UMMT – 710 – Sapper (bridge) tank ST-26

Description:

The ST-26 sapper (bridge) tank was a unique engineering vehicle developed in the Soviet Union between 1932 and 1933, based on the two-turreted T-26 light tank. Manufactured in 1933 at a plant in Leningrad, the ST-26 was modified by removing one turret and altering the upper hull to accommodate a folding bridge mechanism. Following successful field tests in 1934, a production batch of 64 vehicles was delivered to the Red Army. Some of these tanks would later see action during the 1939–40 Winter War against Finland.

The ST-26 was designed to deploy a 7.35-meter-long metal bridge capable of supporting up to 14 tons—sufficient for T-26 and BT light tanks to cross trenches and obstacles. The bridge was mounted on a special frame above the hull and deployed forward using internal winches. Impressively, the entire bridging operation could be completed in under a minute without the crew leaving the vehicle—a rare feature for early 1930s engineering tanks.

For self-defense, the ST-26 retained a 7.62 mm DT machine gun, mounted in a ball joint within a rotating turret. The vehicle had an operational range of approximately 120 kilometers. An improved variant of this vehicle would later be developed under the designation UST-26.

This 1/72 scale kit from UMMT (kit 710) represents the ST-26 with great fidelity and is a welcome addition to the growing range of Soviet interwar and early WWII engineering vehicles in miniature. While this specific release has yet to receive detailed reviews, it shares a large number of components with UMMT’s well-regarded T-26 series kits. Builders familiar with UMMT’s tooling can expect the same level of sharply molded parts, authentic proportions, and historical accuracy found across their T-26-based offerings.

Ideal for modelers interested in early Soviet armor, engineering vehicles, or bridge-laying systems, this kit provides a rare and fascinating subject rarely seen in 1/72 scale.