The history of the tank forces. History of tank troops How many people are the crew in the tank

Germany, 1945. In the American occupation zone, the interrogation of the Wehrmacht prisoners of war was sluggish. Suddenly, the attention of the interrogators was attracted by a long, eerie story about an insane Russian tank that killed everything in its path. The events of that fateful day from the summer of 1941 were so strongly imprinted in the memory of the German officer that they could not be erased over the next four years of the terrible war. He remembered that Russian tank forever.

June 28, 1941, Belarus. They burst into Minsk german troops... The Soviet units are retreating along the Mogilev highway, one of the columns is closed by the only remaining T-28 tank, led by Senior Sergeant Dmitry Malko. The tank has a problem with the engine, but a full supply of fuel and lubricants and ammunition.
During an air raid in the area of ​​n. p. Berezino, from close explosions of bombs T-28 hopelessly stalls. Malko is ordered to blow up the tank and continue to follow to the city of Mogilev in the back of one of the trucks with other soldiers of the mixed composition. Malko asks for permission under his responsibility to postpone the execution of the order - he will try to repair the T-28, the tank is completely new and did not receive significant damage in hostilities. Permission received, the column leaves. Within a day, Malko really manages to bring the engine into working condition.

Shielding of the T-28 tank, 1940

Further, an element of randomness is included in the plot. A major and four cadets unexpectedly come out to the tank's parking area. Major - tanker, cadets, artillerymen. This is how the full crew of the T-28 tank is suddenly formed. All night long, they ponder a plan to get out of the encirclement. The Mogilev highway was probably cut by the Germans, we need to look for another way.
... The original proposal to change the route is expressed aloud by cadet Nikolai Pedan. The daring design is unanimously supported by the newly formed crew. Instead of following to the location collection point retreating units, the tank will rush in the opposite direction - to the West. They will break through the captured Minsk and leave the encirclement along the Moscow highway to the location of their troops. Unique combat capabilities The T-28 will help them carry out such a plan.
The fuel tanks are almost full to the caps, the ammunition load - although not full, but Senior Sergeant Malko knows the location of the abandoned ammunition depot. The walkie-talkie does not work in the tank, the commander, the gunners and the driver mechanic stipulate in advance a set of conditional signals: the commander's leg on the driver's right shoulder - right turn, on the left - left; one push in the back - first gear, two - second; foot on the head - stop. The three-tower bulk of the T-28 is moving along a new route in order to severely punish the Nazis.

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 fighters heap the shells right on the floor 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 to Minsk at full speed. Ahead, in a 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 to 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 tracks 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: 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 meeting resistance and alarms from the panic-scattered enemy, the Soviet in "stealth" mode went deep into the city boundaries. 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, showed up 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, the 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 with enemy manpower and equipment. Opening fire from all the 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 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 completely drove the entire street to the park itself, where it was greeted by an anti-tank 37mm round. 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 responded 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 helped to maintain 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 lair of the Fritzes 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. The 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 ensuing confusion and taking advantage of the significant smoke, Senior Sergeant Dmitry Malko managed to hide in the gardens.

Malko in the fall of the same year managed to return to the cadre formation of the combat units of the Red Army in his former military specialty. He managed to survive and go through the entire war. Surprisingly, in 1944, he drove into the liberated Minsk in T-34 along the same Moskovsky Prospect, along which he tried to escape from it in 41. Surprisingly, he saw his first tank, which he refused to abandon and destroy near Berezin, and which then with such difficulty the Wehrmacht soldiers were able to destroy. The tank stood in the same place where it was hit, neat and orderly Germans for some reason did not begin to remove it from the road. They were good soldiers and knew how to value military prowess.

2 November 1943. At 20.00, the commanders of tanks, platoons and companies were summoned to the dugout of the battalion commander, Captain Chumachenko, Dmitry Alexandrovich. In the dugout, the commanders were greeted cordially, greeted everyone by the hand. The head of the political department of the brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Nikolai Vasilyevich Molokanov, said that the whole world is currently looking at us. Then he congratulated us on the upcoming assault and wished us success. Then the battalion commander Chumachenko also briefly set the task. At the end of his speech, he announced the start time of the assault and asked to check the clocks - the time turned out to be the same for everyone (we had a tank clock - commander's, and they went with high accuracy). With the beginning of the artillery preparation, we had to start the engines and warm them up, and then withdraw the tanks from the trenches and line up in battle line... At the signal of three green rockets, we were to slowly, moving forward, approach the front edge of our infantry troops, located in the first trench, and then - at the signal of three red missiles - together with the arrows, attack the front edge of the enemy's defense. Destroying the fascists in the forest, by the end of the day, go to the southern edge, that is, to the "Bolshevik" state farm, and begin a direct assault on Kiev. The head of the political department told us that the communists and Komsomol members, the soldiers of our entire 5th Guards Stalingrad tank corps at their short meetings and in letters they take an oath: "On November 7, the Red Banner - the symbol of October, will fly over Kiev!"

