World War II tanks and armored vehicles. The best tanks of the Second World War

Constant attempts to bury the idea of ​​a tank are not being implemented. Despite the rapid evolution anti-tank weapons, there is still no more reliable means of covering soldiers than heavy armored vehicles. I bring to your attention a review of outstanding tanks from the Second World War, created on the basis of the Discovery programs - “Killer Tanks: Fist of Steel” and the Military Channel - “Ten Best Tanks of the 20th Century”. Undoubtedly, all the cars from the review are worthy of attention.

But I noticed that when describing tanks, experts do not consider it battle history in its entirety, but they only talk about those episodes of World War II when this machine was able to prove itself the best way. It is logical to immediately break the war into periods and consider which tank was the best and when. I would like to draw your attention to two important points:

Firstly, strategy should not be confused with specifications cars. The red flag over Berlin does not mean that the Germans were weak and had no good technique. It also follows that possessing the best tanks in the world does not mean that your army will advance victoriously. You can simply be crushed by numbers. Do not forget that the army is a system; the enemy’s competent use of its diverse forces can put you in a difficult position.

Secondly, all the debates about “who is stronger, the IS-2 or the Tiger” don’t make much sense. Tanks rarely fight tanks. Much more often their opponents are enemy defensive lines, fortifications, artillery batteries, infantry and automotive technology. In World War II, half of all tank losses were caused by anti-tank artillery(which is logical - when the number of tanks was in the tens of thousands, the number of guns was in the hundreds of thousands - an order of magnitude more!).

Another fierce enemy tanks - mines. About 25% of combat vehicles were blown up by them. Aviation accounted for several percent. How much then is left for tank battles?!

This leads to the conclusion that the tank battle near Prokhorovka is a rare exotic. Currently, this trend continues - instead of the anti-tank “forty-five”, RPGs are used.

Well, now let's move on to our favorite cars.

Period 1939-1940. Blitzkrieg

...Pre-dawn darkness, fog, shooting and roar of engines. On the morning of May 10, 1940, the Wehrmacht breaks into Holland. After 17 days, Belgium fell, the remnants of the English expeditionary force were evacuated across the English Channel. On June 14, German tanks appeared on the streets of Paris...

One of the conditions for the “lightning war” is the special tactics of using tanks: the unprecedented concentration of armored vehicles in the direction of the main attacks and the perfectly coordinated actions of the Germans allowed the “steel claws” of Hoth and Guderian to cut into the defense for hundreds of kilometers, and, without slowing down, move deeper into enemy territory .

The unique tactical technique required special technical solutions. German armored vehicles were required to be equipped with radio stations, with tank battalions air traffic controllers were present for emergency communication with the Luftwaffe. It was at this time that “ finest hour» Panzerkampfwagen III and Panzerkampfwagen IV. Behind such clumsy names hide formidable combat vehicles, which wrapped the asphalt of European roads, the icy expanses of Russia and the sands of the Sahara on their tracks.

PzKpfw III, better known as T-III – light tank with 37 mm gun. Reservation from all angles – 30 mm. The main quality is Speed ​​(40 km/h on the highway). Thanks to the advanced Carl Zeiss optics, ergonomic crew workstations and the presence of a radio station, the Troikas could successfully fight with much heavier vehicles. But with the advent of new opponents, the shortcomings of the T-III became more apparent.

The Germans replaced the 37 mm guns with 50 mm guns and covered the tank with hinged screens - temporary measures yielded results, the T-III fought for several more years. By 1943, production of the T-III was discontinued due to the complete exhaustion of its resource for modernization. In total, German industry produced 5,000 “triples”.

The PzKpfw IV looked much more serious, becoming the most popular Panzerwaffe tank - the Germans managed to build 8,700 vehicles. Combining all the advantages of the lighter T-III, the “four” had a high firepower and security - the thickness of the front plate was gradually increased to 80 mm, and the shells of its 75 mm long-barreled gun pierced the armor of enemy tanks like foil (by the way, 1,133 early modifications with a short-barreled gun were produced).

