The legendary T-34 tank, many years after the end of World War II, causes a lot of controversy and conflicting opinions. Some argue that he is the best tank of that war, others talk about his mediocre performance and incredible victories. Someone calls the best American "Sherman" or German T-VI "Tiger" and T-V "Panther".
The junior officers, the tankmen of the Spanish army, are also trying to talk about this. In the article Panzer IV: Secrets of the Armored Legend of Adolf Hitler, published in January this year, they admire the German Panzerkampfwagen IV (Pz. Kpfw. IV), comparing it to the T-34. They conclude that the German tank is "one of the best battle tanks of its time," while admitting that "in the icy Russian steppe, he had to face off against a more modern and a priori much more deadly enemy - the T-34-76."
Recognizing the high characteristics of the Soviet tank, the authors speak disrespectfully of the tank and Soviet tankers. They know about the technical characteristics of the T-34 from rumors, this is evident from their assertion that in a German tank the crew rotated with the turret, but in the T-34 this is impossible.
They proudly write about the mass production of the PzIV in Nazi Germany: 8686 tanks were produced there between 1937-1945.
Apparently, they have no idea that 35,312 T-34 tanks were produced in the Soviet Union during the war years!
The fate of the T-34 requires an objective assessment and comparison of the actual characteristics of tanks, as is customary in modern tank building. What were the T-34 and Pz. Kpfw. IV tanks that had to collide on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War?
The Pz. Kpfw. IV tank was created as an assault tank, a means of fire support for infantry to fight against enemy firing points and break through fortified positions with light bulletproof armor and a crew of 5 people.
The main armament was a short-barreled 75-mm cannon with a barrel length of 24 caliber. The main emphasis was placed on a powerful high-explosive fragmentation projectile. Due to the low speed of departure of the armor-piercing projectile (385 m / s), it did not pose a serious threat to enemy tanks. The ammunition capacity of the tank was 80 rounds.
The protection of the tank was bulletproof, the frontal protection of the hull was 30-50 mm, the forehead of the turret was 30-35 mm, the sides of the hull and turret were 20 mm, the roof and bottom of the hull were only 10 mm. The tank did not use an inclined arrangement of armor plates. Naturally, with such protection, this tank became an easy prey for anti-tank weapons and enemy tanks.
The mass of the tank in the process of modernization constantly grew and by 1941 increased from 18.4 tons to 21 tons. With a constant power of a 300-horsepower gasoline engine, the specific power was 13.6-14.3 hp / t, in a narrow track the specific pressure for such a tank was high: 0.69-0.79 kg / sq. In this regard, the cross-country ability and maneuverability of the tank were low, and this especially began to affect the off-road conditions in the war with the Soviet Union.
The tank provided good habitability and visibility to the crew of the tank. A commander's cupola was installed in the tower, providing him with an all-round view, there were observation and aiming devices that were perfect at that time.
The T-34 tank was created as a high-speed medium tank with anti-cannon armor protection, providing protection against 37-mm anti-tank guns, with powerful weapons that ensure the defeat of enemy tanks, and was intended primarily for the development of an offensive in the operational depth of enemy defense as part of large tank formations … It was a new concept of a versatile breakthrough tank combining strong firepower, good protection and high maneuverability.
The T-34 tank had anti-cannon protection, it provided reliable protection against all enemy anti-tank weapons existing at that time, including from the 37-mm German Pak 35/36 anti-tank guns and from almost all foreign tanks, which were equipped with guns of no more than 50 mm.
On the T-34, for the first time in the world of tank building, a long-barreled 76-mm L-11 cannon with a barrel length of 30.5 caliber was installed, which was replaced in January 1941 by a more powerful 76-mm F-34 cannon with a barrel length of 41 caliber. These guns with an initial departure speed of an armor-piercing projectile of 635 m / s significantly exceeded all foreign tank guns existing at that time.
For the first time in the world of tank building, the protection of a tank was built on an inclined arrangement of armor plates. The front of the hull consisted of two 45-mm armor plates, the upper one located at an angle of 60 degrees. to the vertical, and the bottom, located at an angle of 53 degrees, providing armor protection equivalent to 80 mm.
The forehead and walls of the tower were made of 45-mm armor plates located at an angle of 30 degrees, the front plate was bent in the form of a half cylinder. With a cast tower, the wall thickness was increased to 52 mm.
The sides of the hull in the lower part were located vertically and had a thickness of 45 mm. The upper part of the sides, in the area of the fenders, consisted of 40-mm armor plates located at an angle of 40 °. The aft part was assembled from the upper and lower 40 mm armor plates, converging with a wedge at an angle of 47 degrees. and 45 degrees.
The roof of the hull in the MTO area was made of 16 mm armor plates, and in the area of the turret platform it was 20 mm. The bottom of the tank was 13 mm thick under the MTO and 16 mm in the front.
