History of tank forces. History of tank forces What is the crew of the T 34
The crew of the most popular medium tank of World War II, the T-34, consisted of four people: a tank commander, a driver, a turret commander and a radiotelegraph operator-machine gunner. The T-34 commander also performed the duties of a gunner (that is, he fired himself), which actually deprived the crew of a commander. The situation changed only with the advent of the T-34-85 in 1943.
In the Red Army, driver mechanics were trained for 3 months, radio operators and loaders - for a month. The formation of the crew took place right at the factory, after receiving the tank. The soldiers went to the factory training ground and fired 3-4 shells and 2-3 machine-gun disks, after which they marched to the railway station, where the vehicles were loaded onto platforms. Arriving at the front, such crews often disbanded without ever engaging in battle. Then they were replaced by experienced tankers who had lost their vehicles in battle and, according to the regulations, were sent to serve in the infantry.
The tank crew was not permanent: after leaving the hospital, wounded tank crews rarely returned to their crew or even to their regiment. Accounting for personal victories in Soviet tanks There was practically no fighting between the troops, and the data that is available is in most cases not complete: the number of victories could be large.
Data were often underestimated, which was due to the existence of a payment system. For each destroyed German tank, the commander, gunner and driver received 500 rubles, the loader and radio operator - 200 rubles. As for collective tank victories, only a few cases are known when the crews of Soviet tanks destroyed a certain number of German tanks and guns.
In Soviet military historiography there is no complete list of tank aces (similar to what existed in the German tank troops Oh). The most reliable data is available only regarding specific tank battles.
The Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper tended to exaggerate the data: judging solely by them, the Red Army should have destroyed all Wehrmacht tanks in the fall of 1941.
- Dmitry LAVRINENKO - lieutenant, fought on a T-34 tank, destroyed 52 tanks and assault guns.
- Zinovy KOLOBANOV - senior lieutenant, KV tank; 22 tanks.
- Semyon KONOVALOV - lieutenant, KV tank; 16 tanks and 2 armored vehicles.
- Alexey SILACHEV - lieutenant, 11 tanks.
- Maxim DMITRIEV - lieutenant, 11 tanks.
- Pavel GUDZ - lieutenant, KV tank; 10 tanks and 4 anti-tank guns.
- Vladimir KHAZOV - senior lieutenant, 10 tanks.
- Ivan DEPUTATOV - lieutenant, 9 tanks, 2 assault guns.
- Ivan LYUBUSHKIN - senior sergeant, T-34 tank; 9 tanks.
- Dmitry SHOLOKHOV - senior lieutenant, 8 tanks.
The most successful Soviet tank ace is Dmitry Lavrinenko. Participated in 28 battles. On October 6-10, 1941, in the battles of Orel and Mtsensk, its crew destroyed 16 German tanks. Colonel General Heinz Guderian later wrote: “South of Mtsensk, the 4th Panzer Division was attacked by Russian tanks and had to endure a difficult moment. For the first time, the superiority of Russian T-34 tanks manifested itself in a sharp form. The division suffered heavy losses. The planned rapid attack on Tula had to be postponed.” In November 1941, during the defense held by Lavrinenko’s platoon, 8 German tanks went into battle. The lieutenant knocked out the tank in front with one shot, after which the remaining 6 shots also hit the target. The tankman died in November 1941 during the defense of Moscow.
The second in the line of tank aces is Zinovy Kolobanov. On August 19, 1941, in the Leningrad region, his KV-1 destroyed 22 German tanks. Four KV-1 tanks led by Kolobanov ambushed the German column. The first two shots set the two leading German vehicles on fire, stopping those that followed. The cars that were at the end of the column continued to move forward, squeezing it. In this situation, Senior Lieutenant Kolobanov hit the German vehicle at the very end. The column was trapped. The KV tank in which Kolobanov was located withstood 135 hits from German shells and did not fail.
Separately, they talk about tank aces who destroyed heavy German tanks T-VI N "Tigers". Here, the first are considered to be the crews of T-34 tanks from the 1st Tank Army of General Mikhail Efimovich Katukov.
On July 7, 1943, 8 T-34 vehicles of the Guard Lieutenant Vladimir Bochkovsky from Katukov’s army fought a defensive battle, first with seven “Tigers”, and later with three more approaching tank columns, led by T-VI N. Soviet tanks fought from shelters, which gave the Nazis reason to think that a much larger number of tanks were holding the defense. In this battle, Guard Lieutenant Georgy Bessarabov burned three T-VI N vehicles.
Only at the end of the day did the German tank crews realize that only a few vehicles were fighting against them and resumed their attacks. Bochkovsky's tank was hit while trying to tow another vehicle that had been hit earlier. The crews of the destroyed tanks and 4 more motorized riflemen continued to hold the defense. As a result, Bessarabov’s tank managed to escape. The next morning, a company of 5 vehicles again appeared in front of German tanks.
Over two days of fighting, the tankers destroyed 23 enemy tanks, including several Tigers.
THE LARGEST TANK BATTLE IN THE HISTORY OF WARS OF THE XX CENTURY
In the Great Patriotic War, which took place on the territory of a state that occupied 1/6 of the landmass, tank battles became decisive. During battles involving armored forces, the opponents found themselves in equally difficult conditions, and in addition to the capabilities of military equipment, they were forced to demonstrate the endurance of their personnel.
The battle in the area of Prokhorovka station (Belgorod region) on July 12, 1943 has long been considered the largest military clash involving armored forces. It took place during the defensive phase of the Battle of Kursk under the command of Lieutenant General of the Red Army Tank Forces Pavel Rotmistrov and SS Gruppenführer Paul Hausser on the enemy side. According to Soviet military historians, 1,500 tanks took part in the battle: 800 from the Soviet side and 700 from the German side. In some cases, the total figure is 1200. According to the latest data, only about 800 armored vehicles took part in this battle on both sides.
Meanwhile, modern historians claim that the largest tank battle in the history of World War II and in the entire history of wars of the 20th century, there was a battle near the Belarusian town of Senno, 50 kilometers southwest of Vitebsk. This battle took place at the very beginning of the war - on July 6, 1941, 2,000 armored vehicles were involved in it: the 7th and 5th mechanized corps of the Red Army (under the command of Major Generals Vinogradov and Alekseenko) had about 1,000 old-type tanks , also about 1,000 tanks were at the disposal of the German troops. The Soviet army suffered the greatest losses in this battle: all Soviet tanks were destroyed, personnel losses amounted to about 5,000 dead soldiers and officers - it is for this reason that the scale of the battle of Senno was not covered by Soviet historiography. True, the writer Ivan Stadnyuk in his novel “War” writes that our corps had 700 tanks, and that they were tasked with launching a counterattack from the area southwest of Vitebsk to a depth of 140 km. in the direction of Senno and Lepel and destroy the Lepel enemy group - 57th mechanized corps.
PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE
The battle of Senno was preceded by battles in the Vitebsk direction, as a result of which, according to the plans of the Wehrmacht command, the road to Moscow was to become completely open. The basis for this conclusion was that by the beginning of July 1941 Minsk was captured and the main forces of the Soviet Western Front were practically destroyed. On July 3, the chief of the German general staff, Franz Halder, wrote in his diary: “In general, we can already say that the task of defeating the main forces of the Russian ground army in front of the Western Dvina and the Dnieper has been completed... Therefore, it will not be an exaggeration to say that the campaign against Russia was won within 14 days...” However, already on July 5, on the way to Vitebsk, the German units were stopped - the failure of the famous Barbarossa plan began. The fighting in the Vitebsk direction, which ended with the Battle of Senno, played an important role in this disruption, paralyzing the movement of German troops for a whole week.
As a result of the July battles north and west of Orsha, Red Army tankmen of the 20th Army under the command of Lieutenant General Pavel Alekseevich Kurochkin dealt a significant blow to German units, throwing them 30 - 40 kilometers away from the city of Lepel. German troops unexpectedly found themselves in a difficult situation, having gone from the offensive to the defensive, which was broken through by two Soviet tank wedges.
According to military theory, a tank wedge could be stopped by the same tank wedge: therefore, in the counteroffensive, the German command was forced to use the approaching 47th Motorized Corps and other tank formations. A large German airborne assault was launched into the Senno area. At this time, units of the 20th Army under the command of Lieutenant General Pavel Alekseevich Kurochkin moved forward, confident of the successful completion of the operation.
Here is an excerpt from the memoirs of a participant in that battle: “Soon tanks appeared ahead. There were many, many of them. An ominous mass of armored monsters with black crosses on their sides moved towards us. It is difficult to convey the state of mind that gripped the young, unexamined fighters...” It was difficult to hold Senno: the next day the city changed hands three times, but by the end of the day it was still under the control of Soviet troops. The tankers had to withstand 15 German attacks a day: according to the recollections of the participants in the battle, it was “a real pitch hell!”
After the first, most difficult day of the battle, the Red Army tank corps were surrounded. Fuel and ammunition supplies ran out, the T-26, BT-5, BT-7 tanks, which were in service with the Red Army, could not withstand the impact of shells of any caliber, and a tank stopped on the battlefield turned into a pile of metal after a few minutes. Due to outdated gasoline engines, Soviet tanks literally burned out “like candles.”
The supply of fuel and ammunition to the tanks was not organized in the required volume, and the tank crews had to drain fuel from the tanks of vehicles that were almost no longer operational into those that carried out the offensive.
On July 8, the German command decided to use all the forces located in the Senno area and considered reserve forces in the battle with the defenders of the city.
As a result, the Soviet units had to leave the city and retreat to the Vitebsk-Smolensk highway, where they occupied the next line of defense. Some Soviet tanks still continued to advance on Lepel, hoping to successfully complete the operation, but already on July 9, German corps captured Vitebsk. Thus, even before the crossing of the Dnieper began, the road to Smolensk and Moscow was open to the Wehrmacht. Continuing the counterattack of the Red Army troops made no sense. On July 10, the Soviet command gave the order to blow up the tanks that were left without crews and fuel, and to leave the encirclement.
They retreated at night, many did not manage to escape. Those who survived later took part in the Battle of Smolensk. It was during the Battle of Smolensk that the most famous participant in the Battle of Senno, the son of Joseph Stalin, Yakov Dzhugashvili, a junior officer of the 14th howitzer artillery regiment, was captured. The son of the general secretary of the Communist Party of Spain, Lieutenant Ruben Ruiz Ibarruri, also fought in the same corps.
RESULTS OF THE BATTLE
The largest battle in the history of wars of the 20th century ended in the defeat of the Red Army for a number of reasons. Chief among them, according to historians, is poor preparation for the operation: lack of time to obtain intelligence data and poor communication, as a result of which the soldiers had to act intuitively. In addition, most Soviet tank crews entered this battle without preparation. The order to carry out a counterattack came unexpectedly: at this time, many units railway were heading to the Kiev Military District, and some trains even managed to unload.