Excited, they dispersed, discussing the details of interaction in battle and methods of destroying the "tigers" by group fire of platoons and self-propelled guns, if they find themselves in our way.

Arriving at my dugout, I brought to the attention of the crew the task assigned to us.

I must say that the crew of the tank, which I received a few days before the offensive, greeted me coldly - unshaven, with cigarettes in their hands. And this was understandable: an unknown youth, an eighteen-year-old lieutenant, and also an employee of the brigade headquarters, was sent to them.

- Lieutenant Fadin! - putting my hand to the cap, I introduced myself. - I have heard a lot of good things about your commander who died, but the crew is somewhat different from him.

My decisive look and confidence worked: I see, the grin left my faces.

I ask:
- Is the car working properly?
- Yes! - answered the driver-mechanic Vasily Semiletov. - But the electric motor for turning the tower is knocking.
- We will fight on this one, since you, an experienced driver-mechanic, took a faulty tank out of repair. Our failures will be on your conscience. You probably have a family, and we have relatives, ”I added.
- I have no one! If there is anyone left, then in Odessa, - the radio operator Fedor Voznyuk said.
- By cars! - I give the command.

It was fulfilled. Climbing into the tank, he said that we were going to our place, to the battle formation, to the company of senior lieutenant Avetisyan.

Taking out the map and orienting myself on it, I clearly began to give commands, directing the tank to the village of Valki. And then I discovered that my experience of two months of work at the headquarters of our 22nd Guards Tank Brigade gave me a lot. I confidently navigated the map both in the forest and in the open.

When we reached the northern outskirts of Novi Petrivtsi, the enemy, hearing the noise of the engine of our tank, began to fire artillery, sending two or three shells forward and then in pursuit. I ordered the mechanic to put the tank behind a stone wall of a building that was dilapidated from the bombing and wait for some kind of distracting bombing or darkness.

When the tank got behind the wall and the engine was turned off, I explained to the crew where we should arrive and the purpose of my maneuver. And here the loader Golubenko remarked:
- Yes, you know your way around the map, Lieutenant!
“Apparently, he understands tactics,” said Fyodor Voznyuk.

Only Vasily Semiletov was silent. But I realized that the cold reception was left behind. They believed in me.

As soon as it began to darken, we moved again and soon, pursued by enemy artillery and mortar fire, arrived at the scene.

The tank had to be placed in the garden of one of the outer houses in the expectation that the trees would be some kind of protection from a direct hit from an artillery shell. Here I was received by friends: platoon commanders Lieutenants Vanyusha Abashin and Kostya Grozdev. A little later, the company commander himself, senior lieutenant Avetisyan, approached.

He showed me the place of my tank in order of battle companies. I will never forget this place. It was chosen under a large apple tree a hundred meters southwest of the last house in the village of Valki. To my left, two hundred meters away, there was a sharp bend in the highway leading from the village to Vyshgorod. And surprisingly, during our preparation for the assault on Kiev, which lasted two weeks, this house, despite the enemy's artillery raids, was almost not damaged, except for the fact that one of the shells recaptured a corner near the side wall. The owner - a man of 65-70 years old - did not leave his house and after each raid he got out from somewhere, looked around the house with a master's gaze, shook his head reproachfully, looking towards the enemy.

This place — it was closest to the enemy — was the edge of the corner of the company’s order of battle. We needed to equip a trench for the tank, and such that it would allow the car to be fully accommodated, at the same time, it made it possible to fire at the enemy from a cannon and a machine gun.

Throughout the entire October night, we dug such a trench in pairs, replacing each other, with two shovels. However, it turned out to be not so easy to put a tank in it. Apparently, the Nazis very closely followed the preparation of our troops for decisive actions and kept their fire weapons on duty at the ready. As soon as the driver-mechanic Semiletov started the engine and began to lead the tank to our trench, heavy artillery fire fell on us. And only the darkness that had not yet cleared did not allow them to conduct aimed fire ...

