The tank's crew consists of 3 people. The history of the tank forces. Armored corps and turret

At the last exhibition Army 2015, anyone could feel like a member of the crew of the T-90s tank. For this, there were 4 cars in the static parking lot, which anyone could get into. Let's see what it's like to be a tanker:

2. Place of the driver. Swing levers; main clutch pedal (similar to a car clutch); the mountain brake pedal hidden behind the fan (similar to the parking brake of a car); fuel pedal; a comb of a selector of transfers.

3. Everyone is always interested in what it means to “review like in a tank”. Prism observation device TNPO-168 with a wide field of view.
For driving at night, an active-passive TVN-5 night vision device can be installed instead

4. On the left hand is the instrument panel.

5. It is larger. All devices and toggle switches are protected against damage or accidental switching.

6. On the right hand there is a gear selector lever, a place for a thermos, a handle for closing the hatch, an intercom, junction boxes.

7. And behind the driver's back there is only a modest clearance into the fighting compartment from the side of the gunner.

8. Workplace operator-gunner. On the left is the PN-5 night sight, on the right is the gunner's day sight 1G46.

9. Night sight, weapon control units.

10. At the bottom right, mechanical handles for turning the turret and aiming the gun, showing the aiming angles.

11. Place of the tank commander

12. The sighting and observation complex of the commander PNK-4S consists of a combined day-night sight of the commander TKN-4S and a gun position sensor.

13. The commander is surrounded by instruments from all sides.

This tank is the most recognizable symbol Great Patriotic. The best-in-class tank of the Second World War. One of the most massive tanks in the world. The machine that forms the basis of the armored armies of the USSR that have passed through all of Europe.

What kind of people were leading the thirty-fours into battle? How and where was it taught? What the battle looked like "from the inside" and what were the front-line everyday life Soviet tank crews?

Tank crew training up to ...

Before the war, a career tank commander trained for two years. He studied all types of tanks that were in the Red Army. He was taught to drive a tank, to shoot from his cannon and machine guns, was given knowledge on the tactics of tank battle. A specialist with a wide profile left the school. He was not only the commander of a combat vehicle, but also knew how to perform the duties of any crew member.

In the thirties, the military enjoyed immense popularity in the USSR. First, the Red Army, its soldiers and officers, symbolized the power of the relatively young Soviet state, which in just a few years turned from a war-ravaged, impoverished, agrarian country into an industrial power capable of standing up for itself. Secondly, the officers were one of the wealthiest strata of the population.

For example instructor aviation school, Besides full content(uniforms, lunches in the canteen, transport, hostel or money for rent) received a very high salary - about 700 rubles (a bottle of vodka cost about two rubles). In addition, service in the army gave people from a peasant environment a chance to improve their education, master a new, prestigious specialty.

Alexander Burtsev, the tank commander, says: “I remember that after three years of service they returned from the army with other people. The village burdock was leaving, and a literate, cultured person returned, well-dressed, in a tunic, trousers, boots, physically stronger. He could work with technology, lead. When a serviceman came from the army, as they were called, the whole village gathered. The family was proud that he served in the army, that he became such a person. "

The coming new war- the war of motors - also created new propaganda images. If, in the twenties, every boy dreamed of sabers and cavalry attacks, then by the end of the thirties this romantic image was forever supplanted by fighter pilots and tank crews. Piloting a fighter plane or shooting the enemy with a tank cannon - this is what thousands of Soviet guys now dreamed of. “Guys, let's go to the tankers! It's honorable! You go, the whole country is under you! And you are on an iron horse! " - phrases describing the mood of those years, recalls the platoon commander, Lieutenant Nikolai Yakovlevich Zheleznov.

... and during the war

However, during the heavy defeats of 1941, the Red Army lost almost all the tanks that it had in western districts... Most of the regular tankers were also killed. The shortage is acute tank crews became apparent in the summer of 1942, when the industry evacuated to the Urals began to produce tanks in the same volumes.

