elven wizard

Russian T-34 Medium Tank

"It was the most excellent example of the offensive weapon of Second World War." - General Mellentin.


It was superior to any other tank in the world, including feared German tanks ! Its revolutionary design featured sloped armor, speed, hitting power and low silhouette along with reliability and low production cost. T-34 although available in small numbers in the early stage of fighting on the Eastern Front gave German Army a nasty shock when first encountered and remained that way until introduction of more powerful anti-tank armament
New Sloped Design - The T-34 had a revolutionary new sloped 60 degrees design with a 45mm frontal armor.
T-34 suspension - The T-34 suspension incorporated large road wheels with no return rollers. Each wheel had its own spring loaded assembly, which gave the tank great speed and high mobility.
The T-34's name was chosen for the year (1934) it first began to be formulated as a design. Two prototypes were completed by January 1940. These two underwent extensive and arduous testing in April and May. Initial resistance by the military command and worries over high cost were overcome by the poor performance of existing Russian tanks in the war with Finland. The effective German fighting in France also contributed to the decision to go forward with the T-34. The first production tanks rolled off the assembly line in September 1940.


Pound for pound, Germany's Panzerkampfwagen (Pz.Kpfw) V Panther was a better tank, but the T-34 was produced at eight times the Panther's numbers.
Just two of many quotes that have praised the T-34 tank. This is a vehicle, which has become a legend as the tank that won The Great Patriotic War for the Soviet Union.
The T-34 tank was designed and built in the Kharkiv Tractor Factory in the Ukraine and the first T-34 tank was tested by successfully driving it 1,000 miles from Kharkiv to Moscow and back. Mass production began in July 1940 and 1,225 tanks were made before the German invasion came on the 22nd of June 1941. After the invasion production was transferred to East away from the threat of German bombing.
Battle of Kursk ( Worlds Biggest Tank Battle ) -
Battle of Kursk refers to German and Soviet operations on the Eastern Front during World War II

The T-34 was far superior to the German Panzers when it was introduced due to a variety of advanced concepts for tank design of the time. It featured a high velocity gun placing more emphasis on tank killing ability and its armour was very well sloped making it difficult to knock out. Also it had extra wide tracks, which improved mobility cross-country, and its diesel engine both gave it longer range and reduced the risk of fire.

The Heart of the T-34
The reliable V-2 Diesel Engine
In combat the T-34 served in almost every role and with hand bars welded to the hull 'tank descent' troops were able to ride westwards with the advancing armour towards Hitler's Reich.
Serving from the very beginning to the very end of the Great Patriotic War the T-34 changed not just the course of tank design but also the history of the planet through the actions of its crews.
After the Second World War the T-34 was widely exported and was still fighting in Africa in the 1980s. Then in the 1990s it saw action again in Europe (for hopefully the last time) during the Bosnian/Yugoslavian civil war - a true testament to a design that was half a century old.
Crew: 4
Weight: 26,000 kg
Length: 5.92 m
Width: 3 m
Height: 2.44 m
Max speed: 55 km/h (on road)
Max range: 186 km (on road)
Engine: One V-2-34 V-12 diesel
(373 kW)
Power-to-weight ratio: 14.35 kW/tonne
Vertical obstacle climb: 0.71 m
Gradient: 38.9 %
Trench crossing: 2.95 m
Fording Depth: 1.37 m
Main armament: 76.2-mm L/30 gun
(Replaced by the more powerful 7.62-mm L/40)
Secondary armament: Two 7.62-mm machine guns
Armour: 18-60 mm
Crew: 5
Weight: 32,000 kg
Length: 8.15 m (including gun)
Width: 3 m
Height: 2.60 m
Max speed: 55 km/h (on road)
Max range: 360 km
Main armament: 85-mm gun
Armour: 0-90 mm
[/b]
T -34 pulled from lake
still worked after all these years





Quotes
"Very worrying", Colonel-General Heinz Guderian, Commander of Second Panzer Army.

"We had nothing comparable",, Major-General F.W. Mellenthin
Chief of Staff of XLVIII Panzer Corps.
T - 34 towing T - 34
"Their T-34 was the best in the world." - Field marshal Kleist.
The T-34 was a medium tank, weighed 26 tons. It had a crew of four, it had a good speed of 55kmh (34mph) and a range of 115 miles. During the late stages of the war, the Russian army perfected its mobility so much that tanks were sometimes refueled while still driving forward, without stopping ! and the Russian infantry used to keep pace with the advancing tanks simply by riding on them from one battle to the next.

