Preparing for a future war, the Red Army ordered a variety of combat and auxiliary vehicles, including those for the engineering troops. The rearmament has affected many areas, but in the field of tank bridges, the desired results have not been obtained. For this reason, the most important issue had to be resolved already during the war, and in the most difficult conditions. The TM-34 tank bridge was the answer to the current challenges and needs of the army.
It should be recalled that work on the creation of bridgelayers on tank chassis began in the mid-thirties. Several projects of similar equipment were created based on the T-26, BT and T-28 tanks, but they did not give the desired results. Most of the new technology did not cope with the tests and therefore did not go into series. Some of the assembled prototypes were tested in the conditions of the Soviet-Finnish war. The IT-28 was approved by the military, but arrived too late. Due to the German attack, its serial production never began.
Tank bridge TM-34 in the stowed position. The bridge is laid on the roof of the hull. Photo Russianarms.ru
Nevertheless, the troops required various means of overcoming obstacles, and the engineers continued to work. The original proposal in the field of tank bridges appeared in the late autumn of 1942 in besieged Leningrad. Its author was Colonel G. A. Fedorov, who at that time served at the 27th repair plant of the Leningrad Front. The enterprise was engaged in the maintenance and restoration of army armored vehicles, and some of the repaired vehicles could be used in a new role.
According to G. A. Fedorov, some of the T-34-76 medium tanks, primarily unsuitable for service in their original quality, should have been equipped with special equipment of a relatively simple design. An oscillating track bridge was supposed to be located on the body of the machine, with the help of which it could provide overcoming obstacles with other equipment. The initiative project was notable for its simplicity and did not impose any special requirements. The production of engineering vehicles of a new type could be mastered even in the conditions of the blockade.
According to the known data, the project of G. A. Fedorov received approval and was accepted for implementation. By the end of 1942, factory # 27 assembled the first machines of a new type. This technique was designated as "tank-bridge TM-34". No other names, designations or nicknames are known.
In accordance with the proposal of the Colonel Engineer, a serial tank undergoing repairs was to be deprived of the standard turret and the main units of the fighting compartment. Also, a set of various units should be installed on the chassis, including a large track bridge. This architecture of the tank-bridge made it possible to do with minimal alterations to the existing chassis, which was critical during the blockade. At the same time, the resulting engineering machine could solve all the assigned tasks.
Another TM-34, which has noticeable external differences. Photo Wwii.space
As a basis for the TM-34, it was proposed to use serial medium tanks available from the 27th repair plant. Despite the installation of new units, the design of the base chassis has not changed. The tank retained an armored hull made of sheets up to 45 mm thick, located at rational angles of inclination. The layout also did not change, although the central compartment, which was previously a fighting compartment, could now be used to install engineering equipment. Without taking into account the new external units, the body retained its original appearance.
In the stern of the tank-bridge, there was to be a V-2-34 diesel engine with a capacity of 500 hp, standard for tanks of the T-34 family. Through the main dry friction clutch, the torque was fed to the four-speed gearbox, and through it went to the turning mechanism. The tank also had single-stage final drives. As the serial production progressed, the transmission of the T-34 machines was being finalized, and therefore the exact composition of the equipment of the tank-bridges cannot be determined.
The existing Christie suspension with vertical springs was retained. On each side there were five large road wheels, a front idler and a rear drive. As the surviving photographs show, the TM-34 tank-bridge could be equipped with rollers of a different design, which was due to the peculiarities of the repair and the existing restrictions.
The reconstructed tank lost its standard turret with a 76-mm cannon and a machine gun. Some sources mention that some of the TM-34 vehicles retained the turrets, but the installation of new special equipment sharply reduced the horizontal guidance angles. A careful study of the design of the original bridge suggests that such data do not correspond to reality. The dimensions of the towers, even of the compact early ones, did not meet the limitations imposed by the design of the newly developed bridge.
View to the starboard and stern, the ladders on the hull are noticeable. Photo "Technology - for youth"
On the sides of the frontal part of the hull of the reconstructed tank, it was proposed to mount metal supports assembled from several parts of different shapes. The latter were raised to a considerable height above the body; in the stowed position, the front of the bridge was supposed to lie on them. Some bridge tanks did not have such equipment. In the rear of the hull, at the level of the engine compartment, a hinge appeared for mounting a movable bridge. The inclined stern sheet became the basis for a pair of additional ladders. They were fixed on the body rigidly and lowered to the bottom level.
The bridge itself for the new engineering vehicle was quite simple. It was based on two longitudinal side beams of complex shape, assembled from sheet metal and profiles. Their front part was distinguished by a lower height, and at the back there was a reinforced unit of increased dimensions. The side beams were connected by several transverse bridges to form a single rectangular structure. On top of them, a track-type flooring was mounted.
