Battle Stations
T-34
Tank
Crew 5
Weight 36 tons (T-34/85)
Maximum road speed 31mph
Range 186 miles
Armour 18–60mm
Armament 1 x 85mm gun and 2 x 7.63mm machine-guns
(T-34/85)
The mainstay of the Soviet Union's tank armies, the T-34 was a superb fighting machine. Its basic excellence was underlined by the fact that it went through the war without major modification.
The T-34's broad tracks reduced ground pressure to a minimum, and it was fast and agile in even the roughest terrain. A rugged all-weather diesel engine gave the T-34 an excellent power-to-weight ratio and a range of 186 miles, nearly twice that of the German Panther and almost three times that of the Tiger.
Sloping armour considerably reduced the T-34's resistance to shell penetration – a feature that was imitated in the Panther. An innovatory long-barrelled high-velocity 76.2mm gun completed a well-balanced design that combined the fundamental requirements of firepower, mobility and protection with the facility of rapid mass production and easy repair and maintenance in the field.
The T-34/76 entered service in 1941. In early 1944, the up-gunned T-34/85 was introduced, equipping independent tank brigades. During World War II, the T-34 accounted for 68% of Soviet tank production.
The T-34/85 went on to see service in the Korean war (1950–53), the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973 and numerous other conflicts.
