The T-34 is a average tank entered in service in 1940 within the Red Army . It constitutes at the time a remarkable balance between the three major factors which define the quality of an armoured tank, namely: firepower, protection and mobility. This success does of it one of the assets of the Soviet Union vis-a-vis the invasion of the Wehrmacht. Besides this one will have, to counter it, re-examine its policy of design of armoured tanks while developing, for example, the Panzer-V “Panther”, which borrowed part of its features from T-34. Although quickly exceeded him even by the foreign productions, T-34 all the same will remain in production of 1940 with 1958, with a total of units produced estimated at 84.070 specimens, which makes of it the second tank more produced of all times, just behind its successors, the T-54 and T-55.

Going down from the fast tanks BT conceived by the team of I. Kochkine with Kharkov, T-34 made many technological innovations, like the use of a diesel engine alloy of aluminum, broad caterpillar S, and armor-plates inclined on all the circumference. It was not free from defects, moreover, with for example its two-seater turret and its lack of material of transmission, which made its employment tactical rather primary, and caused many losses, but also a debatable mechanical reliability. But like its equivalent American Sherman M4, it showed capacity of evolution certain, and especially facility of construction which made it available in very great number, which ensured an exceptional longevity to him, 27 countries still using it in 1996. Its influence on the development of the tanks was also certain, because he is often regarded as one of the tanks having been used to define the concept of principal Char as battle.

Genesis

The factory n°183 of Kharkov accepted the order, the October 13rd 1937, to build a successor with BT-7. I. Kochkine organizes a under-department of study then, known as KB24 including/understanding blackjacks Engineer S, resulting from KB35 (supervising the production of the T-35) and KB190 (continuing work on BT-7).

It resulted from it the A-20 with its innovative tilted shieldings but preserving the possibility of rolling on caterpillar S or wheels, in accordance with the wish of Stalin.

However the meeting of the May 4th 1938, chaired by the Minister for defense Viatcheslav Molotov, awakes a strong opposition to the train of bearing with dual employment (caterpillars and wheels), especially on behalf of the observers sent to follow the Guerre of Spain. It is thus decided to only produce a derivative with caterpillars, the A-32 , is equipped with a fifth wheel of road for better distributing the mass of the tank, armoured tank to 30 mm and is armed with a gun of 76,2 Misters.

The tests in 1939 did not make it possible to decide between the two formulas and finally it was only in September 1939 that A-32, in spite of the opposition of Joseph Stalin, was preferred. He could indeed support an increase in mass made necessary by the increase in the shielding to 45 mm thickness. The surblindée version took the name of A-34 . Three research departments KB24, KB35 and KB190 then amalgamate under the name of department 520 , at the time of the stop of the production of the T-35. Two prototypes are prepared for January 1940 and are tested at the time of a return ticket until Moscow carried out in spite of many problems, in particular of brakes and clutch. The March 31st, the Minister for defense gives his agreement for the production of 150 specimens for 1940, under the name of T-34.

Technical description

The general arrangement of the vehicle is traditional, with the Moteur with the back. All the sides of the case are strongly tilted compared to the vertical. This case is manufactured with homogeneous steel plates welded between them.

The lower part of the tank consists of two plates (one with before and the other with the back), whose welding is reinforced by a part in T, is riveted or welded by lower part. The front plate is thick from 20 to 22 mm and has a trap door for the emergency evacuation. The back plate is finer (from 16 to 20 mm) and is equipped with three inspection doors for the engine.

The nose consists of three welded plates. On the glacis are also assembled two hooks of towing in bottom and a headlight on each side. The sides, as for them, are in two parts. The low part is vertical and is equipped with five residences on each side containing each one the spring of shock absorber of a wheel. The high part of the sides is inclined and overhangs the caterpillars. The back plate comprises a trap door, framed by the two mufflers protected by brackets from shielding; it is bolted to facilitate its disassembling. On the top of the driving compartment, two caps respectively cover the engine and the transmission.

