Soviet heavy tank T 35. “Parquet” heavy tank

Probably everyone has heard about the legendary Soviet “thirty-four”. And if you ask what the T-35 tank is, most will answer that it is an updated thirty-fourth. But this will not be true, because the development of the 35th model followed a completely different pattern, with similar protection, but completely different firepower.

Even from the picture above it is clear that this tank does not even closely resemble the T-34. A different side view, a larger crew, completely different weapons - the list of distinctive features can be endless. It did not go through the entire war like the light, maneuverable 34th, but nevertheless took its place in the history of Soviet industry. Thanks to its specifications, which will be discussed below, this machine can safely be called heavy. That's exactly what they called her - heavy tank T-35. Below we will consider all the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of the “Stalinist monster”, as it was called during the years of its release.

Project

In the early 1930s, Soviet engineers received an order to develop a heavy tank. It should enter service by the end of 1938 for fire support of mid-level tanks, as well as infantry crews. The first copy was expected by September 1933, and although it was presented, this version had many significant flaws, one of which was a non-working main gun. Subsequently, this model received the designation “heavy tank T-35-1” (it existed until 1936).

Two months later, in November, it launches new project, taking into account shortcomings, as well as wishes for unification with medium tanks T-26 and T-28. The result was a completely new car. Tank trolleys, small and medium turrets and other minor details have undergone changes.

Nevertheless, in 1933, the Soviet heavy tank T-35 went into mass production. Over the entire history of its creation, 61 vehicles and 2 prototypes came out of the gates of the Kharkov Locomotive Plant. Production of the tank was completed in 1939, but despite this, every a new version had some updates.

Design

The military received a heavy tank. Reinforced armor, additional weapons - everything was designed to occupy and hold positions on enemy territory. But at the same time, the speed declared by the designers should have been 28 km/h. The tank hull was welded from armor, the average thickness of which was 20 mm. To strengthen the structure, riveting was used in some places. The turret hulls had 30 mm armor.

There was a motor in the back. To access it, the rear part of the bottom had 13 hatches. There was also a separate hatch for access to the engine compartment. During movement, the hatch was closed with an armored lid into which the air cleaner hood was mounted. Also, several slots were installed next to the hatch to allow air access to the radiators. Next to the engine in the same compartment there was a gearbox: 4 forward speeds, one reverse. The connection between them was via the main clutch, which had band brakes. It was unreliable and often broke down. During the war, most tanks were abandoned precisely because of the breakdown of this unit.

The chassis had 8 rubberized rollers, as well as 6 support ones. The driving wheels are at the rear. The front ones are guides. Additional rollers were installed between the guides and support rollers, which were supposed to prevent the tracks from bending when climbing vertical obstacles. All rollers were mounted in pairs on tank trolleys. The trolleys were mounted on brackets on the sides of the tank. The bulwarks were attached using the same principle. For a smooth ride, as well as overcoming minor obstacles, a pair of spiral springs were installed. The bulwark, like the rest of the armor, was made of several layers.

One of the inherent features of this tank is the presence of 5 towers. Multi-tower was not a new solution. Such options have already been used in lighter versions. But five towers were installed only on the T-35 tank. We will consider their characteristics in more detail below.

Towers and tiers

As in a regular tank, five turrets stood in the center of the upper part of the hull, without the niches that were on the prototype models. The main tower was installed on a hexagonal base, with blocks placed along its free edges to create a smoke screen. It was equipped with a 72-mm cannon, a tank version of the 1927 model gun.

All five towers were located in three tiers. The main one, being the highest, was the top tier. The middle tier was a pair of separate towers that housed 45mm cannons. And the lower tier is a couple more towers where machine guns were located. It is worth noting that the T-35 tank received not two machine guns (according to the number of turrets), but many more. For example, some tanks had a machine gun above the driver's hatch, located on the left, front.

The cannons of the second tier towers were mounted in tandem with a machine gun. Machine guns could also be mounted next to the main gun and on the main turret hatch cover.

The towers of the second and third tiers were located opposite each other, diagonally. The cannons were located on the right, in front, and on the left, behind. Machine guns are respectively in front, left, behind, and to the right of the main turret.

Let us add that the ammunition load was 96 shells for the main gun, 220 for the 45-meter guns. The supply of machine-gun bullets was more than 10,000. Thus, the T-35 heavy tank in armament could be compared with a small fortress, firepower which was equal to three tanks of a lighter type.

Crew

It would be a stretch to call the tank a serial tank. Each batch had its own design features, which resulted in a different number of crew per different cars. But the famous song “Three Tankers” was not written about this tank. The T-35 had from 9 to 11 crew members. However, in some cases one person performed several duties.

For example, let's take a crew of 10 people. Three are in the main turret: the commander (aka gunner), radio operator (aka loader) and machine gunner. Four people sit in pairs in cannon turrets - a gunner and a machine gunner. There is one person in each machine gun turret. And finally, one more person is the driver.

The front and rear towers had pairwise communication with each other, and the main one was separated by an additional partition. It can also be noted that the design did not provide for movement inside the tank. Each tower had its own hatches for the crew. The soldier performing the duties of a driver also had a separate hatch.

Electrical equipment

An interesting feature is that the railings on the upper tower were not retractable, as is done on submarines. The railing had a dual function. In addition to the support, they also served as an antenna for a walkie-talkie, powered by 12 V. In addition to the walkie-talkie, the tank also had an electric telephone connection (7 subscribers) and a smoke exhaust system. The main tower also turned on an electric drive. At the same time, the designers provided a signal prohibiting the gunner from turning the turret if its hatches were open.

Minuses

There were some downsides too. Three guns made it possible to fire all around, but this led to a more complex design, an increase in the number of crew and own weight, which in turn led to mobility problems. The huge size also affected the pulling capabilities of the engine, which often had to work at the limit. Let us add here that the tank often had to be controlled blindly. The tracks, placed far forward, significantly obscured the view, and the driver’s seat was in the same place as in other tanks - in front, between them. All these details together made it difficult to use the T-35 tank effectively.