With the help of a simple hinge, it was proposed to install the finished bridge on the body of the base chassis. In the stowed position, the bridge lay on the roof and front supports (if any). The design of the new units made it possible to change the position of the bridge, raising it above the body or lowering it on the supports. How the management of the bridge was organized is unknown. Probably, the chassis received new hydraulic units that were installed at the place of the fighting compartment or above the engine compartment.
The installation of the bridge required the removal of the cannon-machine gun turret from the base tank. At the same time, this alteration did not affect the machine-gun installation of the frontal plate. This suggests that the Leningrad-assembled bridge tanks retained one of the DT machine guns, which could be used for self-defense. Also, the crew could have personal small arms and several grenades.
Bridge in working position. Photo "Technology - for youth"
The composition of the TM-34 crew is not exactly known. Probably, two or three tankmen should have driven the car. In the front part of the hull, the driver's workplace was preserved, equipped with a characteristic front plate hatch. Next to him could be a gunner commander, including those with bridge controls.
The tank chassis, despite the removal of old units and the installation of new ones, retained the same dimensions. Its length did not exceed 6 m with a width of 3 m and a height of less than 2 m. It is not known how the mass of the vehicle has changed in comparison with the base tank.
The dimensions of the bridge in the plan almost coincided with the dimensions of the tank. Its length, excluding the aft ladders, reached 6-6.5 m with a width of about 3 m. Thus, the TM-34 bridge tank could help various domestic armored vehicles, primarily the T-34 medium tanks.
According to the idea of engineer-colonel Fedorov, the new tank-bridge was supposed to overcome a number of obstacles encountered in the way of armored vehicles. First of all, it was about anti-tank ditches and escarpments. Accompanying armored combat vehicles, the TM-34 had to approach the obstacle and drive into it, coming close to the opposite slope. After that, it was necessary to raise the bridge to the required angle - so that its front part was level with the upper platform. In this position, the bridge was fixed, providing the possibility of the passage of this or that technique.
The tank-bridge drove into the moat and is ready to ensure the passage of other vehicles. Photo "Technology - for youth"
The tank or any other vehicle had to approach the TM-34 from behind and enter its aft sloping ramps. Through them it was possible to get to the main deck of the bridge and drive along it to the upper platform, overcoming the obstacle. According to known data, the design of the tank-bridge made it possible to overcome obstacles up to 12 m wide with a depth of 2, 2 to 4, 5 m. "Skills" for overcoming trenches.
The project of the tank-bridge was proposed in the fall of 1942, and soon the repair plant No. 27 mastered the assembly of such equipment. Extra units were removed from the available medium tanks, after which they were equipped with means for mounting a bridge and the bridge itself. The surviving materials allow us to assert that the design of finished products depended not only on the project, but also on the capabilities of the manufacturer. As a result, different tank bridges of the same series could have noticeable differences of one kind or another. In particular, it is known about the existence of TM-34 without front supports for transporting the bridge. In addition, similar supports on different tanks could have a different design.
For December 1942 and the first few months of the next 1943, the Leningrad repair plant No. 27 converted a number of existing T-34 tanks according to a new project. Their exact number is unknown, but, apparently, only a few cars were assembled. The army needed such equipment, but it did not need tens and hundreds of tank bridges.
Probably, the TM-34 was not officially accepted into service. Such equipment was produced in small series in the interests of one of the fronts, but the launch of full-scale production at other enterprises was not planned.
The only known image of the TM-34 bridge in operation. Photo "Technology - for youth"
According to fragmentary surviving data, the TM-34 bridge tanks were used to a limited extent on the Leningrad front and helped other vehicles navigate rough terrain. However, the situation on this front did not in any way contribute to the frequent and massive use of engineering equipment. In addition, having a specific appearance and special design, the TM-34 machines could face certain problems during operation and work on the battlefield.
Detailed information about the operation and combat work of the tanks-bridges of the 27th plant has not been preserved. Probably, they could find use and help the offensive of their troops, as well as contribute to the lifting of the blockade. Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out that a few engineering vehicles were eventually lost in different battles.
The latest reports on engineering bridge tanks date back to the first months of 1943. After that, new data on such a technique did not appear. Why is anyone's guess. However, the approximate fate of all assembled TM-34s is known. None of these machines have survived to this day. Apparently, they either died in battle, or were dismantled as unnecessary. They could be disposed of both during the Great Patriotic War and after.
By the beginning of the war, the Red Army's fleet of equipment lacked serial and mass tank bridgelayers capable of ensuring the movement of troops over rough terrain and helping them overcome various obstacles. The lack of engineering means led to the emergence of proactive developments, one of which was the TM-34 tank bridge. It is known that during the war, Soviet engineers and the military proactively proposed and implemented several similar projects, but the TM-34 turned out to be the only engineering vehicle with a non-resettable bridge. Later, similar ideas were implemented at a new technological level.
