The best Soviet tanks. Start in science Soviet armored vehicles of the Second World War

home Tankwas adopted by the Red Army in May 1931. It was developed on the basis of a wheeled-tracked vehicle designed by the American designer Christie and was the first in the BT family ( Fast Tank), developed in the Soviet Union. The tank hull, assembled by riveting from 13-mm thick armor plates, had a box-shaped cross-section. The driver's entrance hatch was mounted in the frontal plate of the hull. The armament was housed in a cylindrical riveted turret.

The tank had high speed qualities. Thanks to the original design of the chassis, it could move both on tracks and on wheels. On each side there were four large-diameter rubber-coated road wheels, with the rear road wheels serving as drive wheels, and the front wheels being steerable. The transition from one type of propulsion to another took approximately 30 minutes. The BT-2 tank, like subsequent tanks of the BT family, was produced at the Kharkov Locomotive Plant named after. Comintern.

Tanks of World War II During the fighting of World War II, tanks had great importance . They often made a decisive contribution to the outcome of many battles; sometimes entire tank battles took place, for example, the Battle of Kursk. The warring parties perfectly understood how important it was to have in the army a large number of

tanks and, more importantly, modify this type of military equipment in every possible way in order to gain an advantage over the enemy. It is not surprising that the factories of the USSR and Germany quickly produced new and new tanks day and night, scientists constantly worked to improve them and designed new models and modifications.

German tanks of World War II In Nazi Germany, tanks were called Panzerkampfwagen, which translated means “armored fighting machine" Next in the name was the model number, indicated by a Roman numeral. Then came the word Ausfuhrung, that is, a serial number that looked like a letter of the German alphabet. However, a name like "Panzerkampfwagen" I" Next in the name was the model number, indicated by a Roman numeral. Then came the word Ausfuhrung, that is, a serial number that looked like a letter of the German alphabet. However, a name like "Panzerkampfwagen" Ausfuhrung A", which translated means "Tank model

serial number A" was too cumbersome, so abbreviations were used. For example, PzKpfw I Ausf A or Pz I A.

As a defeated party in the First World War, Germany, under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, did not have the right to use tanks in its armed forces. However, Hitler, first secretly and then openly, violated this ban, and gradually the armored tracked fighting vehicles of the Wehrmacht became a formidable fighting force. German light tanks were the mainstay at the start of World War II, as the relatively short distances and good roads of Europe made speed and maneuverability the most important qualities of these fighting vehicles. The German command relied on a “lightning war” and until 1941 this approach brought excellent results.

The main models of German light tanks were the PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II. The PzKpfw I Ausf A was originally a training tank developed by Krupp, and had two machine guns and 13 mm armor. Due to poor performance, production of this model was discontinued in 1938, but throughout the first half of World War II, these light German tanks were seen in German army on a variety of fronts. The PzKpfw II model was developed by MAN and Daimler-Benz in 1934 and was produced in modifications from Ausfuhrung A to Ausfuhrung F . Unlike the PzKpfw I, the second German light tank was armed not only with a machine gun (this time only one), but also with a 20-mm automatic cannon, and a telescopic sight was used for greater accuracy of hits. The level of armor was also increased (different in different series). Serial production of the PzKpfw II at German military factories began in 1935 and was discontinued in 1943.

In general, German light tanks of the Second World War represented at least some strength only at the very beginning. And then they were gradually replaced by new, more powerful types of armored vehicles.

Medium tanks of Nazi Germany

Medium tanks were superior to light tanks in most respects; they were heavier and more powerful. The first model of this type of armored vehicle was called Panzerkampfwagen I II (the name "Panzer III" is also often used). It was developed by Daimler-Benz and entered service with the Nazi army in 1937. From 1940 to 1942 Panzer IIIs were the backbone of the German tank divisions. In modifications A-E, this German medium tank had a 37-mm cannon, modifications F-H- a 50-mm cannon, and in modifications M-O– 75 mm howitzer. In total, during the Second World War, more than 5 and a half thousand Panzer III tanks entered the Wehrmacht army. However, the most popular German tank was the Panzerkampfwagen I V (short name: PzKpfw I V ) the total number of releases of which was, according to various estimates, from 8 and a half to 9 and a half thousand units. Its armor, depending on the modification and the protected part of the vehicle, ranged from 15 to 80 mm, and its weight ranged from 17 to 25 tons. This German medium tank at first it was equipped with 2 machine guns and a 75-mm short-barreled cannon, and therefore the projectile had no high speed and, as a result, weak fire ability. Therefore, the PzKpfw IV was inferior to enemy tanks (for example, the Soviet T-34) and was more used for fire support for infantry. However, later the Germans began to equip this model with guns with barrel lengths of 43 and 46 calibers, which significantly increased the penetrating ability of the projectiles. German averages Panzerkampfwagen tanks V "Panther" (however, the Soviet classification considered them already heavy) are considered one of the best in the Second World War. He was the brainchild of the company " MAN "and featured a number of significant improvements. These include a more advanced hull shape compared to other German medium tanks (which, to tell the truth, was largely borrowed from the Soviet T-34), a 75-mm 70-caliber gun, which ensured high speed and penetrating power of the projectile, hydraulic brake control. The production of “Panthers” began at the beginning of 1943, and for the first time they “proved themselves” in the Battle of Kursk. At one time the German command considered the option complete replacement production of PzKpfw IV for the production of Panthers, but the idea was not implemented due to the high cost of Panthers. T-34s lost to the Panthers in single combat, however, secular troops successfully undermined them with the help of field artillery and anti-tank mines.