The case is divided into four distinct compartments. From the front to the back, one a:

1. the cockpit, located just behind the tilted armor-plate of the glacis, with the pilot on the left and the operator radio on the right. The pilot has a rectangular trap door of rather great dimension, overcome of three Périscope S. In front of his seat, two dials: a Tachometer and a Rev counter. It has of three pedals (principal clutch, brake and accelerator) and four levers (two commander side clutches, a parking brake and a passage speed). It also has access to the bottles of the system of emergency starting of the engine with Compressed air, to the electric control panel of the vehicle and the system of interphonie TPU. The radio operator operator lays out, him, of a small loophole in protuberance where is assembled on kneecap a machine-gun of the type DT. On the right of its seat the radio is.

2. the station of combat is surmounted by the turret which embarks the gun and its coaxial machine-gun DT. The chief of tank is on the left and the provider of the part on the right. Most of space available in the turret is taken by the cylinder head of the gun and the zone of retreat of this one, the majority of the ammunition (68 Obus) is arranged on the floor in cases. Last nine shells are laid out on the sides of the tank (3 perforating on the right and 6 with fragmentation on the left), the ammunition of machine-gun are laid out on the right-sided and on the ground between the pilot and the radio operator. The standard tank embarks 46 chargers of 63 blows, the models without radio operator built at the beginning of the production have 29 additional in the place of the radio, which respectively gives 2898 and 4725 blows available. The roof of the turret has only one and single hatchway with the back, being used for the two men of the turret. It opens forwards and includes on its left a Périscope of observation. In front of, on the left, the periscope of aiming PT-6 is and on the right is placed the extractor fan of smoke under its armor-plated dome.
3. the compartment of the engine is separated by a removable partition from the compartment of combat. The V-2 engine there is assembled longitudinally, framed by the two front radiators and the two tanks. It is surmounted by the air filter of the type “Pomom”.
4. the housing of the transmission contains the gear box with 4 reports/ratios before and a back, the principal Embrayage with friction coupled to a large ventilator, and on the sides two clutches side. Moreover it contains the two tanks postpones, with, with the top of them, electric starter ST700. Generator GT-4563A delivers 1 kw, six batteries STE-128 assist it. Two voltages are available (12 and 24 V) for all the electrically actuated elements namely: the starter, the engine of rotation of the turret, the ventilator of this one as well as the dynamo of the radio.

Prototypes and late modifications

The purchase, follow-up of comparison tests, two PzIII German revealed that, in spite of its more great power of fire and its shielding thicker, T-34 suffered from many inferiorities (lower and noisy suspension; turret exiguous, two-seater and badly equipped, intercom limited to the driver and the chief of tank), so that the marshal G.I. Kulik, ordered the stop of the production to cure the defects. These positions, supported by Y.N. Fedorenko (chief of the GABTU), G.I. Koulik (chief of the GAU) and D.G. Pavlov (ordering military district of the west), are also explained by the slowness of the starting of the production of the tank and will be able to never satisfy numerically the needs for the Red Army which must recreate 29 bodies mechanized with 210 average tanks each one.

This order nevertheless was moderated by the marshal K.E.Vorochilov, which rather required to in parallel develop an improved version. M.I. Kochkine having died the September 26th, of a pneumonia contracted in March, A.A. Morozov replaces it and directs thus the study of the A-41 , with train of bearing with diesel, torsion bars new, transversely assembled V-5, a reducing gear for the box, giving 8 reports/ratios instead of the 4 initial ones, and a three-seater turret armed by the gun longer F-34. Slightly lengthened a-43 model is selected like future tank for the Red Army , under the name of T-34M , in January 1941, two prototypes having to be produced for March. But the delays of production of V-5, follow-ups of the evacuation of the factory, cause stagnation, then the abandonment of the project. Part of work completed nevertheless will be re-used for the development of the Char T-44.

Mass production

The June 5th, despite everything, the ordering of T-34 is changed to 600 for the year, factory STZ of Stalingrad is put at contribution. The V-2 engines must be also produced with the factory n°75. The production starts in June and, in spite of the priority which it receives, only 115 tanks are produced with the end of the year. The new tank indeed poses many problems of construction to the factories in charge of its manufacture. Defects of youth of the tank its corrected little by little:

• the injectors of V-2 were corrected, which increased reliability and the endurance.
• the F-34 gun, tested in experiments the November 23rd 1940, replaced L-11, as of the exemplary 400e of the series, in February 1941.
• a new turret armor-plated to 52 mm was conceived with Marioupol.

