Germany, 1945. In the American occupation zone, the interrogation of prisoners of the warmachped was sluggish. Unexpectedly the attention of the interrogatives attracted a long, full bundation story about the insane Russian tank, who killed everything on his ...
Germany, 1945. In the American occupation zone, the interrogation of prisoners of the warmachped was sluggish. Suddenly, the attention of interrogatives attracted a long, full bunda story about the insane Russian tank that killed everything in his path. The events of that fateful day from the summer of 1941 were so strongly imprinted in the memory of the German officer, which could not be labeled for the next four years of the terrible war. That Russian tank he remembered forever.
June 28, 1941, Belarus. German troops burst into Minsk. Soviet parts retreat in Mogilev highway, one of the columns closes the only remaining T-28 tank, led by the senior sergeant Dmitry Malko. The tank has a problem with the engine, but the full supply of fuel and weight lubricants.
During the airline in the area of \u200b\u200bN. P. Berezino, from close ruptures bombs T-28 hopelessly stalls. Malo receives an order to blow up the tank and continue to follow in the city of Mogilev in the body of one of the trucks with other fighters of mixed composition. Malko asks for his responsibility to postpone the execution of the order - he will try to repair T-28, the tank is completely new and has not received significant damage in hostilities. Permission received, the column leaves. During the day, Malko really manages to bring the engine to the working condition.
Shielding Tank T-28, 1940
Further, the plot includes an element of chance. Major and four cadets are surprisingly overlooking the parking lot of the tank. Major is a tanker, artillery cadets. This is so unexpectedly formed the full crew of T-28 tank. All night they think about the outlet plan. Mogilev highway is probably cut by the Germans, you need to look for another way.
... The original proposal to change the route expresses out loud of Nikolay Pedan. The cheeky idea is unanimously maintained by a newly formed crew. Instead of following in the location of the national deposit parts, the tank is surrendered in opposite side - to the west. They will break through the battle through the captured Minsk and will come out of the environment in the Moscow highway to the location of their troops. The unique combat capabilities of the T-28 will help them implement such a plan.
Fuel tanks are filled to almost the caps, the ammunition - although not complete, but Senior Sergeant Malko knows the location of the abandoned warehouse of ammunition. The tank does not work, the commander, arrows and mechanic The driver in advance stipulate a set of conditional signals: the leg of the commander on the right shoulder of the driver's mechanics - the right turn, on the left - left; One push in the back is the first transmission, two - the second; Leg on the head - Stop. The T-28 three-bash romance is highlighted on a new route with the aim of crueling fascists.
Scheme of accommodation in the T-28 tank
On the abandoned warehouse, they are over the norm replenish the ammunition. When all cassettes are filled, the fighters pump out the shells directly to the floor of the battle office. Here our amateurs allow a small mistake - about twenty shells did not fit to 76 mm short-escalate tank tool L-10: Despite the coincidence of calibers, these ammunitions were intended for divisional artillery. 7000 ammunition for machine guns in side machine-gun towers was loaded into the dogon. Tightly breakfast, the invincible army moved towards the capital of the Belarusian SSR, where Fritz have been commissioned for several days.
2 hours before immortality
According to the free highway, T-28 rushes to Minsk at full speed. Ahead, in the gray haze appeared the outlines of the city, the pipes of the CHP, the factory corps, the silhouette of the Government House, the Dome of the Cathedral were visible. Extremely closer, closer and irreversible ... The fighters looked ahead, with anxiety, expecting the main battle of their life.
Nobody stopped, the "Troyansk horse" passed the first German cordons and drove into the city trait - as expected, the fascists took T-28 for the trophy armored vehicles and did not pay any attention to a lone tank.
Although they agreed to the last opportunity to observe secrecy, they still did not lose. The first involuntary victim of the raid was the German cyclist, having fun steep pedals right in front of the tank. His minor figure in the observation gap pulled the driver's mechanics. The tank shook the engine and rolled the unlucky cyclist in the asphalt.
Tankists drove the railway crossing, the path of the tram ring and found themselves on Voroshilov Street. Here, a liquor-vodka plant, the German group met on the path of the tank: the soldiers of the Wehrmacht gently shipped the drawers with bottles of alcohol. When the anonymous alcoholics remained fifty meters, the right tank tower earned. Nazis, like Keheli, fell by car. After a couple of seconds, the tank pushed the truck, turning it up with the wheels. From the broken body around the district began to spread the savory odor of the celebration.
Without having met the resistance and alarms from the opponent's scattered panic, the Soviet tank in the "Stealth" -Rezhima deepened in the border of the city. In the area of \u200b\u200bthe city market, the tank turned to the street. Lenin, where he came across a column of motorcyclists.
The first car with a stroller independently drove under the armor of the tank, where it was crushed along with the crew. The deadly attraction began. Only for a moment, the Germans shifted by the horror of the face showing at the observation slot of the driver mechanic, then disappearing under the caterpillars of the steel monster. Motorcycles in the tail of the columns tried to turn around and take away from the approaching death, alas, fell under the fire of tower machine guns.
Motating the caterpillars of unlucky bikers, the tank moved further, driving around the street. Soviet, tankers nailed a fragmentary shell in the group standing by the theater of German soldiers. And then there was a small hitch - when turning to the proletarian street, Tankists unexpectedly found that the main street of the city of Bitcho was filled with a vibrant force and enemy technique. Opening the fire from all trunks, practically not aiming, the three-way monster fell forward, the breadless of all obstacles to the bloody vinaigrette.
Weapon of victory. T-34 - tank, loved by everyone.
Thirty-hardad "immediately accounted for front-line. Appointment on this matter There was always a joyful event for tankers. The tank was loved, he trusted him, knowing that the "relative" "thirty highway" would help in a difficult moment. There are many examples of a truly patriotic relationship of tankers and ordinary people to the combat vehicle.
The mechanic-driver T-34, remaining the only one of the crew alive, in the enemy environment, without fuel and ammunition, drowned the tank in the lake near the village of Azarenki on Smolensk, without giving the car to the hands of Nazis.
"When in the vicinity died partisan WarThe inhabitants told the folk avengers about the terrible car stored in the water. Fourteen days of women, old men and children from nearby villages and villages under the protection of a small group of partisans traced the lake ... The combat car reborned by the partisan mechanics brought a panic in the rear of the Nazis on an important highway Yartsevo-Protshoschchev-Most. ". The name of the Hero Tankist, who preserved the "thirty part" remained unknown.