German heavy tanks

The main German heavy tank in World War II was the Panzerkampfwagen VI "Tiger". It was developed in 1942 by the Henschel company and the first serious test of its combat qualities took place (like the Panther) in the Battle of Kursk. However, before this, the new heavy tank was tested by the Nazis near Leningrad, and as a result of the fighting, Soviet troops managed to capture one undamaged tank, which made it possible to thoroughly examine it and identify its vulnerabilities. The Tiger was equipped with an 88-mm semi-automatic cannon, 56 calibers long, which had very high penetrating power. The rate of fire should be assessed as very high: 6-8 rounds per minute. The tower could rotate 360 ​​degrees in 1 minute. The thickness of the armor reached 100 mm in the frontal part. Possessing very high combat qualities, this German heavy tank, however, had its drawbacks. The “Tiger” turned out to be very heavy, the pressure of the tracks on the ground was very high, which resulted in low cross-country ability of the vehicle and poor maneuverability. In addition, the Tiger was one of the most expensive tanks in World War II. A total of 1354 (according to other sources – 1350) “Tigers” were produced. Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausfuhrung B or “Tiger II” (aka “Royal Tiger”) became the last serial German tank of the Second World War. It was developed by Porsche and Henschel and its main feature was the use of an 88-mm 71-caliber cannon, which provided even greater fire power even compared to a simple Tiger. In addition, the level of protection of the tank was largely based on the placement of armor plates at the correct angles and the manufacture of armor from particularly strong alloy alloys (however, by the end of 1944, Germany lost control over many deposits of non-ferrous metals, the standards were no longer observed and the protection of the “Royal Tigers” dropped sharply). This type of German heavy tank was produced until March 1945. In total, the German industry produced them in the amount of 479 copies.

Since the Civil War, the Soviet government was well aware that the country was in a hostile environment and that a military conflict with one or more capitalist states could become a reality at any moment. Therefore, in the USSR, increased attention was paid to tank building. So in 1930, 170 tanks were produced, the next year – 740, in 1932 – 3 thousand. At the same time, a very serious approach was taken not only to production volumes, but also to improving technology. Design bureaus worked tirelessly to modernize and develop new models of Soviet tanks both before and during World War II.

Among the Soviet light tanks, the BT (high-speed tanks) family should be noted, the first model of which, the BT-2, was developed on the basis of the American Christie wheeled-tracked vehicle. The BT-2 had 13 mm armor, was distinguished by high speed (and could move on both tracked and wheeled vehicles) and was armed with either a 37 mm cannon with a machine gun or two machine guns. BT-2, like all BT tanks, was produced by the Kharkov Locomotive Plant. It was used in battles during the Soviet-Finnish War and at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War. The BT-5, an upgraded version of the BT-2, had a 45 mm cannon and a modified turret shape. By 1941, the Red Army had 1,261 combat-ready BT-5 vehicles in service, most of which were lost in the first months of the war with Nazi Germany. Also, until 1940, the USSR produced a more advanced light tank BT-7 in several versions: BT-7, BT-7RT with a radio station, BT-7A with a 76.2 mm cannon and 3 machine guns, BT-7M with a diesel engine . More than 5,700 of them were produced.

In addition to the BT family, the Soviet army was armed with amphibious light tanks during the Second World War, such as: T-40 (produced in 1940 and 1941, had two coaxial machine guns, weak armor, a radio station and a four-blade propeller for movement under water, was used mainly for reconnaissance purposes), T-50 (developed in 1940, small quantities produced), T-60 (upgraded version of the T-40 with more serious armor, 20- millimeter cannon, but with loss of buoyancy, participated in battles until 1944), its more powerful version of the T-70, as well as the T-80 developed in 1943 (due to difficulties in production, only 81 copies were produced).

The real pride of the Red Army were Soviet tanks, which performed well in numerous battles and battles on the fronts of the Second World War. The earliest of them was the T-28, developed by the VOAO design bureau under the leadership Semyon Alexandrovich Ginzburg. The T-28 had three turrets, the main of which was equipped with a 76.2 mm cannon and two machine guns and could rotate 360 ​​degrees. Below it were two small towers equipped with machine guns. The T-28 entered service with the Red Army in 1933 and was at that time the most best tank in the world. In the battles with the Finns, the 20th Heavy Tank Brigade, composed of T-28 tanks, was used to support the infantry and made a huge contribution to the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line. By June 1941, there were about 480 T-28s in the Soviet army, the vast majority of which were lost in the first months of fighting with the German occupiers. The reasons for this were the lack of ammunition and fuel, wear and tear and tactical miscalculations of the Soviet command in battles.