The weak points of the vehicle are that the sides and rear are too thin (only 30 mm in the first modifications); the designers neglected the slope of the armor plates for the sake of manufacturability and ease of operation for the crew.

Seven thousand tanks of this type remained lying on the battlefields of World War II, but this history of T-IV did not end - the “fours” were used in the armies of France and Czechoslovakia until the early 1950s and even took part in the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War of 1967.

Period 1941-1942. Red Dawn

“...from three sides we fired at the iron monsters of the Russians, but everything was in vain. The Russian giants were coming closer and closer. One of them approached our tank, hopelessly stuck in a swampy pond, and without any hesitation drove over it, pressing its tracks into the mud...” - General Reinhard, commander of the 41st tank corps of the Wehrmacht.

…August 20, 1941 KV tank under the command of senior lieutenant Zinovy ​​Kolobanov, he blocked the road to Gatchina for a column of 40 German tanks. When this unprecedented battle ended, 22 tanks were burning on the sidelines, and our KV, having received 156 direct hits from enemy shells, returned to the disposal of its division...

In the summer of 1941, the KV tank destroyed the elite units of the Wehrmacht with the same impunity as if it had rolled out onto the Borodino field in 1812. Invulnerable, invincible and incredibly powerful. Until the end of 1941, all the armies of the world did not have any weapons capable of stopping the Russian 45-ton monster. The KV was 2 times heavier than the largest Wehrmacht tank.

Bronya KV – a wonderful song of steel and technology. 75 millimeters of solid steel from all angles! The frontal armor plates had an optimal angle of inclination, which further increased the projectile resistance of the KV armor - German 37 mm anti-tank guns they didn’t take it even at point-blank range, and 50 mm guns – no further than 500 meters. At the same time, the long-barreled 76 mm F-34 (ZIS-5) gun made it possible to hit any German tank of that period from any direction from a distance of 1.5 kilometers.

If battles like the legendary battle of Zinovy ​​Kolobanov had occurred regularly, then 235 KV tanks of the Southern Military District could have completely destroyed the Panzerwaffe in the summer of 1941. The technical capabilities of KV tanks in theory made it possible to do this. Alas, not everything is so simple. Remember - we said that tanks rarely fight tanks...

In addition to the invulnerable KV, the Red Army had an even more terrible tank - a great warrior T-34.

«… There is nothing more terrifying than a tank battle against superior enemy forces. Not in numbers - that didn’t matter to us, we got used to it. But against better vehicles it’s terrible... Russian tanks are so agile, at close ranges they will climb a slope or overcome a swamp faster than you can turn the turret. And through the noise and roar you constantly hear the clang of shells on the armor. When they hit our tank, you often hear a deafening explosion and the roar of burning fuel, too loud to hear the dying cries of the crew..." - opinion of a German tanker from the 4th tank division, destroyed by T-34 tanks in the battle near Mtsensk on October 11, 1941.

Neither the scope nor the objectives of this article allow us to fully cover the history of the T-34 tank. Obviously, the Russian monster had no analogues in 1941: a 500-horsepower diesel engine, unique armor, a 76 mm F-34 gun (generally similar to the KV tank) and wide tracks - all these technical solutions provided the T-34 with an optimal balance of mobility, firepower and protection. Even individually, these parameters of the T-34 were higher than those of any Panzerwaffe tank.

The main thing is that Soviet designers managed to create a tank exactly as the Red Army needed it. The T-34 ideally suited the conditions of the Eastern Front. The extreme simplicity and manufacturability of the design made it possible to establish mass production of these combat vehicles in the shortest possible time; as a result, the T-34s were easy to operate, numerous and ubiquitous.

In the first year of the war alone, by the summer of 1942, the Red Army received about 15,000 T-34s, and in total more than 84,000 T-34s of all modifications were produced.