For the first time in tank building, a 500 hp diesel engine was used on the T-34. with. With a combat weight of 26.6-31.0 tons, the specific power was 19.0-16.0 hp / t, and the use of a wide track ensured a low specific pressure of 0.62 kg / sq. cm, which guaranteed the high running characteristics of the tank.
The combination in the T-34-76 of high firepower, good projectile protection with high maneuverability, maneuverability and mobility ensured high combat characteristics of the tank. The T-34-76 confidently hit the frontal projection of all German tanks and provided reliable protection against standard German anti-tank weapons.
Extreme simplicity of the tank design with high manufacturability ensured the rapid organization of mass production of tanks during the war, high maintainability in the field and good operational characteristics.
At the same time, the T-34-76 with a crew of 4 people had a serious drawback in terms of the working conditions of the crew members. The tower was cramped, the visibility was poor, and the observation devices were imperfect. It was impossible to accommodate another crew member in the tower. The commander also performed the functions of a gunner, and therefore could not fully perform the functions of a commander and search for targets. At the initial stage of serial production of the tank, its components and systems had low reliability.
Comparing the T-34-76 tanks and the Pz. Kpfw. IV tanks of the A-E series produced in the same period, we can conclude that the T-34-76 tank was superior to the Pz. Kpfw. IV in all main characteristics. In terms of firepower, the 76-mm T-34-76 cannon was guaranteed to penetrate the armor of the PzIV at all real firing ranges. The armor protection of the T-34-76 reliably protected the tank from German anti-tank weapons, and the 75-mm short-barreled gun of the German tank could not penetrate the armor of the T-34-76. It was possible to penetrate the armor of the T-34-76 from a distance of 100-150 m, but at this distance it was still necessary to approach the deadly tank.
In terms of cross-country ability and maneuverability, the T-34-76 due to the higher specific power of the engine, 19 hp / t versus 13.6 hp / t, and a wider track stood much higher than the Pz. Kpfw. IV and provided undeniable advantage.
With the accumulation of experience in combat clashes of tanks, the T-34-76 and Pz. Kpfw. IV were improved. On a German tank in March 1942, on a modification of the Pz. Kpfw. IV F, instead of a short-barreled 75-mm cannon, a long-barreled 75-mm Kw. K.40 L / 43 cannon with a 43 caliber barrel length was installed, and in the spring of 1943 the Kw. K cannon..40 L / 48 with a barrel length of 48 calibers.
The tank's firepower has increased dramatically, it has become a universal tank capable of solving a wide range of tasks and fighting the T-34-76 tanks and the American M4 Sherman at most ranges of fire.
The armor of the PzIV was also increased due to the installation of a solid-rolled 80-mm armor plate of the hull's forehead, reaching the level of protection of the T-34-76 hull's forehead, and the turret protection was partially increased to 30 mm. The rest of the tank's armor remained unchanged and was weak. In addition, additional protection measures were introduced on the Pz. Kpfw. IV - hinged anti-cumulative screens made of 5-mm sheets, installed along the sides of the hull, and a coating of vertical armor with "zimmerit" to protect against magnetic mines.
However, the cross-country ability and maneuverability of the tank, especially its latest modifications, the mass of which reached 25.7 tons, with the same engine power became even worse.
With the appearance on the Pz. Kpfw. IV of a long-barreled 75-mm cannon with a 43-caliber barrel, the firepower of the T-34-76 practically equaled, and with the installation of a 48-caliber cannon, the firepower of the Pz. Kpfw. IV began to surpass the T-34 -76. In addition, the appearance at the front in the summer of 1943 of the Tiger tanks with 88-mm guns with a barrel length of 56 calibers and reinforced frontal armor of the tank up to 100 mm and the Panther with a 75-mm cannon with a barrel length of 70 calibers and frontal armor up to 80 mm made them invulnerable to the T-34-76 cannon.
By the end of 1940, the Germans had 75-mm Pak 40 anti-tank guns, penetrating 80 mm armor from a distance of 1000 m, that is, the T-34-76 was hit at the most probable distance of the battle, and the armor-piercing shell of the 88-mm cannon of the Tiger tank , Which had an initial speed of 890 m / s, pierced the frontal armor of a T-34 tank from a distance of 1500 m.
The question arose of a serious modernization of the T-34-76 tank or the development of a new tank. A project was developed for a well-protected T-43 tank with an 85-mm cannon, which solved many issues, but it required a stop and re-equipment of production, which was unacceptable during the war.
We stopped at the radical modernization of the T-34-76 and the search for other solutions aimed at the tactical protection of the tank and the development of other tactics for using tank formations. A new turret with an increased turret ring was introduced, which made it possible to install an 85-mm cannon and increase the amount of ammunition for it to 100 pieces.
The tower had an increased internal volume, which improved the habitability of the crew and allowed it to be brought up to 5 people. A new crew member was introduced - the gunner, the commander was able to control the tank and search for targets. The visibility from the tank was also improved by installing new viewing devices and a commander's cupola.