The country's leadership, realizing that it was the tankers who would play a decisive role in the 1943 campaign, ordered the fronts to send at least 5,000 of the best privates and sergeants to tank schools every month with the education of at least seven classes. In the training tank regiments, where the rank and file were trained - radio gunners, driver mechanics and loaders, 8000 best soldiers with an education of at least three classes were called from the front every month. In addition to the front-line soldiers, yesterday's high school graduates, tractor drivers and combine operators sat on the school bench.

The course was cut to six months and the curriculum was cut to a minimum. But I still had to study 12 hours a day. Basically, they studied the material part of the T-34 tank - a chassis, a transmission, a cannon and machine guns, a radio station.

All this, as well as the ability to repair a tank, was learned both in classrooms and in practical exercises... But time was sorely lacking. The platoon commander Vasily Bryukhov recalls: “After graduating from college, I fired three shells and a machine-gun disk. Is this preparation? They taught us a little driving on BT-5. They gave the basics - to get under way, drive in a straight line. There were tactics classes, but mostly on foot in a tank way. And only at the end there was an ostentatious lesson " tank platoon on the offensive. " Everything! Our preparation was very weak. When we were let out, the head of the school said: “Well, then, sons, we understand that you quickly skipped the program. You don’t have solid knowledge, but finish your studies in battle ”.

From school to the front

Freshly baked lieutenants were sent to tank factories in Gorky, Nizhny Tagil, Chelyabinsk and Omsk. A battalion of T-34 tanks rolled off the conveyors of each of these factories every day. The young commander filled out the tank acceptance form. After that, he received a penknife, a silk kerchief for filtering fuel, a revolver and a fist-sized tank clock, which were installed on the dashboard. However, tankers often carried them with them. Not everyone had a wrist or pocket watch at that time.
Ordinary crew members were trained in a three-month course in reserve tank regiments located at factories. The commander quickly got to know the crew and made a fifty-kilometer march, which ended with live fire.

After that, the tanks were loaded onto platforms, and the echelon rushed them westward - towards their fate.

Inside the T-34

Legendary medium tank, which entered service in 1940, was in many ways a revolutionary design. But, like any transitional model, it combined novelties and forced decisions. The first tanks had an outdated gearbox. The roar in the tank was incredible, and the tank intercom worked disgustingly. Therefore, the tank commander simply put his feet on the driver's shoulders and controlled him using predetermined signals.

There was only two people in the T-34 turret. Therefore, the tank commander performed the duties of both the commander and the gunner. By the way, the commander and loader somehow, but could talk, but most often their communication also took place with gestures. The commander thrust his fist under the loader's nose, and he already knows that he needs to load with armor-piercing, and his spread palm - with fragmentation.

Gunner-radio operator Pyotr Kirichenko recalls: “Switching gears required enormous efforts. The driver will move the lever to the desired position and begin to pull it, and I pick up and pull with it. The transmission will live for a while and only then it turns on. The tank march consisted entirely of such exercises. During the long march, the driver lost two or three kilograms in weight: he was all exhausted. In addition, since his hands are busy, I took the paper, poured samosad or makhorka into it, pasted it over, lit it and put it in his mouth. This was also my responsibility. "

Battle on the T-34 (reconstruction)

There are several minutes left before the attack starts. The commander's hands begin to shake, his teeth chatter: “How will the battle turn out? What's behind the hillock? What are the strengths of the Germans? Will I live to see the evening? " The gunner-radio operator nervously gnaws a piece of sugar - he always pulls it before an attack on food. The charger smokes, inhaling deeply in smoke. The cigarette in his hand is trembling. But the signal to attack sounds in the headphones of the commander's tank helmet. The commander switches to intercom, but the crackling sound is such that nothing can be heard. Therefore, he just lightly hits the driver on the head with his boot, who is sitting directly under him - this is a conditional signal “Forward!”. The car, roaring with its engine, clanking its tracks, starts to move. The commander looks through the periscope - the entire battalion has moved into the attack.

The fear is gone. There was only a cold calculation.

The mechanic drives the car at a speed of 25-30 kilometers in a zigzag fashion, changing direction every 50 meters. The life of the crew depends on his experience. It is the mechanic who must correctly assess the terrain, find shelter, and not substitute the board under the enemy's guns. The radio operator tuned the radio to receive. He has a machine gun, but he can only aim through a hole with a diameter of forefinger, in which the earth and the sky flash alternately - you will only scare the Fritzes with such shooting, there is little real sense from it. The loader in the panorama is watching the right sector. His task is not only to throw shells into the breech, but also to indicate to the commander the target on the right along the course of the tank.

