Republicans
Backing: Russia + public support from various liberal and anti-Axis nations.

A lightly equipped Russian contingent fighting on the Republican side is equipped with 500 to 600 BT and T26 type tanks led by General Dimitri Pavlov. Italian and Russian contingents are both accompanied by air force units. Action is generally limited to company schemes planned in conjunction with infantry attacks.

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The Polish FT-17

Late in the 1930's, Poland sold a number* tanks to Spain, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, and China. It is not known if these FT-17 were obsolete French made units or Polish made. There is some mention of the Polish made CWS-FT-17 being exported. CWS means "Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe" - Central Car Workshops - and between 1925 to 1927 they manufactured 26 or 27 tanks from French spare parts, and Polish iron plates and other parts. The Polish production model used normal iron instead of steel used in French manufacture. The Poles used the CWS made tanks for training as the armor was inferior for actual combat usage. There were two or three companies (some 30-45 tanks) sold to China.

* Some reports state "about 30", others state 64, still others claim 90. It is believed that Poland, with the agreement of Uruguay, sent some of the tanks to Spain. There were two or three companies (some 30-45 tanks) sold to China, and one (probably only one) company sold secretly to Spain via Uruguay. The tanks sold to China were sold officially.- the tanks sold to "Spain/Uruguay" couldn't be sold officially, because Poland was in so-called "non-intervention committee", which was formed by some European countries and didn't allow military sales to Spain during their civil war.

The "Landesa" Medium Tank

The design was based upon an agricultural tractor. Several such designed were supplied to the Loyalists during the Civil War. These type of vehicles had limited movement value as they were top heavy.

The French FT17

Models included both the machine gun and cannon armed versions. Some reports state that the special model FT-17 75BS, armed with a 75mm gun, was used. It is not known if the Republicans had all the vehicles that Spain purchased prior to the civil war.

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The Soviet FAI

No details

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The Union Naval de Levante, UNL-35

Production began at the beginning of January 1937 at the rate of 5 per month, although in 1938 deliveries were curtailed due to air raids which eventually forced the relocation of the plant to the facilities of the firm Amat at Elda; where production recommenced once again in September. The production of ordnance continued until April 1939, when aircraft again bombed the facilities. There's evidence of the completion of 130 vehicles of the UNL-35 type alone (some of which were captured by the Nationals). After the war, the design was produced right into the 1950's.

The Soviet BA-6

Exact numbers are unknown.

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Republican AT Guns

Several types can be noted above.

Tanque de Juguete

Spanish Nationalist "tanque de juguete" (toy tank). Developed by the Republicans. It is not known if this tank ever got past the prototype form.

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The Soviet BA-20

Exact numbers are unknown.

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Other Unknown Vehicles

The GAZ-MM, ZIS-5 are described as being used, though exact numbers are unknown.

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T26

Based on a Vickers design, this formidable tank was armed with a 47mm cannon. Right up to the beginning of the war with Germany in 1941, the main gun on this tank was more powerful than most tanks in the German army. A good - solid tank, it's only drawback was the poor maintenance practices of the Red Army compounded by poor conditions and supplies in Spain. These same poor maintenance practices would be the cause for many tanks abandoned by the Red Army when Germany invaded the USSR in 1941. This tank was considered, by many, to have been the most successful tank deployed in the Civil War.

281 T-26 Model 1933 were sent to Spain to fight in the Civil War.*

* There are some discrepancies about the total number of tanks delivered to Spain. Most Russian sources quote a figure of 347 tanks (297 T-26 and 50 BT-5) while others quote figures as high as 362 tanks. Recent archival evidence suggests that the figure is lower, only 331 tanks. The various discrepancies were possibly caused by several events:

The transport ship Komsomol was sunk by the Spanish cruiser Canarias on 14 December 1936, probably carrying tanks that may have been counted in some of the totals. An attempted shipment of 25 T-26 tanks on the transport Iciar in the summer of 1937 was blocked when the crew refused to sail. Lastly, at least one shipment of 40 T-26 tanks that was returned to the USSR late in the war. The figures of 347 and 362 tanks probably refer to the number of tanks shipped, while the figure of 331 tanks is the total number of tanks actually delivered to Spain.

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BT5

50 BT-5 were sent to Spain to fight in the Civil War.

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The Soviet T-28

There is a report that one was sent to Spain. Combat record is not known.

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Italian CV-33

Two or three were captured at the battle of Guadlajara. Seen here towing a captured Italian Krupp 75L 27mm model 1906 (built under license by Odero, Terni).

Improvised Armor

No extra details.

Last Update: Thursday, February 13, 2003