Journalists of the Discovery program were jealous of the successes of Soviet tank building, constantly hinting that the successful tank was based on the American Christie design. In a joking form, Russian “rudeness” and “uncouthness” were received - “Well! I didn’t have time to climb into the hatch - I was all scratched!”

Americans forget that convenience was not a priority feature of armored vehicles on the Eastern Front: the fierce nature of the fighting did not allow tank crews to think about such trifles. The main thing is not to burn out in the tank.

The Thirty-Four also had much more serious shortcomings. Transmission is the weak link of the T-34. The German design school preferred the front location of the gearbox, closer to the driver. Soviet engineers took a more efficient path - the transmission and engine were compactly located in an isolated compartment at the rear of the T-34. There was no need for a long driveshaft running through the entire tank body; The design was simplified and the height of the machine was reduced. Isn't it an excellent technical solution?

The cardan was not needed. But control rods were needed. On the T-34 they reached a length of 5 meters! Can you imagine the effort required by the driver? But this did not create any special problems - in extreme situation a person is able to run on his hands and row with his ears. But what they could withstand soviet tanks sti - couldn’t withstand the metal.

Under the influence of monstrous loads, the rods broke. As a result, many T-34s went into battle in one, pre-selected gear. During the battle they preferred not to touch the gearbox at all - according to veteran tankers, it was better to sacrifice mobility than to suddenly turn into a standing target.

The T-34 is a completely ruthless tank, both towards the enemy and towards its own crew. All that remains is to admire the courage of the tankers.

The year is 1943. Menagerie.

“...we took a detour through a ravine and ran into the Tiger.” Having lost several T-34s, our battalion returned back..." - a frequent description of meetings with PzKPfw VI from the memoirs of tankers.

1943, time of the greats tank battles. In an effort to regain lost technical superiority, Germany is creating by this time two new models of “superweapons” - heavy tanks "Tiger" and "Panther".

Panzerkampfwagen VI "Tiger" Ausf. It was created as a heavy breakthrough tank, capable of destroying any enemy and putting the Red Army to flight. By personal order of Hitler, the thickness of the frontal armor plate had to be at least 100 mm, the sides and rear of the tank were protected by eight centimeters of metal. The main weapon is the 88 mm KwK 36 cannon, based on a powerful anti-aircraft gun. Its capabilities are evidenced by the fact that when firing from the cannon of a captured Tiger, it was possible to achieve five consecutive hits on a target measuring 40x50 cm from a distance of 1100 m.

In addition to its high flatness, the KwK 36 inherited a high rate of fire of an anti-aircraft gun. In combat conditions, the Tiger fired eight shells per minute, which was a record for such large tank guns. Six crew members sat comfortably in an invulnerable steel box weighing 57 tons, looking out over the vast Russian expanses through high-quality Carl Zeiss optics.

The bulky German monster is often described as a slow and clumsy tank. In reality, the Tiger was one of the fastest combat vehicles of World War II. The 700-horsepower Maybach engine accelerated the Tiger to 45 km/h on the highway. This thick-skinned tank was no less fast and maneuverable on rough terrain, thanks to an eight-speed hydromechanical gearbox (almost automatic, like on a Mercedes!) and complex onboard clutches with double power supply.

At first glance, the design of the suspension and tracked propulsion system was a parody of itself - 0.7 meter wide tracks required the installation of a second row of rollers on each side. In this form, the “Tiger” did not fit on a railway platform; each time it was necessary to remove the “regular” caterpillar tracks and the outer row of rollers, installing thin “transport” tracks instead.

One can only be amazed at the strength of those guys who “took off” the 60-ton colossus in field conditions. But there were also advantages to the strange suspension of the Tiger - two rows of rollers ensured a very smooth ride, our veterans witnessed cases when the Tiger fired on the move.