For most of the Red Army tankers who did not yet have combat experience, the battle of Senno became a “baptism of fire.” German tank crews, on the contrary, by that time were seasoned in European battles.
Among the reasons that determined the outcome of the battle, an important one is the lack of air support for Soviet tanks, while the German Air Force inflicted sufficient damage on them. In his report, Major General of Tank Forces Arseny Vasilyevich Borzikov wrote: “The 5th and 7th mechanized corps are fighting well, the only bad thing is that their losses are very large. Moreover, the most serious ones come from enemy aircraft, which use incendiary mixture..." The severe weather conditions in which the battle was fought also affected its result: heavy rains, which took place the day before, turned the dirt roads into mud, which made it difficult for both the advance and retreat of Soviet tanks.
But the German troops also suffered significant losses in the largest tank battle. Evidence of this is a captured memo from the commander of the German 18th Panzer Division, Major General Nehring: “The losses of equipment, weapons and vehicles are unusually large and significantly exceed the captured trophies. This situation is intolerable, we can win until our own death...”
25 Red Army soldiers who took part in the battle of Senno were presented with state awards.
Soviet tank crews fought heroically in a tank battle in 1941 at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War near Dubno, Lutsk and Rivne as part of the 6th Mechanized Corps with the first tank group of Nazi troops.
It is well known that the victory of the Soviet Armed Forces in the last war was the result of joint heroic efforts and high military skill of all types and branches of the military. Soviet tank forces, which were the main strike and maneuver force of the Red Army ground forces, also made a great contribution to the overall victory over the enemy.
Taking a mental look at the battles of the Great Patriotic War, one cannot help but notice that not a single one of them was carried out without the participation of tank troops. In addition, the number of tanks participating in battles continuously increased throughout the war. If in the counter-offensive near Moscow only 670 tanks operated as part of the Soviet troops, and in total in the Battle of Moscow (1941/1942) - 780 tanks, then in the Battle of Stalingrad 979 tanks were involved. There were already 5,200 of them in the Belarusian operation, 6,500 in the Vistula-Oder operation, and 6,250 tanks and self-propelled guns took part in the Berlin operation.
Tank troops played a decisive role in the Battle of Stalingradjf942 - 1943, the Battle of Kursk in 1943, in the liberation of Kiev in 1943, in the Belarusian operation of 1944, the Iasi-Kishenev operation of 1944, the Vistula-Oder operation of 1945. , Berlin operation of 1945 and many others. etc.
The massive use of tanks in cooperation with other branches of the military and aviation led to exceptionally high dynamism, decisiveness and maneuverability of combat operations, and gave the operations of the last war a spatial scope.
“The second half of the war,” said Army General A.I. Antonov in his report at the XII session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on June 22, 1945, was marked by the predominance of our tanks and self-propelled artillery on the battlefields. This allowed us to carry out operational maneuvers of enormous scope, encircle large enemy groups, and pursue them until they are completely destroyed)
As is known, according to their main combat mission, tanks must always operate ahead of other types of troops. During the war, our tank troops. brilliantly fulfilled the role of the armored vanguard of the Red Army. Using great striking force and high mobility, tank units and formations quickly penetrated into the depths of the enemy’s defenses, cut through, encircled and crushed the group’s egos on the move, crossed water barriers, disrupted the enemy’s communications, and captured important objects in his rear.
Advancing at high speed and greater depth, tank troops were most often the first to break into cities and villages temporarily occupied by the Nazi invaders. It is not without reason that people still say today that during the war years the roar of tank tracks and the thunder of their guns sounded like an anthem of liberation for millions of people who were in Hitler’s captivity. Perhaps there is no such large settlement in the former theater of war, the name of which would not be written on the battle flag of the tank brigade or corps that took part in its liberation. Eternal symbols Today, tank monuments stand in many cities of our country and abroad to show national love and gratitude for the courage and heroism of Soviet tank crews.
During the Great Patriotic War, for military merits, 68 tank brigades received the rank of guards, 112 were given honorary titles, and 114 were awarded orders. The brigades that received five and six orders include the 1st, 40th, 44th, 47th, 50th, 52nd, 65th and 68th Guards Tank Brigades.
During the Great Patriotic War, 1,142 tank soldiers were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and 17 of them twice, hundreds of thousands were awarded orders and medals.
I would also like to dwell on the work of the country’s tank industry. As a result of the measures taken by the Soviet government to organize the production of tanks and the heroic efforts of home front workers, the number of tanks in active army grew rapidly. If on December 1, 1941 there were only 1,730 units, then by May 1, 1942 there were 4,065, and by November - 6,014 tanks, which already in the spring of 1942 it turned out to be possible to begin the formation of tank and later mechanized corps. 2 mixed tank armies were also created, which included tank, mechanized and rifle formations.
Based on combat experience in 1942, the People's Commissar of Defense issued an order on November 16, which required the use of tank brigades and regiments for direct support of infantry, and tank and mechanized corps as echelons for the development of success in order to separate and encircle large enemy groups. Since 1943, the formation began tank armies homogeneous composition; in tank and mechanized corps the number of tanks was increased, self-propelled artillery, mortar and anti-aircraft units were included. By the summer of 1943, there were already 5 tank armies, which, as a rule, had 2 tank and 1 mechanized corps. In addition, there were a large number of separate tank mechanized corps. At the end of World War II, the Red Army consisted of 6 tank armies.
During the Great Patriotic War, the USSR tank industry produced more than 100 thousand tanks. The losses of tank forces during this period amounted to 96.5 thousand combat vehicles.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated July 1, 1946, the professional holiday Tankman's Day was established to commemorate the great merits of armored and mechanized forces in defeating the enemy during the Great Patriotic War, as well as for the merits of tank builders in equipping the country's Armed Forces with armored vehicles.
The holiday is celebrated on the second Sunday of September.
Immediately after the end of the Great Patriotic War, tank troops stationed in Eastern Europe were one of the most important factors in restraining the ruling circles of Great Britain and the United States from conducting a military operation against the USSR.
According to the country's defense plan for 1947, the Armed Forces were tasked with ensuring the integrity of the borders in the West and East established international treaties after the Second World War, to be prepared to repel possible enemy aggression. In connection with the creation of NATO, a gradual increase in the size of the Soviet Armed Forces began in 1949: the country was drawn into the arms race. In the fifties, the Soviet army was armed with up to
60,000 T-54/55 tanks. They formed the basis of the Soviet army. Tank forces were part of the armored strategy.
As a result of the arms race, by the beginning of the 1960s, 8 tank armies were deployed in the western theater of operations alone (4 of them were the GSVG). Tanks of new series entered service: T-64 (1967), T-72 (1973), T-80 (1976), which became the main battle tanks of the Soviet Army. They had different configurations depending on the type of engines and other important components, which greatly complicated their operation and repair by the troops.
According to information from the USSR Ministry of Defense, as of January 1, 1990, there were 63,900 tanks, 76,520 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers in service. In the period 1955 - 1991. Soviet tank forces were the strongest in the world.
In accordance with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe of November 19, 1990 Soviet Union pledged to reduce conventional weapons on European territory to the level of 13,300 tanks, 20,000 armored vehicles, 13,700 artillery pieces. The agreement finally put an end to the possibility of a Soviet attack, marking the end of the era of tank confrontation.
IN modern form tank troops - “main impact force The ground forces are a powerful means of armed struggle designed to solve the most important tasks in various types military operations." ... Thus, the importance of tank forces as one of the main branches of the Ground Forces and their main striking force will remain in the foreseeable future. At the same time, the tank will retain its role as a leading unique weapon Ground forces.
By Decree of the President of Russia No. 435F of April 16, 2005 and Order of the Minister of Defense of Russia No. 043 of May 27, 2005, modernized tanks of the T-72BA, T-80BA, T-80 U-E1 and T-90A types were adopted. During the period 2001 - 2010, 280 tanks were produced. In 2008 - 2010, one of the priority tasks for the development of the Ground Forces was their equipment - primarily formations and units constant readiness- modern T-90 tanks. The main problems of the tank forces are the significant diversity of the tank fleet and the need to increase the firepower of tanks. Their security and mobility.
In 2010-2011, a decision was made to stop purchasing T-90, BTR-90, BTR-80, BMD-4, BMP-3 and any other domestic armored vehicles for a period of 5 years, until the creation of the Armata platform. Since 2012, the purchase of any domestically produced armored vehicles has been frozen for 5 years. Currently, the tank forces of the Russian Ground Forces are superior in numbers to the US tank forces, whose tank fleet includes about 6,250 Ml Abrams tanks.
The Russian Federation has more than 20,000 tanks in service.
T-34-85 is a Soviet medium tank from the Great Patriotic War, the final modification of the T-34.
History of T-34-85
By the second half of 1943, the most important Soviet tank, the T-34, began to be significantly inferior to enemy tanks. Although the Red Army managed to win the Battle of Kursk, this was done mostly due to numerical superiority and personal courage, but not thanks to technical advantage. The victory was very costly for the Soviet troops, and it was obvious that a new tank was needed, more armored and with a more powerful gun.
By that time, the T-43 tank had already been created, which was superior to the T-34 in a number of parameters. However, it turned out that it was impossible to install a more powerful 85-mm cannon on it, which would be ideal for penetrating German tanks - the tank would become too heavy. So work on the T-43 was stopped, instead equipping the T-34 with a new gun and creating the final modification - the T-34-85.
The T-34-85 featured not only a more powerful gun, but also enhanced armor, as well as additional fuel tanks. Because of all this, the tank began to weigh 32 tons, but its speed and maneuverability did not change.
In December 1943, the T-34-85 entered mass production, and already at the end of January 1944 it began to be used in battles. The tank was produced until 1958, including for export. In total, more than 35 thousand T-34-85 units were produced.
TTX T-34-85
general information
- Classification - medium tank;
- Combat weight - 32.2 tons;
- The layout is classic;
- Crew – 5 people;
- Years of production – 1943-1958;
- Years of operation – 1944 to 1993 (officially in the USSR and the Russian Federation);
- The number produced is more than 35,000 pieces.
Dimensions
- Case length – 6100 mm;
- Length with gun forward – 8100 mm;
- Case width – 3000 mm;
- Height – 2700 mm;
- Ground clearance – 400 m.
