T34.page

T-34

FACT BOX:
Country: Russia
Class: Medium Tank
Weight: 70547
Crew: 5
Armament: 76.2mm or 85mm Main gun, two 7.62mm machine guns
Armour: 18mm-60mm
Dimensions: width, 9'7" length, 24'7" height, 7'10"
Engine: V-2-34 12 cylinder diesel engine developing 500 hp
Performance:
Top Speed: 31 mph
Range: 186 miles
Vert. Obstacle: 2'7"
Gradient: 60%



	The T-34 was arguably the most important tank of WWII. Development began in 1936 when M. I. Koshkin became chief designer at the Komintern factory. He and several other engineers went to work on the project that would become the T-34. The first prototype on the road to the T-34 was the A-20. However, it was dismissed by the army because of its small 45 mm gun. Koshkin set to work on a revised version and in early 1939 presented the A-30 mounting a 76.2 mm gun. But the A-30 was hampered by problems in relation to its new armament. By the end of 1939 Koshkin had worked these bugs out and renamed it the T-32. It had wider tracks for decreased ground pressure, steeper sloped surfaces and thicker armor. While it was going through its final preproduction adjustments, Koshkin died of pneumonia. The final product was named the T-34 (T-34/76 in the west). It had good armament and excellent armor design. However, its greatest advantage was its 12 cylinder V-2-34 diesel engine, far superior to any other tank engine used in all of WWII. It developed 500 hp, had the diesel engine advantage of a broad torque band, had much better gas mileage than all the German tanks, and was as reliably (WWII tank wise) as a VTEC. The engine was well liked by the crews because, unlike petrol engines used by most tanks, they didn?t explode into a deadly inferno when the tank was hit. But unlimited in importance is the unique property of diesel fuel not to freeze in cold weather (unlike gasoline). Although the gasoline powered PzKpfws are regarded as excellent tanks, they were no match for the quick T-34s in the freezing Soviet climate. During 1943 an improved version, the T-34/85 entered production. It had an 85 mm main gun and a second 7.62 mm machine gun operated by an added 5th crewmember. The T-34?s design was so good that it still remains in use with many countries throughout Africa and Asia, and, in limited numbers, Russia. Total production was estimated at 50,000 units when it left production in 1964.

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