T-35 Soviet Heavy Tank

T-35 Soviet heavy tank WW2

The T-35 was the first Soviet heavy tank in WW2. It was produced because the Red Army wanted a vehicle that could break through heavy fortified defences.

Table of contents

• General Characteristics
• Production History
• Variants
• Combat History

• General Characteristics
• Length: 9.7 m
• Width: 3.2 m
• Height: 3.4 m
• Weight: 45 t
• Speed: 30 km/h (road)
• - (off-road)
• Range: 150 km
• Primary armament: 76.2 mm gun
• Secondary armament: 2 45 mm guns
• 5-6 7.62 mm machineguns
• Power plant: -
• Crew: 11

Production History
The first prototype was produced in 1932 and it had one main turret with a 76.2 mm gun and four smaller turrets taken from the BT-2. Two with 37 mm guns and two with machineguns. Production models had turrets similar to the ones on the BT-5. These were equipped with 45 mm guns. Some models had flamethrowers intead of one of the 45 mm guns. One T-35 tank cost 525,000 rubles which is nine times more than a BT light tank. Only 61 were built.

Variants
T-35-1 - Prototype
T-35-2 - Prototype
T-35A - Production model.
T-35B - New engine. Only prototype produced.
SU-7 - Prototypes with a 254 mm cannon, 305 mm howitzer and 400 mm mortar. Weighted over 106 tons.

Combat History
The T-35 first was action against Finland in the Winter War. The 5th Heavy Tank Brigade with 62 T-35s fought against the Germans during Operation Barbarossa.