Myth 1: Tremendous Reliability
Domestic weapons are famous for their simplicity and unpretentiousness. The ability of the same Kalashnikov assault rifle to do without cleaning longer than its counterparts and ease of maintenance have become a legend. Sometimes it seems that it has always been like this - but, alas, the development of each weapon model is a long way of refinements and refinements. And in the case of the T-34 tank, this was also supplemented by the influence of the military-political situation.
Freshly picked T-34 Stalingrad Tractor Plant. Source: waralbum.ru. Freshly picked T-34 Stalingrad Tractor Plant. Source: waralbum.ru. Related Materials
T-34 tank: by fire and maneuver The tank was sent into production in the spring of 1940. The air smelled of war, and the T-34 was required in large quantities. But at first, the manufacture of a new product was to be mastered by tank factories. This process did not improve the quality or quantity of tanks produced - the first T-34s came out very crude. Then the war began. The country desperately needed new tanks, and for the sake of mass production, the requirements for manufactured products decreased even more. By the beginning of 1942, things had improved, but it was still far from the famous reliability. In April 1942, the “reference” T-34 arrived in the USA - the best samples for evaluation by American testers. The first breakdowns at the landfill began already after the 60th kilometer, and at the 343rd the “thirty-four” completely failed. The air filter, according to the report of the Americans, “could only be designed by a saboteur” - the engine clogged with dust and required major repairs.
Assembly of T-34 in Nizhny Tagil. Source: waralbum.ru. Assembly of T-34 in Nizhny Tagil. Source: waralbum.ru.
The real life of the T-34 engine in the first half of the war rarely exceeded a hundred engine hours. Things began to change by 1943. The country stopped surviving, tanks no longer always burned out in the first serious attacks. The minds of the military began to take up reliability issues - they planned to drive the Germans to the West, and long-term performance was required for the persecution. By the beginning of the Battle of Kursk, the thirty-four diesel resource was increased (due to a slight decrease in power) to 300 hours. And the T-34-85, which entered the troops in 1944, was already truly reliable, which was very useful during a long tank run across Europe at the final stage of the war.
Myth 2: Wonder Weapons
For 1941, the T-34 was a very serious argument on the battlefield. "Thirty-four" could hit Panzerwaffe tanks at a distance of 500-1500 meters, while the enemy had to get close to 100-200 meters or even close. It would seem that having 1300 T-34s on June 22, 1941, you could not be afraid of 3, 500 German tanks - a powerful “thirty-four” would shoot them like nuts. But in reality, everything was much more complicated.
Tank landing trains to interact with the T-34, 1943. Source: deutsch.rt.com Tank landing training to interact with the T-34, 1943. Source: deutsch.rt.com
Indeed, tanks fight only against each other only in a computer game. Reality is a combined arms battle when anything can be connected to business. For example, Ju-87 dive bombers, famous for the accuracy of bombing. Or 88-mm anti-aircraft guns, put on direct fire - later they will be put in the tower of the formidable "Tiger". Or sub-caliber or super-caliber shells for 37-mm and 50-mm guns (including tank ones), which sharply increase the firepower of these guns.
There were serious hopes for rational angles of inclination of the armor. The upper frontal plate of the T-34 was located at an angle of 60 degrees. Thanks to this, the enemy’s shell could not enter it at the most optimal 90-degree angle. This was supposed to increase the chance of a rebound - a sharp-headed armor-piercing projectile could "slip" from the tank armor. And if not - because of the inconvenient angle of entry, the path of the projectile in the armor was longer, which increased the chance of "non-penetration".
An armor-piercing pointed-headed projectile with a blunt tip of medium hardness “bites” on the armor of the tank and “turns” towards the slope, eventually entering at a right angle. Source: M. Svirin, “Tank power of the USSR”, Yauza, 2009. An armor-piercing pointed-headed projectile with a blunt tip of medium hardness “bites” on the armor of the tank and “turns” towards the slope, eventually entering at a right angle. Source: M. Svirin, “Tank power of the USSR”, Yauza, 2009.
But, unfortunately, there was a solution that could even this advantage. It was an armor-piercing tip with a blunt "nose". It was softer than the shell of the shell, but firm enough to “bite” behind the armor with one of its sharp corners. After this happened, the projectile itself turned to the side of the slope, thus entering the tank armor at the most rational, almost 90-degree angle. So in the first half of the war, the “thirty-four” were not a wonderful tool that solved all problems - they were a serious opponent, but not a magic wand.
Myth 3: helplessness against the Tigers
In August 1942, the first Tiger heavy tanks appeared in the Panzerwaffe. In the summer of 1943, the Battle of Kursk began - at this point the "Tigers" and "Panthers" had become a mass phenomenon. The old Pz - III and Pz - IV tanks did not add optimism either - they were modified, seriously strengthening the armor - it became more and more difficult to destroy them. Soviet tank forces lost their former advantage. Such a situation gave birth to the opposite myth - about the almost complete uselessness of the T-34-76 against the latest models of German armored vehicles.
T-34s enter Kharkov, 1943. Source: waralbum.ru. T-34s enter Kharkov, 1943. Source: waralbum.ru.
It would seem, yes - the 76-mm “thirty-four” gun did not pierce the Tiger’s forehead even at point blank range. Some chance was given by approaching from the side at a good angle - but with the usual armor-piercing projectile, the side of the Tiger made its way only from some 50-100 meters. In a real battle, this was clearly not enough. In order not to put the “thirty-four” in a situation where it is completely helpless against heavy enemy tanks, the USSR industry decided to use German experience.
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The most massive self-propelled gun of the USSR: the best friend of the infantry In the spring of 1943, the production of sub-caliber shells intensified - the very tool that helped the Germans against the T-34, when the advantage was not on their side. It was an expensive decision - such ammunition required tungsten cores, and this metal was extremely scarce for the USSR. Nevertheless, on the eve of the Battle of Kursk, almost all free tungsten was fired on sub-caliber shells for 45-mm and 76-mm guns. This allowed to hit the sides of the same "Tigers" from 400 meters. Hunting for this "beast" in such conditions was still an extremely difficult matter, but with this it was already possible to achieve something. Yes, it was an expensive result, but the scheme was quite working. The Americans did the same - formed “hunting teams” in 3-4 “Sherman” on one “Tiger”, and tried to enter from different directions. This state of affairs continued until the T-34-85 entered the army, whose powerful gun, under favorable circumstances, could pierce the Tiger’s forehead from almost a kilometer.
T-34 in Moscow, 1941. Source: mos.ru. T-34 in Moscow, 1941. Source: mos.ru.
Not Myth: Victory Tank
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5 myths about the legendary Katyusha But so far we have not voiced the biggest plus of the Thirty-Four. They were not weapons, not thickness and rational inclinations of the armor, and not relatively small dimensions. The main advantage of the “thirty-four” is the manufacturability of production, and it was not obtained immediately, but was developed throughout the war. The result was obvious - the powerful Tigers made 1354 pieces, the average Pz - IV - a little less than 8700 units. The number of T-34s produced (with both 76-mm and 85-mm guns) by the end of 1945 reached 55 thousand vehicles.