The commander looks forward and to the left, looking for targets. The right shoulder rested against the breech of the cannon, the left against the turret armor. Closely. The arms are folded in a cross on a cross: the left one is on the gun lifting mechanism, the right one is on the turret swing handle. Here he caught an enemy tank in a panorama. Kicked the driver in the back - "Stop!" and just in case he shouted into the intercom: "Short!" Loader: "Armor-piercing!"
The driver selects a flat area of ​​the terrain, stops the car, shouts: "Track!" The loader sends the projectile. Trying to shout down the roar of the engine and the clang of the bolt, he reports: "The armor-piercing is ready!"
The tank, stopping abruptly, sways for some time. Now everything depends on the commander, on his skills and just on luck. A stationary tank is a tasty target for the enemy! The back was damp from the tension. Right hand rotates the turret turning mechanism, aligning the reticle with the target in the direction. Left hand turns the lifting mechanism of the gun, combining the mark in terms of range.

"Shot!" - the commander shouts and presses the gun trigger. His voice is drowned out by the roar of the shot and the clang of the shutter. The fighting compartment is filled with powder gases that corrode the eyes. The fan, installed in the turret, does not have time to blow them out of the tank. The loader grabs the hot smoking sleeve and throws it out through the hatch. Without waiting for a command, the mechanic pulls the car off the spot.

The enemy manages to make a return shot. But the shell only ricochets, leaving a furrow on the armor, like a hot spoon in oil. From hitting the tank ringing in my ears. The scale, flying off from the armor, bites into the face, grinds on his teeth. But the fight continues!

T-34 against "Tigers"

The T-34 was superior to the German medium tanks in all respects. It was a maneuverable and fast medium tank equipped with a 76 mm long cannon and a diesel engine. A special source of pride for tankers was distinctive feature"Thirty-fours" - sloped armor. The effectiveness of sloped armor was confirmed by the practice of battles. Most of the German anti-tank and tank guns of 1941-42 did not penetrate the frontal armor of the T-34 tank. By 1943, the T-34 had become the main combat vehicle of the Soviet tank armies, replacing the outdated T-26 and BT.

However, by 1943, the Germans had modernized the old medium tanks T-IV and began production of heavy tanks T-V "Panther" and T-VI "Tiger". The long-barreled guns of 75 and 88 mm caliber installed on the new machines could hit the T-34 at a distance of 1.5-2 thousand meters, while the 76 mm gun of our medium tank could hit the Tiger only from 500 m, and the Panther from 800 meters. Using the advantage of the T-34 in maneuverability and tactical tricks, our tankers often emerged victorious from battles with a technically superior enemy. But it happened the other way around ...

If the tank is hit ...

It's good if the shell hit the engine compartment - the tank simply went deaf and the crew had time to jump out. If the projectile pierced the armor of the tower or side fighting compartment, then shards of armor most often injured one of the crew members. The spreading fuel flared up - and all the hope of the tankers remained only for themselves, for their reaction, strength, dexterity, because each had only two or three seconds in reserve to escape.

It was even worse for those whose tank was simply immobilized, but did not burn. Ion Degen, a tanker, says: “In a battle, an order from the commander to leave the burning tank was not required, especially since the commander could have already been killed. We jumped out of the tank intuitively. But, for example, it was impossible to leave the tank if you only killed the caterpillar. The crew was obliged to fire from the spot until they were killed. "

And it also happened that some trifle, sometimes even uncomfortable clothes, did not allow the tanker to leave the burning car. Tanker Konstantin Shits recalls: “Our commander of one of the companies was Senior Lieutenant Sirik, such a prominent man. Somehow they captured rich trophies at the station, and he began to wear a good, long Romanian coat, but when they were knocked out, the crew managed to jump out, and because of this coat he hesitated and burned ... "

But when they were lucky, the tankers jumped out of the burning tank, crawled into the craters and immediately tried to retreat to the rear.
Having survived the battle, the "horseless" tankers entered the battalion's reserve. But it was impossible to rest for a long time. The repairmen quickly restored the unburnt tanks. In addition, the factories were constantly replenishing parts new technology... So literally two or three days later, the tanker was included in a new, unfamiliar crew and on a new tank they again went into battle.