The Tiger had another drawback that frightened the Germans. This was the inscription in technical leaflet, lying in each car: “The tank costs 800,000 Reichsmarks. Keep him safe!". According to Goebbels's twisted logic, tankers should have been very happy to learn that their Tiger cost as much as seven T-IV tanks.

Realizing that the Tiger was a rare and exotic weapon for professionals, German tank builders created a simpler and cheaper tank, with the intention of turning it into a mass-produced one. medium tank Wehrmacht.

Panzerkampfwagen V "Panther" is still the subject of heated debate. The technical capabilities of the vehicle do not cause any complaints - with a mass of 44 tons, the Panther was superior in mobility to the T-34, developing 55-60 km/h on a good highway. The tank was armed with a 75 mm KwK 42 cannon with a barrel length of 70 calibers!

An armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile fired from its hellish mouth flew 1 kilometer in the first second - with such performance characteristics, the Panther's cannon could make a hole in any Allied tank at a distance of over 2 kilometers. The armor of the Panther is also considered worthy by most sources - the thickness of the forehead varied from 60 to 80 mm, while the angles of the armor reached 55°. The side was weaker protected - at the level of the T-34, so it was easily hit by Soviet anti-tank weapons. The lower part of the side was additionally protected by two rows of rollers on each side.

The whole question is in the very appearance of the Panther - did the Reich need such a tank? Perhaps efforts should have been focused on modernizing and increasing production of proven T-IVs? Or spend money on building invincible “Tigers”? It seems to me that the answer is simple - in 1943, nothing could save Germany from defeat.

In total, less than 6,000 Panthers were built, which was clearly not enough to saturate the Wehrmacht. The situation was aggravated by the decline in the quality of tank armor due to a lack of resources and alloying additives. "Panther" was the quintessence of advanced ideas and new technologies. In March 1945, near Balaton at night in an attack on Soviet troops Hundreds of Panthers came, equipped with night vision devices. Even that didn't help.

The year is 1944. Forward to Berlin!

Changing conditions required new means of warfare. By this time, Soviet troops had already received heavy breakthrough tank IS-2, armed with a 122 mm howitzer. If a hit from an ordinary tank shell caused local destruction of the wall, then a 122 mm howitzer shell demolished the entire house. Which is what was required for successful assault operations.

Another formidable weapon of the tank is the 12.7 mm DShK machine gun, mounted on the turret on a pivot mount. Heavy machine gun bullets reached the enemy even behind thick brickwork. The DShK greatly increased the capabilities of the Is-2 in battles on the streets of European cities.

The thickness of the IS-2 armor reached 120 mm. One of the main achievements of Soviet engineers is the efficiency and low metal consumption of the IS-2 design. With a mass comparable to that of the Panther, the Soviet tank was much more seriously protected. But the too dense layout required the placement of fuel tanks in the control compartment - if the armor was penetrated, the Is-2 crew had little chance of surviving. The driver-mechanic, who did not have his own hatch, was especially at risk.

The IS-2 liberation tanks became the personification of Victory and were in service with the Soviet Army for almost 50 years.

The next hero M4 Sherman, managed to fight on the Eastern Front, the first vehicles of this type reached the USSR back in 1942 (the number of M4 tanks delivered under Lend-Lease amounted to 3,600 tanks). But fame came to him only after mass use in the West in 1944.

The Sherman tank is the pinnacle of rationality and pragmatism. It is all the more surprising that the United States, which had 50 tanks at the beginning of the war, managed to create such a balanced combat vehicle and riveted 49,000 Shermans of various modifications by 1945. For example, in ground forces the Sherman with a gasoline engine was used, and the units Marine Corps There was a modification M4A2, equipped with a diesel engine.

American engineers rightly believed that this would greatly simplify the operation of tanks - diesel fuel could easily be found among sailors, unlike high-octane gasoline. By the way, it was this modification of the M4A2 that came to the Soviet Union.