German Tank vs Russian Tank
What German tank was designed as a direct response to the T-34? Panther. The Panther was a direct response to the T-34. The German forces first encountered the T-34 on 23 June 1941. The second day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. It soon became apparent that the T-34 had outclassed the Panzer III and IV. The backbone of the German armored divisions. After German field assessments of the T-34 were made, the sloping armor, wide tracks, and large road wheels were deemed significant design features that were to be incorporated in the Panther. The Panther's overall look owed much to the respect the T-34 was given by German designers. The Panther's main gun was the magnificent 7.5 cm Kwk 42 L/70. The long barrel gave it an extremely high muzzle velocity, with excellent armor-piercing capabilities. The Panther's first action was at Kursk in July 1943. Approximately 6,000 were produced. The Jagdpanther was a tank destroyer based on the Panther chassis. The Sturmtiger was an assault gun built on the Tiger I chassis. The Stug IV was an assault gun built on the Panzer IV chassis.

The Perfect Tank
The T-34 was a tank perfectly geared for the Russian economy to produce. It brought in innovations like sloped armour that massively increased the "bang for the buck" of the raw materials used. Also cast turrets and simple design meant it was fast and easy to make and maintain. Most tanks are not designed for easy replacement of parts, the parts should last and last. However in extreme conditions like Russia at the height of summer or the depths of winter no machinery will last long. The T-34 was revolutionary in that it was designed to allow for ease in replacement, the rear sections were hinged to allow for easy replacement of even the engine and gears.
Since late 1942, in the late stages of the great battle of Stalingrad, and then in the huge tank battle in Kursk in mid 1943, and until the end of the war, T-34 tanks in ever increasing large numbers, outnumbered and crushed the German tanks, and pushed the German invaders all the way back to Berlin, serving as one of the main war winning weapons of World War 2.

1 - the ZIS-S-53 gun; 2 - the gun's mantlet; 3 - the TSh-16 telescopic sight; 4 - the elevation mechanism; 5 - the loader's MK-4 observation sight; 6 - the gun's jacket; 7 - the commander's MK-4 observation sight; 8 - the glass block; 9 - the shell-bag; 10 - the ventilator's armored cupola; 11 - the ammunition storage; 12 - the canvas bag; 13 - the ammunition storage for two rounds; 14 - the engine; 15 - the main friction clutch; 16 - the "Multicyclon" air filter; 17 - the starter; 18 - the BDSh smoke block; 19 - the gearbox; 20 - the side gear; 21 - accumulators; 22 - the ammunition storage on the floor; 23 - the gunner's seat; 24 - the gun trigger pedal; 25 - the suspension's shaft; 26 - the driver's seat; 27 - machine-gun's magazines; 28 - steering levers; 29 - the pedal of the main friction clutch; 30 - cylinders with compressed air; 31 - the driver's hatch; 32 - the DT BMG; 33 - the ammunition storage.

Overall Production -
As of 1996, how many countries still operated the T-34?
After World War II 40 countries operated the T-34. An incredible 27 countries still used the T-34 as of 1996. These were: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bulgaria, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique, North Korea, People's Republic of China, Republic of the Congo, Romania, Somalia, South Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Togo, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, and Zimbabwe. Although rendered obsolete many years before by newer generations of tanks, the T-34's rugged simplicity ease of maintenance and low cost made it a favorite with the many third world nations it served.

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

This is my favorite ww2 tank.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_tracked_mine

elven wizard

The "Beetle Tank" they were nasty ! [>:] Alot of people don't know about those. Those ought to be in a Rc forum.

electricrc68

my favorite tank:

FahrtAutoRC

I would have to argue more for wither the M24 or the M4, either one was more than a fine machine. Don't get me wrong, the T34 was great, one of the top, but the other two have a slight edge.

M24 on the left, M4 on the right

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

The m4 was good, but only because it was fast. It had extremely light armor, and was called "the metal coffin" by those who had to operate it. Shermans would run (or egress as it is now called) in the opposite direction if a Tiger was spotted. The only reason the Sherman is fairly renowned is because of how many were produced... a lot were left over, after a lot were blown to pieces.

SyCo_VeNoM

Liked the Tiger I(Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E), and Panzerkampfwagen III's looks.