During the Great Patriotic War As part of the 126th TP, the 17th ICBM was fought by the crew of T-34/85 "Mother - Rodina" consisting of a tank commander - Junior Lieutenant M. P. Kashnikov, Commander of the gun - Sergeant of the Experims, Mechanic - Driver - Sergeant Ostapenko, machine gunner - Sergeant Levchenko, charging - sergeant boxes *. Tank was built on the 65-year-old Muscovite Mary Josephovna Eagle - Mother of the commander of the 6th MK 4th, which included the 17th ICBM, Colonel V. F. Orlova, who later became a hero Soviet Union (posthumously). When, before the end of the war, a few months remained and weeks, on March 15, 1945, Colonel V. F. Orlov died in battles for the Upper Silesia (Poland). In 1941, her son Vladimir died near Leningrad. Having spent on the front of her husband, three sons and daughter, Maria Josephovna on the savings of the family and reversed from the sale of jewels and homemade money, writing a letter to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I. V. Stalin, made an order for the construction of T-34 tank. When the tank was ready, Patriot asked him to send it to the 6th MK. The command of the building she wrote "Take from me, an old Russian woman, as a gift a combat machine T-34. Pass it with a better crew, and let him mercilessly smashes the enemy. " In a letter in the name of Mary Josephovna, the Tankists of the crew of the Mother - Motherland tank gave an oath to justify his trust and kept her. The crew of the Mother-Motherland tank participated in Verkhne-Silesian (March 1945) and Berlin (April 16 - May 2, 1945) operations, destroying 17 tanks and self-propelled guns, 2 armored personnel carriers and 18 cars, destroyed more than two mouths The enemy forces. The name itself, which he was awarded the combat comrades V. F. Orlova, tank received of course in honor of Mary Josephovna.
And this case was in the fall of 1942 on the Leningrad Front. The tank battalion after successfully conducted intelligence battle was returned to the location of his troops. One of the "thirty highways" is stuck in a natural obstacle in the neutral zone. Attempts to overcome the obstacle's success did not have. The crew in the tank was one on one with the enemy at the removal of the sighting machine-gun fire. With the onset of twilight, the Nazis periodically covered the area with rockets. In this setting, the Tank commander decided not to leave the car represented by greater value.
As later it became known from the interrogation of prisoners, the Nazis, thinking that the T-34 crew left the car at night, tried to tow the tank to her. A German tank approached the car, and "thirtyweight" hooked with cables.
The match of two tanks was presented to the observers without a single shot:
"They dragged our tank meters 10-15, as he suddenly came to life, and the tank opponent, as if stumbling down, stopped. Both tank covered with cables, frozen in place, was heard only the roar of motors was heard.
So dragged the enemy tank, and the "thirty-tall" crawled. Then pulled the T-34 and dragged the enemy slightly. So repeated several times. The motors were roasted by all their "horsepower" ... T-34, having imagined the moment, rushed forward and ... dragged the enemy to our positions, no longer stopping, faster and faster ... The Germans opened a mad fire on tanks. Jumped out of the tower german tanker He was immediately fighting by his mines, and the remaining two preferred death to capture.
Our mortar batteries have opened a response mortar fire. T-34 dragged the tank of the opponent in the location of the battalion "(Glushko I. M. Tanks came to know again. M., 1977, p. 91.).
In this confrontation soviet tank With German was obsessed, if you can put it, a triple victory. The Soviet car won, the Soviet designer-tankostroitel and the Soviet mechanic-driver, who went on a big risk of order to preserve the "thirtyweight".
T-34 "ThirtyTherka" - Soviet middle tank The period of the Great Patriotic War, serially produced since 1940, was the main RKKK tank until the first half of 1944, when the T-34-85 modification tank was replaced. The most massive average tank of World War II.
Designed in the Kharkov Design Bureau under the leadership of M. I. Koshkina. From 1942 to 1945, the main large-scale production of T-34 was deployed on the powerful machine-building factories of the Urals and Siberia, and continued in the post-war years. The leading plant for modifying T-34 was the Ural Tank Plant No. 183. The latest modification (T-34-85) is armed with some countries to this day.
The tanks produced in 1940 were armed with a 76-mm gun L-11 of the sample of 1939, the length of the barrel of 30.5 calibers. The anti-type guns were protected original and only this sample tank with its own booking. We note at the same time that the gun did not perform for the front part of the case. The tank tank is welded from rolled armor sheets, side and rear walls had an angle of inclination to vertical 30 ". The tanks of the first issues had a nasal part of the body of the streamlined, only with these machines of characteristic shape.
Tank T-34 has enormous influence on the outcome of war and the further development of global tank buildings. Due to the aggregate of their combat qualities, the T-34 was recognized by many specialists and military experts with one of the best tanks of World War II. When it was created by the Soviet designers, it was possible to find the optimal ratio between the main combat, tactical, ballistic, operational, driving and technological characteristics.
Commander of the T-34 crew from the book Drabkin A. V. "I fought on the T-34"
Shishkin Grigory Stepanovich about T-34
"- How do you regard the reliability of T-34?
- Very reliable were tanks, I would even say that over-step. Well, we, of course, were chitri, twisted the engine speed limit, which was categorically forbidden to do. Of course, the engine spoiled quickly, but after all, the life of the tank was short. And it happened, on the exercises to the slide take off the bullet, and those who have just arrived with new tanks - barely climb. We: "Learn how to care for the tank!"
When you come to the place, the tank is warm - Mahina is big. On the engine compartment, the tarpaulin will throw - there and in the frost grace. Now later, in winter, while the tank goes, we havenually close the blinds so that he gets up to the limit. You come, tarpaulin on the engine compartment, edges pretend to snow or ground. And there Kayf! You can warm up to the gymnasters!
Often the caterpillars swashed. And so, perhaps, I will not say anything else ... the motor normally worked. Reliability of frictional work depended on the mechanic-driver. If you use correctly, it worked reliably.
- How do you have a radio?