It's always harder for commanders

It was even harder for the company and battalion commanders. Those fought to the last tank of their unit. This means that the commanders changed from one damaged vehicle to a new one several times during one operation, or even one day.

Tank brigades "ground to zero" in two or three weeks of offensive battles. After that, they were assigned to be reorganized. There, the tankers first of all put in order the remaining equipment and only then themselves. The crew, regardless of the ranks, refueled the car with fuel, loaded it with ammunition, cleaned the gun and adjusted the sight, checked the equipment and mechanisms of the tank.

The loader cleaned the projectiles from grease - washed them in diesel fuel, and then wiped them dry with a rag. The driver-mechanic adjusted the mechanisms of the tank, filled the buckets with fuel, oil and water. The radio operator and the commander helped them - no one disdained dirty work. The fate of the tank depended on the crew, but the life of the crew was also directly related to the condition and combat effectiveness of the tank.

We prepared the car for the upcoming battle or march - now you can wash, shave, eat and, most importantly, sleep. After all, a tank was not only a combat vehicle for the crew, but often a home.

Life of tankers

A tank tarpaulin measuring 10 by 10 meters was attached to the turret of the tank. The crew covered the tank with them on the way to the front. Simple food was laid out on it. The same tarpaulin served tankers and a roof over their heads when it was not possible to stay overnight in houses.

In winter conditions, the tank froze through and became a real "refrigerator". Then the crew dug out a trench, drove a tank on top of it. A "tank stove" was suspended under the bottom of the tank, which was heated with wood. It was not very comfortable in such a dugout, but much warmer than in the tank itself or on the street.

The habitability and comfort of the thirty-fours themselves were at the minimum required level. The seats of the tankers were made rigid and, unlike American tanks, there were no armrests on them. Nevertheless, the tankers sometimes had to sleep right in the tank - half-sitting. Senior Sergeant Pyotr Kirichenko, T-34 radio operator-gunner, recalls:
“Although I was long and thin, I still got used to sleeping in my seat. I even liked it: you fold your back, lower your felt boots so that your legs do not freeze against the armor, and you sleep. And after the march it is good to sleep on a warm transmission, covered with a tarpaulin. "

The tankers were forced to live in Spartan style. In the offensive, they did not even have the opportunity to wash or change their clothes. Tanker Grigory Shishkin says:
“Sometimes you don’t wash for a whole month. And sometimes it's okay, you wash yourself once every 10 days. The bath was done like this. They built a hut in the forest, covered it with spruce branches. Spruce branches are also on the floor. Several crews gathered. One drowns, another chops wood, the third carries water ”.

During intense battles, even food was often delivered to tankers only at the end of the day - breakfast, lunch, and dinner at once. But at the same time, the tankers were supplied with dry rations. In addition, the crew never neglected the opportunity to carry a supply of food in the tank. In the offensive, this stock became practically the only source of food, which was replenished with trophies or thanks to the help of the civilian population. “The tankers' supplies have always been good. And, of course, food trophies were an additional ration for us ... And tank NZs were always eaten even before battles - what if we burn out, so why would any good be lost? " - says tanker Mikhail Shister.

In the evening after the battle it was possible to drink the "People's Commissar's hundred grams." But before the battle, a good commander always forbade his crew to drink alcohol. The commander of the crew Grigory Shishkin about this feature of the tankers: “The main thing is that everyone is drinking around. The sappers begin: "Hey you, black-bellied, what do they not give you ?!" At first, the guys were offended, and then they realized that I was trying for them. Drink as much as you want after the battle, but never before the battle! Because every minute, every second is precious. Blundered - died! "

We rested, threw off the fatigue of the past battles - and now, the tankers are ready for new battles with the enemy! And how many more of these battles were ahead on the way to Berlin ...