Booking
- Armor type - rolled homogeneous steel;
- Body forehead (top and bottom) - 45/60° mm/deg;
- Hull side (top) - 45 / 40° mm/deg;
- Hull side (bottom) - 45/0° mm/deg;
- Hull stern (top) - 45 / 48° mm/deg;
- Hull rear (bottom) - 45 / 45° mm/deg;
- Bottom – 20 mm;
- Housing roof – 20 mm;
- Turret forehead – 90 mm;
- Gun mantlet – 40 mm;
- Tower side - 75/20° mm/deg;
- Turret rear - 52/10° mm/deg;
- Tower roof – 15-20 mm.
Armament
- The caliber and brand of the gun is 85 mm ZIS-S-53;
- Gun type - rifled;
- Barrel length - 54.6 calibers;
- Gun ammunition - 56-60;
- Angles VN- 5…+22 degrees;
- GN angles – 360 degrees. (manual rotation mechanism or electromechanical drive);
- Sights - telescopic articulated TSh-16, periscopic PTK-5, side level;
- Machine guns - 2 × 7.62 mm DT-29.
Mobility
- Engine type - V-shaped 12-cylinder diesel liquid cooled with direct injection;
- Engine power – 500 hp;
- Highway speed – 55 km/h;
- Speed over rough terrain – 25 km/h;
- Cruising range on the highway – 250 km;
- Cruising range over rough terrain – 220 km;
- Specific power - 15.6 hp/t;
- Pendant type: Christie pendant;
- Specific ground pressure - 0.83 kg/cm²;
- Climbability - 30°;
- The wall to be overcome is 0.75 m;
- The ditch to be overcome is 3.4 m;
- The fordability is 1.3 m.
Modifications
- T-34-85 1943. A small-scale modification with a new three-man turret and an 85-mm D-5-T85 cannon. Produced from January to March due to unsatisfactory placement of the S-53 gun in the original turret;
- T-34-85. Main serial modification with 85 mm ZIS-S-53 cannon;
- OT-34-85. Instead of a frontal machine gun, it had an ATO-42 piston flamethrower;
- T-34-85 1947 with a new V-2-34M engine, a new radio station and optical instruments;
- T-34-85 1960 with a 520 hp V-54 or V-55 engine, modified internal design, new electronic equipment, a new radio station, increased ammunition and chassis from the T-55;
- PT-34 is a trawl tank created on the basis of the 1943 T-34.
Application
The T-34-85 began to enter service with the troops in February 1944. Unfortunately, the first tank battles were not very successful - the crews were not given time to retrain, and very few tanks were provided.
One of the first T-34-85s was received by the 38th Tank Regiment, which also had OT-34s, flamethrower tanks based on the T-34. In March 1944, this regiment became part of the 53-1 combined arms army and participated in the liberation of Ukraine, where, in fact, the T-34-85 was used on a large scale for the first time.
When the offensive against Belarus began in June 1944, about four hundred T-34-85s took part. However, they were used much more widely in 1945, for example, in the battle of Lake Balaton and in the Berlin operation.
By mid-1945, Soviet tank divisions in the Far East mostly had outdated equipment - light tanks BT-5, BT-7 and T-26. When the war with Japan began, 670 T-34-85s were sent there. Thus, these tanks actively participated in the defeat of the Kwantung Army, acting as the main striking force of tank units.
When even the power of an 85-mm cannon became insufficient to penetrate the armor of enemy tanks, work began on the T-34-100, as well as on the T-44. As a result, they all led to the appearance of the T-54 tank, which replaced the T-34-85 in the first years after the war. However, the service of this tank did not end - it actively participated in the Korean War, in the wars in the former Yugoslavia and the Arab-Israeli wars. Officially, this tank was in service until 1993, and in some countries it is still in service!
T-34-85 once took part in an interesting event of the 21st century. When there were anti-government protests in Budapest in October 2006, demonstrators were able to launch museum T-34-85s along with BTR-152s, and used the vehicles in clashes with officers of the law.
Memory of a tank
T-34-85 is one of the most popular tanks of the Great Patriotic War. Although most people have only heard of the T-34 tank, many museums have examples of the T-34-85. Also, it is this tank that most often stands on pedestals in many cities of Russia: Novokuznetsk, Voronezh, Kharkov, Nizhny Novgorod and a number of others.
Tank in culture
The T-34-85 tank was widely reflected in culture, and it was often replaced by earlier T-34s, since it was not possible to find the originals.
Movies
There are quite a lot of films featuring the T-34-85. The most famous of them:
- Chief designer. A film about the creation of the T-34, in which the T-34-85 was filmed instead of this tank;
- Fall of Berlin;
- In war as in war;
- Film epic “Liberation”;
- Hot Snow;
- Eternal Call;
- Four tankmen and a dog (despite the fact that during the series the crew fights first on the T-34, and then on the T-34-85, the T-35-85 was filmed in the film with minor alterations);
- White Tiger;
- Save Private Ryan. There is no mention of the T-34-85 here, but these were the tanks that were camouflaged as the PzKpfw VI “Tiger” featured in the story.
Games
The T-34-85 appears in many World War II games, such as Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, World War II, Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory, and Sudden Strike: The Last Stand. , “Call of Duty”, “Blitzkrieg” as well as in the games “World of Tanks” and “”.
Other
Due to its popularity, the T-34-85 was produced by many different companies in the form of models. Also during Soviet times, this tank was featured on postage stamps.
It's no secret that the Soviet T-34 is one of the most famous tanks in the world. This combat vehicle was first introduced in 1939, but it was not without some shortcomings.
An improved version called the T-35-85 came out in 1944, which was already equipped with a new gun and turret, as well as some innovations that allowed the tank to become one of the most high-tech in its class. The vehicle was assembled until 1958, and its active combat use ended only in the 1990s. We advise you to take a trip back in time to look inside the T-34 tank and learn about its design features.
Many books have been written about this tank, and just as many more will be written. We will not repeat ourselves, but simply consider the internal volumes of the tank. Let's take a look at the conditions in which tankers from many countries around the world achieved glorious victories and felt the bitterness of defeat. 
The crew of the vehicle consists of 5 people, and the layout is classic: with the engine and transmission compartment located in the stern, and the control compartment in the front of the hull. Let's get started!
Driver mechanic 
Top view of the driver's control devices 
View of the control department 
Driver's dashboard
This crew member was located in the control compartment, on the left. The tank driver had access to 400 horsepower of the V-2-34 diesel engine. It was launched by an ST-700 starter, or compressed air, the cylinders of which were located behind the lower armor plate. The rotation was carried out “classically” - using two levers. In the stowed position, visibility occurred through a hatch in the frontal armor plate, and with the hatches closed, through two periscope devices. 
View of the driver's seat from the fighting compartment. The hatch is open. Under the right lever you can see the compressed air cylinders that were used to start the engine 
View of the driver's seat through the open hatch 
View of the control levers. In the background is a folded seat and the handle of a radio operator’s machine gun.
Gunner-radio operator 
In front of the radio operator's position there were racks with magazines for a DT machine gun, 7.62 mm caliber. 
There was a standard fire extinguisher at the radio operator's seat.
The radio station operator operated the 9-RS device, which was previously located in the control compartment, but later moved to the tower (since 1944, that is, since the beginning of production of the T-34-85). The machine gun in the frontal armor plate is DT 7.62 mm caliber. Shooting was carried out using the PPU-8T sight. On the right was a rack with five machine-gun magazines. In the floor under the radio operator's seat there is a hatch for evacuating the occupants of the control compartment. 
Despite the position of “radio operator gunner”, this crew member’s radio station in the T-34-85 was moved to the turret
Gunner
View through the gunner's eyes of the TSh-16 sight sight and the breech of the D-5T gun
Reticle of the TSh-16 sight
The operator of the 85-mm ZIS S-53 gun (on some vehicles - D-5T) could lower the gun 5 degrees down and raise it 22 degrees. Horizontal aiming – 360 degrees. The rotation of the tower was carried out manually or using an electric drive. For aiming, a TSh-16 sight was used with a viewing angle of 16 degrees and four-fold zoom. In addition, for better awareness, the gunner could use the MK-4 device in the turret roof.
Two rotating handles, responsible for pointing the gun in the vertical and horizontal planes
Charging
General view of the fighting compartment from the loader's position. The MK-4 observation device is visible in the roof of the tower. Below it are magazines for a coaxial DT machine gun.
The third turret was located to the right of the breech of the gun. A mounting with four disks for a coaxial DT machine gun was attached to the turret wall. The shells were placed in the rear of the turret, and on the floor of the fighting compartment - behind the gunner-radio operator and driver. Two shots on clamps were attached vertically under the loader’s right hand. Weight of shells: from 5.4 kilograms (sub-caliber) to 9.5 (high-explosive fragmentation).
The loader sent shells weighing up to 9.5 kilograms into the breech of the 85-mm gun
On the right you can see the viewing slot, under which there was a lockable embrasure for firing from personal weapons
Commander
The 9-RS radio station was located in the turret, to the left of the commander’s seat
The commander was located behind the gunner and loader. To view the battlefield, the MK-4 device was used, which was duplicated by five viewing slits in the commander's cupola. To communicate with the crew, the TPU-3-bisF intercom was used.
View of the commander's seat from below - up. The commander's panorama, three of the six viewing slits and the MK-4 observation device are visible
General view of the commander's seat
As you can see, the T-34-85 tank - for all its innovation, had a downside - very cramped internal volumes and a dense layout. But, probably, during the period of its creation the priorities were different - manufacturability, simplicity and speed of production.
Classification: |
Medium tank |
Combat weight, t: |
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Layout diagram: |
Classical |
Crew, persons: |
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Manufacturer: |
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Years of production: |
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Years of operation: |
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Number of issued, pcs.: |
More than 35000 |
Case length, mm: |
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Length with gun forward, mm: |
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Case width, mm: |
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Height, mm: |
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Ground clearance, mm: |
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Booking |
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Armor type: |
Rolled steel homogeneous |
Body forehead (top), mm/deg.: |
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Body forehead (bottom), mm/deg.: |
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Hull side (top), mm/deg.: |
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Hull side (bottom), mm/deg.: |
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Hull stern (top), mm/deg.: |
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Hull rear (bottom), mm/deg.: |
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Bottom, mm: |
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Housing roof, mm: |
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Turret front, mm/deg.: |
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Gun mask, mm/deg.: |
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Tower side, mm/deg.: |
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Tower feed, mm/deg.: |
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Tower roof, mm: |
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Armament |
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Caliber and brand of gun: |
85 mm ZIS-S-53 |
Gun type: |
Rifled |
Barrel length, calibers: |
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Gun ammunition: |
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Angles VN, degrees: |
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Telescopic articulated TSh-16, periscopic PTK-5, side level. |
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Machine guns: |
2 × 7.62 mm DT-29 |
Mobility |
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Engine's type: |
V-shaped 12-cylinder diesel liquid cooled with direct injection |
Engine power, l. With: |
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Highway speed, km/h: |
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Speed over rough terrain, km/h: |
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Cruising range on the highway, km: |
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Cruising range over rough terrain, km: |
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Specific power, l. s./t: |
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Suspension type: |
Christie pendant |
Specific ground pressure, kg/cm²: |
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Climbability: |
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Wall to be overcome, m: |
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Ditch to be overcome, m: |
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Fordability, m: |
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Armor tilt effect
Mass production
Serial production at Soviet factories
Armored hull of the T-34-85 tank
Housing layout
Housing design
Armored turret of the T-34-85 tank
Armament
Engine and transmission
Combat use
The Great Patriotic War
After 1945
Vehicles based on T-34
Interesting Facts
T-34-85 in computer games
Soviet medium tank of the Great Patriotic War period. Adopted by the Red Army by GKO Decree No. 5020 ss, dated January 23, 1944.