Got a RC Tiger 1 wanted the Panzerkampfwagen III but the III's electronics were known to be faulty in the brand I bought.
Still tempted to get the III, and just gut it and swap all the electronics to standard RC gear

FahrtAutoRC

Yes but the Sherman could out manuever the German tanks fairly easy and come around to their weak spot. Their mobility kept them slightly above the turret's rotation speed on most of the other side's vehicles.

The M4 did have weak armor, I will agree there but once again it's mobility made it very useful, and both tanks were also known for a multitude of weapon platforms. kind of the "multi-role" machines of their day.

It is easy to point out and pick the T-34 as the best at first sight as it of course IS a medium tank. This means it had decent armor, moderate speed and mobility and a fairly decent weapon system. One major reason why the T-34 did so well in the Soviet's hands was because of the German's un-preparedness for the difference in terrain and tactic, and also many other smaller aspects such as formation, crew experience, closer to their main hubs for resupply and rations, etc etc. Also the T-34's "medium" rating put it right in the middle and made it appear very well-rounded. Placing it right in the middle of it all made it easy to cover a broader variety of work modes but it also fell short in the same areas that smaller, light, faster tanks (such as the American ones mentioned before) excelled in. I feel if you placed ten T-34's and ten M4's or M24's in a zone and told them to "fight to the death", the American tanks would take it, but not overwhelmingly. And no, I am not bias because I live here.

Edit: Forgot to add, but while the T-34 was economically feasible, they too could have pumped out thesamsheer volume as the West did, as lighter vehicles mean less materials, and so-on and so-on

elven wizard

Way back I was told by a old WW2 vet that they would call the Sherman tank the bic lighter. Cause when it was hit the whole tank would go up in a flame. Also Sherman tank crew's had what it was called Panzer phobia. The very immense sound and herculean size of the Panzer Tiger tanks put the opposing army always in a state of fear.

FahrtAutoRC

The tank's immense size was also its biggest drawback, my friend

elven wizard

The size of Tiger Tank in some ways was WAY to big and created a lot of disadvantages. It's was so heavy it would sink into mud way to easily. Certain pathways it was to big to go thru. And....... There was even a regimen of trained men, a crew made up of mechanics and specialists especially in the electrical department following some of the Tiger tanks depending which one. Yes a crew following each tank, just to keep them up and running !. The Tiger tanks like many of the German tech in that day were way ahead in years in technology. Problem is so far advanced that they became sometimes unreliable at times and were hard to work on. This is were the T-34 excelled in. The T-34 was way more reliable than the German tanks.

SyCo_VeNoM

not saying they were great tanks I just loved the looks of them
They looked mean as hell, and intimidating.
Lets face it in combat the more intimidating side usually will win, because the side that is scared will make mistakes out of fear.
Fear is one of the best weapons. It will make rational people behave irrationally

elven wizard

I don't know the validity of this story, but I can only imagine it as true. A tank story, I was told there was a group of soldiers down at the bottom of a hill. There doing there thing, regrouping and stuff and all of a sudden they hear a loud roar from the other side of the hill, they then see these Sherman's hauling aszzz coming from the top, down the hill full speed ahead right pass them. Absolutely hauling !! Soldiers all look at each other like what the heck was that about ? Later on they found out those Sherman tanks saw one of those huge Panzers and said see ya !

I can't blame any crew in a Sherman tank for exiting out fastly when they see one of those Monster Behemoth's. A Sherman shell will bounce off a Panzer except maybe the back of one.

tommygun32

From what I've read I believe the Sherman tanks would avoid a fight with a Panzer at all costs unless the numbers were something like 4 or 5 to 1. Even then you could probably count on losing a minimum 2 Sherams before one of the others got into firing position BEHIND the Panzer.

elven wizard

Many allied tanks did not want to engage a fight with the Panzer tanks. They knew those tanks were nearly indestructible.

Here's a comic of the Tiger tank. When running they were a terror on the battlefield, but always in need of service

buggyboy2010

Ya I know some of Us are smart*****es

elven wizard

I remember Tank Abbott. Even though he fought in the UFC, I really think he might of hit harder than the hard hitting Mike Tyson. Tank just sucked on the ground game.

elven wizard

oops double post

FahrtAutoRC

Lol Any guy that size is going to have faults in his ground game, look at Lesner, and Nelson. Just sad.

elven wizard

That last fight Lesner fought I think he thought he was just going to walk there and take the guy out like nothing. Boy was he wrong.