The T-34-85 tank was developed and put into service in December 1943 in connection with the appearance of enemy T-V"Panther" and T-VI "Tiger" with strong anti-cannon armor and powerful weapons. The T-34-85 was created on the basis of the T-34 tank with the installation of a new cast turret with an 85-mm cannon on it.

The first production vehicles were equipped with an 85 mm D-5T cannon, which was later replaced by a ZIS-S-53 cannon of the same caliber. Her armor-piercing projectile weighing 9.2 kg from a distance of 500 and 1000 meters pierced 111-mm and 102-mm armor, and sub-caliber projectile from a distance of 500 meters it pierced armor with a thickness of 138 mm. (The armor thickness of the "Panther" was 80 - 110-mm, and the "Tiger" - 100-mm.) A fixed commander's cupola with observation devices was installed on the roof of the tower. All machines were equipped with a 9RS radio station, a TSh-16 sight, and a means of setting smoke screens. Although, due to the installation, more powerful cannon and strengthening of armor protection, the weight of the tank increased slightly, thanks to the powerful diesel engine, the mobility of the tank did not decrease. The tank was widely used in all battles of the final stage of the war.

Description of the design of the T-34-85 tank

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION.
The T-34-85 tank was equipped with a V-2-34 12-cylinder four-stroke compressorless diesel engine. The rated power of the engine was 450 hp. at 1750 rpm, operating - 400 hp at 1700 rpm, maximum - 500 hp at 1800 rpm. Dry weight of the engine with an electric generator without exhaust manifolds 750 kg.
Fuel - diesel, DT grade. The capacity of the fuel tanks is 545 liters. Outside, on the sides of the hull, two fuel tanks of 90 liters each were installed. External fuel tanks were not connected to the engine power system. The fuel supply is forced by means of the NK-1 fuel pump.

Cooling system - liquid, closed, with forced circulation. Radiators - two, tubular, installed on both sides of the engine with an inclination towards it. Radiator capacity 95 l. To clean the air entering the engine cylinders, two Multicyclone air cleaners were installed. The engine was started by an electric starter or compressed air (two cylinders were installed in the control compartment).

The transmission consisted of a multi-plate main dry friction clutch (steel on steel), a gearbox, side clutches, brakes and final drives. The gearbox is five-speed.

CHASSIS.
Applied to one side, it consisted of five double rubberized road wheels with a diameter of 830 mm. Suspension - individual, spring. The rear drive wheels had six rollers for engaging with the track flanges. Idler wheels - cast, with a crank mechanism for tensioning the tracks. Caterpillars - steel, fine-link, with ridge engagement, 72 tracks each (36 with a ridge and 36 without a ridge). Track width 500 mm, track pitch 172 mm. The mass of one caterpillar is 1150 kg.

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.
Made according to a single-wire circuit. Voltage 24 and 12 V. Consumers: ST-700 electric starter, electric motor of the turret swing mechanism, fan electric motors, control devices, external and internal lighting equipment, electric signal, radio station umformer and TPU lamps.

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.
On the T-34-85, a short-wave transceiver simplex telephone radio station 9-RS and an internal tank intercom TPU-3-bisF were installed.

From the history of the creation (modernization) of the T-34-85 medium tank

The production of the T-34 tank armed with an 85-mm cannon began in the fall of 1943 at the plant number 112 Krasnoe Sormovo. In a cast three-seat tower new form installed 85-mm cannon D-5T designed by F. F. Petrov and coaxial machine gun DT. The turret ring diameter was increased from 1420 mm to 1600 mm. On the roof of the tower there was a commander's cupola, the double-winged lid of which rotated on a ball bearing. An MK-4 observation periscope was fixed in the lid, which made it possible to conduct a circular one. For firing a cannon and a coaxial machine gun, a telescopic articulated sight and a PTK-5 panorama were installed. Ammunition consisted of 56 rounds and 1953 rounds. The radio station was housed in the case, and its antenna output was on the starboard side - the same as in the T-34-76. Power point, transmission and chassis practically did not change.

All changes in the design of the T-34 tank could be made only with the consent of two instances - the Office of the commander of armored and mechanized troops of the Red Army and the Main Design Bureau (GKB-34) at plant number 183 in Nizhny Tagil.