The preparation of our troops for the storming of Kiev these days was in full swing. Much was said about the imminent offensive. And the fact that for two days people were taken to the rear of the brigade, where they washed in equipped baths, received new winter uniforms. And the issuance of fresh food safety stock in tanks. And we were reinforced with a battery of 152 mm self-propelled artillery mounts. We knew that a shell fired from such a self-propelled gun tore off the turret even of a T-6 "typhus" tank. Therefore, their appearance in our battle formation made us very happy.

The time for great events was approaching. Apparently, the fascists also felt this, for they periodically carried out powerful fire raids on our positions.

On the night of November 3, everyone, with the exception of the observers on duty, slept soundly. At 6:30 we were called to get breakfast. And here, as happens sometimes, our crew made a mistake. Having received breakfast, we decided to eat it not in the dugout, but on fresh air... We settled down not far from our battalion kitchen, over which thick steam rose in the cold air. This, apparently, could not fail to notice the enemy.

As soon as we raised the spoons to our mouths, the enemy opened artillery fire at our position. I only managed to shout: "Lie down!" I think that this was the only case during the war when one of the shells fell behind us about seven to ten meters away and did not touch any of us with its fragments. Another shell struck about ten meters from us to our right and, without exploding, tumbling like a wheel, swept away a gaping soldier in its path, then, hitting the wheel of the kitchen, tore it off, knocked over the kitchen along with the cook, who was distributing food.

Throwing off our daze, we rushed into the dugout. Firing several more shells, the enemy calmed down. Then we had no time for breakfast. Having collected our belongings, we got over to the tank in anticipation of the assault.

And soon the powerful artillery and then aviation cannonade merged into a continuous hum. I gave the command. "Start". For some reason, the tank did not start right away. It did not start the second time. I got nervous and shouted an insulting word to the mechanic Semiletov, fortunately, he did not hear him, because I did not have an intercom. Apparently, the shock received at breakfast also affected. When we drove out of the trench, I saw that other tanks had long since emerged from their hiding places. Three green rockets soared into the air. I give the command:
- Forward!
- Where to go? - shouts in response the driver Vasily Semiletov.

I realized that due to poor visibility I would have to control the tank, observing from an open hatch, otherwise we would lose our infantry, and you could crash into a neighboring tank. The state is uncertain, in front of a kilometer there is continuous smoke and flashes from artillery shells. Explosions are also visible from the return fire of the fascists.

Tanks from our battle line have already begun to fire. I understood: my nerves could not stand it, because it was a fire going nowhere. Then I saw the trench and the faces of the shooters who were waiting for our approach. The tank jerked violently, and I felt that I was coming to my senses, we passed the first trench. Suddenly I found our fighters to the right and to the left of me shooting on the move. I looked up, no red rockets were visible. Apparently I looked through them. Tanks moving to the right and left are firing on the move. I go down to the sight, I do not see any enemy, except for the piled trees. I give the command to the loader:
- Load the shrapnel!
- There are shrapnel, - Golubenko answered clearly.

I make the first shot at the piled logs, guessing that this is the first trench of the enemy. I watch my gap, I calm down completely: like on a training ground, when you shoot at targets. And here are the running mouse figures, firing a cannon at the Nazis. I am fond of fire, I give the command:
- Increase your speed!

Here is the forest. Semiletov sharply slowed down.
- Don't stop! I shout.
- Where to go? Semiletov asks.

I answer:
- Forward, and only forward!

We crush one tree, another ... The old engine wheezes, but the tank goes. I looked around - to my right is the tank of Vanyusha Abashin, my platoon commander, he also breaks a tree, moves forward. I looked out of the hatch: in front of me was a small clearing, going into the depths of the forest. I direct the tank over it. Ahead, on the left, heavy fire from tank guns and the return yapping fire of the Nazi anti-tank guns can be heard.

On the right, only the noise of tank engines is heard, but the tanks themselves are not visible. I think, do not yawn, and give alternately along the clearing fire from a cannon and a machine gun. In the forest it becomes brighter, and suddenly - a clearing, and on it the rushing Nazis. I give a shot. And immediately I see that at the edge of the clearing there is a strong machine-gun and submachine gun fire. A group of people flashed between the hills - and a flash. Got it: it's an anti-tank gun. He fired a long burst from a machine gun and shouted to the loader:
- Load the shrapnel!

