Who me???
Maverik happens to live down the road from me and is keeping me sane after changing countries... A very stressful procedure!
Some T-70 stuff...
During early 1942 it became apparent that the T-60/T-60A light tanks were too lightly armoured and that its armament wasn't sufficient enough to cope with the new German tank models. It was by this time when the new T-70 tank appeared, which was built at the Gorki Automobile Works. The T-70 started to replace the T-60 in late January 1942. Using the same chassis with a front drive slightly reinforced to take the extra weight, the turret was redesigned and welded, and it mounted a 45mm gun and a coaxial 7.62mm DT MG. The new turret had a semi-circular hatch in the turret roof, and a curved external mantlet with a sleeve for the gun. To give a cleaner outline and better protection the hull armour was modified, and the driver was provided with an armoured visor. Compared to the T-60, the engine power was doubled by providing two engines of the Soviet 110hp Hudson straight-eight car engine. Twin exhaust pipes attached on each side at the rear hull was a new feature on the T-70. The tracks had twin guide-horns on each track plate, and the T-70 could attain a maximum speed of 32mph. A lipped air-intake was welded below the turret on the right side of the hull, and an engine-servicing hatch was fitted on the right side of the glacis plate. In the summer of 1943, the T-70M appeared with increased armour and slightly more powerful engines. The turret had a squared off rear, as distinct from the rounded type of the T-70, and had welded strengtheners along the joints.
Production of both models ceased in late 1943, partly due to its poor combat performance. Its main shortcoming was that the commander also had to act as the loader and gunner which reduced the tanks speed of engagement. Nevertheless, a total of 8.226 T-70s of all types was built between March 1942 and October 1943. During 1944, many T-70 chassis were converted to self-propelled mountings for 45mm anti-tank guns, captured 47mm Czech anti-tank guns, and later for the newer 57mm and 76.2mm anti-tank guns. In later stage of war, many T-70 tank were issued to the 1st Polish Tank Brigade.
"The main parts remained the same as it had the T-60. From the September of 1942 T-70 were producted with wider wheels and tracks. All these details were now incompatible with the older models. But the new cannon was not automatized and the firespeed was low, because the commander must to work as the loader and the gunner. In the beginning of 1943 the production of T-70 was ceased."
Because the T-60/T-60a light tanks were too light in armor, and had insufficient armament to face the new German models of tanks, they were replaced by the new T-70, built by the Gorki Car Factory. The T-70 used the same chassis of the T-60, with the driver habitacle lightly reinforced, the turret was redesigned and was welded, and mounted a 54 mm cannon and one coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun. This new turret had a semicircular hatch in the ceiling and an external mantlet with a sleeve for the tube, which gave better protection, and the driver had a new armored viewfinder. It was motorized by two Hudson Soviet engines of 110 HP. Another characteristic of the T-70 was the twin exhausts located in the back right side of the chassis, and the tracks with twin guides in each side.
The T-70 had a maximum speed of 50 km/h. A rim for the blower pipe was added underneath the turret in the right side of the chassis, and a service hatch for the engine was also added in the right side of the cowling. One of the defects that remained unsolved in the T-70 was that the turret still only allowed a single crew member, which caused troublesome handling of the cannon during the combat.
In June of 1943 the Soviets released the T-70a which had thicker armor and engines with a little more power. Around 8200 T-70 of the both types were produced between March of 1942 and October of 1943.
(my production figures are 8226!
)
As for opposition how about this...
Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf J (VK 1601).
In the continuation of the development further variants - Ausf J (VK 1601) and Ausf H (VK 903) were produced. In 1943, seven VK 1601 (Ausf J) were issued to 12th Panzer Division, which was fighting on the Eastern Front. In 1944, one of them was converted into a recovery vehicle - Bergepanzer II Ausf J. Later on in 1944/45, the same vehicle served with Panzer Werkstatt Kompanie (Tank Repair Company) of 116th Panzer Division. All of those designs finally led to the development of VK 1303 - Panzerspahwagen II Ausf L Luchs. In 1942, Skoda built a prototype of T-15 (Panzerspahwagen II Ausf Skoda) in competition with VK 1303, but its design was rejected. There was also VK 1602 Leopard (based on VK 1601 - Ausf J), which was designed to eventually replace Luchs. Leopard was reconnaissance tank designed to operate under heavy combat conditions but it design was rejected.
Or...
222 in Russia '43...