- The walkie-talkie, as a rule, did not use - she often led. Yes, and prohibited her to use. Because the Germans auditioned negotiations. Worked only at the reception. In general, there is a wonderful reception: "Do how me!" We also did not use the tank negotiation device. The mechanic managed her legs. Right, left - on the shoulders, in the back - faster, on the head - stand. Charging nearby - through the executioner of the gun. He can both voice and hands.
- What kind of plants did you get tanks?
- At first, the Sormovsky were, then a mixture and the Sormov and Tagil. The Tagil tower had more, more comfortable. And so almost the same thing. At one time came "Valentine". When they found out that the American tanks arrive to us, everyone began to run to the deputy with complaints about the tank - then one
barrachlite, then another - began all sorts of reasons to search to transfer to the American tank. They came to us ... Oh, as we looked at what the tank ... Our tanks were rudely finished inside, there and the scale, and there could be surrounded from welding. And here you will fit into it - soft skin, gold letters are written everywhere - "entrance", "exit", "fire". But gasoline engines are burning like a candle. The caterpillars of "Valentine" were rubberometallic. For the parade, they were good, and in the conditions of the battle, a little roll, and she flies. Volodeka Somov, about whom I already said, somehow took a sledgehammer, climbed onto the tank, as I embarked on armor, and the sledgehammer entered millimeters for twenty! It turns out that we were explained then, they had a viscous armor. Shell pierces it, and there is no fragments. Cannon weak. Absolutely not adapted to this war. Then these tanks fought, in my opinion, intentionally. Under me such a tank burned down ... no, fighting bad on it. You sit down in it and are already afraid. No comparison with T-34.
In general, for the year I changed five tanks. Once I got a gun to the side of the gun, another time the metal burned in the exhaust pipe and the engine caught fire. Well, shoved ...
- The hatches in battle were closed?
- The hatches in battle according to the charter required to close. But, as a rule, I did not close. Because losing the orientation in the tank is very easy. From time to time you need to watch, schedule. The driver's mechanic, as a rule, left a hatch a row on his palm.
- What speed in the attack?
- Depending on the terrain, but small. Kilometers 20-30 per hour. But it happens that you need to quickly dampen. If you see that they have been shooting out, you try to maneuver. Here the speed is lower. If there is a suspicion that is mined, you try to quickly slip so that the mine behind the tank exploded.
A tank tarpaulin of 10 10 meters was rearned to the tank of the tank. The crew covered the tank on the way to the front. It was laid out for non-suty snack. The same tarpaulin served tankers and roof over his head, when there was no opportunity to stop for the night in the houses.
IN winter conditions The tank was freezing and became a real "refrigerator".
Then the crew pulled the trench, drove on her tank on top. Under the bottom of the tank was having a "tank stove", which was treated with firewood. In such a dumping, it was not very comfortable, but much warmer than in the tank itself or on the street. "
The inhabitants and comfort of the "thirty highways" were at the lowest level. Tanker seats were tough and, unlike american tanksThey had no armrests. Nevertheless, tankers sometimes had to sleep right in the tank - half-sidew. Senior Sergeant Petr Kirichenko, Radist T-34, remembers:
"Although I was long and thin, but I still adapt to sleep on my seat. I even liked it: you prompted back the back, you will fit the boots, so that the legs are not frozley about the armor, and sleep. And after the march, sleep well on the warm transmission, hiding the tarpaulter. "
"All the years of war," said the well-known Soviet designer of Tankov J. Ya. Katten, was recalling the well-known Soviet designer. Germany has changed the design of their tanks three times. However, the Nazis never managed to achieve the combat power of Soviet tanks created and modernized by scientists and designers. The creative thought of our designers all the time overtook the fascist. "
The praised "Tiger" was clumsy, looked like a box, the shell easily "climbed" his vertical armor, and, even if she was withstanding, all the scary strength of the strike stunned the crew and wounded slices. From this, enemy tankers often "smeared" even at close range.
Only the Soviet tank construction could create a type of tank that meets the requirements of the modern war. According to its combat rates, the T-34 was significantly better than foreign tanks of the time. He is not morally outdated throughout the war, but remained a first-class combat vehicle throughout its entire. It was forced to recognize both the opponent and our allies on the anti-Hitler coalition.
T-34 in war
T-34 ("ThirtyTherka") - the Soviet average tank of the period of the Great Patriotic War, was produced serially since 1940, and since 1944 he became the main middle tank of the Red Army of the USSR. Designed in Kharkov. The most massive average tank of World War II. From 1942 to 1945 The main, large-scale production of T-34 was disclosed on the powerful machine-building factories of the Urals and Siberia, and continued in the post-war years. The leading plant for modifying T-34 was the Ural Tank Plant No. 183. The latest modification (T-34-85) is armed with some countries to this day.
Thanks to its combat qualities, the T-34 was recognized by a number of specialists with the best average tank of World War II and had a huge influence on the further development of global tank buildings. With its creation, Soviet designers managed to find the optimal relationship between the main combat, operational and technological characteristics.
Tank T-34 is the most famous Soviet tank of World War II, as well as one of its most recognizable characters. To date, a large number of these tanks have been preserved in the form of monuments and museum exhibits.
History of creation
Creation program A-20. From 1931 in the USSR, a series of light beats and tracked tanks "BT" was developed, the prototype of which was the car of the American designer Walter Christie. During the serial release of the machine of this type was constantly upgraded in the direction of increasing firepower, technological, reliability and other parameters. By 1937, the BT-7M tank with a conical tower was created in the USSR. The further development of the BT line was envisaged in several directions:
- Increasing the turn of the move by using a diesel engine (this direction led to the creation of a BT-7M tank).
- Improving the wheelchair (work of the N. F. Tsyganov Group over experienced BT-IP tanks).
- Strengthening the tank security by installing armor at significant inclination angles with some increase in its thickness. In this direction, the Group N. F. Tsyganova (Experimental Tank BT-SV) and the Design Bureau of the Kharkiv Plant were worked.
