T34 Soviet Russian Tank (medium)

T34

Production history

The ancestry of the T-34 derives from prototype fast tanks built by American tank designer J. Walter Christie, which were sold to the Soviet Union after the American military declined to buy them. In particular the T-34 incorporates the Christie suspension.

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Development proper commenced in 1936, and a prototype was completed in 1939. Full scale production started in 1940.

Between 1940 and 1944 over 35000 T-34/76 tanks were produced. The T-34 was produced in two major variants, the T-34/76 with a 76 mm gun and a T-34/85 with an 85 mm gun. After the war the T34 was followed by the T-44 and the T-54.

Variants

• T-34/76A - Production model of 1940
• T34 /76B - Production model of 1941 with heavier armor and a cast turret.
• T-34 /76C - Production model of 1942 with heavier armor and a redesigned turret.
• T34 /76D - Production model of 1943 with welded turret.
• T-34 /76E - Production model of 1943 with a commanders cupola.
• T-34 /76F - Production model of 1943 with a cast version of the T-34/76D turret.
• T34 /85 - Production model of 1943 with a 85 mm gun and improved turret.
• Panzerkampfwagen T-34(r) - T-34s captured by Germany.

The T-34 chassis was used as the basis for a series of self-propelled guns such as the SG-122 and SU-85.

Some T-34 were fitted as self-propelled gunss by Syria.

Combat history

The T-34 is often used as a symbol for Soviet resistance and German arrogance. As such, its actual performance and impact on the war is often overrated. Nevertheless, the appearance of the T34 definitely was an unpleasant surprise for the German commanders, as it could combat all 1942 German tanks effectively. It was faster, had better armament (50mm was the predominant calibre of German tanks guns) and better armour protection, due to the technical innovation of sloped armour.

However, direct tank to tank combat was a rather rare occurrence; the vast majority of losses suffered were from logistical and mechanical troubles (50% of Soviet tanks at the start of the German invasion), artillery and air strikes and (self-propelled) anti-tank guns. At the outset of the war, only about 10% of all Soviet tanks were T-34 variants, this number increased to 50-60% percent till mid-1943. By the time the T-34 had replaced older models and became available in greater numbers, new German tanks (including the improved German design based on the T-34, the Panzer-V 'Panther') outperformed it.

Still, the T-34 was an adequate and effective tank and played a big part in the defeat of the German invaders.

Quotes

"The finest tank in the world" - Field-Marshal Ewald von Kleist

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The T-34 (German designation: T-34/76) was the original tank with a 76.2 mm gun in a two-man turret.

Model 1940 (T-34/76A): Early, small production run (about 400 built[32]) with the L-11 76.2 mm tank gun.
Model 1941 (T-34/76B): Main production with thicker armour and the superior F-34 76.2 mm gun.
Model 1942 (T-34/76C): Thicker armour, many minor manufacturing improvements.

Model 1943 (T-34/76D, E, and F): Introduced May 1942 (not 1943). More ammunition and fuel, very minor armour increase.[48] New hexagonal turret, nicknamed "Mickey Mouse" by the Germans because of its appearance with the twin, round turret-roof hatches open. Later production had a new commander's cupola.

The T-34-85 (German designation: T-34/85) was a major improvement with an 85 mm gun in a three-man turret. All T-34-85 models are externally very similar.

Model 1943: Short production run of January–March 1944 with D-5T 85 mm gun.

Model 1944: Produced from March 1944 through to the end of that year, with simpler ZiS-S-53 85 mm gun, radio moved from the hull into a turret with improved layout and new gunner's sight.

Model 1945: Produced from 1944 to 1945, with an electrically powered turret traverse motor, an enlarged commander's cupola with a one-piece hatch, and the TDP smoke system with electrically detonated MDSh canisters.

Model 1946: Production model with the improved V-2-34M engine, new wheels, and other minor details.
Model 1960: A refurbishing program introduced a new V-2-3411 engine and other modernizations.
Model 1969 (also called T-34-85M): Another refurbishing program introducing night driving equipment, additional fuel, and other modernizations.