The characteristics of the armor also left much to be desired. With low speed and maneuverability, weak armor made the tank an excellent target. The disadvantages also include the design of the driver's hatch. It was possible to open it for exit only if the left front machine-gun turret was deployed with the weapon “to the left on the side”. Thus, if it was damaged, the driver could not get out on his own.

Modifications. Fulfilled and failed

T-35 tanks practically did not take part in the Great Patriotic War. 7 copies were lost in the battles of 1941, 6 remained under repair, were abandoned and destroyed by the crews due to breakdowns. Due to the above disadvantages, the main field of action for these tanks was military parades of 1933-1941.

The KhPZ proposed rearming the T-35 with a new 76-mm L-10 cannon instead of the KT, but the military ministries did not accept this option, citing the fact that two 45-mm guns would be enough to fight armored vehicles, and the KT’s power would be enough to escort infantry. And for the last year the tank has been released with a 72 mm main gun. It is not known what would have happened by 1944 (the birth of the 85-mm gun), maybe such a gun would have been received, and last years war, as well as in other battles, exclusively T-34-85 were used. The designation stood for T-34 with an 85-mm cannon. To be fair, it should be mentioned that one T-35 tank took part in the battles of 1945, but on the side of the Germans. The Germans received one of the 35 abandoned models, which German engineers were able to restore.

Around the same years, development began on the T-35 basis self-propelled gun— SU-14. The main difference was the turret part, while the body of the experimental vehicle remained unchanged. Self-propelled instead of towers artillery installation received one spacious cabin, and instead of a gun, a 203-mm howitzer of the 1931 model (known as B-4) was installed. Due to the length of the barrel, the wheelhouse moved to the rear, which led to internal changes: the engine and transmission moved to the front. The crew of the self-propelled guns consisted of 7 people. In 1937, work on the installation was frozen and restored only in 1940, a number of modifications were carried out, and the new version received the code number SU-14-2.

In 1936, a modification of the SU-14 appeared - the howitzer was replaced with a high-power 153-mm cannon (known as BR-2). After the same modifications in 1940, it was first named SU-14-1, then SU-14-BR-2.

Both developments were planned for operation, but the modification (1939-1940) was behind schedule, and the army received them much later.

In 1938, development of a new one began. The prototype of the model was to serve as the T-28. It was planned to borrow the chassis from the T-35, but this option remained at the drawing stage.

Specifications

Some indicators have already been given in the text. Here we indicate the remaining parameters that the T-35 multi-turret tank received. Specifications engines are as follows:

Carburetor - M7T.

Power - 500 l. With.

Travel speed - 30 km/h.

Power reserve - 200 km.

Moreover, these data related only to marching along the highway. The road traffic movement reduced these figures by more than half. The tank weighed 50 tons, tank capacity - 900 liters, height - 5430 mm, width - 3200 mm, length - 9700 mm. Ground clearance - 530 mm.

Regardless of the fact that each batch had its own changes, the thickness of the armor, like the engine performance, remained unchanged. The Soviet T-35 tank received the following armor indicators: 20 mm - rear, sides, bottom, frontal part; 10 mm - turret covers and bulwarks covering the suspension; 50 mm - front inclined plate - the only part that had armor that met the standards of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. At the same time, the roof of the body, a little further from this sheet, had a thickness of only 10 mm.

Currently

Of the 61 tanks produced, the Red Army (Red Army) received 48 units. The remaining 13 were sent to military schools or were under repair. The T-35-2 tank (one of the prototypes) was in the museum, and the T-35-1 was decommissioned in 1936. Currently there are only 2 copies in the world. Tank number 0197-7 went to the Kazan Tank School in 1938 and to real battles did not take part. Now is museum exhibit and is located in Kubinka (Russia), in the armored tank museum. It still has its original working (!) engine and is on the move.

The second copy is also in the museum in Yekaterinburg. The tank was recreated according to drawings and photographs at the restoration site of Uralelectromed JSC. The restoration period lasted almost 5 months, and the restored version is almost no different from the original copies of the 1930s.

Modeling

The T-35 tank (1:35 is its scale) is produced by the Chinese. They offer the model in three versions - an early tank (one large hatch on the main turret), a pre-1938 release (two hatches and an anti-aircraft turret) and a late one - a 1938-1939 release.

The tank is created from plastic using injection molding. The set also contains some metal parts. In addition, there is a choice of functional tracks. At one time, Russia also produced models in the same scale. But on this moment production has also been discontinued.

A limited batch of models was released in Russia in a different scale. The T-35 tank (1:72 scale model) was included in the magazine “Russian Tanks” (No. 18). The same option can be purchased from Polish manufacturers (Modelkrak).

"Star"

And finally one more thing Russian enterprise announced a release for hobbyists and not only for everyone who wants to get the Soviet T-35 heavy tank into their collection. Zvezda, a company that is well known to all collectors, announced at the beginning of 2016 that the model would soon appear on the shelves of online stores.

Particularly noteworthy is the precisely calibrated geometry and detail of the model. Initial information promises a scale of 1:35 and a total length of 28 cm. The tank will consist of 428 parts. The approximate price starts from 2000 rubles.

Conclusion

Like many powers with a developed tank industry, Soviet Union released his land monster - the five-turret T-35 tank. But his fate repeated the fate of others in other countries. Weak armor, an engine not designed for such a colossus, and a tank that had the ability to arrange a whole sea of ​​fire around itself never made it to the front. And those copies that did arrive did not come back due to their shortcomings.

T-35 at the Armored Museum in Kubinka

T-35 is a heavy multi-turret soviet tank, developed in 1931-1932. It became the first production tank in the USSR and acted as a symbol of the power of Soviet power. The world's only serial tank with five turrets.

History of creation

Along with the development of the T-35-1, the development of the T-35A with an extended chassis, small machine-gun turrets, enlarged medium turrets and a modified hull was carried out in parallel. It was the T-35A that ultimately became the basis for the production T-35.