It is the final modification of the T-34 tank, model 1943. The new, spacious, three-seat gun turret was developed using design and technological solutions implemented in the experimental T-43 tank. The installation of a more powerful 85-mm cannon, combined with a number of design modifications, significantly increased the combat effectiveness of the T-34-85 tank compared to its predecessor, the T-34-76. The new turret provided an increase in the volume of the fighting compartment, the ability to accommodate a more powerful 85-mm cannon, a better distribution of functions between crew members and its security. With the overall armor protection slightly increased, thanks to the turret, (compared to the T-34-76 tank), but insufficient, compared to the enemy’s heavy tanks, in 1944, the T-34-85 tank practically did not lose its former mobility and maneuverability - the main thing the advantages of a medium tank in fights with heavy Tiger tanks and Panther medium tanks. As a combat vehicle, the T-34-85 tank was a classic example of a combination of design and technological solutions, which in their entirety ensured the best compliance with the tactical and technical requirements for a “cruising” tank during the “Turning Period” of World War II. The main, most objective criterion that determines the quality of the T-34-85 medium tank is the absolutely positive attitude of the crews of Soviet tank crews towards it.
The T-34-85 was produced in the USSR from January 1944 to 1950, before the start of mass production of the T-54. Under license from the USSR, 3,185 tanks of this type were produced in Czechoslovakia in 1952-1958 and 1,980 tanks in Poland in 1953-1955.
In total, over 35 thousand units of T-34-85 tanks (including those produced in Czechoslovakia and Poland) were produced, and taking into account the previously produced T-34-76, the total production was about 70-80 thousand units. This allows us to say that the T-34 tank was the most popular tank in the world.
Since 1944, the T-34-85 was the main medium tank of the Red Army in the Great Patriotic War, and after its completion, it formed the basis of the tank forces of the Soviet Army until the mid-1950s, before the mass entry into the tank forces of the Soviet Army of the latest medium T-54 tanks. Officially, the T-34-85 tank was removed from service in the Russian Federation only in 1993. After the war, T-34-85s were supplied in significant quantities to a number of countries in Europe and Asia, where they were used in armed conflicts, including the Korean and Six Day Wars and a number of others. As of 2010, the T-34-85 is still in service with a number of countries.
Story
In 1943, due to the massive appearance of new models of armored vehicles with enhanced armor among the Germans, the effectiveness of 76.2 mm guns became sharply insufficient. In the battle on Kursk Bulge, in the battles of large masses of tanks, the German offensive was stopped, but only at the cost of huge losses of its own armored vehicles, the bulk of which by that time were T-34 and lightly armored light tanks T-60 and T-70. At the same time, the main losses the German side suffered were not from the fire of Soviet tanks, but from the action of anti-tank artillery, from mines and bomber aircraft.
This forced us to look for ways to improve the combat qualities of the T-34. After developing several options, the T-34-85 was launched into mass production in 1944, armed with a new 85 mm cannon. The crew increased from 4 to 5 people, the tank received a new turret with reinforced armor and more convenient for the crew and commander. As a result, the mass increased by several tons, which led to a slight decrease dynamic characteristics.
Armor tilt effect
The analysis showed that the slope of the armor is important only for cases where the caliber of the projectile does not exceed the thickness of the armor, that is, in this case, for calibers less than 45 mm. As the caliber increases, the protective effect of the tilt decreases rapidly. For 88 mm shells, the slope of the T-34 armor had virtually no effect on armor penetration.
Reasons for creating the final modification of the T-34 tank
In 1942, as large-scale production was mastered and the ongoing modernization of the T-34-76 tanks was carried out, in order to reduce the labor intensity of production and improve combat qualities, the leading design bureau of the T-34 tank, plant No. 183, began developing a project for a new medium T-43 tank.
The T-43 tank project was developed in the direction of increasing, compared to the T-34 tank, combat survivability by increasing the thickness of the armor plates of the hull and turret, and combat effectiveness by increasing the volume of the fighting compartment by developing a new, more spacious turret. During the development of the project, the level of unification of components and parts with the serial T-34 tank was 78.5 percent; the configuration and dimensions of the hull remained essentially the same as on the T-34; engine, transmission, chassis elements, gun - the same as on the T-34. At the same time, in the T-43 project some design developments were implemented on the pre-war project of the T-34M tank. In particular, due to the increase in the combat weight of the T-43 tank, compared to the T-34 tank, a torsion bar suspension of road wheels was implemented for the first time for a medium tank.
However, by mid-1943, when the need arose to install an 85-mm cannon on the T-43 medium tank (four versions of the 85-mm cannon developed for the medium tank were ready for testing), it turned out that the new T-43 tank was not has reserves for this to increase combat mass. Even with its “native” 76-mm cannon, the T-43 tank weighed more than 34 tons. A further increase in the mass of this tank led to a decrease in such an important indicator of combat effectiveness as mobility. In addition, the transition of factories to large-scale production of the new tank would inevitably cause a decrease in production volumes, which was considered unacceptable in wartime conditions. In addition, the torsion bar suspension of the road wheels, which had a relatively large diameter, was not yet reliable enough for the operating conditions of a medium tank... Because of this, the design bureau of plant No. 183 decided not to create a new tank but to modernize the existing T-34 to the final modification.
Mass production
In December 1943, plant No. 112 began preparing for serial production of the T-34 tank, with the D-5T cannon, in the new “Sormovo” turret.
January 1, 1944 The T-34 tank has been equipped with the S-53 cannon, with the possibility of installation in turrets with both standard (1420 mm) and extended (1600 mm) turret shoulder strap diameters, ( State Defense Decree No. ..., dated January 1, 1944)..
January 23, 1944 The T-34-85 tank was adopted by the Red Army, ( GKO Resolution No. 5020 ss, dated January 23, 1944). In this regard, all T-34 tanks, with a 76-mm cannon, produced in 1944 and previous releases, received the designation T-34-76.[A].
1944 First half of the year., serial production of medium tanks T-34-76 (model 1943) continued to be carried out by: plant No. 112 “Krasnoe Sormovo”; "Ural Heavy Engineering Plant" (UZTM), Sverdlovsk; No. 183 “In the Name of the Comintern”, Nizhny Tagil; plant No. 174, Omsk.
The leading plant for the production of T-34-85 tanks in 1944÷1945 was plant No. 183
The Stalingrad Tractor Plant (STZ) did not resume tank production; The Ural Heavy Engineering Plant "Uralmash", (UZTM), Sverdlovsk, produced exclusively self-propelled guns based on the T-34 tank; The Ural Kirov Plant (UKZ), Chelyabinsk, completed the production of T-34-76 tanks and completely switched to the production of heavy tanks and self-propelled guns based on them.
In January 1944. Plant No. 112 produced the first 25 units. T-34-85 tanks, with a D-5T cannon, in a new “Sormovo” turret.
Since February 1944 Plant No. 112 began a gradual transition to the production of T-34-85 tanks, with the S-53 cannon.
In February 1944. Plant No. 112 produced 75 units. T-34-85 tanks, with a D-5T cannon.
Since March 1944 The production of S-53 guns has begun, in commissioning mode.
In March 1944. Plant No. 112 produced 150 units. T-34-85 tanks, with a D-5T cannon.
In April 1944. Plant No. 112 produced the final batch, 5 units. T-34-85 tanks, with a D-5T cannon, completed the production of T-34-76 tanks, and began mass production of T-34-85 tanks, with a S-53 cannon.
Notes:
In total, between January and April 1944, plant No. 112 produced 255 units. T-34-85 tanks. with D-5T cannon, of this quantity, 5 units. - commander's, with radio station RSB-F.
When the S-53 cannon was first installed in the Sormovo turret, it became clear that the turret needed to be modified in order to increase the lower elevation angle.
Since May 1944 The continuous production of S-53 guns has begun.
Since June 1944 Plants No. 112 and No. 174 began serial production of T-34-85 tanks. with the S-53 cannon, and completed serial production of the T-34-76 tanks.
Serial production of T-34-85 tanks was carried out by: plant No. 112, Krasnoye Sormovo, from January 1944 to 1950 inclusive, a total of about 12,221 units; plant No. 183, (Nizhny Tagil), from March 15, 1944, to 1946 inclusive, about 14,434 units in total; plant No. 174, (Omsk), from June 1943 to 1946 inclusive, a total of about 3994 units.
The total number of T-34-85 tanks built by USSR factories in the period 1944÷1950 is approximately 30649 (35399÷35415) units.
Until now, according to Soviet and (foreign) sources, only approximate information is provided on the number of T-34-85 tanks produced:
During 1944, in total approximately 10647÷10663 units were produced; of this amount: 10499 units. - linear; 134 units - commanders; 30 units - flamethrowers. In particular:
Plant No. 183 produced approximately 6,585 units in total;
Plant No. 112 produced approximately 3062 units in total;
Plant No. 174, produced approximately 1000 units in total;
During 1945, a total of approximately 12,551 units were produced; of this amount: 12110 units. - linear; 140 units - commanders; 301 units - flamethrowers. In particular:
Plant No. 183 produced approximately 7,356 units in total;
Plant No. 112 produced approximately 3,255 units in total;
Plant No. 174, produced approximately 1940 units in total;
During 1946, in total approximately 2701 units were produced; exclusively linear tanks T-34-85. In particular:
Plant No. 183, produced approximately 493 units in total;
Plant No. 112 produced approximately 1,154 units in total;
Plant No. 174 produced approximately 1054 units in total;
From 1947 to 1950, serial production of exclusively linear T-34-85 tanks was carried out only by plant No. 112. In particular:
In 1946, plant No. 112, produced approximately 2701 (5500) units;
In 1947, plant No. 112, produced approximately 2300 (4600) units;
In 1948, plant No. 112, produced approximately 1850 (3700) units;
In 1949, plant No. 112, produced approximately 450 (900) units;
In 1950, plant No. 112, produced approximately 150 (300) units;
- Data from foreign sources are indicated in brackets.