The layout of the T-34-85 medium tank.

1 - cannon ZIS-S-53; 2 - armored mask; 3 - telescopic sight TSh-16; 4 - gun lifting mechanism; 5 - observation device MK-4 loader; 6 - fixed gun guard; 7 - observation device MK-4 commander; 8 - glass block; 9 - folding guard (gilzoulavtvatep); 10 - fan armored hood; 11 - rack ammunition storage in the turret niche; 12 - covering tarpaulin; 13 - clamp packing for two artillery rounds; 14 - engine; 15 - the main clutch; 16- "Multicyclone" air cleaner; 17- starter; 18 - smoke bomb BDSH; 19 - transmission; twenty - final drive; 21 - accumulators; 22 - stacking shots on the floor of the fighting compartment; 23 - gunner's seat; 24 - VKU; 25 - suspension shaft; 26 - driver's seat; 27 - stowage of machine gun magazines in the control department; 28 - side clutch lever; 29 - pedal of the main clutch; 30 - compressed air cylinders; 31 - driver's hatch cover; 32 - DT machine gun; 33 - clamping stowage of shots in the control compartment.

The TsAKB (Central Artillery Design Bureau), headed by V.G. Grabin, and the Design Bureau of Plant # 92 in Gorky, proposed their own versions of the 85-mm tank gun. The first developed the S-53 cannon. V.G. Grabin made an attempt to install the S-53 cannon in the T-34 turret of the 1942 model without broadening the turret ring, for which the frontal part of the turret was completely redone: the cannon trunnions had to be pushed forward by 200 mm. Shooting tests at the Gorokhovets training ground showed the complete inconsistency of this installation. In addition, the tests revealed design flaws both in the S-53 cannon and in the LB-85. As a result, into service and in mass production adopted a synthesized version - the ZIS-C-53 cannon. Its ballistic characteristics were identical to the D-5T cannon. But the latter was already mass-produced and, in addition to the T-34, was installed in the KV-85, IS-1 and in the D-5S version in the SU-85.

By GKO decree of January 23, 1944 tank The T-34-85 with the ZIS-S-53 cannon was adopted by the Red Army. In March, the first cars began to roll off the assembly line of the 183rd plant. On them, the commander's cupola was moved closer to the stern of the turret, which saved the gunner from having to sit literally in the commander's lap. The electric drive of the turret rotation mechanism with two degrees of speed was replaced by an electric drive with command control, which ensures the rotation of the turret from both the gunner and the crew commander. The radio station was moved from the hull to the tower. Inspection devices began to be installed only of a new type - MK-4. The commanding panorama of PTK-5 was withdrawn. The rest of the units and systems remained largely unchanged.

The tower of a tank produced by the Krasnoye Sormovo plant.

1 - loader hatch cover; 2 - hoods over the fans; 3 - hole for installing the observation device of the tank commander; 4 - hatch cover commander's cupola; 5 - commander's cupola; 6 - viewing slit; 7 - antenna input glass; 8 - handrail; 9 - hole for installing the gunner's observation device; 10 - hole for shooting from personal weapons; 11 - eye; 12 - sight embrasure; 13 - visor; 14 - trunnion tide; 15 - machine gun embrasure; 16 - hole for installing the loader's observation device.

The undercarriage of the tank consisted of five rubberized road wheels per side, a rear drive wheel with a ridge engagement and a guide wheel with a tensioning mechanism. The road wheels were individually suspended from cylindrical spiral springs. The transmission consisted of a dry-friction multi-plate main clutch, a five-speed gearbox, side clutches and final drives.

In 1945, the commander's cupola's double-leaf hatch cover was replaced with a single-winged one. One of the two fans. installed in the aft part of the tower, moved to its central part which contributed better ventilation fighting compartment.

The production of the T-34-85 tank was carried out at three factories: No. 183 in Nizhny Tagil No. 112 "Krasnoe Sormovo" and No. 174 in Omsk. In just three quarters of 1945 (that is, until the end of World War II), 21048 tanks of this type were built, including the flamethrower version of the T-034-85. Some of the combat vehicles were equipped with a PT-3 roller mine sweep.