And then he felt a blow, and the tank, as if bumping into a serious obstacle, stopped for a moment and went forward again, sharply surrendering to the left. And here I again, as at a training ground, found a group of fascists scurrying around the gun, now they were all clearly visible, and fired a shot at them. I heard the loud voice of Fedya Voznyuk, a radio operator-gunner:
- There is a direct hit, and the weapon and its servants were scattered to pieces.
- Commander, we have killed the left track, - reports the mechanic Semiletov.
- Get out of the tank with Voznyuk through the hatch in the bottom! I ordered. “Golubenka and I will cover you with cannon and machine gun fire.

At that moment I saw several tanks of our battalion, they were walking along other clearings. Our arrows jumped out to the edge and went forward in a chain.

It took about an hour to repair the track. But, as they say, trouble does not come alone: ​​when the tank rotated on one track, it was sucked into the swampy soil, and in front of about ten meters there was a minefield set up by the Nazis on a large dry section of the clearing. Therefore, the tank had to get out only back. And it took a lot of time. In the future, I had to catch up with my own on the trail of our tanks, and at the same time destroy the retreating Nazis.

They managed to get to their battalion only after dark. The Nazis, using forest debris and mine-explosive barriers, stopped our units in front of the second defensive line. During the night from 3 to 4 November, we refueled the vehicles with fuel and lubricants, ammunition and had a little rest. At dawn on November 4, the battalion commander, having gathered us, the commanders of tanks, platoons, companies and self-propelled officers, led us to the first line of our riflemen. And he showed:
- You see, in front of us, three hundred meters away, are solid forest heaps of logs? The enemy sits behind these rubble, he does not allow our riflemen to rise.

I am still surprised why the Nazis did not fire at us then, because we were standing at full height, dressed in tank uniforms ...

I looked back at my comrades and then only noticed that there were 9 out of 13 commanders of us left, from those who were gathering on November 2 in the battalion commander's dugout before the offensive. This means that there are 9 tanks left. But there were still three self-propelled guns.

Chumachenko continued:
- Now move to this clearing, turn into a line and attack the enemy.

This formulation of tasks during the war years was often practiced, and it often justified itself, we clearly saw the enemy and mastered the task well.

We went to the edge, the Nazis let us turn around calmly, and then opened frantic fire from behind the logs. We, on the other hand, started shooting at the blockage with armor-piercing and fragmentation shells with fire from a place, with short stops. Of course, we, the tank commanders, had to find our bearings in this forest battle situation, protruding from the commander's hatch. At one of these moments, in front of my eyes, my comrade from the 2nd Gorky Tank School, Lieutenant Vasily Smirnov, was seriously wounded in the head from the rupture of an enemy shell.

In the cadet company, and not only in the company, but throughout the entire school, I was the youngest in age. Vasily Smirnov already worked as a director for two years before the war. high school... Therefore, I have always listened carefully to his advice. In the heat of the battle, I did not see how he was taken out of the tank and how he was taken away, but we considered him dead.

To my great joy, in January 1952, at the Yaroslavl station, in the military hall, I saw an elderly officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, very familiar to me. He stopped, peered, recognized and called out to him: "Vasya!" He turned to me and we kissed ...

And on that day, we still managed to scatter the logs in the defense of the Nazis and, pursuing them through glades and forest thickets, still before dark went to the edge of the forest to the "Vinogradar" state farm. And then things got worse. The enemy unleashed heavy artillery fire on our battle formation and, under its cover, deploying up to 30-35 tanks into battle formation, threw them into a counterattack. The forces were unequal. Having spent an intense forest battle and breaking out first to the edge of the forest, from where we could see the northern outskirts of Kiev - Priorka, we, firing back, using the advantageous terrain and woodland, retreated into the depths of the forest and organized a perimeter defense.

The enemy, going up to woodland, pushed forward security units, consisting of three medium tanks, and with the main forces, lining up in two marching columns, moved into the forest.

I was ordered to block off the central clearing with my tank. Vanyusha Abashin's tank stood on the right and slightly behind, and the ISU-152 self-propelled gun was already covering me on the left. It began to darken quickly. The main forces of the Nazis were approaching. From the noise of the engines it was clear that a heavy Tiger tank was ahead.

I heard the voice of the company commander, Senior Lieutenant Avetisyan: "Fire on enemy tanks!" I order Semiletov:
- Vasya, give it a little ahead at low revs, otherwise the tree bothers me.
- There is a little forward on small! - answered Semiletov.

During the day of the battle, the crew and I finally worked together, and he understood me perfectly. Having improved my position, I immediately saw the enemy column approaching me. This time, the Nazis changed their principle and moved without light, making backlights from the rear cars.