Right up to May 9, 1945, right up to the Victory, the T-34, the main Soviet tank of the Second World War, was a real threat to the Nazis. Its development was carried out by the design bureau-24, specially created at plant No. 183, under the leadership of Mikhail Ilyich Koshkin. IN mass production The T-34 arrived on March 30, 1940. Subsequently, the model was constantly refined, not so much in the direction of increasing combat power, but in the direction of reducing labor costs for its production and lowering the cost. By the end of the Great Patriotic War, these figures decreased by more than 2 times. The tank turned out to be very mobile, reliable in operation, equipped with a 76.2 mm cannon (at first the barrel length was 30.5 caliber, and from February 1941 - 41 caliber) with 3 machine guns, and the armor thickness reached 45 mm. Moreover, the main advantage of this model was precisely the combination, the totality of these positive qualities, which gave the T-34 a significant advantage in combat conditions. Also incredibly important were the low cost and ease of production, which made it possible to produce the T-34 at almost any machine-building plant, which provided this tank with amazing mass production. Surprisingly, after the attack, the presence of this perfect fighting machine in the Red Army came as a complete surprise to the Nazis. But unfortunately, take full advantage of your advantage Soviet troops they couldn’t: ignorance of the tactics of using tank forces, their weak interaction with each other, unpreparedness of the crews (the T-34 crew included 4 people), as well as a banal lack of ammunition and fuel - all this led to numerous defeats in the first period of the Great Patriotic War. Of course, later, as combat experience accumulated, the advantages of the T-34 began to be used by the Red Army much more effectively. But after a while, the leadership of the USSR and the military command of the Soviet armed forces were very concerned about the appearance of “Tigers” and “Panthers” among the enemy. The question arose about creating a more powerful and modern model. Therefore, by the end of 1943, the design bureau of the Krasnoye Sormovo plant developed and began producing a modernized T-34-85, equipped with an 85-mm cannon, a more powerful diesel engine, and a commander’s cupola with observation devices on the roof of the main tower. The crew size increased to 5 people.

Heavy tanks of the USSR

The experience of fighting in Finland showed that those with strong armor heavy tanks The USSR is necessary. And by February 1940, serial production of the KV-1 and KV-2 models began at the Leningrad Kirov Plant. These combat vehicles had the highest protection class for that time (the armor thickness reached 105 mm). The KV-1 was armed with a 76.2 mm cannon and four machine guns, while the KV-2 differed from it in having a larger turret and a 152 mm howitzer (it fired only from a standing position) with three machine guns. The crew size was 5 and 6 people, respectively. The presence of such heavily protected armored vehicles in the USSR troops was an unpleasant surprise for the Nazis. There are cases when KV-1 and KV-2 continued to participate in the battle even after several dozen enemy hits. At the same time, they had a number of serious disadvantages: they damaged the roads very badly, could not cross most bridges, but most importantly, they broke down too often. To correct these shortcomings and counter the German “Tigers” that reigned on the battlefields, in 1943 the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant began developing the IS-1, which became the founder of the IS series of heavy tanks of the USSR. It had more advanced armor, the thickness of which in the frontal part of the turret was 120 mm, a new engine, and a special hatch for observation. It was produced for only a short time and was replaced by the IS-2, developed on its basis, with a 122-mm cannon. There is a legend that during combat tests of the prototype of this armored vehicle, the T-shaped muzzle brake exploded and the famous Soviet Marshal Kliment Voroshilov almost died. The IS-2 began to participate in the battles of the Great Patriotic War at the beginning of 1944. The results delighted the Soviet command, which demanded that the industry accelerate the production of these tanks. Of course, this “monster” made the exact opposite impression on the Nazis - even a special order was issued prohibiting the “Tigers” from engaging in one-on-one combat with the IS-2, since the outcome of this “duel” was practically beyond doubt. However, the rapid launch into mass production of a combat vehicle that had not passed the required number of test tests gave rise to a number of problems associated with its low reliability and, at first, frequent breakdowns were commonplace. However, the leading designers of the USSR actively worked to correct the shortcomings, and by the summer of 1944 the quality of these heavy tanks had improved significantly.

American tanks

The remoteness of the United States of America from the main events of the Second World War left a certain imprint on both the production of American armored vehicles and their use. For example, American crews, well trained (since they had time for this), nevertheless made many absurd mistakes in battles due to the lack of real combat experience. Nevertheless, the Americans did everything possible to develop this branch of weapons as much as possible. After Nazi Germany's attack on the Soviet Union, President Roosevelt ordered to double the production of tanks, for which the capacity of new enterprises was attracted. At the very beginning of the war, they mainly used the M3 Stuart (light) and M3 Grant (medium) tanks. However, they were much inferior to their fascist counterparts, so in 1941 the Rock Island Arsenal prepared five sketches, on the basis of one of which the production of the M4 Sherman medium tank began, which became the main one in the armed forces of the United States and England. This model was first tested in real battle at the end of 1942 in Africa (in Tunisia). During the war, several modifications of the Sherman were designed. For example, it used 75 and 76.2 mm cannons, as well as a 105 mm howitzer. The Sherman had a crew of 5 people, was reliable and unpretentious, although it did not have a high level of armor and excessive firepower. American designers also tried to create heavy tanks, but were not successful: their samples were noticeably inferior to the Soviet IS and German Tigers.