During the year 1941, the production then succeeds in reaching sizeable levels:

• before its evacuation towards Nijni-Taguil in September, the factory n°183 produces 1560 tanks while working in 2 teams of 12:00;
• factory “STZ” begins the production and that of V-2. T-34 built in Stalingrad are identifiable by their cast turret of a block because of its best metallurgy;
• the factory n°112 “Krasnoye Sormovo”, put on the program in July, produces 161 of them (including 173 specimens of an alternative with engine gasoline M-17T (because of scarcity of V-2)) ;
• the factory n°183 “KhPZ” with Nijni-Taguil where the production began again as of December by assembling 25 specimens.

On the whole, in 1941, 2800 tanks leave assembly lines, however within sight of the losses and of the situation of the Red Army, it is still insufficient.

Department KB-520, evacuated as of the September 19th, then undertakes in urgency to re-study all the parts of the tank, in order to facilitate the mass production and to save the strategic raw materials like the rubber and the non-ferrous metals: on this occasion, 765 components are saved on each specimen. The welding and the castings are used to the maximum. Improvements intervene like the assembly of air filter of the type cyclone , replacing the precedents of a deplorable construction, prolonging largely the lifespan of the engines. A gear box with five reports/ratios is selected, more reliable and authorizing more an high speed in any ground.

In August, a more roomy turret of hexagonal form is adopted, it there is still built either of a block, or in several welded elements, according to the place of manufacture. It removes the large trap door of the first models and adopts two independent, lighter hatchways to open and avoiding with the gunner and the chief of tank to have to lean to look forwards tank. The gun can be now directly dismounted, by before turret.

The standardization of the production suffers from it sometimes. One finds expédients summary, to counter the lacks of materials and the disappearance of subcontractors, such as for example:

• the factory n°112 which replaces the cartridges with gas of emergency starting of the engine, by reformed ammunition;
• STZ which removes the rubber belting of the wheels when this material had suddenly missed.

But this basic work pays quickly, the tank becoming very economic to produce. In 1942, in spite of the temporary abandonment of STZ with Stalingrad with the approach of the German troops , 5  684 tanks were built, that is to say 119,7% of the production envisaged. To replace the production of Stalingrad, three new factories are put at contribution:

• UZTM with Sverdlovsk, since September;
• ChKZ with Chelyabinsk (old factory of Leningrad evacuated), since August;
• factory n°174 with Omsk

An alternative with gun of 57 mm at initial high-speed ZIS-4 is also carried out with some specimens, but the prohibitive price of this gun and its lack of effectiveness on the infantry limited her use.

In 1943, 7  466 T-34/76 leave the chains. One sees appearing a cupola for the chief of tank, there still of two models welded or run, according to the place of production. The factory UZTM gives up, it, the production of tanks to produce hunters of tanks derived from the frame of T-34, SU-85 and SU-122 . The following year sees its replacement by the new T-34/85 model, and only 3986 specimens of this model are thus assembled.

T-34/85

However, as of semi-1942, one had decided a more important recasting of the vehicle. The first attempt, T-43, taking again a good part of the improvement of A-43, especially aimed at increasing protection while carrying the thickness of shielding to 90 mm on the turret and 75 mm on the frame.

But the Battle of Koursk, at the summer 1943, proved that the most obvious lack was that of a gun which can bore the new German tanks, the tank Tigre I and Panther at a sufficient distance and not to 200 m like T-34. New guns of a gauge of 85mm were ready since the semione, but their adaptation posed problem: T-43, weighing 34,1 tons already, would be weighed down too much by a more powerful weapon, it could not thus embark such a weapon.

Three projects transfer the day: one modifying the turret of T-34/76 while mounting a S-53 gun there, which quickly appeared impracticable because of size of this gun which would have encroached on the place necessary for the two men; the two other projects, more promising, adapted new two-seater turrets inspired of T-43 with a gun D-5T (factory n°112 and machines n°183) on a frame whose well of turret had been widened in diameter of 1  420 mm with 1  600 Misters.