From 1931 to 1936, the Design Bureau of the Tank Department of the Kharkiv Steam-Building Plant (CPZ) was led by the talented constructor of Afanissy Osipovich Firsov. Under his leadership, all BT tanks were created, a considerable contribution he introduced to the development of a diesel engine in-2. At the end of 1935, developed sketches of a fundamentally new tank appear: anti-freel reservation with large tilt angles, long-term 76.2 mm gun, diesel engine B-2, mass up to 30 tons ... But in the summer of 1936, in the midst of repression A. O. Firs remove from the KB leadership. But he continues to actively work. A new gearbox is launched for the BT tank, developed by A. A. Morozov under the leadership of A. O. Firsov, designs the installation of flamethrower and smoke devices on the tank, personally meets and introduces a new leader of the KB M. I. Koshkin to the case. In the middle of 1937, A. O. Firsov again arrested and sent to prison, where he dies. The first project, created under his leadership of replacing Firsov as the chief designer Mikhail Ilyich Koshkin - Tank BT-9, was rejected in the fall of 1937 due to gross structural errors and inconsistencies with the requirements of the task.
Nor "strangely", but Koshkin for "sabotage" and the disruption of the state order was not planted and did not shoot in the very "terrible 37th". Also Koshkin at the same time "threw" the work on the development of a modification of the BT-BT-IC tank, which was conducted at the same factory a group of adjunct to you. Stalin Milnisher 3rd Rank A.Ya. Dick, addressed to Koshkin KB on the CPS. Apparently, Koshkin had literate "patrons" in the addict of medium engineering? Or did he initially acted on request from above? It seems that there was a poverty struggle between the supporters of the eternal "modernization" of a light BT (and in fact, trample on the spot and the waste of "folk" public funds) and supporters of a fundamentally new (breakthrough) mid-class tank, which was different from monsters with three tower, such as -28.
On October 13, 1937, the automatic control of the Red Army (ABTU) was issued to the plant No. 183 (CPS) tactical and technical requirements for new tank Under the index BT-20 (A-20).
Due to the weakness of the KB of the plant No. 183, a separate design bureau, independent of Koshkin, was created at the enterprise for work on a new tank. The KB included a number of engineers of the KB plant No. 183 (including A. A. Morozov), as well as about forty graduates of the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization of the Red Army (VAM). The leadership of the KB was entrusted to the adjunction to Vam Adolf Dick. Development goes B. sophisticated conditions: Arrests continue at the factory.
Koshkin in this chaos continues to develop his direction - the drawings that the backbone of the Firsovsky Design Bureau works (KB-24), should form the basis of the future tank.
In September 1938, according to the results of the consideration of the BT-20 layout, it was decided to make three tanks (one wheeled-catering and two tracked) and one armorpus for trials. By the beginning of 1939, KB-24 fulfilled the working drawings on the A-20 and the beginning of the design A-20G [CH 2]. "G" - caterpillar, subsequently received the designation A-32.
At the end of September 1939, after the A-20 and A-32 show (Test driver N. F. Karos) at the Polygon in Cuba, the leadership of NPOs and government members decided to increase the thickness of armor a-32 to 45 mm, after which began Running tests of the A-32 tank, a baked ballast (at the same time, a tower from A-20 with a 45-mm cannon was installed on the tank). On December 19, at a meeting of the Defense Committee, according to the results of the tests of A-32, a resolution No. 443 was adopted, which prescribed: T-32 tank - tracked, with a V-2 diesel engine, manufactured by NarkomSednomashprom, with the following changes:
Pre-war gas production tanks No. 183. From left to right: BT-7, A-20, T-34-76 with a gun L-11, T-34-76 with a flue F-34.
- a) increase the thickness of the main armoredists to 45 mm;
- b) improve the visibility from the tank;
- c) Install the following weapons on the T-32 tank:
- 1) 66 mm caliber F-32 gun, paired with a 7.62 mm caliber machine gun;
- 2) a separate machine gun from a radar - a caliber of 7.62 mm;
- 3) a separate 6.62 mm caliber machine gun;
- 4) a zenith caliber machine gun of 7.62 mm.
- Assign the name T-34 specified tank.
Pre-production tanks A-34 № 1 and A-34 No. 2 on the night from 5 to 6 March 1940 Tank number 1 (driver Tester N. F. Noste) and Tank number 2 (Test driver I. G. Bitiensky or V. Dukanov) without weapons, climbed by unrecognizable, as well as two heavy tracked artillery tractors "Voroshilovets" in the situation of the strictest secrecy headed by its move to Moscow. In connection with the breakdown of the Tank No. 2 under Belgorod (the discrete of the main friction) column was divided. Tank number 1 arrived on March 12 for the Moscow Region Machine-Building Plant No. 37, the city of Serpukhov, where it arrived later Tank No. 2 was renovated. On the night of March 17, both tanks arrived at the Kremlin Ivanovo Square for demonstrating party and government leaders.
March 31, 1940 protocol was signed State Committee Defense on serial production of Tank A-34 (T-34) at factory No. 183. The general issue plan for 1940 was established in 200 cars, since 1942, CPS and CPS were to fully switch to the T-34 issue with a 2000 tanks plan a year.
Gabtu D.G. Pavlova presented a report on comparative tests to the Department of Army Marshal G.I. Sulika. That report approved and suspended the production and acceptance of T-34, until the "all flaws" eliminate (we were honest and fundamental were the generals then!). Intervened by K.E. Voroshilov: "Machines continue to do, pass to the army. Factory mileage to limit up to 1000 km ... "(the same" stupid conn "). At the same time everyone knew that the war would not be today, tomorrow. Months cut out. Pavlov was part of the Military Council of the country, but was well a very "principal officer." Maybe for this "courage and principle" Stalin and agreed with the appointment of the hero of the Soviet Union D.G. Pavlov on the "main" district-recovery? But the way Pavlov boldly and fundamentally applied in this district, passing Minsk for the fifth day, became the fact of history. At the same time, Pavlov himself was a professional tanker, fought on tanks in Spain, received the hero of the Soviet Union for this war. About his proposal to create a tracked tank with anti-frequency booking with installation on this tank 76 mm gun (caliber of heavy tanks of those years!) Even recorded in the minutes of the meeting of the USSR SCA in March 1938, two years before. That is, Pavlov better than others had to understand what the tank in front of him. And it was this man that did everything depends on him to disrupt the acceptance of this tank for weapons.
