GAZ-TK (SPK) 76mm Kurchevsky RCL

Produced in 1933-1934, the GAZ-TK was based on GAZ-A. Engineers were told to use as much GAZ-A parts as possible to make production easier. Also 7,62 mm caliber machine-gun was installed.

In 1935, the reconnaissance battalions of the Red Army received the first 76mm »dynamo-reactive« guns designed by L.V.Kurchevskiy. The recoilless gun was only one in a range of calibers reaching from 37 to 305mm and produced by the thousands in the 1930s. However, the Kurchevskiy guns showed so many deficiencies in service that their designer fell victim to the Stalin purges of 1937.

In order to improve mobility, the chassis of the GAZ-A staff car was lengthened by one axle resulting in a 6x4 light truck and named »GAZ-TK«, the »T« for triaxal and the »K« for Kurchevskiy. Because the enginers were hurried up so much the truck was a failure. Engine was underpowered and the truck had many glitches. For example when using the main gear the gearbox made “howling” sound. There was also a problem with brakes – whenever the rear bogie encountered uneven surface the rar brakes jammed. Soon the production stopped. Few hundred units were produced. It had 6×4 Wheelx + caterpillar tracks.

Nontheless, two of the 23 »SPK« produced in total participated in the ill-fated Soviet-Finnish war, where they were lost. The further 21 samples probably never saw service in the upcoming Great Patriotic War due to mechanical failures.