The T-34 tank can, without a doubt, be called one of the most famous tanks both in our country and around the world. This combat vehicle took part in almost all operations of the Second World War and was in service right up to 1944, until a more advanced tank, the T-34-85 modification, was released. But this modification appeared for a reason.
She was "born" only after Soviet scientists came up with the T-34M, namely the "T-34 Modified".
Failed modification
The Council of People's Commissars issued a decree in 1941 in order to clarify certain things in terms of production. They demanded that the factories fulfill the plan for T-34 tanks in a huge, without exaggeration, quantity - 2800 pieces, dividing them only between two factories. It was only one order. It was also indicated that 500 of these machines need to be improved, namely:
•Strengthen the armor plates on the turret, and also strengthen the armor on the hull, increasing the thickness to 60 mm. Needless to say, at that time there were no such engines in the T-34M that could drag this colossus at least a few meters?
• Install improved suspension. It had to be exactly the same as they put on the cars of that time, namely the torsion bar, which was controlled by the turns of the springs, for stronger maneuverability and greater mobility.
• Installation of a commander's tower, protected from all sides in case it is necessary to inspect the battlefield. Since inside the tanks the driver's field of vision was very limited, he could not see what was going on behind him, and sometimes on the sides, and then the commander who leaned out of the tower rescued him. It was necessary to protect the officer from a stray bullet or fragment, and therefore they decided to make an “additional” turret for inspecting the battlefield.
• Strengthen the armor plates on the sides of the tank and make them almost 50 mm in size, and the angle of inclination of this armor should be at least 45 degrees so that the projectile flying into the tank does not deal so much damage and ricochet, taking only part of the damage.
Start of work on the T-34M
The most difficult was the order of the Council of People's Commissars to make a tank with a fixed weight of 27.5 tons, which, with such an amount of armor, was an almost unattainable task, not taking into account weapons and ammunition. A few days later, another decree was received to finalize the A-43, but this time it concerned the tank turret. Factories needed to make it from several welded parts, andnot make it whole like before.
After that, the work “buzzed” on the ground. People worked day and night, because the plan was crazy, and it was also necessary to test an improved version of the tank.
Having created five buildings and only three turrets, without waiting for the right engine that could drag this colossus along with it, both factories were evacuated. The Great Patriotic War began, and an improved version of the tank - the T-34M - had not yet been created. All the workers were sent all the way to Nizhny Tagil and continued to work there. But the updated tank, as it was also called, A-43, was never released to the public. However, work on modernization did not stop. Finished developments were used in another combat vehicle, no less deadly - T-43.
New unit and the creation of an ambitious project
T-43 can hardly be called a good solution in tank production. The project of the car was done in a hurry, because it was 1943 in the yard, and the Great Patriotic War was in full swing, not letting the heads of both the country and factories breathe, who needed to report on the completed plan.
The Council of People's Commissars decided to leave everything as it is in the T-34M tank, but to strengthen the turret, namely to strengthen the armor and install a stronger gun. Make it "rifled" for a better effect of defeat and increase the length of the barrel.
Failed modernization of the T-34 tank
The scientists who started to create this tank, at first sighed calmly. In fact, they neededwork only on the tower. And after a while they saw all the shortcomings of the T-34M tank, which was far from ideal in terms of mobility and places for the combat crew, because of which it was necessary to reduce the number of soldiers inside the tank by one person, as well as reduce the number of machine guns from two to one.
There were only three pieces that were successfully tested and were even put into battle. But when they saw that in fact it was possible to install a stronger gun on an ordinary "thirty-four" by increasing the caliber and length, they came to the conclusion that there was no need for modernization. Although the turret of this particular tank was used on the next T-34-85 model. Only with minor modifications.
It was decided to install an 85 mm cannon on a conventional T-34 tank, and it proved to be much more effective than the new project 43rd. Another good solution adopted from this tank was the torsion bar suspension. She migrated from the T-34M tank, because she showed herself excellently both in cross-country ability and in the distance that the tank could overcome. This feature was used later, already in the T-44 tank.
The last word of tank technology during the Great Patriotic War, or Tank T-34-85
Using the achievements of its "younger brothers", this combat vehicle has rightfully become one of the deadliest on the battlefields of World War II. Its armor was not so thick, which allowed it to maneuver and escape from the fire, but the angle of inclination protected it much better than on other tanks. 60 degrees of inclination allowed the tank to simplydivert some of the damage from your armor, causing the projectile to "glide" and deal less damage than before.
For all these merits, the tank became the main armament of the Soviet armed forces and their allies in the Great Patriotic War. His success on the battlefields, his mass character and reputation made him the most recognizable of those times. Even after the war, the Soviet Union did not stop the production of these combat vehicles for another thirteen years, sending orders to both Czechoslovak and Polish factories.
Post-war "life" of the T-34-85 tank
During the existence of orders for these tanks, almost 31 thousand of them were produced. And if we take into account the number of battle tanks under this name, then all 100 thousand will be typed. This tank can certainly be called the most massive in the world and probably the most famous.
Officially, the T-34 series tank, as well as its modifications, were withdrawn from service in 1993, after the collapse of the USSR and the creation of the Russian Federation, and a new type of tank, the T-54, came into service.
After the Second World War, the T-34-85 began to be delivered to Central Europe and the Far East, to Asia, where conflicts and civil wars did not subside, and as of the first decade of the 21st century, this tank was in service with a number of countries, namely: North Korea and China, Egypt, North Vietnam, and was also used during the unrest in Cuba.
I would like to say more
Although this colossus did not go into production so massively, but the modified model of the T-34 tank has a huge history! Also, there are numerousconfirmation that this tank really existed. Although this masterpiece was an improved model of the hulls of its predecessors, unfortunately, it will remain only in the memory of fans of Soviet military equipment, as well as the designers who created this tank.