No less famous are the special versions of the Sherman - the Firefly tank hunter, armed with a British 17-pounder gun; “Jumbo” is a heavily armored version with an assault body kit and even an amphibious “Duplex Drive”. Compared to the swift shape of the T-34, the Sherman is a tall and clumsy hulk. Possessing the same weapons, the American tank is significantly inferior in mobility to the T-34.

Why did the Red Army command like the “Emcha” (as our soldiers called the M4) so ​​much that they completely switched to them? elite units, for example, the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps and the 9th Guards Tank Corps? The answer is simple: "Sherman" had the optimal ratio of armor, firepower, mobility and... reliability.

In addition, the Sherman was the first tank with a hydraulic turret drive (this ensured special pointing accuracy) and a gun stabilizer in the vertical plane - tankers admitted that in a duel situation their shot was always the first. Another advantage of the Sherman, usually not listed in the tables, was low noise, which made it possible to use it in operations where stealth was needed.

The Middle East gave the Sherman a second life, where this tank served until the 70s of the twentieth century, taking part in more than a dozen battles. The last Shermans completed their service military service in Chile at the end of the twentieth century.

The year is 1945. Ghosts of future wars.

Many people expected that the long-awaited lasting peace would come after the terrible casualties and destruction of World War II. Alas, their expectations were not met. On the contrary, ideological, economic and religious contradictions have become even more acute.

This was well understood by those who created new weapons systems - therefore, the military-industrial complex of the victorious countries did not stop for a minute. Even when Victory was already obvious, and fascist Germany fought in its death throes in the design bureau and at the factories, theoretical and experimental studies, new types of weapons were being developed.

Particular attention was paid armored forces, which proved itself to be excellent during the war. Starting with bulky and uncontrollable multi-turreted monsters and ugly wedges, just a few years later tank building reached a fundamentally different level. where again faced many threats, because. anti-tank weapons have successfully evolved. In this regard, it is interesting to look at the tanks with which the Allies ended the war, what conclusions were drawn and what measures were taken.

In the USSR, in May 1945, the first batch was rolled out from the factory workshops of Tankograd. IS-3 tank. New tank was a further modernization of the heavy IS-2. This time the designers went even further - the slope of the welded sheets, especially in the front part of the hull, was brought to the maximum possible. Thick 110-mm plates of frontal armor were positioned in such a way that a three-slope, cone-shaped, elongated forward bow was formed, called the “pike nose.”

The turret received a new flattened shape, which provided the tank with even better shell protection. The driver received his own hatch, and all viewing slots were replaced with modern periscope devices. The IS-3 was several days late for the end of hostilities in Europe, but the new beautiful tank took part in the Victory Parade along with the legendary T-34 and KV, still covered with the soot of recent battles. A clear change of generations.

Another interesting new product was T-44 tank(in my opinion, an epoch-making event in Soviet tank building). Actually, it was developed back in 1944, but never managed to take part in the war. Only in 1945 did the troops receive sufficient numbers of these excellent tanks.

A major drawback of the T-34 was the turret moved forward. This increased the load on the front rollers and made it impossible to strengthen the frontal armor of the T-34 - the “thirty-four” ran until the end of the war with 45 mm on the forehead. Realizing that the problem could not be easily solved, the designers decided to completely redesign the tank. Thanks to the transverse placement of the engine, the dimensions of the MTO were reduced, which made it possible to mount the turret in the center of the tank.

The load on the rollers was leveled out, the frontal armor plate increased to 120 mm (!), and its slope increased to 60°. The crew's working conditions have improved. The T-44 became the prototype of the famous T-54/55 family.

A specific situation has developed overseas. The Americans realized that in addition to the successful Sherman, the army needed a new, heavier tank. The result was the M26 Pershing, a large medium tank (sometimes considered heavy) with heavy armor and a new 90mm gun.