French armored vehicles of World War II

In 1918, when the First World War, the French army had the most tanks in the world. Therefore, the French did not consider it right to increase their numbers and modernize. Only in the early thirties did they realize that something needed to change. And thanks to the industry development program, developed by order of the Chief of the General Staff, General Weygand, by 1940 the French army had a decent fleet of good armored vehicles. Of course, at French tanks(light: Renault R-35 and Hotchkiss H -35, medium: Renault D-2 and Somua S -35 and also heavy B 1) they had their drawbacks: poor speed and maneuverability, small turrets and crews of 1-2 people, weak weapons - but they were quite competitive. After the surrender of France, the Germans received a number of intact armored vehicles and, after some modifications, the Nazis used French tanks in World War II as part of their army.

The history of the creation of two famous WWII tanks is very interesting. It can explain the rather ambiguous assessment of these two vehicles, and provides an explanation for some of the failures of our tankers that took place in the summer of 1941. The whole problem is that not even experimental, but conceptual cars went into production.
None of these tanks were created to arm the army. They were only supposed to show what a tank of its class should look like.
Pre-war tanks produced by plant No. 183. From left to right: BT-7, A-20, T-34-76 with L-11 cannon, T-34-76 with F-34 cannon
Let's start with KV. When the leadership of the country of the Soviets realized that the tanks in service were so outdated that they were no longer tanks at all. It was decided to create new technology. Certain requirements for this technology were also put forward. Such a heavy tank should have had anti-ballistic armor and several guns in several turrets. For this technical project, the design of machines called T-100 and SMK began.
QMS


T-100


But the designer of the SMK, Kotin, believed that a heavy tank should have a single turret. And he had the idea to create another car. But his entire design bureau was busy creating the ordered QMS. And then he was lucky: a group of students from the Armored Tank Academy arrived at the plant for their graduation project. These “students” were entrusted with creating a new tank. Without hesitation, they shortened the SMK body, leaving room for one tower. A second cannon was stuck into this tower instead of a machine gun. And the machine gun itself was moved to the rear niche of the turret. The armor was strengthened, bringing the weight of the project to that specified in the task. We stumbled upon knots, the drawings of which were studied at the academy. They even took components from an American tractor that had been discontinued in the States 20 years earlier. But they didn’t change the suspension, copying it from the SMK. Despite the fact that the length of the tank has decreased by 1.5 times. And the number of suspension units decreased by the same number. And the load on them has increased. The only thing the “students” themselves did was install a diesel engine. And according to these drawings the KV tank was created. Presented for testing along with the T-100 and SMK.
The very first KV, autumn 1939


But then the Finnish War began and all three tanks were sent to the front. Which revealed the complete superiority of the KV concept over other tanks. And the tank, despite all the objections of the chief designer, was accepted for service. The Great Patriotic War, which began soon, revealed all the shortcomings of the HF design. The tank turned out to be extremely unreliable, especially these tanks suffered from suspension failures and components copied from an American tractor. As a result, in 1941, only about 20% of these vehicles were lost to enemy fire. The rest were abandoned due to breakdowns.
QMS in battle


SMK blown up by a landmine in the depths of Finnish positions


Military people are generally conservative people. If they considered a heavy tank to have a multi-turret, then this is exactly what they ordered. And if the tanks for raids were wheeled and tracked, then this is exactly the type of vehicle they ordered. To replace the BT-7 series tanks. But they wanted a car protected from anti-tank artillery. Why was it supposed to make inclined armor? The Koshkin military design bureau in Kharkov issued an order for such a vehicle.
A-20


A-32


But he saw a completely different car. Therefore, together with the vehicle ordered by the military, which received the index A-20, he made almost exactly the same one, A-32. Almost, with 2 exceptions. Firstly, the mechanism of movement on wheels was removed. Secondly, the A-32 had a 76.2 mm cannon. Instead of 45 mm on the A-20. At the same time, the A-32 weighed a ton less than the A-20. And in tests, the A-32 proved to be more preferable than the A-20. Especially when the next modification of the A-34 vehicle was released, with more durable armor and an F-32 cannon, the same as on the KV. True, the weight of the tank increased by 6 tons. And the spark plug suspension, inherited from the A-20, began to not hold up.
Tank A-34 (2nd prototype)


But the Red Army was in dire need of new tanks. And despite the identified defects, the tank went into production. Moreover, with even more powerful and heavy gun F-34. Koshkin and the gun designer Grabin knew each other. Therefore, even before the appearance of this gun in service, he received a set of drawings. And based on them, he prepared a place for a cannon. And the medium T-34 turned out to have a more powerful gun than the heavy KV. But as a result of design costs, the situation turned out to be close to the situation with HF. T-34s of the first production were more often abandoned due to breakdowns than due to combat damage.
The very first KV, but in the spring of 1940 after its conversion according to the KV-2 project. And the turret from the very first KV, which had the number U-0, was installed on the tank number U-2.