The production of one T-35 cost 525 thousand rubles - nine times more than the production of the light BT-5.

Performance characteristics (TTX)

general information

• Classification - heavy tank/breakthrough tank;
• Combat weight - 50 tons;
• The layout is five-tower, classic;
• Crew – 11 people;
• Number of units produced: 61 units, two prototypes.

Dimensions

• Hull length – 9720 m;
• Hull width – 3200 m;
• Height – 3430 m;
• Ground clearance – 530 m.

Booking

• Armor type - rolled homogeneous steel;
• Body forehead – 30 mm;
• Body forehead (top) – 50 mm;
• Body forehead (middle) – 20 mm;
• Body forehead (bottom) – 20 mm;
• Body side – 20 mm;
• Body side (top) – 20 mm;
• Hull side (bottom) - 20 + 10 mm (bulwark);
• Hull stern – 20 mm;
• Bottom – 10-20 mm;
• Housing roof – 10 mm;
• Turret forehead – 15 mm;
• Turret side – 20 mm;
• Turret feed – 20 mm;
• Tower roof – 10-15 mm.

Armament

• Caliber and brand of gun - 1 × 76.2 mm KT-28, 2 × 45 mm 20K;
• Gun type - rifled;
• Barrel length, calibers - 16.5 for KT-28, 46 for 20K
• Gun ammunition - 96 for KT-28, 226 for 20K;
• VN angles: −5…+25 degrees for KT-28, −8…+32 degrees for 20K;
• GN angles: 360 degrees for KT-28, 191 degrees for bow 20K, 184 degrees for stern 20K
• Sights - PT-1 mod. 1932, TOP arr. 1930;
• Machine guns - 6-7 × 7.62 mm DT, 10080 rounds.

Mobility

• Engine type - V-shaped 12-cylinder four-stroke carburetor liquid cooling M-17L;
• Engine power – 500 hp;
• Highway speed - 28.9 km/h;
• Speed ​​over rough terrain – 14 km/h;
• Cruising range on the highway – 100 km;
• Cruising range over rough terrain – 80-90 km;
• Specific power – 10 hp/t;
• Suspension type: interlocked in pairs, on horizontal springs;
• Specific ground pressure – 0.78 kg/cm²;
• Climbability – 20 degrees;
• The wall to be overcome is 1.2 m;
• The ditch to be overcome is 3.5 m;
• Fordability - 1 m.

Vehicles based on T-35

• SU-14 is an experimental self-propelled gun. It differed from the T-35 in that instead of turrets it was equipped with a spacious conning tower with a 203 mm howitzer. After a number of upgrades, the self-propelled guns received the name SU-14-2;
• SU-14-1 is an experimental self-propelled gun, technically close to the SU-14. After modification, it became known as SU-14-Br2;
• T-112 – experienced medium tank based on the T-28 with suspension from the T-35. Remained at the drawing stage.

Combat use

Since 1933, the T-35 has always participated in parades in Moscow and Kyiv due to its very impressive appearance. Until the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War, it was used only for parades and military maneuvers - the tank did not participate in battles.

By the beginning of the war, the Red Army had 48 T-35s. Most of them were lost in the first days of the fighting, and only 7 vehicles were lost in battle - the rest failed on their own due to malfunctions.

The last time the T-35 was used was in the Battle of Moscow.

At the very beginning of the war, one T-35 was captured by German troops. Its exact fate is unknown, although it is possible that this T-35 was used by the Wehrmacht during the defense of Berlin.

At one time, the T-35 was the most powerful tank in the world in terms of firepower. However, it also had disadvantages - due to its enormous size and slow speed, the tank was a very easy target for artillery. In addition, the tank was difficult to control. It was because of this that they gradually stopped using it, putting all efforts into the production of more successful and versatile HF.

Memory of a tank

The only surviving T-35 is today on display at the Armored Museum in Kubinka. The T-35 can also be seen on the frieze on the facade of the St. Petersburg House of Soviets.

The T-35 tank is still on the Russian medal "For Courage".

Tank photos

In 1938, the Soviet Union established a medal "For Courage", the design of which included a stylized image of a tank, which at that time was a symbol of the growing military power THE USSR. And this combat vehicle was not the BT, which took part in many conflicts of the 30s. The medal depicted a heavy five-turret T-35 tank.

Throughout the 30s, this tank was considered the most powerful in the Soviet Union, but for the first time it went into battle only with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, when it was about to be removed from service. And in battles he did not perform quite as expected.

History of creation

In the 1920s, the fleet of armored vehicles of the young Soviet state consisted mainly of obsolete vehicles from the First World War. The production of the MS-1 light tank was difficult to establish. Meanwhile, the report of the tank building commission stated that the Red Army would also need a heavy tank to break through fortified defense lines. However, in 1924, the development of such a machine was not considered a task of paramount importance.

They returned to the idea only in 1929, finally formulating technical requirements. The creation was hampered by a lack of experience (and the necessary infrastructure). Initially, it was planned to find a model that could be used as a guide abroad. In 1930, I. Khaletsky, sent abroad to purchase samples, tried to negotiate the design of a heavy tank with the British company Vickers, but the attempt was unsuccessful.

Then the development was entrusted to engineers assigned from Germany, led by Edward Grote. The built TG was found unsuitable for mass production in the USSR, but the Soviet engineers who participated in the development of the TG gained valuable experience. And in 1932, they were finally tasked with developing a 35-ton heavy breakthrough tank based on the TG.

The mass specified in the task gave the vehicle the index - T-35.

Already in August of the same year, the first prototype, known as the T-35-1, was assembled. After testing, it was handed over to training courses, and by the spring of 1933, a second prototype, the T-35-2, was built. Its main caliber turret was unified with, the overly complex pneumatic clutch control system was eliminated, the M-6 engine (a licensed copy of the Hispano-Suiza engine) was replaced with an M-17 (a licensed version of the BMW VI).

