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PT-3 Tank Mineroller (Late Production)

Arsenal

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

From the direction sheet: "The PT-3 tank mine clearing trawl was developed at the beginning of the war by the "Dormashina" Factory in Nikolayev. Due to technical defects at the beginning of the war, work was begun on its modernization. The modified trawl, which was assembled at the NK PS factory in the rear area, began testing in May 1942, and by August 1942 the first three mine clearing tanks with the PT-3 were participating in combat operations in the Voronezh area.

"The PT-3 mine trawl could carry out three to five explosions (detonations) before it required repair or replacement.

"The PT-3 was used in the battles for the Volga and in the battles for Stalingrad.

"The design of the mine trawl was constantly perfected.

"In the summer of 1943, the first regular engineer sections in tank units were formed. The PT-3 was mounted on the T-34 and IS Soviet tanks, but it was also tested when mounted on the Lend Lease Sherman and Churchill tanks.

"Mine trawls were widely used in offensive operations. The engineers of the tank regiments actively participated in the liberation of the Ukraine, Belorussia, and the countries of eastern Europe.

"The basic layout and technical decisions used in creating the PT-3 were used
without substantive changes to lay down the subsequent models (PT-54, KMT-5) as well as foreign tank mine trawls. The majority of modern wheel type roller trawls which are used in the armies of the world are directly based upon the PT-3."

Having said that, Arsenal (which is from Zaporozh'ye, Ukraine) has made a very nice little kit of the mine roller – "trawl" to the Russians, as it works like a fishing net to them – which complements the T-34 or IS-2 tank very nicely. The kit comes with the rollers, frame, and attachments, but does not come with a stay cable which is needed to mount the device on the front of the tank. The cable hooks over the front tow hooks and locks the trawl in the up position for travel.

From the looks of the directions, the modeler needs to take the tow cable from the model and use it to make the lift cable. The directions show the modeler drilling out the ends of a plastic tow cable (like the ones included with the Tamiya T-34 kits) and using a thread or wire to hook the device to the tank. This is not hard for most modelers to accomplish, but it does help to understand that fact before beginning construction of the device.

The ten "detonators" all require cleanup, but from photos of these wheel shaped devices, they were very crudely cast due to their short life span. It may be easier, and more accurate, to give them only a cursory cleaning and then "texture" them with modeling putty or liquid cement, based on your preferred method.

Overall, a nice idea, and hopefully Arsenal will come up with more little gems like this.

The review sample was provided by Chesapeake Model Designs, and thanks goes
to Bill Miley of CMD.

Review Copyright © 1999 by Cookie Sewell
Page Created 28 March, 1999
Last updated 22 July, 2003

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