm Bofors QF Gun, three 7,62 mm machine guns Browning | Crew:
3 man Weight: 11,340 kg Speed: 48 km/h |
 | Dutch Three Man examinated by officers of the Cuban Constitutional Army. Photo courtesy of William Kirk |
M3A1 General Stuart Light Tank
24 of these light tanks arrived at Cuba under the program Lend Leased in 1942-1943 after the declaration of war to Germany. They served in the Columbia Regiment, Havana, and participate in the fight of Batista against Fidel Castro. When Castro arriving to the power, remained 18 Stuart in service, and in various of these tanks the Castro's troop enter in Havana. The Stuart served in training before until the arrival of the Soviet and and Czech armors.
| Built: 1940 Crew: 4 man Dimensions: lenght 4532 mm, height 2515 mm, width 2235 mm Armament: One 37 mm Gun M5, five 7,62 mm machine guns Browning M1919A4 | Weight: 12,428
kg Armor: 10-45 mm Speed: 48 km/h Road ratius: 113 km |
 | M3 Stuart in maneuvers at the 50´s. See the tankers of differents races. The Stuart were by its number, the most important in the Batista´s Army |
M4A3 (76)W HVSS General Sherman Medium Tank
They
went the more strong tanks of Batista. In 1957 were received 7 Shermans under
the Aid Program. They participated in the fights against the guerrilla of Fidel
Castro, fighting in Oriente (offensive of May of 1958, Battle of Guise) and in
the Santa Clara battle, in support of the Regiment "Leoncio Vidal" against the
Che Guevara. Here, when Batista fleeing January 1, 1959 was taken the famous photo
of the Che next to a Sherman (and not in Bay of Pigs, as wrong think some authors,
as Steven Zaloga, there not there was any Sherman). To the revolutionary triumph
all the 7 Sherman still active and in one of them enters triumphant Fidel in Havana
in January 7.
In the anniversary of the attack to the Moncada, in July
26, 1959, the Shermans participate in a maneuvers, where sinks a ship shooting
from the Havana coast. Fidel Castro was pleased to visit the military camp of
Managua, where were all the tanks, and to practice the shot from a Sherman. Certain
time he competes with Nestor Lopez Cuba (who later become a Division General,
veteran of Syria and Angola), shooting with the canon of 76 mm to the palms around
the camp, each one in its own Sherman. Until Fidel says: "It's all, we Remain
draw. Besides, we are violating the Constitution, because the palm is a national
tree". When arriving the first soviets T-34-85 in 1960, the better crews of
Sherman pass to be trained in the soviet equipment, and the Sherman little later
were retired, without coming to be employed in Bay of Pigs. Today alone remains
one Sherman in Cuba, that was repaired in 1981 (with motor of T-55!) to film the
TV series "The Army of all" about the revolution. He is exhibited today in one
Cuban military unit.
| Built:
1944 Dimensions: lengh 7569 mm, height 2978 mm, width 2667 mm Armor: turret 63, hull 38-108 mm Armament: One 76 mm M1A2 gun, Two 7,62 mm machine guns Browning M1919A4 | Crew: 5 man Weight: 33,320 kg Speed: 48 km/h Road radius: 160 km |
 | 1957. Ceremony Sherman´s delivery. The Cuban General Stab Chief of the Cuban Army, General Tabernilla, with the officers of the American Mission |
 | January 1, 1959. Che Guevara near a Sherman Tank after the Santa Clara Battle. There Che fell and broke a hand (observe the bandage at the hand, and the black band to the neck). This photo are situate in Bay of Pigs by error of some autors, arising the legend of Shermans against the landed forces. Backing the Che, are their future wife Aleida March, of Santa Clara. The rebel soldier with rifle M1 Garand, dress with the typical mixture civil-soldier of 1959 |
 | January 1959. The Che Guevara troops leaved Santa Clara City toward Havana at the revolution triumph. |
 | 1981, the Last Sherman. It was restored to be used in a TV film with battles scenes during the revolution. For this it was rebuild with a T-55 motor that was write off. Today this Tank is exhibited in Cuba |
At least 15 british Cruiser tanks A34 Comet were bought for Batista after the American embargo, and they arrived at the same end of the war, in December of 1958, being able to participate in the Santa Clara Battle. They were scraped when arrival the soviet armor. Long time the last Comet was stationed in the wall of the castle of the Punta, at the Havana coast, defending the entrance of the Havana Bay, whithout some mechanisms and forgot, until was retreat in 1986.