This time the Americans were unable to create a masterpiece. Technically, the Pershing remained at the level of the Panther, while possessing slightly greater reliability. The tank had problems with mobility and maneuverability - the M26 was equipped with a Sherman engine, while weighing 10 tons more. Limited use of the Pershing on the Western Front began only in February 1945. The next time the Pershings went into battle was in Korea.

The tall and clumsy Sherman passed long haul before becoming the third mass-produced tank in the world. And this despite the fact that by the beginning of the war there were only 50 “emchas” (the nickname the Russians gave him), and by 1945 there were more than 49 thousand units. He gained his fame towards the end of the war, when American designers finally managed to find perfect combination armor, maneuverability and firepower, and mold the result into the shape of a medium tank. The hydraulic drive of the turret provided the Sherman with special guidance accuracy, which allowed the combat vehicle to emerge victorious in a tank duel.

IS-2

Perhaps the best breakthrough tank. The IS-2 is bringing order to the streets of European cities very soon. Just one shot from his 122 mm howitzer compares multi-storey building with the ground. A 12.7 mm machine gun leaves no chance for the Nazis holed up in the ruins - the lead burst will cut through the brickwork like cardboard. Armor 12 cm thick completely demoralizes the enemy - this monster simply cannot be stopped, the Nazis panic. The chirping symbol of Victory, the “liberator tank” IS-2 will serve the Motherland for another good half a century.

Goebbels personally participated in the preparation of the technical manual for this machine. According to his instructions, the inscription was added to the memo: “The tank costs 800,000 Reichsmarks. Keep him safe!" The multi-ton colossus with a frontal armor plate 10 cm thick was protected by six people at once. If necessary, the Tiger's 88 mm KwK 36 anti-aircraft gun could hit a 40 x 50 cm target from a distance of a kilometer. And its wide tracks gave it such a smooth ride that it could defeat its enemies while moving.

The Panther was created as a cheap and mass-produced version of the Tiger. The smaller caliber of the main gun, lighter armor and increased speed on the highway turned it into a formidable opponent. At a distance of 2 kilometers, a KwK 42 cannon shell pierced the armor of any Allied tank.

The KV was an extremely unpleasant surprise for the Panzerwaffe. In 1941, Germany did not have a gun capable of dealing with the 75 mm armor of a Russian tank, while its long-barreled 76 mm gun destroyed German armor effortlessly.

...On August 20, 1941, a KV tank under the command of Senior Lieutenant Zinovy ​​Kolobanov blocked the road to Gatchina for a column of 40 German tanks. When this unprecedented battle ended, 22 tanks were burning on the sidelines, and our KV, having received 156 direct hits from enemy shells, returned to the disposal of its division...

The most popular tank of World War II (more than 84,000 T-34s of all modifications were produced). Power, grace and all-terrain ability. This is exactly the kind of tank that the Red Army needed at that time.

“...There is nothing more terrible than a tank battle against superior enemy forces. Not in numbers - that didn’t matter to us, we got used to it. But against better vehicles it is terrible... Russian tanks are so agile, at close ranges they will climb a slope or overcome a swamp faster than you can turn the turret. And through the noise and roar you constantly hear the clang of shells on the armor. When they hit our tank, you often hear a deafening explosion and the roar of burning fuel, too loud to hear the dying cries of the crew...” - German tankman of the 4th Panzer Division, destroyed by T-34 tanks in the battle of Mtsensk on October 11, 1941 of the year.

KV-1 - the first serial heavy aircraft of the USSR

However, the strength Soviet army was not only in heavy tanks. Very important role Medium tanks played in the battles, of which the USSR also had a lot, and they were often superior foreign analogues. Absolutely special role played in the war, and its modification T-34-85. This tank was not only the most popular, but also, according to Soviet and foreign experts, the best tank of the Second World War.