The order for the production of T-34 into mass production was signed by the Defense Committee on March 31, 1940, in the adopted protocol, it was prescribed to immediately put it on production at factories No. 183 and the CTZ. Plant No. 183 was prescribed to make the first experienced batch of 10 tanks to the first numbers of July. After the end of the tests of the two prototypes, a production plan was adopted, which provided for production in 1940, 150 cars, which by June 7 was increased to 600 cars, 500 of which was supposed to put in factory No. 183, while the remaining 100 - CPS. Due to delays with the supply of components, in June, at the plant No. 183, only four cars were collected, the release of tanks for the SZZ was even more detained. Although the volume of production was managed to raise the fall, they still significantly lag behind the plan and delayed the lack of components, so, in October, due to the lack of guns, the L-11 military commission adopted only one tank. The production of T-34 for the STZ is even more detained. During the course of 1940, work was carried out on the adaptation to the mass production of the initially complex and non-technological tank, but despite this, during 1940, were manufactured, according to various sources, just from 97 to 117 cars. During the fall of 1940, a number of larger changes were also introduced into the T-34 design, such as the installation of a more powerful P-34 gun, and a cast and stamped towers were developed on the Mariupol Plant.
But in fact, M.I. Koshkin is not a father T-34. Rather, he's his "stepfather", or "cousin" father. Koshkin's Tank Designer's work began in the Kirovsky factory, in the KB of medium and heavy tanks. In this KB, he worked on the "average" tanks T-28, T-29 with anti-control armor. T-29 was already different from the T-28 type of chassis, rollers and experimental torsion suspension, instead of spring. Then this type of suspension (torsion) was used on heavy tanks "KV", IP. Then Koshkin is transferred to Kharkov, in the KB of light tanks, and apparently from the prospect of starting work on the design of the "average", but on the basis of Light "BT". He had to fulfill the order of the army, making a light wheel-tracked Tank BT-20 (A-20), to ensure that at least at his base make the crawler version of this car-a-20g, and bring it to that very T-34 . Born from the drawings of a light tank, T-34 had problems with "cramped" in a tank and other disadvantages. Also from the light "BT", Koshkin got a chassis (on some T-34 even put rollers from the BT tank, although they were already required calculated) and spring suspension. Almost in parallel with the "creation and modernization" T-34, Koshkin designs and another average tank, T-34M, who had other chassis rollers, similar to rinks from heavy "KV", with a torsion suspension, and not a spring (an example of "universalization" of tank production Then the Germans were used in the production of their tanks during the war), a more spacious hexagon tower with a commander turret (it was then put on the T-34 in the 42nd year). This tank even approved the Defense Committee in January 1941. In May 41, it was already produced on the Mariupol Metallurgical Plant of Fifty these towers, made first bronorone, rollers, torsion suspension (on T-34 and remained "suspension from BT"). But the engine for him did not. And the war began to put the cross on this model. Although Koshkinsky KB and engaged in the intensive development of a new, "native" tank T-34M, more "better", but the war began to increase the cars already put on the conveyor, those that are. And then the entire war was the constant alteration and the improvement of T-34. It was engaged in its modernization at each factory, where the T-34 was collected, constantly achieving a decrease in the cost of the tank. But still the emphasis was done, first of all, to increase the number of tanks produced and throwing them into battle, especially in the fall-winter 41st. "Comfort" took up later.
What happened
The principle of serial production of T-34 was the final stage of the three-year work of Soviet tank builders to create a fundamentally new combat vehicle. In 1941, T-34 was superior to any tank in service german army. The Germans in response to the appearance of T-34 have developed a "panther", but also used, where they could, trophy T-34. Among several modifications, the T-34 there was a flamethrow tank with a flamethrough installation in the case instead of the frontal machine gun. In 1940-1945, the volume of the production of "thirteen" was constantly increasing, the labor costs and cost were reduced. So, during the war, the complexity of the manufacture of one tank was reduced by 2.4 times (including armorpus - 5 times, diesel - 2.5 times), and the cost - almost doubled (from 270,000 rubles. In 1941 to 142 000 rub. In 1945). T-34 was produced by thousands - the number of T-34 of all modifications built in 1940-1945, exceeds 40,000.
Thirtyweight ", of course, surpassed at the beginning of the war, all the tanks of the enemy in armament, security and maneuverability. But she had disadvantages." Children's diseases "affected the rapid way out of the installation of onboard frictions. Overview of the tank and comfort in the crew was left to desire to desire better . Only part of the cars was equipped with a radio station. The tongue shelves and rectangular holes in the feed of the tower (on the machines of the first editions) were vulnerable. The presence of a frontal machine gun and the driver's hatch weakened the durability of the windshield armor leaf. And although the form of the T-34 case was the object of imitation for designers to many Years, already at the heir "Thirty-harden" - T-44 tank, the mentioned flaws were eliminated.
Combat application
The first T-34 began to flow into the troops at the end of the autumn of 1940. By June 22, 1941, 1066 T-34 tanks were released, in the border military districts in the composition of mechanized buildings (MK), there were 967 T-34 (including in the Baltic Military District - 50 pcs., In the Western Special Military District - 266 pcs. And in the Kiev Special Military District - 494 pcs.). The proportion of new types of tanks (T-34, KV and T-40 (Tank)) in the troops was small, the basis of the RKKA Tank Park before the war was light-fertilized T-26 and BT. From the very first days of the war, the T-34 took the most active part in the hostilities. In some cases, T-34 succeeded, but in general, their use, like other types of tanks, turned out to be small in the cross-border battle - most tanks were quickly lost, while the offensive of German troops could not stop. It is quite characteristic of the fate of 15 MK, which was 72 T-34 and 64 square meters on June 22, 1941. For a month, almost all tanks of the mechorpus were lost. As the causes of small efficiency and high losses of T-34 during this period, it is called a weak yield of new tanks with a personal composition, tactically illiterate use of tanks, a shortage of armor-piercing shells, the design deficiencies are weakly spent in mass production of machines, lack of repair and evacuation funds and a quick movement of the front line That forced to challenge the failed, but maintainable tanks.
In the fighting of the summer of 1941, insufficient effectiveness against the T-34 most massacre at that time german army 37 mm Pak 35/36 anti-tank cannons, as well as German tank guns of all calibers. However, the Wehrmacht possessed means that allowed successfully to fight T-34. In particular, to combat them during this period, 50-mm anti-tank guns Pak 38, 47-mm anti-tank guns PAK 181 (F) and PAK 36 (T), 88-mm anti-aircraft guns, 100 mm case guns and 105- MM HEBYS.