| Built: 1944 Crew: 5 man Dimensions: lenght 7660 mm, height 2982 mm, width 3050 mm Armament: One 77 mm gun OQF, one 7,92 mm machine gun BESA | Weight: 35,760 kg Armor: 14-102 mm Speed: 52 km/h Road radius: 200 km |
 | British Cruiser Tank A34 Comet. They arrived the last days of the Batista´s regime, and most they could not fight |
T-35-85 Medium Tank
In April
of 1960 Cuba ask weapons for first time directly to the USSR, that includes 100
medium tanks. Jrushov conditioned this to the tanks T-34-85 must be Czech made
tanks, to cover the soviet aid. In June the soviet leader Mikoyan informs to the
Cubans, that they will delivering immediately 30 T-34. At July 17, 1960 Raul Castro
arrives secretly at Moscou, and the same day he talk with Matvey Zajarov, the
Soviet General Staff Chief, and ask again for the weapons, that includes T-34-85,
that delay in arriving. Was a really threat of American intervention in Cuba,
then Jrushov finally is decided, and in October of 1960 begin to arrive the Czech
made T-34-85, and later soviet made. In December of 1960 were already near 100
of these tanks in Cuba.
And at the beginning of the fight by Bay of Pigs in April of 1961, already were in Cuba 125 T-34-85 and IS-2M. Some 20 T-34-85 contributed to the Cuban victory over the landed forces. But their crews not were finished the training course in Managua, and in not every tank the crews were completed. 5 T-34 were damaged by the M41 tanks, bazookes and 57mm Recoilless rifles. The T-34-85 destroyed at the same time 1 M41 and supported with effectiveness the advance of the Cuban infantry. In April 20, Fidel mounted in one of the T-34 and opens fire against the Houston ship, because some reports that here remains enemy troops. These tanks T-34-85 were part of an asked of a total of 205 tanks, but after the Giron combats, Cuba does in Septiember of 1961 another asked by 412 tanks, part of which they begin to arrive in December 1961, and in 1962, on time before the Missile Crisis. One year after Giron, in April of 1962 Cuba already have 400 tanks and continued to receiving more.
When Castro
visit the USSR in May of 1963, he asks to Jrushov for 120 T-55, but the asked
is reduced to others 80 T-34-85. With the beginning of the transfer to the FAR
in 1963, of the T-55 of the soviets troops in Cuba, the T-34-85 pass to second
plan in the national defense. In 1975 the T-34-85 went send to Angola together
with the Cuban troops. Here they participate in the defeat of the South African
troops, and arriving in March from 1976 to the border with Namibia. Later they
fight against the UNITA guerrillas. The T-34-85 today in Cuba (some 300) are destined
for coast defense, and of support the Territorial Troops Militias.
| Built:
1944 Dimensions: lengh 8100 mm, height 2720 mm, width 3000 mm Armor: turret 60-90, hull 45 mm Armament: One 85 mm gun ZIS-S-35, two 7,62 mm machine guns DT | Crew: 5 man Weight: 32,000 kg Speed: 55 km/h Road radius: 300 km |
 | The just arriving T-34-85 in the parade of the January 1, 1961 in Havana. By this time were in Cuba one hundred Tanks T-34-85 y IS-2M |
 | In April 20, 1961, after the combats by Bay of Pigs, some reports inform that since the ship Houston, that was been stranded by Playa Larga, the enemy open fire. Fidel Castro then moved in one of the T-34 to the coast, and shoot against the ship. To its side an SU-100 open fire too, and when Castro hearing its more powerful gun, he jumps from the T-34 and shoot from the SU-100, doing impact |
 | The T-34-85 that today are exhibed in the Havana Revolution Museum |
Related articles
Cuban Tanks: IS-2M, T-55, T-62, PT-76
Enemy Tanks: M41 Walker Bulldog (Brigada 2506), Olifant, Eland y Obuses G5/G6 (Sudáfrica)
Articles about the Cuban Military Aviation
External Links:
Cuban Military Forum
Medios blindados e infantería cubana
Tanques y blindados de Cuba
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