Vezdekhod

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vezdekhod was the first true tank to be developed by Imperial Russia. Vezdekhod was designed in 1914 by Alexander Porokhovshchikov, and a prototype was built in 1915. The vehicle was able by some accounts to reach a speed of 40 Verst per hour (26.5 mph) with simulated armor weight, but was difficult to steer. The Military Technical Department discouraged work on the vehicle, and forbade further work on the vehicle after December, 1915. The word Vezdekhod means: "He who goes anywhere."

The actual performance of Vezdekhod is debated, but according to the test commission Report No. 4563: "It appears that Vezdekhod is a sound and practical idea; it can achieve a speed of 25 Verst/hour (16.57 mph). In addition, Vezdekhod can ascend a slope of 40 degrees inclination, cross a trench three metres wide, and a vertical obstacle of 3/4 metre. All significant holes and rough surfaces were crossed wherever tests were carried out. Vezdekhod steers easily during fast motion, and turns very satisfactorily. In all, Vezdekhod crosses terrain and obstacles impassable to conventional motor vehicles."

Vezdekhod was powered by a 10HP motor. It was propelled using one track which was almost the width of the vehicle, and was steered by lowering a wheel on either side of the tank.

The original blueprints, and possible photographs have been lost to history, perhaps due to the Bolshevik October Revolution of 1917. After Russian newspapers published news about the first English tanks used in world war one, Porokhovshchikov argued that the Vezdekhod was the rightful first tank. After the Bolshevic Revolution, Soviet propaganda promoted the idea that Vezdekhod was the first tank.
Porokhovshchikov himself served as the test driver of the vehicle on at least one occasion. He also personally kept 8,340 of the 18,000 rubles allocated to the project (46.3%). Over 25 years later (either 1941 or 1943) Porokhovshchikov was put to death by the NKVD for "expenditure of public funds for unnecessary inventions."

[edit] Dates

13th January, 1915 - Official Permission and Government Support granted
February, 1915 - Vezdekhod construction begins
18, March 1915 - Vezdekhov's first preliminary automotive tests
29, December 1915 - Vezdekhod was able to reach a speed of 26.5 MPH with simulated armor