T-34 - main tank World War II

There were a lot of light tanks in the USSR, both pre-war and those produced and developed already during the Second World War. True, in this war light tanks were no longer able to cope with many tasks, but when used correctly they provided serious support to the infantry. From Soviet lungs tanks especially stood out, recognized as one of the best lungs tanks of that time. However, very few of them were produced for many reasons, and the Red Army used the T-60 and T-70 much more actively.

T-70 - Soviet light tank

It is also worth mentioning the T-37A, T-38 and T-40 - the only amphibious tanks in World War II. Unfortunately, they were mainly used simply as light tanks, although there are also cases of their being used for their intended purpose, that is, for crossing water barriers.

It is also worth noting that only the USSR and Germany had modern self-propelled guns in their arsenal.

In general, we can say that in the Second world USSR had the most extensive and, without a doubt, the most powerful tank fleet in the whole world. In addition, Soviet designers responded very quickly to improvements in enemy technology, immediately releasing new, more durable tanks with increased firepower.

Before World War II, Japan mainly only purchased and researched foreign tanks. In the 20-30s, several vehicles were developed, but Japan lagged far behind both the USSR and Germany, and even the USA, and very few tanks were produced here. One of the most advanced vehicles was the Chi-He tank and its modification Chi-Nu. An SPG was also created based on Chi-He. The Japanese actively used tanks only against the Americans, although without success.

Tanks of Italy

Lungs	Average	self-propelled guns
Carro CV3/33 - wedge, almost identical to the British Carden-Loyd;	M-11/39;	L40 – self-propelled guns based on L6/40; M-42 – self-propelled guns based on the M-13/40.

In the early 30s, Italy did not have a developed tank industry and more or less modern tanks, however, such tanks were extremely needed. To create them, they purchased the MKVI wedge from future enemies, modernized it and began producing it under the name C-V-29. Then came the C-V-33 and C-V-35 (L3/35), which were called tanks, but were actually wedges.

In 1939, the M11/39 was launched into production, a year later - the M13/30, and during the war, two more vehicles - the M14 and M15. The latter were classified as medium tanks, although in fact they were light.

As a result, at the beginning of World War II, the Italians had about one and a half thousand tanks, but their combat power was extremely low. Before the capitulation in 1943, the Italian industry produced 2,300 vehicles, but in battle they were ineffective and were used ineptly, so they did not play a special role in the battles.

Tanks of other countries

Other countries also actively participated in World War II, but at that time they practically did not have their own tanks. Tanks were purchased from other countries and actively modernized.

The tanks of World War II marked a leap in the development of armored vehicles, showing how important their role was on the battlefield. German generals were the first to understand force fast strikes, crushing infantry and enemy fortifications. Guderian and Manstein managed to defeat the Polish army in a couple of weeks using combat vehicles, after which it was the turn of the French. The Anglo-French troops held out for more than a month, but were unable to counter anything German tanks and were pressed against Dunker, from where they were able to evacuate.

The history of World War II tanks began in 1939, when the outcome of battles was often decided by the cutting blows of light and medium tanks, their breakthrough and the destruction of the rear. In the period before 1941, there were practically no anti-tank weapons and experience in combating armored vehicles. Later they began to appear heavy tanks with anti-ballistic armor, for example, the Soviet KV-1, almost invulnerable to German guns, but unreliable and with poor maneuverability. Germany in 1942 used one of the most powerful tanks World War II - Tiger, which has powerful armor and a magnificent cannon.

USSR response

Despite the appearance of multi-ton monsters, medium tanks were still in demand. They were the ones who acted as workhorses, making daring flank breakthroughs and hastily transferring to dangerous sectors of the front, destroying enemy columns on the march. The best tank of World War II, the T-34, was a medium tank, weighing about 30 tons, thin sloping armor, a medium-caliber gun and a speed of more than 50 km/h. The Americans classified their Pershing as heavy, although in terms of characteristics it was average. Of course, it is worth mentioning the Wehrmacht, which threw the Panther into battle in 1943, which became one of the most popular and dangerous German military vehicles, thanks to its combination of mobility, armor and firepower.

