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T-34/76 and T-34/85 Tanks |
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The T-34 revolutionized armored warfare when it appeared in 1941. Fast, maneuverable, well-armed, and - most importantly - designed with sloped armor that greatly increased its protection, it made nearly every other tank in the world obsolete overnight and was the first step toward modern main battle tanks.
The T-34/76 was armed with a 76.2mm main gun, plus a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun, and another 7.62mm machine gun in the forward hull. It carried a combat load of 77 rounds of 76.2mm main gun ammunition. The suspension was based on J. Walter Christie’s pre-war designs, and ad five large road wheels, an idler in the front, and the drive sprocket in the rear. It was powered by a 450hp diesel engine. Its wide tracks and good power to weight ratio gave it unmatched mobility. It also featured external drum fuel tanks that could be jettisoned, if necessary. It was not nearly as sophisticated in many ways as its German contemporaries, but was rugged, reliable, and easily mass-produced. In the fall of 1943, the Soviet Union introduced a major upgrade: the T-34/85. This vehicle had a cast turret similar to the KV-85 heavy tank and was armed with a much more powerful 85mm main gun. The rest of the vehicle was largely unchanged from the T-34/76. On the battlefield, the T-34/85 was a match for both the PzKfw V Panther and the PzKfw VI Tiger I. Various modifications were made to the vehicle, including: - Flame thrower
- Self-propelled guns
- Bridge layers
The T-34/85 served with Soviet forces until the mid-1950s, when it was replaced by the T-54 Main Battle Tank.The T-34/76 that is on display is on loan from the Bundeswehr’s Military Museum in Dresden. The T-34/85 that is on display was handed over to Egypt after the war, and captured by British troops in the battle for the Suez. The vehicle was given to the Bundeswehr in 1960.
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