Without waiting for the driver to finally install the tank, I fired the first shot at the head tank, which was already fifty meters away from me. An instant flash on the frontal part of the fascist tank: it caught fire, illuminating the entire column.
- The sub-caliber is ready! - reports the loader Golubenko without my command for this.

With the second shot at point-blank range, we shot the second one coming out from behind the first burning tank. He also flared up. The forest became as bright as day. And at this time I hear the shots of Vanyusha Abashin's tank. On the left is a deaf and long shot of our self-propelled gun. And we already have several sheaves of burning tanks in sight. I shout to the mechanic Semiletov to come closer. The Nazis began to retreat, backing away. Approaching almost close to the first burning tank, I see the next live target behind its starboard side (as it turned out later, it was the enemy's large-caliber self-propelled cannon "Ferdinand"). I take aim and give a shot - and immediately a burning torch. We pursue the enemy and take possession of the "Vinogradar" state farm. It was getting light quickly. The enemy increased fire from positions set up north of the Priorka area.

We needed to put ourselves in order and prepare directly for the assault on the city. We have already seen its outskirts and the domes of churches in the center. Captain Ivan Gerasimovich Eliseev, acting political officer of the battalion, who drove up after us, told us that in the night battle we destroyed seven Nazi tanks and three self-propelled guns. And he added that the fascists, seized by panic, left many killed and also wounded on the forest roads ...

Here, at the state farm, we refueled in preparation for the decisive assault. I could see in the scope how our infantry riflemen were slowly but persistently advancing towards the northern outskirts of the city. Here I saw for the first time the volunteer soldiers of the Czechoslovak brigade with their commander, then Lieutenant Colonel Svoboda, who had come out on the right. They went on three T-34 tanks and two light T-70s.

At 11:00 on November 5, 1943, the brigade commander, Colonel Nikolai Vasilyevich Koshelev, and the head of the political department, Lieutenant Colonel Nikolai Vasilyevich Molokanov, arrived at our location. We were quickly assembled. I missed two more tank commanders. All the self-propelled gunners were still with us.

And now thirty minutes later, having lined up in a battle line, our tankers rushed to the attack. We very quickly captured the southern outskirts of Pushcha-Voditsa, crossed railroad, going from Kiev to Korosten, and then the highway Kiev - Zhitomir. Here on the highway I saw a billboard on which was written in large letters in German - Kiev. My heart ached involuntarily. It was evident that our rifle units had already started fighting on the outskirts of the city from the west. The enemy responded from the suburbs with heavy artillery fire.

Short stop. The battalion commander arranges us in marching column... On the lead tank, he puts a group of scouts, among whom I remember sergeants Georges Ivanovsky, Mugalim Tarubaev and the recently appointed (instead of the deceased junior lieutenant Sebyanin) reconnaissance platoon commander Petty Officer Nikifor Nikitovich Sholudenko. The scouts were followed by the tank of Lieutenant Ivan Abashin, then the crew of the company commander Senior Lieutenant Avetisyan, we continued in the sequence of platoons. I remember that in the convoy behind us were the tanks of Lieutenants Grozdev, Pankin, Golubev ... We understood that we were bypassing the city from the west. We crossed the big ditch. But my tank got stuck in it. To increase the tractive effort, I ordered the mechanic Semiletov to overcome the ditch in reverse. And so it happened. The battalion commander, Captain Dmitry Chumachenko, ran up to me and asked: "What's the matter?" And having figured it out, he said: “Well done, right! Don't lag behind. " Soon, having overtaken our infantry riflemen, we burst into Borschagovskaya Street. The city was on fire, and especially its center. The Nazis fired indiscriminately from behind houses, from courtyards. Leaning out of the commander's hatch, I fired, periodically lowering myself to the drive pedal of a tank gun or machine gun. And here is the T-junction. I see how the lead tank, walking with the scouts in front of us two hundred meters, reached this intersection and suddenly, enveloped in a burst of flame, turned to the right and crashed into one of the corner houses. The scouts on it were dropped from the tank. Lieutenant Abashin and I opened fire on the rapidly fleeing enemy SPG.

Darkness deepened. The battalion commander who ran up to us appoints Lieutenant Abashin's head tank, the rest of the column remained in the same order. Abashin, Avetisyan and me, as the first, he gave one person each, a guide who knew the city, and ordered, with the headlights on, turning on the sirens, with maximum fire, to quickly go to the city center and take possession of the square (now the square named after M.I. Kalinin ).