For many years, there was a kind of competition between the USSR and Germany to create the most advanced machine. The Germans relied on technology and characteristics, trying to make it possible to destroy any enemy from afar and withstand any return shot. The disadvantages of this approach were the complexity and cost of production. Soviet engineers relied on manufacturability and mass production, even when creating the legendary thirty-four. This approach justified itself during bloody tank battles, and later, when Germany began to experience a shortage of resources, Soviet tanks finally won.

Other countries

Armored vehicles of other countries lagged significantly behind in development. Japanese tanks did not have serious protection and weapons, like Italian and French ones, and looked like guests from the past.

Great Britain, in addition to Churchill, who distinguished himself with excellent armor but poor mobility and reliability, also produced other vehicles. The massive Cromwell had good mobility, a powerful weapon, and could withstand the Panthers. The Comet, which appeared at the end of the war as a result of Cromwell's modification, was even more successful and successfully combined the necessary characteristics.

The United States produced 49,234 medium Shermans, which made their mark in World War II. The tank, not distinguished by protection or firepower, became the most popular after the T-34 due to its successful design and ease of production.

Interesting experimental tanks World War II, like the built Maus, which became the largest tank of World War II, or the giant Ratte, which remained on the drawings.

During the war years, a huge number of armored vehicles were produced, some of which are little known and are in the shadows of history.

On this page you will find a list of tanks of the Second World War with photographs, names and descriptions, which is in no way inferior to an encyclopedia, and will help you find out interesting details and not get confused in the variety of combat vehicles.

New! First on the market: a unique collection of tanks and armored vehicles! The tanks have a metal body and plastic parts, such tanks have not yet been sold on the market!

"DeAgostini" presents a unique collection of legendary tanks and combat vehicles on a scale of 1:43, "Tanks - Legends of Russian Armored Vehicles." From the creators of “Autolegends of the USSR”!

Each issue of the collection includes a model of the legendary Soviet military vehicle on a scale of 1:43 and a magazine with a description of the model and interesting historical facts.

• Publisher: DeAgostini
• Series on sale: from December 20, 2017
• Frequency: once every 2 weeks
• Number of issues: 50 issues planned

Metal body, plastic parts.

Tanks are the legends of domestic armored vehicles. Release schedule

Tanks are the legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 1. T-34 model 1942. 12/20/2017

Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 2. Object 279. 01/10/2018

Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 3. KV-1. 01/24/2018

Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 4. T-64. 02/07/2018

The further schedule has not yet been finalized:

The release date and order of models are subject to change.

What kind of collection will you have?

Collect the entire Tanks collection, and you will become the proud owner of such legendary tanks and combat vehicles as the T-34, Object 279, KV-1, T-64, SU-122, T-72B, IS-2 and many others.

• The models have a metal body and authentic plastic parts.
• Movable main gun.
• Original coloring.
• Each model comes with a display stand marked with its name.

On the pages of Tanki magazine you will learn:

• how combat vehicles were created and used - from the first projects of the First World War to modern supertanks
• history of exploits, famous tank units, iconic battles
• biographies of famous designers and tank heroes

and you will also be able to get acquainted with unique archival materials that were previously inaccessible to the general public and were found only in highly specialized literature, rare photographs, drawings and drawings.

Additional photos:

Release schedule:
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 1 T-34 model 1942 - 12/20/2017
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 2 Object 279 - 01/10/2018
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 3 Tank KV-1 - 01/17/2018
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 4 Tank T-64 - 01/24/2018
The further schedule has not been approved:
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 5 SU-122
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 6 T-72B
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 7 T-54-1
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 8 T-34-85
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 9 IS-2
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 10 ISU-152
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 11 KV-2
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 12 T-80U
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 13 T-90
Tanks - legends of domestic armored vehicles No. 14 T-26
Subject to change in release date and order of models

Nice collection, but not my thing