There are two reasons why T-34 did not become a weapon that decided the outcome of the fighting of the summer of 1941. The first is the wrong tactics of tank combat in the Russians, the practice of spraying T-34, their uses with lighter machines or as supporting infantry, instead of To, like the Germans, to strike with powerful armored fists, break through the opponent's front and sow chaos in his rear. The Russians have not learned the fundamental rules of the tank war, formulated by Guderian in one phrase: "Do not spray - collect all the forces together." The second mistake was the technique of fighting Soviet tankers. T-34 had one very vulnerable place. In the crew of four people - the driver, the shooter, charging and radist - lacked the fifth member, commander. In the T-34, the commander served as a gunner. Combining two tasks - maintenance of guns and control over what is happening on the battlefield - did not contribute to the maintenance of fast and efficient fire. While T-34 released one projectile, the German T-IV spent three. Thus, in battle, it served as the Germans compensation for the T-34 guns, and, despite the strong inclined 45-mm armor, Panzerwaff tankers hit the Russian cars in the tracts of caterpillars and others. weak spots"In addition, in each Soviet tank part there were only one radio transmitter - in the tank commander of the company.
As a result, Russian tank units turned out to be less mobile than German. Nevertheless, T-34 remained formidable and inspired by the respect of weapons throughout the war. It is difficult to even imagine what consequences could entail the massive use of T-34 in the first weeks of the war. What an impression was made by the tactics to use their tank parts to Soviet infantry. Unfortunately B. soviet army there was no sufficient experience in making fights by large tank compounds and sufficient number T-34.
The situation has changed dramatically in the late 1941 early 1942. The amount of T-34 increased, and the design was constantly improved. The tactics of the use of tanks has changed. Together with tank joints, artillery and aviation began to be applied.
After the abolition of crushed carpools, by the end of the summer of 1941, the largest tank organizational unit became a brigade. Until the autumn of 1941, the T-34 sent to the front was a relatively small percentage among Soviet tanks and did not deliver particularly serious problems. However, since the number of tanks of old types was quickly reduced, the share of T-34 in the composition of the Soviet tank forces gradually grew - so, by October 16, 1941, in the Moscow direction from the 582 tanks, almost 42% (244 tanks) were T-34. The sudden appearance of new cars on the front produced a big effect on German tank workers:
"... While in early October 1941, the Eastern Eagle before the German 4th tank division did not appear Russian T-34 tanks and did not show our excellence, armor and maneuverability to victory to victories. T-34 tank made a sensation. This 26 -This Russian tank was armed with a 76.2-mm gun (caliber 41.5), whose shells punch the armor of German tanks from 1.5 - 2 thousand meters, while the German tanks could hit the Russians from a distance of no more than 500 m, and that Only if the shells got into the onboard and the feed part of the T-34 tank. "
Since the fall of 1941, the T-34 began to make a serious problem for German troops, especially indicative of the action of the 4th tank brigade M. E. Katukov against parts of the 4th tank Division Wehrmacht under Mtsensky in October 1941. If in early October 1941 Guderian in a letter to the management tank troops claimed:
"... The Soviet T-34 Tank is a typical example of the backward Bolshevik technology. This tank cannot be compared with the best samples of our tanks manufactured. reliable sons Reich and repeatedly proven its advantage ... "
by the end of the same month, under the impression of the Action of the Katukov Brigade, his opinion about the possibilities of T-34 significantly changed:
"I am a report on this situation, which is new for us, and sent it to the Army Group. I am in understandable terms described the explicit advantage of T-34 in front of our Pz.IV and has led the appropriate conclusions that should have affected our future tank buildings ... "
After the battle for Moscow, T-34 becomes the main RKKA tank, since 1942 they are produced more than all other tanks combined. In 1942, the T-34 takes the most active part in the battles throughout the front line, with the exception of the Leningrad Front and the Kola Peninsula. Especially significant was the role of these tanks in the Stalingrad battle, which is associated with the proximity to the region of the hostilities of the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, from the workshops of which tanks went straight to the front. It should be noted that since the end of 1941, German troops began to receive new, more effective means of anti-tank struggle, and in connection with which during 1942 T-34 gradually lost the situation of relative invulnerability from the standard anti-tank facilities of the Wehrmacht. From the end of 1941, the German troops began to receive substantive quantitative and cumulative shells in significant quantities; Since the beginning of 1942, the production of 37-mm Pak 35/36 guns was discontinued, and 50-mm Pak 38 guns - significantly activated. Since the spring of 1942, German troops began to receive powerful 75-mm anti-tank Pak 40 guns; However, their production unfolded quite slowly. The troops began to receive anti-tank guns created by reworking the trophy guns - Pak 36 (R) and PAK 97/38, as well as in a relatively small quantity, powerful anti-tank guns with a conical stem channel - 28/20 mm SPZB 41, 42- MM PAK 41 and 75-mm PAK 41. Armament of German tanks and self-propelled guns increased - they received a long-range 50-mm and 75-mm guns with high armoredness. At the same time, there was a gradual strengthening of the frontal armor of German tanks and assault implements.
1943 was the year of the most mass production and use of T-34 tanks with a 76-mm gun. The largest battle of this period was the Kursk battle, during which the Soviet tank parts, the basis of which were T-34, together with other kinds of troops managed to stop the German offensive, and the major losses. Modernized German tanks and assault implements that had reinforced up to 70-80 mm winding armor became small for the T-34 gun, while their artillery armament made it confidently to affect Soviet tanks. The appearance of powerfully armed and well armored heavy tanks "Tiger" and "Panther" complemented this rather silent picture. I strongly understood the question of strengthening weapons and booking the tank, which led to the creation of modification T-34-85.
In 1944, T-34 with a 76-mm gun continued to remain the main Soviet tank, but from the middle of the year the tank began to gradually be outstretched by T-34-85. The Soviet tank parts T-34 took part in large offensive operations ending with the defeat of a large number of German units and the liberation of significant territories. Despite the lag before german tanks In armament and booking, the T-34 was fully successful - the Soviet military leadership, creating a significant numerical advantage and capturing the strategic initiative, could choose the directions of strikes and, hacking the enemy defense, introduce tank parts into a breakthrough, conducting large-scale surroundings. German tank parts at best have time to parry the emerging crisis, at worst - were forced to quickly retreat from the outlined "boilers", throwing faulty or simply remaining without fuel. Soviet military leaders seek to avoid tank battlesBy providing the fight against German tanks anti-tank artillery and aviation.