At the signal, we moved decisively, turned into Krasnoarmeyskaya Street and, on a swift march, firing at the retreating Nazis in disorder, went to Khreshchatyk. This street made me feel bitter. Not a single surviving building. Solid ruins and debris. Moreover, these ruins did not even burn. The nearby streets were on fire. It was they who illuminated the dead wreckage of Khreshchatyk. Soon a small square opened in front of us with a dilapidated old building in the center. Seven straight streets diverged from it, like radii. The tank of the company commander, Avetisyan, stopped in the square, and we each with our tank left to occupy these streets.

The share of our crew went to Kalinin Street. Stopping at the beginning of the alignment of the street, we looked around. The enemy is not visible. I open my hatch. I see, timidly peering at us, two women come out of the entrances, go to our tank. Others followed them, and soon many people surrounded us. A car approached, from which the deputy battalion commander for political affairs, Captain Ivan Gerasimovich Eliseev, got out (by the way, he still lives in Kiev). He congratulated us and all the gathered people of Kiev on the victory. And then Eliseev told us that Sergeant Major Nikifor Sholudenko, who was with a group of scouts on the lead tank, died heroically when turning to Krasnoarmeyskaya Street. Later we learned that he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The tanks of our Guards Corps, rifle units of the 38th Army gradually approached ...

In the morning we received the order to leave the city and go towards a large enemy tank group.

Alexander Fadin, participant in the liberation of Kiev, colonel, candidate of military sciences

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; the comb of the 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. By left hand there is a dashboard.

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

6. By right hand 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 operator-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.

Chapter two
COMPOSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TANK CREW

Crew composition and accommodation

23. The crew of the T-34 tank consists of 4 people (Fig. 1): the commander of the gank, located on the seat to the left of the gun, at the instruments and aiming mechanisms; a driver-mechanic located in the control compartment; the tower commander, located on the seat to the right of the gun, and the radiotelegraphist-machine gunner, located in the control compartment, to the right of the driver (in a tank without a radio station to the right of the machine gunner).

24. The turret commander is the deputy tank commander.

Responsibilities of the crew

Tank commander

25. The tank commander reports directly to the platoon leader. He is the chief of the tank's crew and is responsible for the tank, its weapons and crew in all respects.

26. The tank commander is obliged to:

a) maintain strict military discipline among the tank's crew; to seek in every possible way the knowledge and fulfillment by the crew of their duties;

b) know and maintain the tank, its weapons and equipment in full and constant combat readiness, be able to perfectly shoot from tank weapons and use a radio station;

c) personally be present at the disassembly and assembly of the tank mechanisms and supervise it;

d) before each exit of the tank, check the serviceability of the tank, weapons, sighting devices and special communication and control devices;

e) monitor the constant serviceability of fire extinguishers;

f) observe tank and entrenching tools, camouflage and chemical equipment and spare parts, ensuring their completeness and full serviceability;

g) maintain a tank log.

27. On a campaign, the tank commander must:

a) study the route of movement, its features and the most difficult sections before starting) the march;

b) receive and execute signals and commands transmitted by the platoon commander, traffic controllers and tanks in front;

c) control the work of the driver (change of speed and distance, change of direction, etc.);

d) organize continuous ground surveillance and, at the direction of the platoon commander, air surveillance; be in constant readiness to repel enemy tank and air attacks;

e) maintain marching discipline;

f) at all stops, stop the tank on the right side of the road, at a distance of at least 15 m from the tank in front, camouflage it and report to the platoon commander about the condition of the tank (oil pressure, temperature, presence of fuel and lubricants, etc.);

g) in case of an accident, take the tank to the right side of the road, give a signal about the accident and take measures to quickly eliminate the malfunctions that caused the accident.

28. Before the battle, the tank commander must:

a) receive a mission from the platoon commander, understand it and know his place in the battle formation;

b) study the battlefield, combat course and objects of action; if there is time, draw up a tank card with the application of anti-tank obstacles, targets and landmarks;

c) assign a combat mission to the crew on the ground; indicate by local subjects combat course of the platoon and the first object of attack;

d) establish observation of the signals of the platoon commander before and in combat;

e) position the tank in its initial position in accordance with the task received, dig in and disguise it from ground and air surveillance, and ensure its unhindered entry into battle; be in constant readiness to repel a surprise attack by the enemy;

f) ensure the timely bringing of the tank into combat readiness, check the availability of ammunition, fuels and lubricants and food and take measures to replenish them;

g) check the combat coherence of the crew and the knowledge of communication signals with the platoon commander, with neighboring units; establish special sectors and objects of observation for the crew (if necessary).