On May 1, 1933, both prototypes took part in parades - the first in Leningrad, and the second in Moscow. Interestingly, the tank that was supposed to be put into production (officially called the T-35A) was significantly different from both prototypes in the design of the hull and chassis. It was decided to launch its production at the Kharkov Locomotive Plant.

Design

The box-shaped body of the T-35 was made of armor sheets with a thickness of 10...50mm (most sheets had a thickness of 20mm), connected by welding and riveting. The T-35 had a classic layout with a rear-mounted engine and transmission, but instead of a common fighting compartment it received three.

In the front compartment there was a driver mechanic, who officially held the position of “junior tank technician” and was engaged, in addition to driving the tank, in training drivers and mechanics. The gunner of the front machine-gun turret was also a deputy driver.

The gunner of the front cannon turret with the rank of lieutenant was the deputy commander of the vehicle, and its loader was the actual commander of the turret.

The main caliber turret, mounted on the turret box, housed the tank commander, the gunner, considered the turret commander, and the radio operator - the squad leader. At the same time, both the T-35 commander and the radio operator were instructed to load the gun.

The aft cannon turret was occupied by a gunner (deputy commander of the main turret) and a loader (junior driver), the gunner of the aft machine-gun turret had no additional responsibilities. In addition, the mechanic and senior driver, who were involved in the maintenance of the T-35 in the fleet, were considered members of the tank’s crew.

Most vehicles were equipped with a 71-TK-3 radio station with a characteristic antenna in the form of a handrail around the main tower. While on the move, it provided a communication range of up to 15 km. The M-17 engine used on the T-35 was derated to 500 hp. aviation gasoline engine.

Fuel with an octane number of 70 was supplied to the engine by two carburetors. Later, the engine power was increased to 580 hp. The transmission compartment, separated from the engine compartment, contained a 4-speed gearbox, main and final clutches, and final drives. A cooling fan and its drive gear were also installed there.

The T-35 suspension consisted of four (on each side) two-roller bogies with spring suspension. There are six support rollers, and all rollers are rubberized. The guide (front) wheel had a track tensioning mechanism, and the drive sprockets were at the rear. The chassis was covered with a bulwark made of 10mm thick armor.

Changes were constantly made to the design.

The design of the hatches - tower and driver - was changed. The turrets, unified with the turrets of the T-28 and BT-5 tanks, were replaced with new, conical ones at the end of the 30s. The hexagonal turret box was replaced with a rectangular one. Finally, the thickness of the frontal armor on the latest copies was increased to 70mm.

Armament

The main caliber of the T-35 was the 76mm KT gun. It was intended to destroy enemy field fortifications and infantry. Accordingly, the standard ammunition included only high-explosive fragmentation and shrapnel shells (48 pieces each), and their initial speed was low.

If necessary, it was possible to fire with armor-piercing shells, but penetration was negligible for a gun of this caliber - only about 30mm. To aim the gun at the target, periscope and telescopic sights were used, providing a 2.5x magnification.

The “medium” cannon turrets, originally unified with the turrets of the BT-5 tank, contained 45mm 20K cannons, designed to combat armored vehicles. However, their ammunition also included fragmentation shells. The sights were identical to those installed in the main turret.

DT machine guns were installed in the T-35 machine gun turrets, and the same machine guns were coaxial with all guns. On tanks of the latest production, it was planned to install an anti-aircraft machine gun on the roof of the main turret and a stern one in its rear wall. The machine guns were equipped with 63-round disc magazines. The main caliber turret initially had manual drives, but later it was equipped with an electric drive for rotation. The remaining towers remained with manual drives.

Exploitation

The T-35 heavy tank was produced in very small batches - on average, about 10 vehicles were built per year. They had to go to hard tank brigades Reserve of the Main Command. Tanks were regularly demonstrated at parades and depicted on propaganda posters, but it was not these “Stalinist monsters” that had to take part in battle, but the light T-26 and BT tanks. And the small volumes of T-35 production led to the fact that in fact only one heavy brigade was formed from them - in Kharkov.

They stopped collecting T-35s in 1939, and already in 1940 there was a proposal to completely remove them from combat units and use them only for parades.

However, they decided to operate the machines “until they are completely worn out.” Which is exactly what happened.

In June 1941, most of the T-35 tanks were at the disposal of the 34th tank division Kyiv Military District, and some of them required major repairs, and some had already been sent to Kharkov for repairs. After the start of the war, tanks awaiting overhaul were abandoned. Most of the vehicles (26 pieces) immediately reached the notorious “complete wear and tear” and were destroyed by the crews. Only four vehicles were lost in battle.

By the fall of 1941, it came to the machines that were being repaired in Kharkov. Four T-35s were used to defend the city. It is believed that two tanks were knocked out by the Germans, and two were abandoned and blown up by their crews. For the defense of Moscow, the T-35 was requested from the training regiment of the military academy, where it was most likely used as a training one.

The T-35 captured by the Germans was tested in Kummersdorf, and by 1945 it was no longer operational. Only one T-3 has survived to this day, belonging to the 30th Tank School in Kazan.

Performance characteristics

Although the concept of a heavy multi-turreted tank was considered in many countries in the late 20s, not everyone was able to bring such developments to series. Moreover, the T-35 was superior to all analogues in terms of the power of its cannon armament. Let's look at the main parameters of the tank.

Most of the T-35's shortcomings became apparent already during its operation. The M-17 engine was weak for such a heavy vehicle, and its large length greatly impaired maneuverability. The armor was, in fact, bulletproof.

In theory, the tank could concentrate the fire of two cannons and three machine guns on one target, but in practice the commander was unable to control the fire of all turrets. To correct this shortcoming, they even tried to develop a tank analogue of a ship’s artillery fire control device.

The T-35, created within the framework of a dead-end concept, however, became important milestone in the development of Soviet tank building.