In the T-34-85 tank, the quality and reliability of components and assemblies have reached the highest level, while the design and layout have retained exceptional manufacturability, high maintainability, rapid restoration and commissioning of tanks damaged during combat operations.
The structural and weight reserves for further increasing the combat effectiveness of the T-34-85 tank were far from completely exhausted. In particular:
- Torsion bar damping of the road wheels was not implemented, by analogy with the experimental T-43 tank and the serial T-44, which would have provided: improved dynamic characteristics of the vehicle; increasing the volume of the fighting compartment due to the elimination of the side shafts of the spring shock absorbers of the track roller suspension.
- The transverse installation of the engine was not implemented, by analogy with the serial T-44 tank, which would have provided the possibility of rearranging the hull in order to shift the turret rotation axis back, in order to unload the front road wheels, in order to strengthen the frontal part of the hull and increase the volume of the hull's fighting compartment.
Note: The serial medium tank T-44 was a symbiosis of the serial T-34-85 and the experimental T-43. Strengthening the armor protection of the hull of the T-44 tank, compared to the T-34, was achieved, in particular, by: reducing its construction height; elimination of fender niches, and therefore due to a decrease in the useful volume of the hull, compensated by a decrease in the number of crew members.
During mass production, the factories made changes to the design of the T-34-85 tanks in order to: reduce production costs; increasing reliability; combat survivability and combat effectiveness.
As production progressed, the shape of the beam of the bow of the hull, connecting the upper and lower frontal sheets, changed and decreased in size, and on later production vehicles it was completely removed - the upper and lower frontal sheets were butt welded.
During 1944, the following were introduced: mounting of 5 spare tracks on the upper frontal plate of the hull; box-shaped, hinged front mudguards; installation of small smoke bombs (MSG) on the stern plate of the hull.
Serial tanks T-34-85 (like their predecessors, T-34-76), built by different factories, with absolute unification of components and parts, at the same time had minor, individual - factory, design differences due to local technological features production. In particular: various options for mounting spare fuel tanks on the sides of the hull; various options for protective strips of the turret shoulder strap; in the chassis, support rollers were used only with rubber tires (the shortage of rubber was eliminated thanks to supplies from the USA), both stamped and cast, with developed ribbing and lightening holes; various options of caterpillar tracks; gun turrets differed in the configuration and location of welded and casting seams, the number and location of viewing devices, ventilation fungi, and mounting units; handrail brackets; location and design of the commander's cupola.
T-34-85 tanks with a D-5T cannon, built at plant No. 112, Krasnoye Sormovo, had the following design features:
The gun mantlet was cylindrical at the base of the barrel, the width of the embrasure window was smaller, a TSh-16 telescopic articulated sight was installed, and there was no electric drive for turning the turret. The trunnions of the gun cradle have a large offset forward, relative to the turret rotation axis, the commander's cupola is shifted forward, there is no antenna output on the turret roof, and only one ventilation mushroom was installed on the first turrets.
Since June 1944, Plant No. 112 began producing T −34-85 tanks with the S-53 cannon, while the first tanks had external features similar to tanks with the D-5T cannon. In particular, the configuration of the early Sormovo turret, U-shaped mounting eyes, location of fuel tanks, etc.
In December 1944 Plant No. 112 submitted a number of proposals to improve the turret layout for consideration by GABTU. In particular:
- about replacing the double-leaf commander's hatch with a single-leaf one;
- on the introduction of a frameless ammunition rack for 16 rounds in the turret niche;
- about duplication of turret rotation control;
- about improving the ventilation of the fighting compartment by dispersing the fans, by moving one of the two installed in the rear of the turret roof to its front part. At the same time, the front fan was an exhaust fan, and the rear one was a discharge fan;
In January 1945, from the above proposals from plant No. 112, only a single-leaf hatch cover for the commander’s cupola was introduced.
T-34-85 tanks, with fan fungi on the turret, were produced exclusively by plant No. 112 after the war. There was no viewing slot on the right side of the hull.
Conventional numbers and list of sources used: M. Baryatinsky. Article: "Tank Great Victory" Magazine: “Modelist-Constructor” No. 5. 2002 I. Shmelev. Monograph: “Tank T-34”. Magazine: "Technique and Armament". No. 11÷12. 1998 G. Smirnov. Section: "Tales about weapons."
Licensed production at factories in Poland and Czechoslovakia
At the end of the 1940s. In accordance with the decision of the governments of Poland and Czechoslovakia, to assist in the development of serial production of T-34-85 tanks, design and technological documentation, technological equipment, and equipment were transferred from the USSR, and Soviet specialists were seconded. In 1949, the ČKD Plant, Prague, acquired a license for the production of the T-34-85 tank and the SU-100 self-propelled guns.
In 1951, the Polish plant Burnar Labedy acquired a license to produce the T-34-85.
T-34-85 tanks, Polish and Czechoslovak production, had minor design differences. Serial production was carried out: in Poland, for 5 years; in Czechoslovakia, for 6 years.
By May 1, 1951, the first 4 units were collected. Polish T-34-85, some of the components and assemblies for them were delivered from the USSR. From 1953 to 1955, 1185 vehicles were produced in Poland, and a total of 1380 vehicles.
In the winter of 1952, the first T-34-85 of Czechoslovak production was produced by the CKD plant, Praha Sokolovo, according to other sources, by the Stalin plant in the city of Rudy Martin.
In Czechoslovakia, T-34-85 tanks were produced until 1958, a total of 3185 units were produced, a significant part of which were for export. On the basis of the T-34-85 tank in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic the following were developed and produced: the MT-34 bridge layer; evacuation tractor CW-34, and a number of other vehicles.
In 1953, the Polish T-34s were upgraded twice and designated accordingly: T-34-85M1 and T-34-85M2. During the modernization: a pre-heater was installed; the engine was adapted to operate on various types of fuel; devices have been installed to facilitate tank control; the location of the ammunition has been changed; system installed remote control a forward machine gun, which made it possible to reduce the number of crew members to 4 people; Underwater driving equipment has been installed. In Poland, on the basis of the T-34 tank, several samples of engineering and repair and recovery vehicles were developed and produced.
Design features of the Polish-made T-34:
- different arrangement of ammunition - 55 rounds;
- the number of crew members has been reduced to 4 people, thanks to a new system for aiming and loading the frontal machine gun;
- additional mechanisms have been installed to make it easier to control the tank;
- equipment has been installed to ensure overcoming water obstacles along the bottom;
- the configuration of the tower has been slightly changed;
- the angular speed of rotation of the tower has been increased, up to (25÷30)°/sec;
- installed: another radio station - “10RT-26E”; another tank intercom - TPU-47; other observation devices for the commander - TPK-1, or TPK-U25;
- a night vision device has been installed for the driver;
- The volume of additional fuel tanks has been increased, providing an increase in cruising range to 650 km;
- the engine is adapted to operate on various types of fuel, equipped with a heater that facilitates starting at low temperatures;
Design features of the Czechoslovak-made T-34:
- Slightly different tower configuration;
- different shape and location of additional fuel tanks.
List of sources used:
- I. Shmelev. T-34 tank. Monograph. Magazine: "Technique and Armament". 11-12.1998
- Website: M. Baryatinsky. Medium tank T-34-85. /Armor Collection 4.99.
Design and layout of the T-34-85 tank
With the adoption of the final modification of the T-34-85 tank, all production T-34 tanks of previous releases (samples of 1940–1943) received the single designation T-34-76. Unlike its predecessor T-34-76, T-34-85, with the S-53 cannon (ZIS-S-53), had a three-man turret of increased size (the ring diameter was increased from 1420 to 1600 mm), which made it possible to increase the volume fighting compartment, place a more powerful gun, an additional crew member and free the tank commander from the role of gunner, for more effective coordination of the crew’s actions.
The first T-34-85 tanks, built by plant No. 112, Krasnoe Sormovo, with a D-5T cannon, had a two-man turret, which was somewhat structurally different from the turret developed by plant No. 183. The D-5T gun took up a lot of space, which did not allow placement additional charger.
Note: T-34-76 tanks (T-34, model 1943), the final series of production, had a three-man turret with a commander's cupola. The gunner was called “tower commander” or “turret commander”.
Armored hull of the T-34-85 tank
Housing layout
The internal volume of the case is conventionally divided into four sectional compartments: the control compartment, in the front part of the case; fighting compartment, in the middle part of the hull; power plant compartment, in the rear of the hull; power transmission compartment, in the aft part of the hull. The fighting compartment, power plant and power transmission compartments are separated from one another by removable steel partitions.
IN department of management posted:
- The driver is on the left and the machine gunner is on the right;
- height-adjustable driver's seat and machine gunner's seat;
- levers and pedals of drives for controlling units and systems of the power plant and power transmission;
- devices that control the operation of the engine and electrical equipment;
- frontal machine gun in a ball mount;
- two compressed air cylinders for air starting the engine;
- part of the ammunition;
- two manual carbon dioxide fire extinguishers;
- first aid kit;
- part of spare parts.
In front of the driver there are: two compressed air cylinders for air starting the engine; panel with control devices; left and right control levers; gearbox slide; manual fuel supply handle; fuel pedal; brake pedal with latch; main clutch pedal.
To the left of the driver, on the side wall, there is an electrical panel on which are located: an electric starter start button; tachometer; speedometer. Two manual carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are mounted under the electrical panel.
IN fighting compartment of the hull and armored turret , posted:
- Along the path of the tank, to the left of the gun, is the gunner, followed by the tank commander; to the right of the gun is the loader;
IN fighting compartment of the corps , posted:
- at the bottom, a nozzle heater for the heating system is installed;
- the bulk of the ammunition was stored in the boxes;
- Along the bottom of the fighting compartment (under the ammunition boxes) there are drive rods for controlling the tank mechanisms.
- On the sides of the fighting compartment section, behind the vertical bulwarks made of sheet steel, there are lower, between the spring shock absorber shafts of the track roller suspensions, and upper fuel tanks.
IN power plant department located:
- in the middle of the compartment, along the longitudinal axis, there is a sub-engine frame for mounting a “V-shaped” diesel engine “B-2”;
- On the sides of the engine there are water radiators, batteries, an oil cooler - mounted on the left water radiator, oil tanks and middle fuel tanks.
- in the roof of the power plant compartment, there is a hatch for access to the engine and a hatch for the passage of air to the radiators - an air inlet closed by blinds;
- Tank control rods run along the bottom of the compartment.