General production of T-34-85 tanks

The layout of the ammunition in the T-28 tank

In an abandoned warehouse, they replenish ammunition in excess of the norm. When all the cassettes are full, the soldiers heap the shells directly onto the floor of the fighting compartment. Here our amateurs make a small mistake - about twenty shells did not fit the 76 mm short-barreled L-10 tank gun: despite the coincidence of calibers, these ammunition was intended for divisional artillery. 7000 cartridges for machine guns in the side machine gun turrets were loaded into the chase. After a hearty breakfast, the invincible army moved towards the capital of the Byelorussian SSR, where the Fritzes had been in charge for several days.

2 hours before immortality

On a free track, the T-28 rushes towards Minsk at full speed. Ahead, in the gray haze, the outlines of the city appeared, the chimneys of the thermal power station, factory buildings towered, a little further the silhouette of the Government House, the dome of the cathedral could be seen. Closer, closer and more irreversible ... The soldiers looked ahead, anxiously awaiting the main battle of their lives.
Not stopped by anyone, the "Trojan horse" passed the first German cordons and entered the city limits - as expected, the Nazis took the T-28 for captured armored vehicles and did not pay any attention to the lone tank.
Although we agreed to keep secrecy until the last opportunity, they still could not resist. The first unwitting victim of the raid was a German cyclist, who cheerfully pedaled in front of the tank. His flickering figure in the viewing slot took out the driver. The tank roared with its engine and rolled the hapless cyclist into the asphalt.

The tankers passed the railway crossing, the paths of the tram ring and ended up on Voroshilov Street. Here, at the distillery, a group of Germans met on the way of the tank: the Wehrmacht soldiers were carefully loading boxes with bottles of alcohol into the truck. When Alcoholics Anonymous was about fifty meters away, the right turret of the tank started working. The Nazis, like pins, fell from the car. After a couple of seconds, the tank pushed the truck, turning it upside down with its wheels. From the broken body, the savory smell of celebration began to spread around the area.

Not encountering resistance and alarms from the panic-scattered enemy, soviet tank in "stealth" -mode went deep into the boundaries of the city. In the area of ​​the city market, the tank turned onto the street. Lenin, where he met a column of motorcyclists.
The first car with a sidecar drove under the tank's armor on its own, where it was crushed along with the crew. The deadly ride has begun. Only for a moment, the faces of the Germans, twisted with horror, appeared in the driver's viewing slot, then disappearing under the tracks of the steel monster. Motorcycles in the tail of the column tried to turn around and escape from the approaching death, alas, came under fire from tower machine guns.

Having reeled on the tracks of the hapless bikers, the tank moved on, driving along the street. Soviet, tankers planted a fragmentation shell at a group of German soldiers standing at the theater. And then there was a slight hitch - when turning to Proletarskaya Street, the tankers unexpectedly discovered that the main street of the city was packed full of enemy manpower and equipment. Opening fire from all barrels, practically without aiming, the three-turret monster rushed forward, sweeping away all obstacles into a bloody vinaigrette.
Panic broke out among the Germans, which arose in connection with the emergency situation on the road created by the tank, as well as overall effect the unexpectedness and illogicality of the appearance of heavy armored vehicles of the Red Army in the rear of the German troops, where nothing foreshadowed such an attack ...

The front part of the T-28 tank is equipped with three 7.62 DT machine guns (two turret, one course) and a short-barreled 76.2mm gun. The rate of fire of the latter is up to four rounds per minute. The rate of fire of machine guns is 600v / min.

Leaving traces of a military disaster in its wake, the car drove all the way to the park, where it was greeted by a 37-mm anti-tank shot. cannon PaK 35/36.
It seems that this part of the city the Soviet tank first encountered more or less serious resistance. The shell carved sparks from the frontal armor. The Fritzes did not have time to shoot the second time - the tankers noticed it openly in time standing cannon and immediately reacted to the threat - a flurry of fire fell on the Pak 35/36, turning the gun and crew into a shapeless heap of scrap metal.

