T-34: the history of the most powerful WWII tank

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

On January 1, the film of the same name about the legendary Soviet tank T-34, which in the first three days of the show, grossed a record cash register of 100 million rubles, was released on Russian cinema screens. The plot of the film revolves around the most massive WWII T-34 tank, recognized as the most advanced and effective combat vehicle of its era. In this article, we'll touch on five little-known but entertaining facts about one of the most recognizable symbols of World War II.

1. Unrealized project T-34M

Work on the creation of the original T-34 was carried out under the leadership of Mikhail Koshkin since 1937. In 1939, the first prototype was ready, and soon the tank was put into mass production. The idea of modifying the T-34 was proposed to senior management immediately after the death of the creator in 1940.

The project was named T-34M. In the modified version of the tank, it was planned to radically change the chassis, armor, turret and improve armament. However, at the last moment, the project was rejected due to the sudden unfolding of the war. However, in 1942, work on the T-34M still began and ended in 1944. It was the same T-34M, only it came out under a different name - T-44.

2. The most powerful armor

At the beginning of the war, when the Soviet T-34s just appeared on the battlefield, the German troops did not have the slightest idea about the armor and armament of tanks. The Germans believed that their tanks or machine guns were 37 mm. caliber could penetrate the armor of the T-34, but this was far from the case. The Wehrmacht's gun only helplessly "scratched" the body of the thirty-fours. Only in the fall of 1941 did the Germans acquire the first T-34 and carried out several experiments. Soon after that, the German "Panthers" were born, which could inflict more serious damage on a Soviet tank.

3. The most massive tank

Despite the fact that the T-34 is considered the most massive tank of the Second World War, by the beginning of the Second World War, no more than 1000 copies of these combat vehicles were made, half of which were quickly destroyed or lost. However, Novate.ru found out that soon the number of thirty-fours began to grow rapidly. It is worth noting that in the first months of the war, not only the Germans, but also our soldiers did not know about the new tanks of the USSR. T-34s were sent only to perform important combat missions.

4. The courage of Soviet tankers

The courage of Soviet tank crews was legendary even in the Third Reich. There are many known cases when one T-34 successfully resisted a whole platoon of German tanks. The crew fought to the last, and even if the loader died, the gunner replaced him, and the tank continued the battle. On the other hand, unlike the Germans, our tankers often suffered from combat tactics and the ability to control combat vehicles. The fact is that the German leadership very seriously approached the training of their tankers.

5. An invulnerable tank

By the beginning of the war, the T-34 was considered practically invulnerable. German anti-tank guns of that time could not cope with the armor of the thirty-fours. However, the Germans soon learned to decontaminate Soviet tanks using various tactics: they "smoked" the tank crew out with combustible mixtures, and bundles of grenades were suspended from the muzzles of the tanks, which deformed it during an explosion. By the end of 1941, the powerful 88 mm were used in the Third Reich. anti-aircraft guns, which later became part of the armament of the German "Tigers".

Of course, there are many more interesting facts connected with the T-34. For example, the Soviet tank proved itself so well in battle that it is still in service with Laos.