Vasily Mendeleev is a Russian designer and inventor.
Mendeleev’s parents :
Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev is a scientist, better known to us as a chemist and Anna Ivanovna Mendeleeva (Popova) – artist.
Biography of Vasily Mendeleev
In the Mendeleev family of Dmitry Ivanovich and Anna Ivanovna (Popova), twins were born on December 30, 1886 – Vasily and Maria. In total, the Mendeleev family had four children. Born in St. Petersburg, where he spent his childhood and years of study.
After receiving basic knowledge, he studied at the Kronstadt Naval Engineering School, choosing the shipbuilding department (1903 – 1906). He worked at shipbuilding factories in St. Petersburg for several years, approximately until 1916. He supervised the development of submarines and designed minelayers.
In 1911 he met his future wife Fenya. In 1920 (21) they left for Ekaterinodar (Krasnodar), where he worked as an engineer at a factory. Having contracted typhus from his wife, he died in 1922 without let any child.
Invention of Vasily Mendeleev (tank)
In 1911 he decided to create a ground combat vehicle. This took four years of work. He carefully calculated everything – the method of movement, mechanisms, joints, armor and engine, method of movement and artillery potential (mechanical feed of shots). Mechanical suspensions could lower the vehicle body to the ground if necessary. The idea of the designer is to help the infantry during the offensive.
Tank of Mendeleev Vasily Dmitrievich
The weight of the vehicle was 170 tons (the only drawback of the invention), the armor thickness was 150mm. The pneumatic system is used in the braking system and in the movement of the tracks. Tanks on wheels were limited in movement, and Mendeleev’s car could overcome the slopes of railways without drowning in swampy areas. The movement was carried out on caterpillar tracks (an innovation), and the engine ran on gasoline.The 120mm caliber gun was rotated with the help of a drive, was located in the body, and, having high penetrating ability, could destroy dugouts, forts and other enemy fortifications with shots.
The combat kit made it possible to fire more than a dozen shots. The crew is designed for 8 people, there are four control posts inside the vehicle. The machine gun turret rotated 360 degrees. Travel speed is 20 – 30 km/h.
In the First World War, although tanks were present in battles, they did not play a special role, and no merit was attributed to them. Vasily Mendeleev’s invention was not used, but his calculations and discoveries made a great contribution to weapons development. It is this man who is the founder of domestic tank building. Also, there was no such super-heavy tank in the whole world.