29. In battle, the tank commander must:

a) keep a place in battle formation, control the movement of the tank and complete the assigned task;

b) continuously reconnoiter the battlefield, search for targets, receive observation reports from the crew, apply to the terrain on the move, using shelters for firing and maneuvering; when finding difficult terrain and minefields, bypass them and warn neighboring tanks about them with signals;

c) fire from a cannon and a machine gun at the detected targets, as well as at the places of their probable location;

d) observe the tank) of the platoon commander, his signals and signs, help neighboring tanks with fire in case of an immediate threat from the enemy;

e) if an OM is detected, order the tank crew to put on gas masks;

f) in case of failure of other tanks of the platoon, join another platoon of the company and continue the battle without ceasing fire;

g) in case of a forced stop, take measures to restore the tank and report this to the platoon commander;

h) in cases where it is impossible to withdraw from the battlefield an emergency or damaged tank,

to drop it with fire from a place, using the help of neighboring tanks and jointly operating units of other branches of the military; under no circumstances leave the tank and do not give it to the enemy;

i) to withdraw from the battle only by order of the senior commander; when exiting under enemy fire, strive to withdraw the tank in reverse to the nearest shelter; if a damaged or damaged tank is found, tow it off the battlefield.

30. After the battle (march), the tank commander must:

a) at the direction of the platoon commander (if there was no instruction, then independently) position and camouflage the tank and organize observation;

b) bring the tank and its weapons to full combat readiness; in case of contamination of the OM tank, degass it;

c) report to the platoon commander about his military operations, about the condition of the tank, crew, weapons and ammunition.

Driver mechanic

31. The driver-mechanic obeys the tank commander, directly controls the movement of the tank and is responsible for its full readiness for movement. He is obliged:

a) perfectly know the material part of the tank and be able to drive it in various conditions;

d) timely fill the tank with fuels and lubricants;

e) keep records of consumable fuels and lubricants and tank spare parts;

f) timely carrying out inspections, prevent breakdowns and malfunctions, eliminate them and report to the tank commander;

g) personally participate in the repair of the tank;

h) keep records of the operation of the tank engine (in engine hours).

32. On a hike, the driver must:

a) study the route to follow;

b) lead the tank according to the instructions of the tank commander, taking into account the terrain conditions and striving to preserve it as much as possible for battle;

c) monitor the operation of the engine, transmission, chassis and control devices;

d) to observe ahead, receive signals and commands from the tank in front, report everything noticed to the tank commander;

e) observe the discipline of the march, distances and intervals, keep to the right side of the road;

f) leave the tank only at the command of the tank commander;

g) at stops, inspect the material part and check the presence of fuel, the temperature of oil and water, and report the results of the inspection to the tank commander, immediately eliminating all noticed faults.

33. Before the fight, the driver must:

a) know the task of the platoon and company, determine the nature of the upcoming obstacles and outline ways to overcome them;

b) finally make sure that the tank is fully prepared for battle;

c) refuel the tank with fuel and lubricants whenever possible:

d) study the signals established for communication with the platoon commander and units of other combat arms.

34. In battle, the driver must:

a) lead the tank along the specified combat course, observe distances and intervals, apply to the terrain and ensure best conditions for firing;

b) continuously reconnoiter the battlefield, report to the tank commander about everything noticed, about favorable places for firing and the results of it;

c) carefully observe the terrain lying ahead in order to timely detect natural and artificial obstacles: swamps, minefields, etc., quickly find ways and means to bypass and overcome them

d) in the event of a tank accident on the battlefield, take measures to quickly restore it, despite the danger.

35. After the fight, the driver must:

a) inspect the tank, establish its technical condition, determine ways to eliminate malfunctions, report to the tank commander about all noticed malfunctions and quickly bring the tank to full combat readiness;

b) determine the presence of fuels and lubricants and take measures to immediately refuel the tank.

Tower commander

36. The tower commander is subordinate to the tank commander and is responsible for the condition and constant combat readiness of all weapons. He is obliged:

a) perfectly know all the armament of the tank (cannon, coaxial and spare machine guns, ammunition, optics, equipment of the fighting compartment, tools

cop, spare parts for weapons, etc.) and keep him in full combat readiness;

b) be able to perfectly shoot from a tank weapon, dexterously and quickly prepare ammunition for firing, load a cannon and machine guns and eliminate firing delays;

c) systematically check the condition of weapons, aiming and observation devices and recoil devices;

d) always know the number of available bbg supplies and the order of their placement, prepare and stack them; keep a record of expended ammunition, immediately replenishing them whenever possible;

e) immediately take measures to eliminate all noticed armament malfunctions and report this to the tank commander;

g) maintain a register of weapons.