Significantly growing T-34 technical reliability at the beginning of 1945 allowed the command to conduct a series of rapid and deep operations with their participation. In early 1945, headquarters of the 1st Guards tank Army It was noted that the T-34 overlap the warranty period of operation 1.5-2 times and had a practical resource to 350-400 hours.
By the beginning of 1945, the T-34 with a 76-mm gun was in the troops already relatively a bit, the niche of the main Soviet tank was firmly occupied by T-34-85. Nevertheless, the remaining cars, in particular, in the form of sapper tank trails, took an active part in the battles of the final year of war, including in the Berlin operation. Some of these tanks took part in the defeat of the Japanese Quantong Army.
Actually, the tank is needed to fight, first of all with the lively power and strengthening of the enemy, and here you need a more powerful office. Cupcople (B.K.) T-34 consisted of 100 shots and 75 of them were with a fragile-fuke-sized projectile. Of course, the tankers themselves, in the course of the matter they took into the tank what they would come in handy more. But in any case, there are not alone armor-piercing shells. When "Tiger, or Panther" takes T-34 for 1.5-2 km, and with good optics, and comfortably and smooth run is great. That's just the war is not conducted on open polygons. Cases of defeat our tanks at such a distance were so isolated that they did not even affect the "battle of local meanings." More often tankers still burned each other in the emphasis, yes from the ambush. And here is the most important tank quality, such as maneuverability, which depends on the mass of the tank. Until now, our tanks, t-34 grains, with all equal with "Americans" and "Germans" characteristics, have a smaller weight.
Even 122 mm separate-sleeve charging gun at the IS-2, yielding in the rate of "Tigrina", solved the tasks not only to combat the German armored vehicles. IS-2 and called -tank breakthrough. And the same "Tigro" just put the tasks of the extermination of our armored vehicles, better from afar, better from the ambush and necessarily under the cover of their middle tanks. If the army wins, then it requires a breakthrough tanks with a predominance in B.K. Of shells. If retreats, you need fighter tanks. At the same time, the Germans did focus on the "Superatiki" of piece production, "Tigers" and "Panther" were found for the entire war for only about 7,000 pieces. Stalin also focused on the mass production of T-34 and ZIS-3.
Design Description
Serial modifications:
- Middle Tank T-34/76 arr. 1940 - T-34/76 tanks, produced in 1940, had a combat lot of 26.8 tons and were armed with 76-mm gun L-11 sample 1939;
- Middle Tank T-34/76 arr. 1941/42 - with the F-32 / F-34 gun;
- The average tank T-34-76 arr. 1942 - with cast tower;
- The average tank T-34-76 arr. 1942/43 - A five-speed gearbox was introduced on the tanks, instead of a four-speed, a more powerful radio station 9-p instead of 71-TK-3 was installed, a commander turret appeared, and the tower itself became hexagon.
Short summary of the number of T-34 issued:
- In 1940 - 110 pieces;
- In 1941 - 2996 pieces;
- In 1942 - 1252 pieces;
- In 1943 - 15821 pieces;
- In 1944 - 14648 pieces;
- In 1945 - 12551 pieces;
- In 1946 - 2707 pieces.
T-34 has a classic layout. The crew of the tank consists of four people - the mechanic-driver and the Radrute Arrow, located in the control and charging department, which also perform the functions of the gunner, which were in the double tower.
No clearly selected modifications of linear T-34-76 did not exist. However, in the design of serial machines there were significant differences caused by various conditions of production at each of the plants producing their plants at certain periods of time, as well as a general improvement of the tank. In historical literature, these differences are usually grouped by the manufacturer and production period, sometimes indicating characteristic featureIf two or more types of machines were performed at the factory in parallel. However, in the troops the picture could even more complicate, because due to the high maintainability of T-34, the tanks were most often restored again, and the units of damaged machines of different versions were often collected in a whole tank in a wide variety of combinations.
Armor hull and tower
Armored Case T-34 - welded, collected from rolling slabs and sheets of homogeneous steel MZ-2 (I8-C), thickness 13, 16, 40 and 45 mm, after assembling undergoing surface hardening. Bronary protection tank anti-freeline, equalization, made with rational inclination angles. The frontal part consisted of a converging wedge of armor plates with a thickness of 45 mm: the top located at an angle of 60 ° to the vertical and the lower located at an angle of 53 °. Between themselves, the upper and lower front armor plates were connected using the beam. The side of the hull in the lower part was located vertically and had a thickness of 45 mm. The upper part of the sides, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe tumor shelves, consisted of 40-mm armored plates located at an angle of 40 °. The feed part was assembled from two 40-mm aircraft with a wedge: the top, located at an angle of 47 ° and the lower, located at an angle of 45 °. The roof of the tank in the area of \u200b\u200bthe engine and transmission office was collected from 16-mm armor sheets, and in the area of \u200b\u200bthe subfuchered box had a thickness of 20 mm. The bottom of the tank had a thickness of 13 mm under a motor-transmission compartment and 16 mm in the frontal part, also a small portion of the feed end of the bottom consisted of 40-mm armored vehicles. Tower T-34 - double, close to hexagon in terms of shape, with aft niche. Depending on the manufacturer and year of manufacture, the tower could be installed on the tank various design. On the T-34 of the first editions, a welded tower of rolling stoves and sheets was installed. The walls of the tower were performed from 45-mm armored plates located at an angle of 30 °, the head of the tower was a 45-mm, curved in the form of half of the cylinder, the plate with cutouts for the installation of the gun, the machine gun and sight. The roof of the tower consisted of a 15-mm armored leaf, curved at an angle from 0 ° to 6 ° to horizontal, the bottom of the feed niche is a horizontal 13-mm borderist. Although other types of towers were also gathered using welding, it was the initial type towers known in the literature called "Welders".