IN power transmission compartment located:
- power transmission units;
- electric starter;
- two air cleaners and aft fuel tanks.
- in the roof above the power transmission compartment there is an air vent hatch, closed with blinds with a mesh;
- The upper aft armor plate is folding and has a hatch for access to the power transmission units.
- a box for tools and spare parts, installed on the horizontal shelf on the starboard side.
Housing design
The tank hull is welded and consists of the following main parts: frontal part; sides; aft; bottoms and roofs.
The armor plates of the hull are made of rolled armor, connected to each other by electric welding, and have thicknesses and angles of inclination, respectively: upper frontal - 45 mm, 60°; lower frontal - 45 mm, 53°; upper stern - 45 mm, 48°; lower stern - 45 mm, 45°; upper side - 40°. The front bottom sheet is 20 mm thick, the rest - 13 mm. Roof thickness 20 mm.
Frontal part of the body. Consists of upper and lower frontal armor plates.
It is noteworthy that as the T-34-85 tanks were produced, the beam of the bow of the hull connecting the upper and lower frontal plates decreased in size, and on later production vehicles it was removed - the upper and lower frontal sheets were butt welded.
On the upper frontal plate on the right, an embrasure is cut for the ball mounting of the frontal (course-oriented) machine gun and armor protection is welded (armor cap of the embrasure), on the left, a hatch is cut for the entry and exit of the driver, closed with a lid. In the driver's hatch cover there are two windows for installing viewing observation devices, covered with armored covers, opened by a mechanical drive from the internal handle. On the sides of the towing hooks there are threaded holes, closed with armored plugs on the threads. Through these holes, access to the shanks of the “worms” of the track tensioning mechanism is provided.
Hull sides. They consist of lower vertical and upper inclined armor plates, to which horizontal shelves (fender covers) are welded. To the lower sides of the inclined armor plates, on the outer side, horizontal fenders are welded, which, together with the horizontal shelves of the hull, form dirt-proof wings, serve as a place for the location of spare parts boxes and as a support for paratroopers.
On the left side fender there is a box with tools and spare parts for the gun.
On the starboard fender: a box for tools and spare parts is installed; spare tracks for caterpillars are fixed; one or two tow ropes are laid.
On the left inclined armor plate of the hull there are installed: in front - brackets for the headlight and signal typhon; in the aft part there are mounting brackets for two spare, unarmored tanks, one for fuel, the other for oil.
On the right inclined armor plate of the body there are installed: in front - a radio antenna output bracket; in the aft part there are mounting brackets for two spare unarmored fuel tanks.
Fuel and oil located in spare, unarmored fuel tanks are consumed before the tank enters battle.
In each lower vertical sheet there are holes for the passage of the torsion axes of the suspension of the balancers of the road wheels, and cutouts for the trunnions of the balancers. On the outer sides, brackets are welded to the lower vertical sheets for attaching rubber stops that limit the upward movement of the track rollers. On the inside of the vertical armor plates, shafts are welded for the spring shock absorbers (springs) of the track roller suspensions. Between the shafts for the shock-absorbing springs of the suspensions of the 2nd and 3rd pairs of road wheels, on the sides of the fighting compartment section, there are compartments for the front - lower and upper, onboard fuel tanks, between the shafts for the shock-absorbing springs of the suspensions of the 3rd and 4th pairs The support rollers, on the sides of the power plant section, are equipped with compartments for medium fuel tanks. Behind the shock-absorbing spring shafts of the 5th pair of road wheels there are compartments for aft fuel tanks. The fuel compartments are closed from the inside of the tank, with vertical bulwarks made of sheet steel.
Hull stern. Consists of upper and lower stern plates and final drive housings.
The top stern sheet, removable, is bolted to the side sheets and can be hinged back. In the middle part of this sheet there is a round hatch for access to the power transmission (transmission compartment units), closed with a lid on hinges and bolts, and on the sides there are two oval holes for exhaust pipes, protected from the outside by armored caps and brackets are installed, with locks, for mounting smoke bombs. The wires to the electric igniters of the smoke bombs are carried out in steel protective tubes fixed to the upper stern sheet.
Bottom of the case. At the bottom of the body there are: hatches for access to suspension parts, to the drain plugs of tanks and the gearbox housing; hatch for access to the engine water and oil pumps; In the front part of the bottom, on the right, there is a hatch for the crew to exit the tank in conditions where the situation does not allow exit through the upper hatches. On the inside of the bottom of the hull there are brackets for fastening the power plant and power transmission units, as well as the seats for the driver and machine gunner.
Housing roof. Consists of three parts: the roof of the fighting compartment; roofs of the power plant compartment; power train roofs.
The roof over the fighting compartment (turret sheet), is welded to the front and side sheets, has a cutout with a diameter of 1600 mm. On the inside, along the perimeter of the linear cutout, the annular housing of the tower ball support is welded.
There are hatches in the roof above the fighting compartment: in the corners, hatches above the shafts for the suspension springs of the 2nd and 3rd pairs of road wheels; in front, on the right and on the left, there are two round hatches for access to the filler plugs of the front and middle fuel tanks. All hatches are closed with armored covers.
The roof of the power plant compartment, removable, is bolted to the side sheets and partitions, consists of a middle sheet located above the engine, having a hatch for access to the engine, and two side sheets with air inlets, closed by louvres made of armor plates. The blinds are controlled from the fighting compartment. Each air inlet is covered with an armored cap with cutouts for air passage. Through these cutouts and the air intake, air is drawn in by the fan and used to cool and power the engine. In the side sheets of the roof of the power plant compartment there are two hatches above the shafts for the suspension springs of the 3rd and 4th pairs of road wheels and one hatch each for access to the filling necks of the oil tanks. All hatches are closed with armored covers.
In the roof of the power transmission compartment there are air exhaust louvres covered with a mesh. The blinds are controlled from the fighting compartment. On the right side of the roof of the power transmission compartment, there is a hatch, closed with an armored cover, for access to the filling neck of the aft fuel tanks.
Armored turret of the T-34-85 tank
The history of the creation of a turret for the T-34-85 tank
1943 End of August. People's Commissar of Tank Building V. A. Malyshev, Head of the GBTU Marshal of Armored Forces Ya. N. Fedorenko and responsible employees of the People's Commissariat of Armaments arrived at Tank Plant No. 112. At a meeting with plant managers, Malyshev said: “The victory in the Battle of Kursk came at a high price. Enemy tanks fired at ours from a distance of 1,500 m, while our 76-mm tank guns could hit “Tigers” and “Panthers” at a distance of 500-600 m. Figuratively speaking, the enemy has arms one and a half kilometers away, and we are only half a kilometer away. It is necessary to immediately install a more powerful gun in the T-34.".
Initially, it was planned, on a competitive basis, to consider the option of installing an 85 mm cannon with anti-aircraft ballistics, D-5T, on the T-34 tank, which by this time had been successfully used on heavy tanks KV-85, IS-1 and SU-85 , based on the T-34 tank, in the D-5S version. However, due to the large dimensions of the D-5T gun, it was obvious that a new, more spacious turret would need to be designed for it. In this regard, the chief designer of the TsAKB, V. G. Grabin, proposed his project for modernizing the “thirty-four”, for the installation of his, more compact S-53 cannon, in the standard turret of the serial T-34 tank (model 1943), and handed over it for approval by the People's Commissar of Armaments D.F. Ustinov and the People's Commissar of Tank Construction V.A. Malyshev. The project involved the start of production of prototypes at plant No. 112.
The S-53 gun implemented design solutions developed before the war for the F-30 gun, intended for the KV-3 design heavy tank. However, V. A. Malyshev and many specialists from the Scientific Tank Committee (NTK) and the People's Commissariat of Armaments doubted the merits of the “Grabinsky project”. In this regard, Malyshev urgently ordered M.A. Nabutovsky, the head of the tower group of plant No. 183, with a group to fly to plant No. 112 and figure everything out...
1943 October. To speed up the work on linking the 85 mm cannon in the turret of the T-34 tank, on the initiative of V. A. Malyshev, the turret group of plant No. 183, led by Nabutovsky. sent to TsAKB. Nabutovsky arrived to Malyshev, and he ordered to organize a branch of the design bureau of plant No. 183 at the artillery plant where Grabin's TsAKB worked. After a short collaboration with Grabin, Nabutovsky was sent to the design bureau of F. F. Petrov...
As a result, a joint conclusion was made that to install the S-53 and D-5 guns on the T-34 tank, a new, more spacious turret with a wider shoulder strap is required.
M. A. Nabutovsky, at a special meeting in the presence of D. F. Ustinov, Ya. N. Fedorenko and V. G. Grabin, made a counter proposal to design new turrets for the T-34 tank, to accommodate S-53 guns in them and D-5T, based on the design of the turret of the experimental medium tank T-43, project of plant No. 183. M. A. Nabutovsky criticized V. G. Grabin’s idea. From the speech of M. A. Nabutovsky: “Of course, it would be very tempting to put a new gun in a tank without significant modifications. This solution is simple, but absolutely unacceptable for the reason that with this installation of the gun, its fastening will turn out to be weak, and a large unbalanced moment will arise. In addition, this creates crowded conditions in the fighting compartment and will significantly complicate the work of the crew. Moreover, if shells hit the frontal armor, the cannon will fall out.” Nabutovsky stated: “By accepting this project, we will let the army down”….. Grabin broke the silence that followed: “I’m not a tanker, and I can’t take everything into account. And to implement your project will take a lot of time, reducing production.” Ustinov asked: “How long does it take to submit the design bureau project of plant No. 183 for approval at this meeting?” Nabutovsky asked for a week, the director of plant No. 112, K.E. Rubinchik, provided him with his entire design bureau. Ustinov scheduled the next meeting in three days. A. A. Moloshtanov arrived to help M. A. Nabutovsky...
When designing, the 3-seater turret of the experimental T-43 medium tank was taken as a basis. The design of the turrets began simultaneously: the design bureau of plant No. 122 "Krasnoe Sormovo", headed by V.V. Krylov, for the 85-mm D-5T cannon, and the turret group of plant No. 183, led by A.A. Maloshtanov and M. A. Nabutovsky, for the 85-mm S-53 cannon.
During three days round-the-clock work, the technical documentation for the new turret for the S-53 gun was ready.
As a result, for the T-34 tank, two new turrets were developed, very similar to each other, reminiscent, but not copying, the turret of the experimental T-43 tank, with a shoulder strap “clear” diameter of −1600 mm.
1943 October. An Order was given to the TsAKB (Chief Designer V.G. Grabin), “On the development of a special 85-mm gun for the T-34 tank.”