As a result of an unprecedented raid, the Nazis suffered heavy losses in manpower and equipment, but the main striking effect was to raise the resistance spirit of the inhabitants of Minsk, which contributed to maintaining the authority of the Red Army at the proper level. This factor was especially important during that initial period of the war, during serious defeats. Soviet soldiers among the surrounding population.

And our T-28 tank was leaving the Fritzes' lair along Moskovsky Prospekt. However, the disciplined Germans came out of a state of shock, overcame fear and tried to provide organized resistance to the Soviet tank that had broken through to their rear. In the area of ​​the old cemetery, the T-28 came under flanking fire from an artillery battery. The first salvo broke through the 20 mm side armor in the area of ​​the engine compartment. Someone screamed in pain, someone swore angrily. The burning tank continued to move until the last opportunity, all the while receiving new portions of German shells. Major ordered to leave the dying combat vehicle.

Senior Sergeant Malko climbed out through the driver's hatch in front of the tank and saw a wounded major emerge from the commander's hatch, firing from a service pistol. The sergeant managed to crawl to the fence when the remaining ammunition in the tank detonated. The turret of the tank was thrown into the air and it fell to its original place. In the commotion that arose and taking advantage of the significant smoke, Senior Sergeant Dmitry Malko managed to hide in the gardens.

On July 3, 1941, a Soviet T-28 tank drove into Minsk, which had been in the hands of the Germans for a week, at low speed. Already intimidated by the occupation authorities, local residents watched in amazement as the three-turret vehicle armed with a cannon and four machine guns boldly moved towards the city center.

The German soldiers encountered along the way did not react to the tank in any way, mistaking it for a trophy. One cyclist decided to have some fun and rode in front for a while. But the driver-mechanic of the T-28 got tired of it, he gasped a little, and only memories remained from the German. Further, the Soviet tankmen met several officers smoking on the porch of the house. But in order not to declassify themselves ahead of time, they were not touched.

Finally, near the distillery, the crew noticed how a unit of the Nazis, guarded by an armored car, was loading cases of alcohol into a truck. A few minutes later, only the wreckage of a car and an armored car, and a bunch of corpses remained from this idyllic picture.

While the news of what had happened at the vodka factory had not yet reached the German authorities, the tank calmly and carefully crossed the bridge over the river and came across a column of cheerful and self-confident motorcyclists. Having let several Germans pass, the driver pressed the pedal, and the steel hulk crashed into the middle of the enemy column. Panic began, which was aggravated by the shots of the cannon and machine guns. And the tank was filled to capacity in the morning in a former military town with ammunition ...

Having finished with the motorcyclists, the tank drove to Sovetskaya Street (the central street of Minsk), where on the way he treated the Nazis who had gathered at the theater with lead. Well, on Proletarskaya, the tankers literally blossomed with smiles. Directly in front of the T-28 was located the rear of some German unit. Lots of trucks with ammunition and weapons, fuel tanks, field kitchens. And the soldiers - those at all can not be counted. In a few minutes this place turned into a real hell with exploding shells and burning gasoline.

Now the next step is the Gorky Park. But on the way, the Soviet tankers decided to fire anti-tank gun... Three shots from a T-28 cannon calmed the impudent ones forever. And in the park itself, the Germans, who heard the explosions in the city, vigilantly looked out for Soviet bombers in the sky. What remained of them was the same as of their predecessors: a burning cistern, broken weapons and corpses.

But the moment came when the shells ran out, and the tankers decided to leave Minsk. Everything went well at first. But on the very outskirts, a camouflaged anti-tank battery hit the tank. The driver held full throttle, but the brave men did not have only a minute. A shell hitting the engine set fire to the T-28 ...

The crew who got out of the burning car tried to escape, but not everyone managed to escape. The crew commander, a major, and two cadets were killed. Nikolai Pedan was captured and, having gone through all the torments of German concentration camps, was released in 1945.

Fyodor Naumov, the loader, was sheltered by local residents and then transported to the partisans, where he fought, was wounded and sent to the Soviet rear. And the driver-mechanic Senior Sergeant Malko went out to his own people and fought the whole war in tank troops Oh.

The heroic T-28 stood throughout the occupation in the capital of Belarus, recalling and local residents and to the Germans about the bravery of a Soviet soldier.