Firepower
The L-11 and F-34 guns installed on the T-34 and F-34 were provided to him in 1940-1941 a significant superiority in the power of the gun over all serial samples of foreign armored vehicles due to a balanced combination of relatively high action both against armored and against unarmented goals. The armoredness of F-34 was significantly inferior to KWK 40, and a pretty decent American 75-mm gun M-3, but in 1941-1942 its opportunities with more than enough for the defeat of German tanks and assault guns, the thickness of the armor did not exceed 50 70 mm. Thus, according to the secret report of the NII-48 of 1942, the heading armor of German tanks confidently made his 76.2-mm projectiles practically on any distances, including within exchange angles of ± 45 °. Only the middle frontal armor bottle with a thickness of 50 mm, located under the inclination of 52 ° to the vertical, made his way only from the distance to 800 m. During the war, the tank design was constantly upgraded, other newer and efficient tools were installed on the tank.
Protection
The level of armor T-34 provided him in the summer of 1941 reliable protection against all standard anti-tank facilities of the Wehrmacht. 37 mm Anti-tank Pak 35/36 guns, which made up the overwhelming majority of the anti-tank wehrmacht guns, had any chances to break through the winding armor only when inleaches in weakened places. T-34 sides of 37-mm calibrate shells were affected only in the vertical lower part and at small distances, and not giving a guaranteed branch action. Ralibrous shells were more effective, capable of relatively effectively punch the lower part of the side and the side of the tower, but the actual firing range did not exceed 300 m, and their erection effect was low - often the core of tungsten carbide after breaking the armor crumbled in the sand, not harming the crew . The 50-mm cannon KWK 38 with a length of 42 caliber, installed on tanks PZKPFW III AUSF.F - AUSF.J. The short-bore 75-mm KWK 37 guns, installed on early modifications PZKPFW IV and STUG III, were even less effective, and an armor-piercing projectile, with the exception of entering into weakened zones, could affect only the lower part of the sides on the distances of less than 100 meters. However, the situation was greatly smoothed by the presence of a cumulative projectile in its amusing - although the latter was worked only at relatively small angles of meeting with armor and the T-34 frontal protection was also inffective, but most of the tank was amazed to them easily. The first is really effective tool The fight against T-34 has become a 75-mm anti-tank gun Pak 40, which appeared in the troops in any noticeable quantities by the spring of 1942 and the 75-mm KWK 40 tank gun with a length of 43 caliber, installed on the PZKPFW IV assault tanks and Stug assault guns .III from the summer of the same year. The caliber armor-piercing shell KWK 40 at the rate of 0 ° hit the front armor of the T-34 housing from a distance of 1000 m and less, while the head of the tower in the area of \u200b\u200bthe gun mask was already amazed from 1 km and more. At the same time, high hardness armor used on the T-34 was prone to the formation of chips from the inside, even with a projectile ricochet. Thus, the long-life 75-mm guns formed dangerous fragments when driving up to 2 km, and 88-mm are already up to 3 km. However, during 1942, a long-term 75-mm guns were released relatively little, and the bulk of the available Wehrmacht of anti-tank agents was still 37 mm and 50mm guns. The 50-mm same tools at normal battle distances in the summer of 1942 for the removal of T-34 was based on an average of 5 hits by promotic defective subcalacer shells.
Today we will talk about the legendary tank of the Great Patriotic War, which was developed in Kharkov, under the leadership of Koshkina M.I. - T-34. He was produced from 1940, and in 1944 he became the main middle tank of the USSR. He is also the most massive Art of World War II.
T-34
CrewThe crew of the tank consists of 4 people (mechanic-driver, a rainist shooter, charging and commander), in one word classical layout.
Housing
The housing itself is the T34, welded and assembled from rolled slabs and sheets of homogeneous steel. The thickness reached from 13 to 45 mm. Bronary protection Tank is an anti-freeline, an equalization, made with rational tilt angles, but the frontal part was made of a converging wedge of armor plates with a thickness of 45 mm: the top located at an angle of 60 ° to the vertical and the bottom, located at an angle of 53 °.
Tower
The tank tower was double. On the T-34 of the first editions, a welded tower of rolling stoves and sheets was installed. The walls of the tower were performed from 45-mm armored plates located at an angle of 30 °, the head of the tower was a 45-mm, curved in the form of half of the cylinder, the plate with cutouts for the installation of the gun, the machine gun and sight. However, since 1942, the towers began to produce in an improved form, which was distinguished by a greater width, a smaller tilt of the sides and feed. (Hexagon or "Towers-nuts")
Armament
The T-34 was mainly installed 76-mm gun - 30.5 calibers / 2324 mm, the initial speed of the armor-piercing projectile is 612 m / s.
However, in 1941, it was replaced by 76-mm gun - 41.5 calibers / 3162 mm, and the initial speed of the armor-piercing projectile is 662 m / s.
Both guns used the same ammunition. The gun amp on the T-34 release of 1940-1942 consisted of 77 shots located in suitcases on the floor of the combat department and in laying on its walls. On the T-34 of the release of 1942-1944 with an "improved tower", the ammunition was increased to 100 shots. The ammunition could enter the shots with calibered, podcaliber armor-piercing, fragantic fugasic, shrapnel and cardic shells.
The auxiliary weapon of the tank was two 7.62 mm machine gun DT.
Radio
Initially, the T-34 began to establish a short-wave telephone radio station 71-TK-3, but a little later was replaced by a newer 9-P, which could provide a range of already at 15-25 km standing in place, and when driving, the range decreased to 9 -18 km in telephone mode. It is worth noting that since 1943, 9-p was replaced by 9-PM, which worked in an extended frequency range.
71-TK-3
9-R.
Engine
The engine was the same - the V-shaped 12-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine of the liquid cooling model B-2-34. Maximum engine power - 500 liters. from. at 1800 rpm, nominal - 450 liters. from. at 1750 rpm, operational - 400 liters. from. at 1700 rpm. However, due to the lack of engines B-2, 1201, the T-34 issued in 1941-1942 was equipped with carburetor aircraft engines M-17T or M-17F of the same power.
Chassis
For the chassis, Christie, which was taken from the BT Tanks series. It consisted of 5 dual support rollers whose diameter was 830mm. The caterpillars of this ST were steel, which consisted of alternating comb and "flat" tracks.
The legendary T-34 tank was recognized as the best tank of the Second World War, which had a huge impact on the outcome of war. What is the most interesting thing, the T-34 was released even with another gun - a flame retardant, which could burn everything up to 100m on his way.
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