This is not to say that the designers did not recognize the shortcomings of their cars. The fight against “childhood diseases” of structures began immediately. As a result, by 1943 we managed to obtain those famous T-34 and KV that we know about. But in general, these vehicles were considered only as temporary, until the appearance of new tanks. So Kotin worked on the KV-3 with a 107 mm cannon. And the design bureau in Kharkov over the T-34M. The design of the car, with a transverse engine and vertical sides. The T-34M even managed to be put into production. We made about 50 sets of parts for this type of tank. But before the capture of Kharkov, not a single tank had time to be completely assembled.
T-34M, also known as A-43.


And so it turned out that the tanks of victory were tanks whose appearance was not foreseen. And their adoption was considered a temporary measure and not for long. Tanks that were not intended to be used as main tanks, and which were simply design concepts.
It cannot be said that in 1940, after the shortcomings of our new tanks were identified, there were no attempts to create new vehicles. I already wrote about the T-34M project. There was an attempt to create a new heavy tank. Received the index KV-3. In the project of this vehicle, an attempt was made to eliminate the shortcomings inherent in the KV-1 and KV-2 tanks (the same KV-1, but with a new turret and a 152-mm howitzer), and the experience of the war with the Finns was also used in the project. It was planned to arm this tank with a 107 mm cannon. However, tests of the first model of the gun were not successful. It was difficult and inconvenient for the loader to work with ammunition of this size and weight. Therefore, the tank presented for testing in the summer of 1941 was armed with the same 76-mm cannon. But then the war began and in September 1941 the experimental vehicle went into battle on the Leningrad Front. From which she did not return and is officially listed as missing. But there is a report from one of the commanders of the Red Army, who claimed that the tank that broke through into the depths of the German defense was fired upon by 105-mm German howitzers. From the fire of which the ammunition detonated. The turret was torn off, and the tank itself was completely destroyed.
KV-3. Layout.


The newsreels are probably familiar to everyone. They show a seven-wheeler KV-3 with a turret from the KV-1.


But neither the T-34M nor the KV-3 were considered as the main tank of the Red Army before the war. It was supposed to be a car with the T-50 index. The prototype of this vehicle was created in 1940 and looked very much like the T-34, only it was slightly smaller in size. But it had the same 45-mm sloped armor, although the vehicle was armed with a 45-mm cannon and 3 machine guns. The project was considered not entirely successful; the machine turned out to be too high-tech. And the factories where it was planned to be produced could not master it. And the tank turned out to be too heavy for its class.
T-126 in Kubinka


Then it was decided to reduce the thickness of the armor to 37 mm, remove the forward machine gun, and install not a stack of machine guns in the turret, but one machine gun. Apply a number of other technical solutions aimed at reducing weight and manufacturability of production. All this pushed back the start of production to June 1941. And production vehicles appeared in the army after the start of the war. In total, not many such tanks were produced, several dozen. The plant for their production was evacuated from Leningrad, and at the new location it was decided to begin production of other types of machines.
T-50


Its competitor created at the Kirov plant


But we will continue to talk about unknown Soviet tanks of the 2nd World War. I already wrote about the T-34M project, but the developments of this project turned out to be in demand. In 1943, the T-43 tank, which was the direct successor to the T-34M project, was put into service. But the appearance of “Tigers” and “Panthers” on the battlefields did not allow this vehicle to go into large production. But it served as the basis for the best WWII tank, the T-44. By mid-1942 it became clear that the Red Army needed a new medium tank. The design of such a tank, called the T-43, was completed by June 1943. The main requirement of the military, to provide maximum protection with a minimum increase in mass, was fulfilled. Its hull, which inherited the T-34 configuration, already had all-round 75 mm armor. The thickness of the frontal part of the turret, in which the 76.2 mm F-34 tank gun was installed, was increased to 90 mm (versus 45 mm for the T-34). But the length of the engine-transmission compartment could not be reduced, resulting in a smaller fighting compartment. Therefore, in order to provide the crew with the necessary internal space, the designers used a torsion bar suspension, more compact than a candle suspension with vertical springs, as on the BT and T-34 tanks. Superior to the T-34 in terms of armor protection and not inferior in armament to the heavy tank KV-1 and KV-1s, the medium tank T-43, however, approached the heavy tanks in terms of specific ground pressure, which negatively affected maneuverability and range. And its design was extreme, excluding further modernization. And when the serial “thirty-four” was equipped with an 85-mm cannon, the need for the T-43 temporarily disappeared, although it was the turret from the T-43 that was used with minor modifications for the T-34-85 tank, so the experience of working on it was not in vain. The fact is that the test run of the T-43 is 3 thousand km. clearly proved the correct choice of torsion bar suspension for a medium tank and the futility of gradually changing the traditional layout.
T-43


T-34 and T-43


It became clear that a fundamentally different machine was needed. It was this that they began to design at the Morozov Design Bureau. The result of the work was the T-44 tank. The creation of the T-44 tank began at the end of 1943. New tank received the designation “Object 136” and in the series - the designation T-44. The new car not only featured a transverse engine arrangement, but also a number of other technical innovations. If implemented separately, on different tanks, they would not have given a noticeable effect, but together they made the design of the T-44 such that it determined the development of domestic technology for decades. armored vehicles. The height of the engine-transmission compartment was reduced by moving a new type of air cleaner from the camshaft of the Y-shaped engine to the side. By the way, the B-44 diesel itself was equipped with improved fuel equipment, which made it possible to increase power from 500 to 520 hp. With. with the same cylinder volume as on the previous B-34. In place of the fan, which protruded beyond the dimensions of the crankcase, a compact flywheel was installed. This made it possible to mount the diesel engine on a low, rigid, but light engine frame, and as a result, the body height was reduced by 300 mm.
Two experimental samples of T-44


The medium T-44 and its German counterpart, the heavy T-V “Panther”.