The project of the factory n°112 was chosen and the first specimens appeared in January 1944. But, probably, after the construction of 300 specimens, one wanted to adopt S-53 and one launched the production of the alternative of the factory n°183, the turret becoming three-seater, in March. In spite of these hesitations and reversals, the production took off quickly: 10  663 tanks in 1944, 12  551 in 1945. The Red Army profited then from an economic tank and quickly produced in great number which, in spite of its new armament, used without overloading it the frame tested and enduring of T-34. Thereafter, two other models of 85 mm were tested: the ZIS-85-PM with an initial speed of 980 m/s, in September 1944 and the ZIS-S-54 (stabilized alternative of the ZIS-S-53), beginning 1945. One tested even a gun of 100 mm in spring 45, but the appearance of the T44 and especially of the prototype of the T54, marked the knell of any later development.

It would seem that the production continued until in 1950 with the factory n°112, but the mass production was completed in 1946. In addition, a license of production was granted to the Czechoslovakia which produced 3185 specimens between 1952 and 1958 and to the Poland which built 1380 between 1951 of them and 1955.

Motorized derived

At the time of the year 1941, the Soviet were confronted with the German StuG III. The idea to develop, them also, a self-propelled gun germinated then and, in April 1942, order were given to the various research departments to develop projects of such a vehicle armed with a gun of 122 Misters Two projects were accepted by the Red Army to enter in service, the SG-122 and U-35. The first, using the captured frames of Stug or Panzer III, was rather quickly abandoned. The second combining a frame of T-34 with a superstructure with before and a M-30 howitzer of 122 mm became the SU-122 in the Red Army. The crew included/understood five members including two chargers, the gun, sheltered by the superstructure armor-plated to 45 mm, had a field of fire of 10° on both sides of the axis of the vehicle.

At the beginning 1943, the appearance of the new German models showed that the howitzer of 122 mm, even if it were able to put them out of combat, missed, to counter them effectively, of being able of perforation and especially of a right trajectory synonymous with precision. Moreover, its rate of shooting was insufficient. One thus decided, the May 5th 1943, to mount the anti-aircraft gun S-18 of 85 mm on the frame of the SU-122. The adaptation met then an obstacle, the much higher retreat of the new tube. Two projects transfer the day:

• the SU-85-I, with the superstructure of the SU-122, but the gun was equipped with a brake of mouth;
• the SU-85-IV, with a new superstructure.

In parallel, one tested gun D-5S, as temporary solution under the name of SU-85-II. This gun, following the ballistic tests, appeared as good as S-18 and finally it was the temporary solution which was chosen and produced under designation SU-85. This new motorized was deprived of machine-guns of defense, for lack of place in the cockpit, and of the sealable loopholes were thus open on before and the sides of the superstructure to allow the shooting of the machine pistols of the crew, thus authorizing a certain self-defense against the opposing infantry. Very quickly, one assembled the cupola of tank of T34-76 model 1943 and the optical prisms providing a panoramic vision around the vehicle.

However, the armament seeming always insufficient, especially with the arrival of T-34/85 armed with an equivalent gun, one studied the possibility of mounting a gun of gauge 100 Misters the gun considered, S-34 of the navy, appeared obviously too heavy and too cumbersome for the frame in its initial form. The efforts of TsAKB (central office of study of artillery) to try to adapt it gave rise to the SU-100-2 which was isolated with the profit of the project of the factory Uralmarsh , which, more pragmatic, had required of the team of F.F. Petrov to draw a new lighter and small gun, D-10, thus requiring less modifications on the vehicle. The tests carried out in March, then in June, vis-a-vis the SU-100-2 appearing satisfactory, the mass production was decided. The shielding before superstructure had been carried from 45 to 75 mm, the gun of 100 mm, with an initial speed of 895 m/s, could bore a Panther or a Tigre to 1500 m and had an equipment of 33 shells.

The gun D-10, too young, suffered from some defects. Worse, its perforating ammunition, the BR-412B, appeared difficult to produce. Consequently, the production of a transitory model armed with the D-5S with 85 mm was launched until December, moment when the SU-100 could to finally succeed him, its problems having been solved.

Engagements

T-34 was used during all the Second world war of number unceasingly growing. The T34/85 alternative seems still used in certain countries.

At the time of the Operation Barbarossa, a thousand of these tanks are available. Although higher than all than the Germans could oppose to him, he suffered mainly from the lack of drive of his crews and from the disorganization of the Red Army at that time. Indeed, in consequence of the contradictory and unrealistic decisions of the ministry for defense:

• November 21st 1939, the four mechanized bodies existing were dissolved;
• in the summer 1940, nine bodies mechanized were recreated;
• in March and April 1941, twenty bodies additional were made up.