The designers, who until recently had no experience, managed to develop a complex combat vehicle that no one had previously produced. Accordingly, factories had to learn how to assemble such equipment in series. This is the main merit of the T-35. Unfortunately, he was not allowed to retire quietly; the war got in the way.

Video

T-35 is a heavy tank of the 30s, produced in the USSR. It is the only mass-produced five-turret tank in the world (61 vehicles were produced between 1933 and 1939). Was the most powerful tank Red Army of the 30s. Until 1941, it did not participate in battles, but was used during military parades, being a visible embodiment of the military power of the Soviet Union. T-35 took part in battles initial stage WWII, however, were lost quite quickly, but, according to available reports, mainly due to malfunctions.

Development and production

Work on a heavy tank in the USSR began back in the late 20s, but the lack of necessary experience among domestic designers in this area did not allow the development of a full-fledged combat vehicle. The way out of this situation was to invite German designers under the leadership of Edward Grotte, who arrived in the Soviet Union in 1930 and, together with young engineers, began to design a heavy tank. And although the TG tank created under the leadership of Grotte did not go into production, Soviet designers were able to gain invaluable experience, which was used in the design of domestic heavy combat vehicles.

After work on the TG tank was stopped, the design bureau, which included Soviet engineers working with Grotte under the leadership of N.V. Barykov, began developing their own heavy tank. The task was issued by the Department of Mechanization and Motorization of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and it stated: “By 08/01/1932, develop and build a 35-ton breakthrough tank of the TG type.” During the design of the T-35 tank, the designers used one and a half years of experience working on the TG tank, the results of tests of the German Grosstraktor near Kazan, as well as materials from the commission for the purchase of armored vehicles in the UK.

Assembly of the first prototype, which received the designation T-35-1, was completed on August 20, 1932, and on September 1 the tank was shown to representatives of the UMM of the Red Army. The weight of the tank was 42 tons, the thickness of the armor was 30-40 millimeters, the armament included: one 76-mm and two 37-mm guns (instead of a 76-mm gun, a mock-up was installed on the T-35-1), and three machine guns. The crew of the tank consisted of 10-11 people. Tank dimensions: length 9720 mm; width 3200 mm; height 3430 mm. Cruising range 150 km (on highway). The 500-horsepower M-17 engine allowed the tank to reach speeds of up to 28 kilometers per hour. The specific pressure on the ground was less than 0.7 kg/cm². The track rollers were grouped in pairs of three bogies per side. The top of the main tower had a rounded shape.

T-35-1 during tests in the fall of 1932 showed good results and satisfied the military, however, several shortcomings were noted in the tank's power plant. In addition, the design of the pneumatic control and transmission actuators was too complex and expensive for mass production. The designers were asked to refine the project to address the identified shortcomings, strengthen the armament, and also unify some parts (for example, the main turret) with the T-28 medium tank.

In February 1933, tank production at the Bolshevik plant was separated into a separate plant No. 147 named after. K.E. Voroshilov, while the Barykov Design Bureau was reorganized into OKMO (Experimental Design Engineering Department), which began to refine the T-35-1.

The second model, designated T-35-2, was assembled in April 1933, and on May 1 it was taken to participate in the parade on Uritsky Square (formerly Palace Square) in Leningrad. The tank differed from the T-35-1 not only in the main turret, but also in the installation of a different engine, the shape of the bulwark and some other small details.

At the same time, the design bureau was developing drawings for the serial T-35A tank. The T-35A tank had significant differences from the T-35-1(2). The chassis was lengthened by one trolley, the small machine-gun turrets had a different design, the medium turrets, which had an enlarged shape, were equipped with 45-mm 20K cannons, the shape of the hull was changed, and there were other less significant differences. All this caused difficulties during production, since the T-35A tank was essentially a completely new vehicle.

Serial production of the T-35 tank was entrusted to the Kharkov Locomotive Plant named after. Comintern. Work to improve the tank began in 1932. N.V. Tseits became the head of the work. On August 11, 1933, the T-35 was put into service, and from 1934 the tank began to enter service with the troops.

In 1933, 2 serial samples were produced, and in 1934 small-scale production began. The following number of tanks were produced in various years: 1933 - 2; 1934 - 10; 1935 - 7; 1936 - 15; 1937 - 10; 1938 - 11; 1939 - 6.

In total, from 1933 to 1939, 2 prototypes and 61 production vehicles were produced.

Changes were made to the design many times during production. For example, in 1937, the thickness of the side, lower and upper frontal plates was increased, the armor of the turrets and stern began to be made of 23-mm armor plates; engine power was increased to 580 hp. With.; The weight of the tank increased to 52, and then to 55 tons. The number of crew members is from 9 to 11 people. The last six vehicles, produced in 1938-1939, had conical turrets, improved hull seals and redesigned side screens. The suspension elements have also been strengthened.

Tank design

The T-35 was a heavy tank with a classic layout, five turrets, with a two-tier arrangement of guns and machine guns. The armor of the tank was adequate for the time of its creation (it should be noted that it was not inferior to most tanks of the initial period of World War II), but it was not enough to complete the task of a breakthrough by the beginning of the war.

Frame

The tank had a box-shaped body with a complex configuration. The body was welded (partially riveted) from armor plates 10 - 50 millimeters thick. The armor thickness of the T-35 tank was generally 20 millimeters (bottom of the frontal part, sides and rear). The towers were made of armor 25-30 millimeters thick. On the left in the bow of the hull there was an inspection hatch for the driver, which had an inspection slot covered with a glass block. During the march, the hatch could remain open (it was opened upwards, and a screw mechanism was used for fixation). To enter/exit, the driver used the hatch in the roof of the hull, located above his workplace. Initially, the hatch was made as a double-leaf hatch, but was later replaced by a single-leaf folding one. A later modification of the tank, which had conical turrets, had an oval hatch, made by analogy with the design of the BT-7 turret hatch. The main tower had a hexagonal pedestal - the so-called "hexagon". On its sides there were boxes designed to accommodate devices for creating a smoke screen. Behind the aft towers there were air intake louvers, which were covered with armored screens, as well as an access hatch to the engine. The muffler was located behind the hatch. A round hole was made in the top sheet of the stern for installing a fan. The hole was covered with a removable armored cap with blinds.

