Seeing Goalkeeper’s T-34 with ZPU 1 project, reminded me that I meant to post some images of a recent project I completed, based on Tamiya’s 1/48 SU-122 SP Gun. Almost all the T-34 ‘SU’ ARVs were conversions of the SU-85 and SU-100. However, there was at least one (and probably more) SU-122 conversions as well which may have been unique to the Hungarian Army.
This model is based on photos of rescued example (Makettinfo - Makettinfo - Hungarian Scalemodeling Site). There is no external stowage fitted so I’ve had to guess at what it might have carried.
4 Likes
That looks great. Did the figure come in the kit?
The Figure is from a Squad 48/Art of War set of WWII British tankers. I replaced the head with a resin one from an Aerobonus Soviet tanker, but thethe figure is otherwise stock.
1 Like
Hi John, the model and the scenery is really great and you did a great job on this all.
Congrats for the building and the add-ons you did!
The only point I would ask is the orange lights which looks non-realistic: being a Hungarian person, it is hard to imagine for me that the vehicle in the eare you modelled would have this feature. As per the clothes of the tanker, it looks back to the fifties to me when the orange light was almost impossible in Hungary.
Tamás
Thanks Tamas.
Yes, I was unsure about the orange light.
The difficulty is that the only vehicle reference I have shows no external stowage so I had to guess what might fit. There are four bolt sockets on the top of the raised pulpit and I could not think of anything else that might have fitted. I guessed wrong 
Regards,
John
Hi John,
I talked to some experts (retired commanders of various tank units) and they agreed that the orange lamp was not present on that very place of the T-34 towing vehicles. However, some T-34 towing vehicles did have typical “standing” orange lamp on the right corner of the top horizontal armor (where the front a right side glacis plates meet) in the 70’s-80’s or so. The presence of this (right side corner located) lamp did depend on the praticular vehicle and its origin - some factories installed, some did not. But the Hungarian People’s Army had no any uniform order to place the orange lamp.
My advice would be to remove the lamp and its frame from the roof and place those four cylinders only and not placing any orange lamp at all. Just to stay on the safe side.
Tamás
Hi John,
Another fellow modeler found a winter photo of such Hungarian (?, likely yes) vehicle. It has a nice scenery, and some minor (snow covered) details of the external parts. I think there is a winch on the front and a wood log on the right side.
Tamás
1 Like
Thanks Tamas - really useful information and a nice photo. Yes it looks like a small winch on the front.
The photo is reversed 
Interesting find, do we think the winch could be used for a A-frame type crane off the front given the size and location? Speaking of the winch it looks too wide to fit on top of the vision port (?), looking at the snow photo it would seem to be easier to use in that location.
The A-frame is a good call and that’s why I included the two parallel bars stowed along the fender of my model. There are what look like mounting points on the nose of the vehicle (‘A’ in the photo I’ve annotated below), and cable stay hooks (‘B’). I’m not sure what ‘C’ might be but I suspect it relates to a winch mounting.
Both ‘A’ and ‘B’ can also be seen on the winter photo that Tamas posted.
1 Like
Gents,
Let me suggest to wait a bit because I will call again the best available hungarian expert (Retd Lt Col) who did a fantastic presentation in the Hungarian Army History Museum 2-3 years ago about the (then) 70 yrs old T-34 tank and variants. He also said that he has a photo or a dawing that might be shared here.
He also called these vehicles VT-34 (Vontató harckocsi - Towing tank) and in some cases CSV-34 (Csörlős vontató harckocsi - Towing tank with wrench). This photo might represent one here.
But he did not tell about crane being present on any of these vehicles.
Also told that because the turret was removed from the T-34 or the gun and mantlet from the SZU-100/122 vehicles, the resulted weight was much less than the T-34 or the SZU-xxx vehicles. Therefor they could hardly move/tow a stopped vehicle.
Crane was installed on T-55 Recovery tanks and the T-72 recovery tanks. And both were capable.
Anyaway, let me update next week.
Tamás
3 Likes
Look forward to any and all information on the T-34/SZU-122 ARV’s. Thank you for trying to get this information.
