World War II tanks played a very important role in achieving such a coveted victory. It was a time of confrontation between two different worldviews and the competition of both technical means and the fighting spirit of soldiers. This article will discuss the most popular tanks of World War II: KV-1, IS-2, T-34, Panther, Tiger and Sherman.
Armored Giants
They first appeared during the First World War. These armored vehicles possessed enormous weight and dimensions, which terrified their enemies, who often lost their temper and began to panic at the sight of these iron monsters. The first tanks could relatively easily break through the enemy defenses, breaking through trenches, trenches and barbed wire. However, having all the above advantages, they had low speed, maneuverability and poor maneuverability.
By the start of World War II, heavy tanks had become more advanced. The designers took into account the mistakes made when creating the first machines, and nowsought to endow them with high speed and maneuverability. In addition, it was considered a priority to provide tanks with reliable frontal armor that would be able to withstand artillery and anti-tank shells. The main producers of heavy vehicles were Germany, the Soviet Union and several countries that were part of the anti-Hitler coalition.
Heavy tanks made in the USSR
Our country was the only one taking part in World War II, which by 1940 already had such a machine in service. It was an assault tank "Kliment Voroshilov", or KV, which weighed 52 tons. The thickness of its side and frontal armor varied between 70-75 mm. It was equipped with 36-round 152 mm guns and three 7.62 mm machine guns. A total of 204 KV tanks were produced, and almost all of the vehicles were lost during the first battles in 1941.
The next similar tanks of the Second World War, released in the USSR, were cars called "Joseph Stalin" (IS-2). Their mass was only 46 tons. They were not the heaviest, but they are still deservedly called "Victory tanks". The thickness of the armor of the IS-2 was in the range of 90-120 mm. It had high maneuverability and, in some of its characteristics, surpassed even the best heavy German tanks of the Second World War, including the Panther, which weighed 44.8 tons, and the Royal Tiger, weighing 60 tons. This list also included the Jagdtiger - the most heavy tank - self-propelled guns. His weight was 75.2 tons.
In Nazi Germany, super-heavy machines were also developed. These were experimental tanks E-100, "Maus" and "Rat". The last of these was never made into metal, however, judging by its description, it must have been truly amazing in size.
Names of German combat vehicles
As soon as Hitler seized power in Germany, he immediately began to pay great attention to the development of the country's tank industry. Two years later, mass production of light German tanks began with the strange abbreviation Pz. Kpfw. I Ausf. A. It was unsuccessful due to the poor quality of the armor and weak weapons, but laid the foundation for the creation of the Panzerwaffe - the armored forces of Hitler's Third Reich.
The unusual, incomprehensible and long name of World War II tanks produced in Germany deserves a separate topic. The fact is that in German it is allowed to combine several words into one. So, the phrase panzer kampf wagen, which translates as "armored fighting vehicle", was put together, then shortened, and then the following abbreviation was inserted into the name of the car: Pz. Kpfw. After that, the model number was added, indicated by a Roman numeral, and a modification.
The German tracked vehicle was called Volkettenkraftfahrzeug. This long word was abbreviated and a number indicating the mass in tons was attached to it, as well as the prototype number, for example, VK 7201.
Best Panzerwaffe car
Tigers are considered the most famous German tanks of World War II. It is known that the technical manual for this machine was compiled with the personal participation of Goebbels himself. At his request, a text was added to the memo intended for German tankers, which said that the car cost the Third Reich 800 thousand Reichsmarks and everyone is obliged to take care of it. Indeed, a multi-ton tank equipped with a 10 cm thick frontal armor plate was guarded by six people at once.
The "Tiger" had wide tracks, which gave the car the ability to move smoothly and destroy its enemies while on the move. The anti-aircraft gun of the KwK 36 modification tank could hit a 40 x 50 cm target at a distance of 1 km from it.
Famous Panthers
These World War II tanks were the mass-produced version of the more advanced Tiger. In comparison, the Panthers were equipped with smaller caliber main guns and significantly less light armor. Thanks to this, they had high speed and, moving along the highway, turned into an easily maneuverable serious enemy.
It is known that from a distance of 2 km, a projectile fired from his KwK 42 cannon could penetrate the armor of almost any Allied combat vehicle.
American tanks
The Second World War took the US Army by surprise, as it was armed with only 50 heavy vehicles. These were M4 Sherman tanks, weighing 35 tons. However, by 1945, American designers managed to create the most balanced vehicle andput it into mass production. By that time, there were already about 49 thousand units, produced in various modifications. There were cars whose engines ran on high-octane gasoline, and, for example, the Marine Corps had at their disposal M4A2 tanks that ran on diesel fuel. The last of the above modifications of the Sherman was supplied by the American government to the USSR. The high command liked these vehicles so much that it almost completely transferred to them such elite Soviet units as the 1st and 9th Guards Corps.
American World War II tanks like the M4A4 Sherman were designed for a crew of five. Two of them were located in front of the car, and three - in the tower. The armor on its frontal part was 50 mm, and on the body - 38 mm. Initially, an engine with a capacity of 350 liters. s., which was installed on the Shermans, was designed for aviation, hence the significant height of the tank. The "Americans" were equipped with a model M1 gun with a caliber of 76.2 mm. In addition, several machine guns were also placed on board.
Thirty-four
The most massively produced Soviet tanks of World War II are the T-34. In total, more than 84 thousand of these machines of various modifications were assembled. They were distinguished by a kind of grace, power and super-patency. At that difficult time, just such a machine was required by the Red Army.
BIn 1941, the T-34 had no analogues. The tank was equipped with a 500 hp diesel engine. with., the F-34 gun of 76 mm caliber, a truly unique armor and wide tracks. Such an optimal ratio made this car sufficiently protected, as mobile and powerful as possible.
Legendary car
The T-34-85 was recognized as the best tank of World War II in the USSR. It was a modernization of the "thirty-four", where its main drawback was finally eliminated - tightness, which made it impossible for the division of labor of all crew members. To do this, the designers had to increase the diameter of the tower, and neither the layout nor the hull underwent significant changes. However, this made it possible to place a larger caliber artillery system in it. Now it was 85 mm.
The great advantage of these Soviet tanks of the Second World War is that they were very easy to maintain. In them, it was quite quickly possible to replace any units, parts or assemblies. All this became possible thanks to their correct layout. It is worth noting that at the beginning of the war, this factor was of great importance, since due to numerous technical malfunctions, more machines failed than from damage inflicted by the enemy.
Despite all the shortcomings of the T-34-85 tank, it was easy to operate, quite convenient not only in operation, but also in maintenance. And this, together with excellent maneuverability, good armor protection and powerful weapons, largely served tothe success that the “thirty-four” had with Soviet tankers.