1943 October. The D-5T gun was tested on the T-34 tank, in a new turret developed by plant No. 112:
For better balancing, the gun trunnions were moved forward significantly; however, the breech of the gun was located very close to the rear plate of the turret, which made the loader’s work difficult. Even when the tank was moving at low speed, trained loaders could not avoid collisions between the head of the projectile and the breech of the gun. The D-5T gun took up a lot of space, so the new turret could only accommodate two people. As a result, the D-5T cannon was not adopted for service with the T-34 tank.
1943 October - November. Fulfilling the NKV order to create an 85-mm cannon for the T-34 tank, TsAKB and plant No. 92 produced three prototypes of new tank guns: S-53, (leading designers of TsAKB: T. I. Sergeev, G. I. Shabarov); S-50, (leading designers of TsAKB: V. D. Meshchaninov, V. A. Tyurin, A. M. Volgaevsky); LB-1 (LB-85), (plant No. 92, designer A.I. Savin). During the tests, which continued until the end of 1943, preference was given to the S-53 cannon.
The S-53 gun was distinguished by its simplicity of design, reliability and compactness, and provided the ability to accommodate three crew members in the new, more spacious turret. The recoil brake and knurl are located under the base of the bolt, which made it possible to reduce the height of the line of fire and increase the distance between the breech and the rear wall of the turret. The production cost of the S-53 gun turned out to be even lower than for the 76-mm F-34 gun, not to mention the D-5T.
1943 Beginning of December. Plant No. 122 sent two experimental T-34 tanks, with new turrets, to the Moscow Artillery Plant, where they were installed with S-53 guns and carried out mostly successful tests, during which flaws in its design emerged. In this regard, at artillery plant No. 92, during the next meeting, with the participation of: D. F. Ustinov, V. A. Malyshev, V. L. Vannikova, Ya. N. Fedorenko, F. F. Petrova, V. G. Grabina and others, it was decided, for now, to install the D-5T cannon on the Sormovo T-34 tanks and at the same time modify the S-53 cannon.
Serial production of the S-53 cannon was supposed to be launched at plant No. 92, from March 1, 1944, and until then, plant No. 112 “Krasnoe Sormovo” was allowed to install the D- cannon in the new turret, designed by plant No. 112. 5T.
According to the plan, plant No. 112 was supposed to produce 100 units by the end of 1943. T-34 tanks, with a D-5T cannon, that is, before the official adoption of the T-34 tank, with an 85-mm cannon in a new turret, into service. However, the first vehicles were produced only at the beginning of January 1944.
Plant No. 112 "Krasnoe Sormovo" was asked to: ensure the production of T-34-85 tanks with the D-5T gun in quantities:
- In January 1944 - 25 units;
- In February 1944 - 75 units;
- In March 1944 - 150 units;
- From April 1944 - completely switch to the production of T-34-85 tanks, instead of T-34-76.
1944 January. 1. The S-53 cannon was adopted for service on the T-34 tank, both with standard (1420 mm) and extended (1600 mm) shoulder straps.
1944 January... Moloshtanov and Nabutovsky, with all the documentation on the layout of the new S-53 cannon in the new turret for the T-34 tank, arrived at plant No. 183.
Turret design, with S-53 cannon (ZIS-S-53)
The turret of the T-34-85 tank, developed on the basis of the design of the turret for the experimental medium tank T-43, was 5-sided, with rounded ribs, and had an armor thickness increased to 90 mm in the frontal part. For some reason, Soviet tank crews classified the turret configuration of the T-34-85 tank as “Conical”, and the turret of the T-54 tank as “Hemispherical”.
It is noteworthy that when creating the new D-5T tank gun, and the S-53, which won the competitive tests, the ballistics of the 85 mm 52-K anti-aircraft gun of the 1939 model were taken as the basis.
The 52-K anti-aircraft gun, during test firing that took place from April 25 to April 30, 1943, at the NIIBT training ground in Kubinka, pierced the 100 mm frontal armor of a captured Tiger from a distance of 1000 m. In addition, the development of a new tank gun based on the 52-K anti-aircraft gun reduced the time to master the production of shells.
In fact, the configuration of the tower body is formed by a frontal, rounded, embrasure part, five flat inclined faces, mating linear surfaces of variable radius, and a flat, horizontal 6-sided roof.
- The tower is cast, hexagonal in plan, with inclined side walls. An embrasure for installing a cannon is cut into the front wall, covered with swinging armor.
Technologically, the tower is divided into three parts: linear part; body part; roof of the tower, connected to each other, along the perimeters, by welds.
Running part (upper tower shoulder strap) - a large-sized casting, cylindrical at the bottom, conjugated at the top, with a 6-sided base for mounting the body part.
The cylindrical part serves as a holder for the support ring of the upper shoulder strap of the ball joint welded into it.
Hull part - large-sized casting, formed by a frontal (embrasure) part (thickness 90 mm) and 5 inclined flat edges (walls): two front - side (thickness 75 mm, slope 20°); two rear - side, (thickness 75 mm, slope 20°) and one rear edge, (thickness 52 mm, slope 10°), connected to each other by radius fillets.
In the frontal part there is an embrasure window for installing a gun, which is covered with a swinging armor protection (mask) of the gun. On the inside, brackets with bosses are welded to the frontal part, to which horizontal trunnions for the gun cradle are bolted. On the left bracket there is a stopper for fastening the gun “On the march”, and a lifting mechanism for the gun.
The side walls of the turret have embrasures for firing from personal weapons, covered with armor plugs. Outside, on the side walls of the tower, welded: handrails for paratroopers; mounting hooks or eye brackets. On the rear wall of the tower, on the outside, fastenings for tarpaulin are welded.
Tower roof: flat, 6-sided, cut from a flat armor plate (thickness 20 mm). There are hatch cutouts in the roof:
- for installing two periscopic observation devices, for the loader and gunner;
- ventilation, for the installation of two fighting compartment fans, covered with armored caps with windows for air passage;
- antenna output;
- hatch for entry and exit of loader and gunner;
- cutout for installing a commander's cupola;
Commander's turret. Serves to provide all-round visibility to the tank commander. Cylindrical in shape, cast from armor and welded around the perimeter to the roof of the gun turret. There are five slots in the walls of the turret, covered with transparent triplex armored glass, through which, with the help of viewing devices, the commander has an all-round view, both with a rotating and stationary gun turret. The turret roof rotates on a ball bearing. On its roof there is a hatch for the tank commander and a periscope observation device, similar to the devices installed on the roof of a gun turret, is installed.
Due to the individual production characteristics of different factories, and depending on the time of production, the turrets, T-34-85 tanks equipped with S-53 and ZIS-S-53 guns differed in: the number, configuration and location of casting and welds; the shape of the commander's cupola (in January 1945, only the single-leaf commander's cupola hatch cover was introduced into production); the shape and location of the protective strips of the turret shoulder strap. The post-war towers of plant No. 112 had a spaced arrangement of ventilation hoods, the front fan was an exhaust fan, the rear one was a discharge fan.
Turret layout, with S-53 cannon (ZIS-S-53)
The main armament of the tank is installed inside the turret: a cannon and one coaxial machine gun. Vertical aiming of the gun is done manually, using a sector lifting mechanism located to the left of the gun. The vertical elevation angle of the gun is 22°. The vertical descent angle is 5°, while the unhittable (dead) space for the cannon and coaxial machine gun on the surface of the earth is 23 meters. The height of the gun's line of fire is 2020 mm. The rotation of the turret is carried out by a rotation mechanism located to the left of the gun, using a manual drive, with an angular speed of 0.9°, per revolution of the flywheel, or an electromechanical drive, with an angular speed of 25÷30°/sec. The main stowage for 16 (on some vehicles - 12) shots is located in the aft niche and on the racks. On the right wall of the tower, 4 shots are secured in clamps. To ensure the “rollback” of the gun, after firing, free space is provided behind the breech. Inside the turret, on the left side, there are reinforced: a bracket for the turret rotation mechanism and mounting brackets for the radio station and tank intercom devices (TPU). Inside the tower, on the left rear and aft walls, there are mounting brackets for the transceiver and the radio power supply. The following seats are attached to the turret and rotate with it: the tank commander; gunner and loader. The loader's seat is suspended on three belts, two of them are attached to the turret ring, and the third to the gun cradle. The seat height adjustment is made by changing the length of the belts. The tower does not have a floor that rotates with it, which is attributed to its design disadvantage. When firing, the loader worked standing on the lids of cassette boxes with shells placed on the bottom of the hull. When turning the turret, he is forced to move after the breech of the gun, kicking the fallen spent cartridges, which, during intense fire, accumulated and made it difficult to access the shots placed in the ammunition rack on the bottom of the hull.
Armament
Ammunition for the S-53 cannon |
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Shot brand |
Projectile type |
Projectile brand |
Shot weight, kg |
Projectile weight, kg |
Explosive mass, g |
Fuse brand |
Muzzle velocity, m/s |
Direct shot range at a target 2 m high |
Year of adoption |
Armor-piercing shells |
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armor-piercing blunt-headed with a ballistic tip, tracer |
MD-5 or MD-7 |
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armor-piercing sharp-headed, tracer |
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armor-piercing sharp-headed with protective and ballistic tips, tracer |
post-war period |
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armor-piercing sub-caliber, coil type, tracer |
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armor-piercing sub-caliber streamlined, tracer |
post-war period |
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High-explosive fragmentation shells |
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steel solid-body anti-aircraft fragmentation grenade |
KTM-1 or KTMZ-1 |
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steel fragmentation grenade with adapter head |
KTM-1 or KTMZ-1 |
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steel solid-body fragmentation grenade, with reduced charge |
KTM-1 or KTMZ-1 |
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Practical equipment |
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practical solid, tracer |
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Penetration table |
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Projectile Distance, m |
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(meeting angle 90°) |
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(meeting angle 60°) |
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(meeting angle 90°) |
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(meeting angle 60°) |
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(meeting angle 90°) |
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(meeting angle 60°) |
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1It should be remembered that at different times and in different countries different methods for determining armor penetration were used. As a consequence, direct comparison with similar data from other guns is often impossible. |
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Engine and transmission
The T-34-85 tank was equipped with a 12-cylinder four-stroke uncompressor diesel engine V-2-34. The rated engine power was 450 hp. at 1750 rpm, operational - 400 hp. at 1700 rpm, maximum - 500 hp. at 1800 rpm. Cylinder diameter 150 mm. The piston stroke of the left group is 180 mm, the right one is 186.7 mm. The cylinders were arranged in a V-shape at an angle of 60°. Compression ratio 14 - 15. Dry engine weight with electric generator without exhaust manifolds 750 kg. Fuel - diesel, grade DT or gas oil grade "E" according to OST 8842. The capacity of the fuel tanks is 545 l. Outside, on the sides of the hull, two fuel tanks of 90 liters each were installed. External fuel tanks were not connected to the engine power system. The fuel supply is forced, using a twelve-plunger fuel pump NK-1. Lubrication system - circulation, under pressure. Oil circulation was carried out by a three-section gear oil pump. The capacity of internal oil tanks is 76 l, external - 90 l. The cooling system is liquid, closed, with forced circulation. There are two tubular radiators, installed on both sides of the engine and tilted towards it. Radiator capacity 95 l. To clean the air entering the engine cylinders, two Multicyclone air cleaners were installed on the tank. The engine was started by an ST-700 electric starter with a power of 15 hp. or compressed air (two cylinders were installed in the control compartment). The transmission consisted of a multi-disc main dry friction clutch (steel on steel), a gearbox, final clutches, brakes and final drives. The gearbox is five-speed, with constant mesh gears. Onboard clutches are multi-disc, dry (steel on steel), brakes are floating, band, with cast iron linings. Final drives are single-stage.