They also introduced other design developments that could not be implemented on serial T-34s. So the new layout of the engine-transmission compartment made it possible to move the turret new design with the 85-mm ZIS-S-53 cannon in the center of the hull, where the tankers were less affected by the tiresome angular vibrations of the vehicle, and the long-barreled gun could not stick into the ground when moving over rough terrain. Firing accuracy has also increased. And most importantly, this alignment allowed the designers to increase the thickness of the frontal armor plate to 120 mm without overloading the front rollers. Let us add that the increase in the strength of the front plate was facilitated by the relocation of the driver's hatch to the roof of the hull and the abandonment of the ball mount of the course machine gun, since combat experience revealed its insufficient effectiveness. In the new tank, the course machine gun was rigidly fixed in the bow of the hull, and a fuel tank was placed in the vacant space next to the driver. On the T-44-85 prototype there was a small gap between the second and third road wheels. On production vehicles the gap was between the first and second rollers. In this form, the T-44 successfully passed state tests and was adopted by the Red Army in 1944. T-44 tanks were mass-produced in Kharkov.
T-44


From the end of 1944 to 1945, 965 tanks were manufactured. T-44s did not take part in hostilities. Although they began to enter the troops in the spring of 1945. So until May 9, 1945, into service with individual guards tank brigades 160 tanks of this type were received. Which were in the 2nd echelon active army. And which should have been an unpleasant surprise for the Germans if they had new types of tanks. For example, the Panther-2 being developed. But there was no need for this type of tank. And the T-44 did not take part in the hostilities. Even against Japan. Thus falling out of sight of military historians. It's a pity. Because this tank was the best tank of the 2nd World War.

The victory over the Third Reich is, of course, the merit of the coordinated and efficient work of all departments. But the lion's share of this struggle still fell on tank forces- only aviation can compete with them in this regard. Universal, working in conditions of severe frost and hellish heat, it was tanks that took on the bulk of combat missions and actions.

The beginning provoked an urgent need for the creation and development of new tanks capable of withstanding the onslaught of the enemy. It was during this period that, without exaggeration, the legendary German Panther and the Tiger, the Soviet T-34, the English, the American Sherman - classic machines, perfect for their time, in the image and likeness of which all subsequent models will be designed.

Mass production of tanks began in 1940 and grew steadily during the war. Since 1942, the countries participating in the hostilities began to massively abandon the production of light tanks, giving preference to medium ones - they are more maneuverable and faster than their heavy counterparts, and much stronger than fast but vulnerable light tanks.

T-34

One of the most famous models The medium tank is undoubtedly the T-34.

At the very beginning of the war, the Germans, hoping for a blitzkrieg, threw new and fresh troops into battle; Soviet army under such pressure she was forced to retreat. At the beginning of winter, battles took place already 80 kilometers from Moscow. In conditions of snowfall, light tanks such as the T-60 and T-40 S experienced a sharp decline in maneuverability, and the transmission of heavy tanks suffered. The issue of producing medium-weight tanks became more pressing than ever - there was nowhere to delay.

So the T-34 became the main tank of the Great Patriotic War since 1941. High maneuverability, speed and artillery, which no one had equal at that time, made it the most massive, the most universal tank. Anti-ballistic armor that reliably protects the crew, a diesel engine, and the ability to fire quickly - these are the points that the engineers focused on. Subsequent changes in the design of the tank were carried out after the indicators of the above-mentioned characteristics were brought to the required limit.

A tank is a fighting vehicle that combines artillery, armor and maneuverability in equal measure. The loss or weakening of at least one of the characteristics leads to the vulnerability of the tank and, as a result, loss in battle. The commercial and military success of the T-34 was due precisely to the fact that Soviet engineers managed to achieve the necessary balance in speed and combat characteristics. Until now, the T-34 is the brightest symbol of the Great Patriotic War, and its memory is preserved in monuments and museum exhibits.

However, this model also had drawbacks. The tank was not maneuverable enough, and the crew needed to undergo training in order to operate a vehicle that was not the easiest to operate - this fact, however, does not in any way detract from the merits of Soviet engineers and tank crews.

Inevitable modernization

The active seizure of territories by the Germans was significantly overshadowed by the appearance of such Soviet tanks as the T-34 and KV. The presence of such powerful machines by the enemy required a revision and re-equipment of their own equipment.

Having modernized the average PZ-III tanks and PZ-IV, the Germans put them into mass production, and then began building more reliable and durable heavy tanks.