The main turret of the T-35 and the turret of the T-28 tank of the first releases were identical in design (up until the introduction of conical turrets, the main turret did not have a standard ball mounting for the rear machine gun). It had a cylindrical shape and a developed feeding niche. A 76-mm gun was mounted on trunnions in the front part, and a machine gun was placed to the right of it. For the convenience of the crew, the tower was equipped with a suspended floor.

The design of the middle turrets is identical to the turrets of the BT-5 tank, but without a rear niche. The shape of the towers is cylindrical, with two hatches for crew access. A 45-mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun were installed in its front part.

The small machine gun turrets had the same design as the machine gun turrets of the T-28 tank, however, unlike them, they were equipped with ring eyelets used during dismantling. The cylindrical towers in the bow had a projection shifted to the right. Its front plate housed a DT machine gun in a ball mount.

The last production T-35 tanks had conical turrets, while the design of their main turret was identical to the T-28 turret.

Armament

The T-35's weapons were housed in five towers arranged in two tiers. The central turret was equipped with a 76.2-mm KT-28 gun of the 27/32 model (it was planned that the PS-3 would be installed), which was a tank version of the regimental gun mod. 1927. Barrel 16.5 caliber long. The initial speed of the ammunition is 381 meters per second. As sighting devices tank periscope mod. 1932 and telescopic sight mod. 1930. To the right of the gun, a DT machine gun was mounted in an independent ball mount. A slot was made in the turret niche for the yoke mounting of the second DT machine gun. The gap was closed with a special armored shutter. On some tanks, a standard ball mount was used to install the rear machine gun. Also, another diesel engine was installed on the turret hatch using a turret mount, used for firing at air targets.

A pair of 45-mm cannons 20K mod. 1932 was installed in small cannon turrets, which were located diagonally (right-front and left-rear). The initial speed of the armor-piercing projectile was 760 m/s. The guns, paired with DT machine guns, were mounted on trunnions in movable armor. In machine gun turrets located diagonally (left-front and right-back) they were used to install DT machine guns.

The ammunition consisted of: 96 rounds for a 76 mm cannon, 220 rounds for 45 mm cannons and 10 thousand rounds for machine guns.

Thus, the T-35 was armed approximately like one T-28 medium tank and two T-26 light tanks.

Engine and transmission

The M-17 V-shaped twelve-cylinder carburetor engine, liquid-cooled, was installed in the rear of the hull. Engine power at 1450 rpm was 500 hp. With. This allowed the tank to reach speeds of up to 30 km/h on the highway and about 12 km/h on rough terrain. Fuel tanks with a capacity of 910 liters provided a range of up to 150 km on the highway. The engine and manual five-speed gearbox were connected through the main clutch. The turning mechanism was onboard clutches with band brakes.

Chassis

Each side of the caterpillar propulsion system consisted of: eight rubber-coated support rollers of small diameter, six support rollers with rubber tires, guide wheels equipped with a screw tension mechanism, driving rear wheels with removable toothed rims, small-link track chains with an open hinge and skeletal tracks. The tracks were connected with fingers, which were locked using cotter pins. Tension rollers were installed between the front road wheels and the guide wheels, which prevent the front branches of the tracks from deflecting when overcoming vertical obstacles.

The suspension is blocked, there are two rollers in the cart; Suspension using two spiral springs. The chassis was covered with 10 mm armored screens. The tank was capable of overcoming inclines up to 36°, a ford 1.2 m deep, vertical walls 1.2 m high, ditches 3.5 m wide. The specific ground pressure was 0.78 kg/cm². The maneuverability of the tank was adversely affected great importance the ratio of its length to width (> 3).

Electrical equipment

The tank was equipped with a 71-TK-1 radio station, which had a handrail antenna around the main turret, a telephone intercom for seven subscribers, and a smoke exhaust system. The electrical equipment was carried out according to a single-wire circuit with a network voltage of 12V.

Crew accommodation

During production, the number of crew members of the T-35 tank ranged from 9 to 11 people, depending on design features specific series. In most cases, crew accommodations looked like this. In the upper - main turret, which was unified with the T-28 turret, there were three crew members: the commander (also serving as a gunner), a machine gunner, and a radio operator (also serving as a loader). In the two towers in which 45-mm cannons were installed, there were two people each - a machine gunner and a gunner, in the machine-gun towers - one shooter. The main tower was separated from the rest of the fighting compartment by a partition. The rear and front towers communicated with each other in pairs. Between the tracks in the front of the tank there was a control compartment in which the driver was located (he had a limited view due to the fact that the branches of the tracks protruded strongly forward; the vehicle was often driven almost blindly).

Equipment developed on the basis of the T-35 tank

The T-35 tank was used as a base to create the experimental heavy self-propelled gun (self-propelled artillery unit) SU-14. Instead of turrets, the tank was equipped with a spacious deckhouse offset to the stern. The wheelhouse housed a 203- or 152-mm gun. Both self-propelled guns were built in a single copy. They were not accepted into service. In the winter of 1941, during the Battle of Moscow, these vehicles, together with the T-100-U, were consolidated into a separate heavy self-propelled gun company and sent to the front. No information has been found on the combat use of the SU-14, but these vehicles have been preserved and are today exhibited in Kubinka at the Museum of Armored Vehicles.

Combat use and service

The first T-35 tanks met the operational and technical requirements for heavy tanks of the Red Army. In addition, the firepower of the T-35 exceeded that of any tank in the world. Five machine guns (located in five rotating turrets) and three cannons provided all-round massive fire in all directions simultaneously, which gave certain advantages when fighting enemy infantry in the depths of his defense. However, this caused the design to become more complex and required an increase in the number of crew members. The traction and dynamic qualities of the tank were insufficient, which was especially noticeable when turning. The combination of these shortcomings did not allow the heavy tank to fully fulfill the tasks assigned to it. Large quantities towers was the reason that the commander could not carry out effective management fire. Weak armor meant that the tank was vulnerable to artillery, and its low mobility and enormous size made it an excellent target.