37. On the march, the tower commander is obliged:

a) conduct surveillance in his sector, reporting immediately to the tank commander about everything seen;

b) receive and report to the tank commander the commands and signals given by the platoon commander, traffic controllers and tanks in front;

c) together with the rest of the crew, mask the tank at halts at the direction of the tank commander;

d) leave the tank only at the command of the tank commander. 38. Before the battle, the tower commander must:

b) finally make sure that the cannon, coaxial and spare machine guns and combat are ready for battle

tank supplies and report it to the tank commander;

c) prepare ammunition in order to provide more convenient loading during the battle;

d) together with the rest of the crew, dig in and disguise the tank from ground and air surveillance;

e) study the signals established for communication with the platoon commander and jointly operating units.

39. In battle, the tower commander must:

a) quickly load the cannon and coaxial machine gun in accordance with the commands of the tank commander and report on readiness;

b) monitor the operation of the cannon and the coaxial machine gun during firing, report to the tank commander about any faults noticed, eliminating delays in firing a machine gun, and help the tank commander eliminate delays in firing the cannon;

c) conduct continuous observation of the battlefield in his sector, look for targets, follow the tank, the platoon commander and report to the tank commander about everything noticed;

d) prepare ammunition for firing, having previously removed them from the most distant places of the fighting compartment, free the cannon and machine gun cases from the casings;

e) keep records of the consumption of shells and cartridges, report to the tank commander on the use of 25, 50 and 75% of the combat kit;

f) give signals at the command of the tank commander.

40. After the battle, the tower commander must:

a) put in order weapons, devices

aiming, observation, aiming and the fighting compartment of the tank;

b) take into account the remainder of the ammunition, collect and hand over the cartridges, replenish the ammunition to the norm;

c) report to the tank commander on the state of weapons and ammunition.

Radiotelegraphist-machine gunner

41. The radiotelegraphist-machine gunner is subordinate to the tank commander. He is obliged:

a) perfectly know the radio equipment and internal communication devices of the tank, keep them in constant readiness;

c) constantly know the communication scheme, be able to quickly enter radio communication and work in radio networks; observe the discipline of radio traffic;

d) know the signals of communication with other branches of the armed forces;

e) know the machine gun and be able to fire from it; keep the machine gun always clean, serviceable and fully operational,

42. On a campaign, a radiotelegraph operator-machine gunner must:

a) make sure that the radio station is constantly working "for reception", and continuously watch her with headphones put on (unless there was a special order);

b) report all received signals and commands to the tank commander;

c) switch to "transfer" only with the permission of the tank commander;

d) observe the operation of the internal communication, if a malfunction is detected, quickly take corrective measures;

e) get out of the tank at stops only with the permission of the tank commander and after handing over the headphones at his order to one of the tank crew members.

43. Before the battle, the radiotelegraph operator-machine gunner must:

a) know the task of the platoon and company;

b) finally make sure that the radio station and intercom devices are fully prepared;

c) study the scheme and signals of radio communication with jointly operating parts, have a table of signals constantly at the radio station;

d) check the readiness of the front machine gun to fire, the presence and storage of magazines in the control compartment.

44. In battle, a radiotelegraph operator-machine gunner must:

a) continuously on duty at the radio station with headphones on; maintain uninterrupted communication with radio stations in accordance with the radio communication scheme;

b) transmit, at the direction of the tank commander, reports and orders and report to him on all reports and orders received;

c) conduct surveillance ahead and report everything seen to the tank commander;

d) constantly be ready to open machine gun fire on detected targets.

45. After the battle, the radiotelegraphist-machine gunner must:

a) bring in full order radio equipment, internal communication devices of the tank and a machine gun;

b) report to the tank commander on the state of the radio station, communications and machine gun.

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 thickness of the armor of the Panther was 80 - 110 mm, and that of 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 is 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 grooves of the tracked tracks. 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 two-piece 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 located in the body, 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 - gun 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 - batteries; 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 widening the turret ring, for which the frontal part of the turret was completely redone: the gun trunnion had to be pushed forward by 200 mm. Shooting tests at the Gorokhovets training ground showed the complete inconsistency of this installation. In addition, tests revealed design flaws in both the S-53 cannon and the LB-85. As a result, a synthesized version, the ZIS-S-53 cannon, was adopted for service and mass production. 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 loophole; 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 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-disc 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-leaf one. One of the two fans. installed in the aft part of the tower, moved to its central part, which contributed to 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