This is how the Tiger and Panther appeared - the most powerful tanks of the Second World War, hitting enemy targets from a distance of up to three thousand meters.

The Kremlin made its main mistake when, before Battle of Kursk did not insist on modernizing the T-34. German technologies used in the Panther, Tiger and tanks were a good 2-3 years ahead of the Soviet ones, which became fatal in the conditions of the crazy arms race of 1940-1945.

In mid-1943, engineers, taking into account all previous mistakes, released an updated version of the T-34.

In the battle of Prokhorovka with the participation modernized models German troops lost a quarter of their vehicles.

Tiger and Panther

Both of these heavyweights were created with one single purpose - to repel the Soviet T-34. The Panther was approximately 13 tons smaller than the , which provided greater maneuverability and greater maneuverability - especially across rivers, where bridges simply could not support massive tanks. The smaller size also played a role in fuel economy - without additional refueling, the Panther could travel 250 kilometers (versus 190 km for the Tiger).

The Panther's shells were characterized by greater penetration and firing accuracy, and the new inclined armor created the likelihood of an enemy shell ricocheting - the Tiger was inferior to it in these characteristics. Among those captured by the Allies German tanks They were popular precisely because the massive and overly difficult to control Tigers acted more often as a trophy than as a military weapon.

Despite such obvious advantages of the Panther, we should not forget that the Tiger was a more than worthy tank for its time, created in the best traditions of German engineering - durable and powerful, but, alas, because of this it was also clumsy and massive. The Panther in this sense has become something of a sip fresh air, rethinking outdated technologies.

Crew

Rapid success German troops at the very beginning of the war was largely determined not only by the coordinated work of tank units among themselves and other units, but also by the seating arrangement of the crew. A crew of 5 people had a much better chance of success than, for example, the English and French crews of 2-3 people, overloaded with simultaneous execution of several tasks.

American tanks

American tank production can be called perhaps the most painless, because they were built based on the experience of others. Since 1942, production began, extremely successful for its time, which became the main tank not only for American army, but also for the Allied troops. However, since the Americans were guided by other people's decisions in the production of tanks, mistakes also occurred - the long production and use of light tanks, the release of the new Chaffee model in 1944, while other countries preferred more reliable medium and heavy tanks, which could not have been better confirms.

The merits of tank crews and engineers of the Second World War are indisputable. Both the construction of tanks and their management is an entire art, honed by trial and error. Without tanks, victory would hardly have been possible, and the incredible qualitative leap that has been made in the field of engineering in just five years truly deserves respect.

The term “tank” in Ozhegov’s dictionary is explained as “an armored self-propelled combat vehicle with powerful weapons on a tracked track.” But such a definition is not a dogma; there is no unified tank standard in the world. Each manufacturing country creates and has created tanks taking into account its own needs, the characteristics of the proposed war, the manner of upcoming battles and its own production capabilities. The USSR was no exception in this regard.

History of the development of tanks of the USSR and Russia by model

History of invention

The primacy of the use of tanks belongs to the British; their use forced military leaders of all countries to reconsider the concept of warfare. The French's use of their light tank Renault FT17 defined the classic use of tanks for solving tactical problems, and the tank itself became the embodiment of the canons of tank building.

Although the laurels of first use did not go to the Russians, the invention of the tank itself, in its classical sense, belongs to our compatriots. In 1915 V.D. Mendeleev (the son of a famous scientist) sent a project for an armored self-propelled vehicle on two tracks with artillery weapons to the technical department of the Russian Army. But for unknown reasons further design work things didn't work out.

The idea itself of installing a steam engine on a tracked propulsion device was not new; it was first implemented in 1878 by Russian designer Fyodor Blinov. The invention was called: “A car with endless flights for transporting goods.” In this “car”, a track turning device was used for the first time. The invention of a caterpillar propulsion device, by the way, also belongs to the Russian staff captain D. Zagryazhsky. For which a corresponding patent was issued in 1937.

The world's first tracked combat vehicle is also Russian. In May 1915, tests of the armored vehicle D.I. took place near Riga. Porokhovshchikov called “All-terrain vehicle”. It had an armored body, one wide track and a machine gun in a rotating turret. The tests were considered very successful, but due to the approaching Germans, further tests had to be postponed, and after some time they were completely forgotten.

In the same year, 1915, tests were carried out on a machine designed by the head of the experimental laboratory of the military department, Captain Lebedenko. The 40-ton unit was increased to gigantic size an artillery carriage driven by two Maybach engines from a downed airship. The front wheels had a diameter of 9 meters. According to the creators, a vehicle of this design should easily overcome ditches and trenches, but during testing it got stuck immediately after it started moving. Where it stood for many years until it was cut up for scrap metal.

First world Russia finished without my tanks. During the Civil War, tanks from other countries were used. During the battles, some of the tanks passed into the hands of the Red Army, on which the workers’ and peasants’ fighters entered the battle. In 1918, in a battle with French-Greek troops near the village of Berezovskaya, several Reno-FT tanks were captured. They were sent to Moscow to participate in the parade. Lenin’s fiery speech about the need to build our own tanks laid the foundation for Soviet tank building. We decided to release, or rather completely copy, 15 Reno-FT tanks called Tank M (small). On August 31, 1920, the first copy left the workshops of the Krasnoye Sormovo plant in Nizhny Tagil. This day is considered to be the birthday of Soviet tank building.