It was clear that a new concept for a heavy tank was needed. Experimental tanks SMK and T-100 were created within the framework of this new concept. The KV tank became the founder of the first successful Soviet series heavy tanks.

Thus, the T-35 was obsolete by 1941, but it was not removed from service. As of May 22, 1941, the Red Army had 48 T-35 tanks, which were in service with the sixty-seventh and sixty-eighth tank regiments of the thirty-fourth tank division of the Kyiv OVO. Others were at the disposal of testing sites and the military. educational institutions. All T-35s that the 34th Tank Division had at its disposal were in the Rava-Russkaya area at the beginning of the war and were almost immediately lost. At the same time, only 7 vehicles were lost directly in battles, 6 were under repair at the time of the outbreak of hostilities, and the other 35 failed due to malfunctions, broke down during the march and were destroyed or abandoned by the crews. The last use of two T-35s was in the battle of Moscow. Interestingly, there are many photographs of abandoned T-35 tanks that the Germans took - ordinary Panzerwaffe soldiers and tankmen liked to take pictures near the “miracle of hostile technology.”

In the first weeks of the Second World War, a fully serviceable T-35 tank, probably abandoned due to lack of fuel, was sent by the Germans to the Kummersdorf training ground, where it was carefully studied by German engineers. At the same time, they noted that there were difficulties with transporting the vehicle - the tank did not fit into the railway gauge, and switching levers was an incredibly difficult and exhausting task. The further fate of this tank is unknown. The last case of combat use of the T-35 tank was the use by the Germans at the end of April 1945 of one captured T-35 during the defense of Berlin. This car transferred from the Zossen testing ground and included in the fourth company of the eleventh tank regiment. As part of a company, he took part in battles near the training ground, where he was soon shot down.

T-35 tank as a symbol of the power of the Red Army

As already noted, until the beginning of the Second World War, the T-35 tank did not take part in hostilities. The T-35 was periodically used in military maneuvers, but the main “battlefield” was the squares of Kyiv and Moscow. The T-35 became a truly visible embodiment of the strength of the Red Army. Starting from 1933 and right up to the Second World War, T-35 tanks took part in all parades. True, the number of tanks participating in the parade was small. For example, on November 7, 1940, only 20 cars were displayed in parades (10 in each city).

In addition, T-35s are depicted on propaganda posters. An interesting fact is that the image of the T-35 tank is present on the poster of the 1943rd year. At this time, not a single T-35 remained in the troops, but the “land battleship,” bristling with guns, continued to perform a propaganda function, personifying the power of the Red Army.

In addition, a simplified image of the T-35 tank was used to design the medal “For Courage”.

Despite its young age, the history of tank building is unusually rich and fascinating. Tanks appeared on the battlefield only a hundred years ago, but the development of this type of military equipment was rapid; the tank can easily be called the main military invention of the last century. Only at the end of the 20th century did their importance on the battlefield begin to decline.

During its short but very turbulent history, the tank has changed beyond recognition: its weapons and protective equipment have changed, and the tactics of its use on the battlefield have changed. The modern fighting vehicle is as reminiscent of a World War I tank as the first airplane made by the Wright brothers is similar to a fighter plane. latest generation. This was made possible thanks to the work of thousands weapons designers different times and nationalities.

From the very beginning of the tank era, every self-respecting country sought to create larger armored hordes and equip them with the most formidable equipment. They did not spare money for this and did not limit the flight of design imagination too much. As a result, cars with completely bizarre appearance and characteristics. The overwhelming majority of them remained on paper or in the form of prototypes.

Therefore, fate is especially interesting unusual tanks, which not only went into production, but even managed to fight. One of these vehicles was the Soviet five-turret heavy tank T-35. It was created in the early 30s, it had several modifications and managed to take part in the first battles of the Great Patriotic War. The T-35 heavy tank went down in history as a serial tank with the largest number towers

But it’s not just the number of towers, the T-35 is real symbol the power of the USSR and the power of its armed forces. None of the central parades were complete without this tank. When this Stalinist “dreadnought” drove along the paving stones of Red Square, it immediately became clear to everyone that “the armor is really strong.”

If we talk about symbolism, then it should be said that on one of the most revered Soviet medals“For Courage” the T-35 tank is depicted.

History of creation

The creation of multi-turreted tanks was by no means distinctive feature Soviet tank building or a reflection of the gigantomania inherent in the USSR. Immediately after the end of the First World War, the installation of several towers on tanks was considered commonplace and was fully consistent with the military doctrine of that time.

In tank classifications of almost all large countries At that time, there were heavy tanks whose task was to break through the enemy’s heavily fortified defensive lines. Such machines should have powerful protection(ideally anti-ballistic) and powerful weapons, they were supposed to directly accompany the infantry during an attack on enemy positions and methodically suppress enemy firing points.

In the classification that was adopted in the USSR before the war, there were two types of heavy tanks, the first of which was supposed to break through “strongly fortified defensive lines,” and the second’s task was to overcome particularly strong enemy fortifications. It was the second type of vehicle that the T-35 belonged to.

The T-35-1 crew consisted of ten people, the vehicle had a 500 hp engine. s., which allowed her to reach speeds of up to 28 km/h. The maximum armor thickness reached 40 mm, and the range was 150 km.

In 1933, the next modification of the tank was made - T-35-2, it even managed to take part in the parade on Red Square. However, already at this moment the designers were developing the T-35A - new tank, which was supposed to go into mass production. This vehicle was very different from its predecessors: the length and shape of the hull were changed, turrets of a different design and size were installed on the tank, and the chassis of the tank was also modified. In fact, it was already a completely new car.