Combat use
The Great Patriotic War
Despite a number of very serious improvements to the T-34, it combat characteristics in the second half of the war could not be considered completely satisfactory against the backdrop of improvements in German tanks and anti-tank weapons.
Lowly vulnerable in 1941 to almost any German tanks and anti-tank weapons (even in the old version, which was weaker armed and armored), the T-34 at the end of the war was no longer able to withstand on equal terms heavy German tanks and assault guns (which, however, were all they had far from an absolute advantage in all combat situations, not to mention the fact that they belonged to a different class in terms of mass, high cost of production, and often lost in mobility, not to mention their quantitative disadvantage and technological difficulties at the end of the war, which affected, for example, on the quality of their armor). The T-34 also turned out to be insufficiently protected from German infantry anti-tank weapons, which by that time included the latest anti-tank rocket launchers, although German tanks suffered no less from fire from American-made bazooka-type grenade launchers. As a result, in 1945, approximately 90% of hits to the T-34 resulted in armor penetration. This had to be compensated for by their massive and competent use, and the leading role in the fight against enemy tanks passed to a noticeable extent to heavy tanks, such as IS-2, and self-propelled guns; nevertheless, the T-34, while remaining the Soviet main tank, played an invaluable positive role in the second half of the war, which is partly explained by improved control of tank forces, better interaction with other branches of the military, especially with aviation, as well as very good mobility and still remaining Quite decent armor and firepower. Not the least role was played by the increased reliability of the tank by this time, and, of course, mass production. By the end of the war, the T-34 was the most numerous tank in the USSR army.
After 1945
After World War II, the T-34-85 was actively exported to many countries around the world and was used in a number of military conflicts. Tanks remained in service with some countries, such as Iraq, until the end of the 20th century.
- Korean War (1950-1953, China, North Korea). The Korean War became a real test for the T-34 crews, who had to operate in the conditions of enemy air supremacy, against American army units well equipped with anti-tank weapons and Marine Corps. North Korean T-34-85s were used most intensively in the first two months of the war, but after the losses suffered, their participation in battles was rarely noted and only in small groups of 3-4 tanks. Over the entire period of the war, 119 tank battles took place, of which 104 were conducted by US Army tanks and another 15 by USMC tank crews. During these battles, North Korean tankers on the T-34-85 managed to knock out 34 American tanks (16 M4A3E8 Sherman, 4 M24 Chaffee, 6 M26 Pershing and 8 M46 Patton), 15 of which were lost irrevocably. In turn, the Americans claim to have destroyed 97 T-34-85s in tank battles (another 18 are supposedly recorded).
American aircraft inflicted significant losses on the North Korean T-34-85. Against the backdrop of this fact, the incident that occurred on July 3, 1950, when four F-80C Shooting Star jet fighter-bombers, led by the commander of the 80th Air Force, Mr. Amos Sluder, looked unexpected, went to the Pyeongyo-Ri area to attack enemy vehicles moving to the front line. Having discovered a column of approximately 90 vehicles and tanks, the Americans launched an attack, using unguided rockets and fire from onboard 12.7-mm machine guns from low altitude. An unexpected response came from the North Korean T-34s, which opened fire on the low-flying aircraft with 85-mm guns! A successfully fired shell exploded in front of the pilot's plane and damaged the fuel tanks with shrapnel, causing a fire on board. Mr. Verne Peterson, who was walking as a wingman, reported to Major Sluder on the radio: “Boss, you’re on fire! You better jump." In response, the commander asked to indicate the direction to the South, where he was going to continue to pull, but at the same moment the plane collapsed and fell to the ground like a burning torch. Major Amos Sluder became the first 5th Air Force pilot to die in action on the Korean Peninsula.
- Suez Crisis (1956, Egypt)
- Hungarian uprising (1956, USSR, rebels)
- Vietnam War (1957-1975, Northern Vietnam). Used in small quantities in Laos and South Vietnam. No meetings of the T-34-85 with American units were recorded.
- Operation Bay of Pigs (1961, Cuban Army)
- 1962 military coup in Yemen (1962, Republican forces). On September 26, 1962, 6 T-34-85 tanks were used by the Free Officers to blockade the residence of Imam Mohammed Al-Badr. Having taken the Bashayar Palace into a semicircle, the tanks began shelling the upper floors of the building, causing a fire. After ten hours of siege, the palace garrison and the imam's family fled using a secret exit from the basement. Another 20 T-34-85 tanks took up positions in the capital's Sharar Square to prevent possible actions by the monarchists.
- Six-Day War (1967, Egypt, Syria). Egypt lost 251 T-34-85s, accounting for almost a third of its total tank losses.
- Turkish invasion of Cyprus (1974, Greek Cypriots)
- Angolan Civil War (1975-2002, government army)
- Civil war in Afghanistan (1978-1992, government army, mujahideen)
- Sino-Vietnamese War (1979, Vietnam)
- Lebanon War (1982, Palestine Liberation Organization)
- War in Croatia (1991-1995) (1991-1995, Croatia, Yugoslavia?)
- Bosnian War (1992-1995, Bosnian Serbs)
Countries that had a tank in service
After World War II, the T-34 was in service with the next 40 countries, and in 1996 it was still in service with the countries marked with an asterisk*. (Zaloga & Kinnear 1996:34).
Countries of Europe and America
Middle Eastern and Asian countries
African countries
Serial variants, modernization and modifications of the T-34-85 tank
- T-34-85 Modification 1943 A small-scale modification of the T-34 with an 85-mm D-5-T85 cannon and a new solid-cast three-man turret. It was produced from January to March 1944 by plant No. 112, due to the fact that the placement of the S-53 cannon in the turret of the original version turned out to be unsatisfactory.
- T-34-85. Serial modification of the T-34 tank, produced in large series in 1944-46. A new cast turret with an increased ring diameter was installed. Armor protection increased to 90 mm (front of the turret and hull). The main armament is an 85-mm ZIS-S-53 cannon, a radio station is installed in the turret. Subsequently, the tank was modernized several times ( last time in 1969). In the 50s it was mass-produced in Poland and Czechoslovakia.
- OT-34-85 is a modification of the T-34-85 with the installation of an ATO-42 piston flamethrower instead of a machine gun.
- T-34-85 Modification 1947- The tank is equipped with a new V-2-34M engine, a new radio station and optical instruments.
- - The tank has a new V-54 engine (520 hp), the internal design of the vehicle has been slightly changed, and a new chassis.
- PT-34- Modification created on the basis of the T-34 Model 1943 as a tank trawl.
Comparison of the main Soviet medium tanks of the Second World War |
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T-34 Modification 1940 |
T-34 Modification 1941 |
T-34 Modification 1942 |
T-34 Modification 1943 |
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85 mm ZIS-S-53 |
85 mm ZIS-S-53 |
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76 shells |
77 shells |
77 shells |
100 shells |
60 shells |
58 shells |
|
Power reserve |
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Yugoslav modernization of the T-34-85 tank
After the war, on the initiative of the leadership of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia (NOLA), an attempt was made to establish mass production of a modernized, Yugoslav version of the T-34-85. As a result of modernization, the following design changes were made:
- In the front part of the hull, bevels are implemented in order to reduce the area of the frontal surface of the upper frontal sheet. The bevels weakened the body and complicated the technology of its production, but it was expected. that Yugoslav factories will master the technology of welding armor plates;
- The roof of the tower was made convex, the commander's cupola was eliminated, but four periscopic viewing devices were installed, the cylindrical bases of the hatches were mated to the roof by welding, weakening the structure of the tower;
- The volume of the rear niche of the turret has been increased in order to increase the ammunition capacity;
- The turret ventilation scheme has been changed; the fan hood is located on the roof of the aft part of the turret;
- The ZIS-S-53 gun is equipped with a muzzle brake;
- A Yugoslavian-made diesel engine was installed, changes were made to the transmission;
A total of 7 tanks were modernized...
In 1950, modernized tanks took part in the May Parade and were subsequently used as training tanks. In the early 1950s, modernization work was curtailed. One tank is preserved in the open exhibition of the military museum in Kalemegdan (Belgrade).
Vehicles based on T-34
During the war, the famous “self-propelled guns” SU-85, SU-100 and SU-122 were built on the basis of the T-34-85. SU-85 and SU-100, designed to fight enemy tanks, were armed rapid-fire cannons 85 and 100 mm respectively. The SU-122, classified as an assault gun, carried a 122 mm howitzer with a low rate of fire (the separately loaded gun also had a manual piston-type shutter, which negatively affected the rate of fire) and was mainly used as shock artillery against infantry and tanks (with some restrictions it could can also be used as a self-propelled howitzer). Vehicles based on the T-34-85 remained in service with some countries until the end of the 20th century.
In Egypt, the T-34-85 was equipped with a 100 mm M1944/BS-3 gun and was called the “T-100 tank destroyer”
On October 26, 2006, during anti-government protests in Budapest, demonstrators managed to start the engines of the museum's T-34-85 and BTR-152, and used them in clashes with the police.
T-34-85 in computer games
T-34-85 can be seen in the following computer games:
- Call of Duty, Call of Duty: United Offensive and Call of Duty: World at War
- "T-72: Balkans on Fire";
- "Company of Heroes: Eastern Front" (amateur modification);
- "Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory";
- online game “Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45”;
- MMO game "World of Tanks"
- Real-time strategy "Order of War".
- "Tanks of the Second World War: T 34 against the Tiger"
- "ArmA 2"
- "ArmA 2: Operation Arrowhead"
- "Blitzkrieg"
- "Caribbean crisis"
- "T-34 vs Tiger"
