You know that:
- The first idea for the construction of a completely new tank was already presented by the Russian designer A. Firson, who, however, was executed by the Soviet leader Stalin, and so this task was left to the young and ambitious engineer Mikhail Koshkin, who did not want to put up with the mere improvement of already outdated technology.
- M. Koškin, contrary to the orders of the management, secretly drew something that later became a real legend.
- During prototype tests in 1938 before a committee of the Council of Defense, the new tank proved to be a very capable machine. However, he encountered fierce resistance from Marshal Kulikov, who tried to point out real or imagined mistakes and did so until the committee rejected the prototype of the T-34 tank.
- Whether behind Kulikov's attitude was personal gain, total incompetence, or both is not known today. In any case, the designer was forced to take an unusual step that ultimately cost him his life.
- In order for M. Koškin to promote the innovative design of the tank in front of the army leadership, despite the resistance of Marshal Kulikov, he went personally with the T-34 prototype in the freezing cold from Kharkov to Moscow to see Stalin.
- However, the young engineer made a fatal mistake when he forgot one important thing when designing the tank, the heating.
- During the 800 km journey, M. Koškin caught a cold and died of pneumonia in a few weeks.
- However, his mission was successful. When J. Stalin saw the new type of tank, he immediately decided on its serial production.
- Its production was so simple that even unskilled labor (unfortunately women and children) who were not deployed on the front lines could handle the assembly.
- T-34 tanks were produced the most of all the tanks of World War II.
- In total, more than 80,000 were produced in various versions, of which 44,900 were lost in combat.
- The 85 version tank had an improved 85 mm cannon.
- German General Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist called the T-34 the best tank in the world at a general meeting.
- Thanks to the wide tracks, the T-34 tanks easily passed through even soft terrain.
- Even today, it is included in the resources of 9 countries of the world.
Technical parameters:
- length 6.1 m (with cannon 8.1 m), width 3.00 m, height 2.45 m
- weight 28,500 kg
- frontal armor strength up to 60 mm
- drive 12 cylinder V-2-34 8L V12 diesel engine with 373 kW
- maximum speed 55 km/h on road, 20 km/h off-road
- 5 speeds forward and 1 reverse
- range 350 km
- consumption 250 l/100 km summer and 270 l/100 km winter
- wading depth 1.3 m
- main weapon F-34 cannon caliber 76 mm (stock of 56 or 60 rounds), range 14,000 m
- secondary weapon 2 x 7.62 mm DT machine gun
- crew 4
From the memoirs of Alexander, a veteran of the Battle of Stalingrad. P. Ivanovich:
"Before dawn we formed up to attack a group of German Tigers hidden behind buildings on the outskirts of the devastated city. No sooner had the order to launch the attack come over the radio than our unit was attacked by German planes. Two T-34s were destroyed before they could move forward. I can tell you that it was only that day that I, as a new recruit, got rid of my fear for good."
Assembly instructions