In 1933, the T-35A was put into service. Production was established at the Kharkov Locomotive Plant. In 1934, the T-35 heavy tank began to enter service with the troops.

A total of 59 units of this car were produced.

Various changes and improvements were continuously made to the tank. The thickness of the armor was increased, the power of the power plant was increased, and the turrets acquired a conical shape. The weight of the tank increased; for later models it was 55 tons.

Use of the T-35

The T-35 was not used in any of the conflicts of the 1930s in which the USSR took part. Five-tower giants were not seen either in the Soviet-Polish war or in conflicts on Far East, nor in the Finnish campaign. At the same time, in the Winter War, the USSR used heavy tanks, the SMK, T-100, KV were tested there - heavy vehicles of the new generation, which were supposed to replace the T-35. Obviously, the leadership of the Red Army understood perfectly well real opportunities T-35 and that is why it kept him away from the front.

The T-35 can be called the main “ceremonial” tank of the 30s: not a single parade on Red Square or Khreshchatyk was complete without the display of these giants.

These tanks had to “smell gunpowder” at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Most of these vehicles were located in units located on the westernmost border, in the Lviv region. T-35s took part in the border battle, and most of them were abandoned by their crews.

The tank showed extremely low fighting qualities, but things were even worse with the reliability of the car. Only seven tanks were lost directly during the fighting; thirty-five vehicles simply broke down and were abandoned or destroyed by the crews.

Several more vehicles (according to one information, five) took part in the defense of Kharkov in 1941, but information about them combat use No. The last two T-35s took part in the defense of Moscow.

The first days of the war became real for the T-35 " finest hour" The Germans loved taking photographs against the backdrop of the defeated Russian giants. Despite the relatively small number of these tanks, the number of photographs of German soldiers against the background of knocked out or abandoned T-35s is simply off the charts.

The fate of two Soviet T-35s, which were captured by the Nazis in good condition at the beginning of the war, is interesting. One tank ended up at the Kumersdorf training ground, where it was used as a target, and the other stood at the Zossen training ground throughout the war. The Germans used it during the Battle of Berlin, but it was soon shot down by Red Army soldiers using a captured Faustpatron.

Today is the last example of this unique car located in Kubinka.

Description of design

The T-35 has a classic layout, with the power plant located at the rear of the hull. This is a five-turreted vehicle that has two tiers of weapons. The hull is divided into five compartments: the front turret compartment with the driver's seat, the main turret compartment, the rear turret compartment, as well as the engine compartment and transmission compartment.

The tank hull is welded, there are also elements secured with rivets.

Two turrets were installed on the roof of the front compartment: a machine gun and a gun. The first turret was occupied by a machine gunner, and the second turret housed the gunner and loader.

The main turret of the tank was completely identical to the T-28 turret, which significantly reduced the cost of its production and simplified maintenance. The tower is equipped with a suspended floor for the convenience of tank crews.

The small machine gun turrets are completely identical to the similar turrets of the T-28 tank, and the medium gun turrets are identical to the turrets of the BT-5 tank.

The T-35 was equipped with a four-stroke gasoline aircraft engine M-17, which had a power of 500 hp. With.

The gearbox provided four speeds when moving forward and one in reverse.

The chassis consisted of eight (on each side) rubber-coated road wheels, six support rollers, and the rear wheels were driven. The tank's suspension was blocked; two rollers were installed in the bogie; two spiral springs provided spring loading.

The chassis of the tank was covered with an armored bulwark consisting of several armor plates.

The main task of the T-35 was to support infantry when breaking through enemy defense lines; it was supposed to destroy enemy fortifications.

According to the designers, a 76-mm cannon located in the main turret was to be used to destroy fortifications, and 45-mm guns were intended for simpler purposes.

The tank's auxiliary armament consisted of six 7.62 mm DT machine guns, which could fire all around. Each gun turret had a coaxial machine gun. In addition, diesel engines were installed in the machine gun turrets, as well as in the rear of the main turret. The latest modifications of the tank also featured an anti-aircraft machine gun, which was mounted on the gunner's hatch of the main turret.

The T-35's surveillance equipment consisted of ordinary viewing slits covered with armored glass; the tank commander and tank turret commanders had periscope panoramic sighting devices.

Depending on the series of the tank, the number of crew could vary from 9 to 11 people. There were three people in the main turret of the tank: the tank commander, the radio operator (loader) and the machine gunner. Each of the small gun turrets contained a gunner and a machine gunner. There was one gunner in each machine gun turret.

The main turret compartment was separated from the rest of the vehicle; the front and rear compartments were connected to each other. Between the front compartments there was a place for the driver, who had an extremely limited view.

Evaluation of the machine and comparison with foreign analogues

In the pre-war period, the T-35 was superior in firepower to any foreign combat vehicles. This tank, armed with three guns and several machine guns, could create a real sea of ​​​​fire around itself.

However, the low-power power plant and low reliability of the engine, chassis, and many other technical defects made it unsuitable for use in real combat conditions. The long march that the T-35 made as part of the 34th Tank Division in the summer of 1941 turned out to be fatal for these monsters.

The multi-turret layout of the tank overcomplicated its design, increased its weight and made it impossible to strengthen the armor. The bulky dimensions of the T-35 made it an excellent target for both tanks and anti-tank artillery enemy. In battle, the speed of the T-35 did not exceed 10 km/h.

There were other problems: the tank commander had to perform the work of the main gun gunner, which prevented him from commanding the vehicle in battle.

Already before the start of World War II, it became clear that the engine was as important a tank weapon as its gun. The effectiveness of using this type of armored vehicle depended on maneuverability and speed.

The multi-turret layout has become a dead-end branch of tank development; the T-35 can safely be called its symbol. This tank is hard to compare with foreign analogues, because there are no serial tanks with as many as five turrets. These land dreadnoughts were usually made in single copies and, as a rule, they did not participate in battles.

Specifications

Video about T-35

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