The young state understood that tanks were very important for waging war, especially since the enemies approaching the borders were already armed with this type of military equipment. The M tank was not put into production due to its particularly expensive production price, so another option was needed. According to the idea that existed in the Red Army at that time, the tank was supposed to support the infantry during an attack, that is, the speed of the tank should not be much higher than the infantry, the weight should allow it to break through the defense line, and the weapons should successfully suppress firing points. Choosing between our own developments and proposals to copy already ready-made samples, chose the option that made it possible to organize the production of tanks in the shortest possible time - copying.

In 1925, the tank was launched into mass production, its prototype was the Fiat-3000. Although not entirely successful, the MS-1 became the tank that laid the foundation for Soviet tank building. At his production site, production itself and the coherence of the work of different departments and factories were developed.

Until the early 30s, several of their own models T-19, T-20, T-24 were developed, but due to the lack of special advantages over the T-18, and due to their high cost of production, they did not go into series.

Tanks of the 30-40s - a disease of imitation

Participation in the conflict on the Chinese Federal Railway showed the inadequacy of the first generation tanks for the dynamic development of the battle; the tanks practically did not show themselves in any way; the cavalry did the main work. A faster and more reliable car was needed.

To select the next production model, we went the beaten path and purchased samples abroad. The English Vickers Mk - 6 tons was mass-produced in our country as the T-26, and the Carden-Loyd Mk VI wedge was produced as the T-27.

The T-27, which at first was so tempting to produce due to its low cost, was not produced for long. In 1933, wedge heels were adopted for the army
amphibious tank T-37A, with weapons in a rotating turret, and in 1936 - T-38. In 1940, they created a similar amphibious T-40; the USSR did not produce more amphibious tanks until the 50s.

Another sample was purchased in the USA. Based on the model of J.W. Christie, a whole series of high-speed tanks (BT) was built; their main difference was the combination of two propellers, wheeled and tracked. To move when marching, BTs used wheels; when fighting, they used caterpillars. Such a forced measure was necessary due to the poor operational capabilities of the tracks, only 1000 km.

BT tanks, developing quite high speeds on the roads, fully suited the changed military concept of the Red Army: breaking through the defense and quickly deploying a deep attack through the resulting gap. The three-turret T-28 was developed directly for the breakthrough, the prototype of which was the English Vickers 16-ton. Another breakthrough tank was supposed to be the T-35, similar to the English five-turret heavy tank “Independent”.

During the pre-war decade, many interesting tank designs were created that did not go into production. For example, based on the T-26
semi-closed self-propelled gun AT-1 ( artillery tank). During the Second World War, they will again remember these cars without a cabin roof.

Tanks of the Second World War

Participation in civil war in Spain and in the battles at Khalkhin Gol showed how high the explosion hazard of a gasoline engine is and the inadequacy of bulletproof armor against the then nascent anti-tank artillery. The implementation of solutions to these problems allowed our designers, who had suffered from the disease of imitation, to create for real on the eve of the Second World War good tanks and KV.

In the first days of the war, a catastrophically large number of tanks were lost; it took time to establish production of the uncompetitive T-34 and KV at the only evacuated factories, and the front desperately needed tanks. The government decided to fill this niche with cheap and quick-to-produce light tanks T-60 and T-70. Naturally, the vulnerability of such tanks is very high, but they gave time to expand the production of Victory tanks. The Germans called them “indestructible locusts.”

In battle under the railway. Art. Prokhorovka was the first time that tanks acted as “cementers” of the defense; before that they were used exclusively as attack weapons. In principle, until today, there have been no more new ideas for the use of tanks.

Speaking about WWII tanks, it is impossible not to mention tank destroyers (SU-76, SU-122, etc.) or “self-propelled guns” as they were called in the troops. The relatively small rotating turret did not allow the use of some powerful guns and, most importantly, howitzers on tanks; for this purpose, they were installed on the bases of existing tanks without the use of turrets. In fact, Soviet tank destroyers during the war, except for weapons, were no different from their prototypes, unlike the same German ones.

Modern tanks

After the war, light, medium and heavy tanks continued to be produced, but by the end of the 50s, all major tank manufacturers concentrated on the production of the main tank. Thanks to new technologies in the production of armor, more powerful engines and weapons, the need to divide tanks into types disappeared by itself. The niche of light tanks was occupied by armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, so the PT-76 eventually became an armored personnel carrier.

The first post-war mass tank The new model was armed with a 100 mm gun, and its modification for use in radioactive zones. This model has become the most popular among modern tanks, more than 30,000 of these machines were in service in over 30 countries.

After tanks with a 105 mm gun appeared among potential enemies, it was decided to upgrade the T-55 to a 115 mm gun. The world's first tank with a 155mm smoothbore gun was named.

The ancestor of the classic main tanks was. It fully combined the capabilities of heavy (125mm gun) and medium tanks (high mobility).