It was possible to increase the armor protection only in the turret, the thickness of the armor of the frontal part of the turret was increased to 90 mm, and the sides of the turret to 75 mm. In combination with the design angles of inclination of the turret sides, this thickness provided protection against armor-piercing shells from the 75-mm Rak 40 cannon.
It was impossible to increase the protection of the frontal hull plates due to the design features of the tank; the longitudinal placement of the engine did not make it possible to move the turret back. Protection of the hull remained at the same level, only the thickness of the aft armor plate increased from 40 mm to 45 mm and the thickness of the bottom in the frontal part from 16 mm to 20 mm. The tank received the index T-34-85 and began mass production in December 1943.
Comparison of the T-34-85 tanks with the PzIV of the F-J series produced in 1942-1945 shows a completely different ratio of characteristics.
The cannons of the tanks are similar in their characteristics. With a larger gun caliber, the T-34-85 had a lower rate of departure of an armor-piercing projectile (662 versus 790 m / s), and the departure speed of an armor-piercing subcaliber projectile was close (930 versus 950 m / s). That is, in terms of firepower, the T-34-85 and Pz. Kpfw. IV tanks were about equal.
In terms of protection, the T-34-85 was higher than the Pz. Kpfw. IV, the anti-cannon armor of the T-34-85 provided protection against enemy anti-tank weapons and the fire of the Pz. Kpfw. IV cannon, but was powerless against the fire of the Tiger and Panther tanks..
The T-34-85 tank retained its high characteristics in terms of mobility and maneuverability, with an increase in the mass of the T-34-85, the specific power remained at the level of 15, 5 hp / t, and for the Pz. Kpfw. IV, with an increase in the mass of the tank, the specific power power dropped to 11.7hp / t, and its mobility and maneuverability characteristics became even worse.
Despite the installation of an 85-mm cannon, the T-34-85 was on a par only with the PzIV in terms of firepower. Yielding to the German tanks "Tiger" and "Panther" in firepower and protection, he lost to them in a duel battle. At the same time, the T-34-85 surpassed German tanks in maneuverability and had a very high level of operational and tactical mobility, which was successfully used in the development of new tactics for the use of tank formations.
At the first stage of the war, the T-34-76 tank seriously surpassed the German mass tank Pz. Kpfw. IV in all characteristics, at the second stage they were equal in firepower, but the T-34-85 began to yield to the new German T tanks in terms of firepower and protection. -VI "Tiger" and T-V "Panther". They refused to launch the new T-43 tank into series, relying on new tactics for using existing and modernized tanks.
In 1941, the Soviet tank forces suffered heavy losses, while the German troops had only lightly armored Pz. Kpfw. IV tanks, but the German tankers in their tactical skills, in the coherence of the crews and the command experience gained in battles with France and Poland, significantly outnumbered the Soviet tankers.
Large losses of tanks in the initial period of the war were explained by the poor development of new tanks by personnel, low reliability of tanks, tactically illiterate use of tanks and haste to enter into battle without preliminary organization of interaction with other types of troops, continuous marches over distances of up to 1000 km, disabling the chassis tanks, insufficient organization of repair and evacuation services with the rapid movement of the front line, as well as the loss of command and control of the troops by the higher headquarters and weak command and control within tank formations.
An important role was played by the well-organized anti-tank defense by the Germans. Soviet tanks were often rushed to break through the enemy's well-organized anti-tank defenses without preliminary processing by artillery and aviation.
All this continued in 1943 during the Battle of Kursk. There was no oncoming tank battle near Prokhorovka, this is a legend. The commander of the 5th Guards Tank Army, General Rotmistrov, threw the army into a counterattack against the well-organized anti-tank defense of the enemy and introduced it by battalion on a narrow sector of the front, sandwiched by a river and a railway embankment. The Germans took turns destroying the battalions. The losses of the army were terrifying, 340 tanks and 17 self-propelled guns were burned, the army lost 53% of the tanks and self-propelled guns that took part in the counterattack. It was not possible to break through the enemy's defenses.
As a result of this battle, Stalin created a commission that examined the reasons for the unsuccessful use of tanks and their technical characteristics. Conclusions were made, the T-34-85 tank appeared, and the tactics of using tank formations were radically changed.
Tanks no longer rushed to break through the enemy's organized anti-tank defenses. This task was carried out by artillery and aviation. Only after breaking into the defense, tank units were introduced into the breakthrough for large-scale encirclement operations. The Soviet military leadership tried to avoid tank battles as much as possible.
In such operations, as never before, the excellent characteristics of the T-34-85 in terms of maneuverability and mobility were useful, and the increased technical reliability of the tank made it possible to carry out a number of quick and deep operations. This once again showed that not only technology wins in the battle, but also people who use it wisely.
As a result, comparing the T-34 and Pz. Kpfw. IV tanks, we can say that the T-34, not only in terms of its technical characteristics, but also, if possible, to organize mass production during the war and, with competent tactics of its use, was superior to the German tank. And even the German generals, who felt its power on themselves, recognized the T-34 as the best tank of the Second World War.