The Soviet armor-plated weapon, however a long time pionnière, was completely unable to carry out a general war. The units, of too recent formation, missed cohesion. The material and the men, of insufficient number, were dispersed. For corser the whole, by measurement of economy, the personnel was not involved on the recent material, but on obsolete tanks like the Char T-26 or the BT-2 which had little to do with their future machines of time of war. Moreover, the mechanized bodies were deployed to hundreds of kilometers of the border, which, combined with the defects of youth of the new models, with the absence of material of adapted breakdown service (one used especially farm tractors requisitioned) and the omnipresence of the Luftwaffe caused many losses before even as the combat engaged.

For example, the greatest engagement of tanks which took place to counter the opening of 1st Panzergruppe, with its 799 panzers, on the southern face between 5th and the 6th army, gathered the 2156 tanks of 8th, 9th, 15th and 19th mechanized bodies, of which more half arrived too late or never.

With the end of the year, in spite of the increase in the production, little T-34 fought. The Bataille of Moscow was especially gained with light tanks, like the T-60, only 45 T-34 took part in it. It was only into 1943 that the tank became majority in the Red Army , time to which its firepower became insufficient. Its number and its endurance now acquired thanks to the mechanical improvements made it possible to hold until the arrival of the alternative with 85 mm which could, it, to fight the German armoured tanks effectively. Although less well protected, it was able to destroy them at long distance and made it possible to exploit the numerical advantage as well as possible, which caused the large projections of the Red Army , during 1944, in Ukraine and Bielorussia, then in 1945 through the Poland, until Berlin.

Thereafter, 670 T-34/85 constituted the ram which inserted the army Japan ease in Mandchourie, in August.

The use of T-34 did not cease with the end of the war: it constituted the principal tank of the Warsaw Pact until the arrival of number of the T-54 and was employed at the time of many conflicts like the Guerre of Korea, the wars Israeli-Arab until in 1973, of many conflicts in Africa and even the war of Bosnia during the years 1994 and 1995, 50 years after its startup. A career filled well all in all.

Alternatives

• T-34/76A - Model 1940 , 1st series with a L11 gun of 30,5 gauges length (approximately 400 specimens).
• T-34/76B or Model 1941 , heavier shielding with a F34 gun of 41,5 gauges length (approximately 9000 specimens).
• T-34/57 , with a gun ZIS4 of 57mm
• T-34/76C - Model 1942 , heavier shielding with an improved turret (approximately 14000 specimens).
• T-34/76D - Model 1943 , with a new welded hexagonal turret (approximately 10000 specimens).
• T-34/76E - Model 1943 , with a cupola on the turret.
• T-34/76F - Model 1943 , with a specific version of the turret of the T-34/76D.
• T-34/85 M1943 - Model 1943 , with a gun D-5T of 85 mm and an improved turret (approximately 300 specimens).
• T-34/85 M1944 - Model 1944 , with a S-53 gun of 85 mm (17680 specimens).
• SU-122 gun of attack with a Howitzer in a front superstructure.
• prototype SU-122M of gun of attack with a Howitzer U-11 of 122 Misters
• prototype SU-122-3 of gun of attack with a Howitzer D-6 of 122 Misters
• SU-85 tank destroyer with a part D-5S of 85 mm in a front superstructure.
• SU-85M tank destroyer with a part D-5S of 85 mm but frame of the SU-100.
• prototype SU-85BM of tank destroyer with a lengthened part D-5S-85M, initial speed 950 m/s.
• prototype SU-D-10-85 of tank destroyer with a part D-10-85PM (S-34 rebored with 85mm).
• prototype SU-S34-1 of tank destroyer with a part S-34-IB of 85 Misters
• prototype SU-100-2 of tank destroyer with a S-34 part of 100 mm
• SU-100 tank destroyer with a part D-10S of 100 mm in a front superstructure.
• prototype SU-122P of hunter of tanks, frame of the SU-100 with a part D-25S of 122 Misters

Another denomination:

• Panzerkampfwagen T-34 (R) - designation of T-34s captured, in the Wehrmacht.

Technical information

Production

(1) a part motorized with M-17 engines with essence

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