Peter Suciu<\/a><\/p>\nD<\/span>espite being primarily a \u201cland power,\u201d the Soviet Union had an interesting history of amphibious warfare. Though it didn\u2019t take part in the island-hopping campaigns of the United States Marine Corps during the Second World War, and it certainly didn\u2019t mount anything on the scale of the D-Day landings, a great number of Soviet sailors still took part in combat operations.<\/p>\n\n<\/picture>These PT-76 amphibious light tanks were on parade during the Millennium of the Polish State celebration in July 1966. Image:\u00a0Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn fact, Naval Infantry had a long history even before the Soviet era, with the first units formed in 1705 by Tsar Peter the Great. Yet at the start of the Second World War, the Soviet Armed Forces actually only possessed one marine brigade. It was steadily expanded, and by the war\u2019s end, the Soviet Navy contributed around 350,000 sailors to roughly 30 infantry brigades. In addition, the Soviet Red Army saw barriers that rivers presented as it drove back the Nazi invader \u2014 and the Naval Infantry conducted more than 122 amphibious operations, including 10 on a strategic level, 99 on a tactical level, and an additional 13 as diversions.<\/p>\n![\"soviet](\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/soviet-pt-76-disembarks-from-hovercraft.jpg\")
\n<\/picture>A Soviet PT-76 light amphibious tank moves down the ramp of an Aist-class assault hovercraft. Image:\u00a0Soviet Military Power\/NARA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMoreover, even before the Second World War, the Soviet military sought to develop a tank that could more easily cross rivers and streams. The T-37A, based on the British Vickers tankette, became the first series of mass-produced amphibious tanks in the world. It certainly wasn\u2019t the last.<\/p>\n
Enter the PT-76 Tank<\/h2>\n
Developed in the late 1940s, the Soviet PT-76 proved to be an excellent design \u2014 as noted by the fact that it has remained in service for nearly seven decades. The fully amphibious tank can be propelled through the water with the help of two water jets at the rear of the hull.<\/p>\n![\"pt-76](\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/pt-76-leads-soviet-armored-column-in-hungarian-revolution-of-1956.jpg\")
\n<\/picture>A PT-76 leads a Soviet military column during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The Red Army killed thousands of Hungarians revolting against the socialist government. Image:\u00a0Fortepan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIt is important to note that it was also very much designed for use in a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. During much of the Cold War, the Soviet Army\u2019s main battle plan called for a rapid armored thrust across NATO territory \u2014 which would require a quick strike through West Germany, into the Low Countries and then onto France in an attempt to reach the Atlantic coast before NATO forces could mobilize properly.<\/p>\n
![\"soviet](\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/soviet-pt-76-disembarks-from-hovercraft.jpg.webp)
\n<\/picture>![\"pt-76](\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/pt-76-leads-soviet-armored-column-in-hungarian-revolution-of-1956.jpg.webp)
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