T-34/85
Following the brief Soviet-Japanese War in 1939, numerous flaws were discovered in the Red Army's mainstay T-26 light tanks: their gasoline engines were too prone to explosions and the armor tended to disintegrate under relatively light Japanese antitank fire. Soviet tank designer Mikhail Koshkin was already working on a medium tank design to replace the T-26, and convinced Stalin to allow further work on the project, which was designated T-34. Despite resistance from the Red Army (which insisted there was nothing wrong with the T-26 and preferred the KV-1 heavy tank), the T-34 entered service in 1940.
When Nazi Germany invaded the USSR in 1941, the appearance of the T-34 took them completely by surprise. Unlike the heavy French Char series, which were slow and unwieldy, the T-34 was fast and mobile, operating in areas the Germans thought impassable for medium tanks. Shells from German 37mm and 50mm guns bounced off the T-34's armor. The only guns the Germans had that could knock out a T-34 were 88mms, and there were only so many to go around. In contrast, the T-34's 76mm gun could defeat any German tank in 1941. Captured T-34s revealed the strength of the tank: its wide tracks and hull gave it better purchase in the mud common to the Russian steppe, and its sloped armor increased armor protection without adding weight. The overall result was a superb blend of speed, protection and armament, the three factors central to tank development. This was not to say the T-34 was perfect: the small turret meant that the commander had to act as both gunner and commander, which could easily result in him becoming too busy; T-34 platoon commanders could not effectively direct their units due to poor optics and a lack of radios. The 76mm was also slow to load.
Nonetheless, the T-34 was such a shock to the Germans that plans were undertaken to counter it, which led to the Panther and Tiger series. The Russians were not idle, however, and began an upgrade of the T-34, with a redesigned turret that allowed for a dedicated gunner, and a relocated radio that allowed the tank commander to communicate with other tanks. The gun was upgraded to an 85mm, resulting in the unofficial designation T-34/85. These retained the mobility and speed of the T-34/76, and would carry the Red Army to Berlin, even if it was still notorious for breakdowns. Though the T-34 series was becoming obsolete by late 1944, the USSR chose not to attempt to replace it to keep production at full speed; 85,000 were produced, second only to its successor, the T-55.
Even after the war, T-34s were common sights. The US Army fought North Korean and Chinese T-34s in the Korean War, while Israeli Shermans and Centurions faced them throughout the Arab-Israeli Wars. T-34s were still seen in action as late as the 1990s.
This view of a T-34/85 at the Evergreen Aviation Museum shows the tank's profile, and the somewhat nose-heavy look of the later 85mm equipped T-34s. It also shows the "shot trap" beneath the turret--a shot there could either blow the turret off, or deflect downward and kill the driver. The museum has two T-34s in their collection (both T-34/85s), but for some reason, there is almost no evidence as to where the museum got these tanks.
T-34/85
Following the brief Soviet-Japanese War in 1939, numerous flaws were discovered in the Red Army's mainstay T-26 light tanks: their gasoline engines were too prone to explosions and the armor tended to disintegrate under relatively light Japanese antitank fire. Soviet tank designer Mikhail Koshkin was already working on a medium tank design to replace the T-26, and convinced Stalin to allow further work on the project, which was designated T-34. Despite resistance from the Red Army (which insisted there was nothing wrong with the T-26 and preferred the KV-1 heavy tank), the T-34 entered service in 1940.
When Nazi Germany invaded the USSR in 1941, the appearance of the T-34 took them completely by surprise. Unlike the heavy French Char series, which were slow and unwieldy, the T-34 was fast and mobile, operating in areas the Germans thought impassable for medium tanks. Shells from German 37mm and 50mm guns bounced off the T-34's armor. The only guns the Germans had that could knock out a T-34 were 88mms, and there were only so many to go around. In contrast, the T-34's 76mm gun could defeat any German tank in 1941. Captured T-34s revealed the strength of the tank: its wide tracks and hull gave it better purchase in the mud common to the Russian steppe, and its sloped armor increased armor protection without adding weight. The overall result was a superb blend of speed, protection and armament, the three factors central to tank development. This was not to say the T-34 was perfect: the small turret meant that the commander had to act as both gunner and commander, which could easily result in him becoming too busy; T-34 platoon commanders could not effectively direct their units due to poor optics and a lack of radios. The 76mm was also slow to load.
Nonetheless, the T-34 was such a shock to the Germans that plans were undertaken to counter it, which led to the Panther and Tiger series. The Russians were not idle, however, and began an upgrade of the T-34, with a redesigned turret that allowed for a dedicated gunner, and a relocated radio that allowed the tank commander to communicate with other tanks. The gun was upgraded to an 85mm, resulting in the unofficial designation T-34/85. These retained the mobility and speed of the T-34/76, and would carry the Red Army to Berlin, even if it was still notorious for breakdowns. Though the T-34 series was becoming obsolete by late 1944, the USSR chose not to attempt to replace it to keep production at full speed; 85,000 were produced, second only to its successor, the T-55.
Even after the war, T-34s were common sights. The US Army fought North Korean and Chinese T-34s in the Korean War, while Israeli Shermans and Centurions faced them throughout the Arab-Israeli Wars. T-34s were still seen in action as late as the 1990s.
This view of a T-34/85 at the Evergreen Aviation Museum shows the tank's profile, and the somewhat nose-heavy look of the later 85mm equipped T-34s. It also shows the "shot trap" beneath the turret--a shot there could either blow the turret off, or deflect downward and kill the driver. The museum has two T-34s in their collection (both T-34/85s), but for some reason, there is almost no evidence as to where the museum got these tanks.