The best Soviet tanks. Start in science Tanks during the Second World War

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Research objectives. 3

Introduction 4 Chapter I. Tanks of the USSR, which had highest value

in the Great Patriotic War 5

Chapter II. German tanks that had the GREATEST IMPORTANCE IN World War II 6

Chapter III. Comparison of the main models of medium tanks of the USSR and Germany 7 Chapter IV. Battle of Kursk

as a criterion for assessing the effectiveness of using tanks 8

Literature 10

APPENDICES 11 Purpose of the study : Comparison of quantitative and tactical-technical characteristics of Soviet and German tanks during the Great.

Patriotic War

Research objectives.

1.Select and analyze literature data on the problem under study 2. Identify the main tactical specifications

Soviet tanks of the Second World War

3. Determine the main tactical and technical characteristics of German tanks of the Second World War

4. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of tanks of both sides at war

Introduction In wars Recent history

- XX century, technology played a big role. The use of technical means of warfare makes it possible to provide not only physical, but psychological impact

on the enemy, depriving him of his fighting spirit. In the twentieth century, tanks became a new weapon that quickly gained popularity. They appeared in 1915 and are still widely used today. Many people are still concerned about the question of which tank was the best tank of the Second World War. They carefully compare the tables of tactical and technical characteristics (TTX), talk about the thickness of the armor, the armor penetration of shells and many other figures from the TTX tables. Different sources give different figures, so disputes begin about the reliability of the sources. In these disputes, it is forgotten that the numbers in the tables themselves do not mean anything. Tanks are not designed for duels with their own kind in perfectly identical conditions! They are designed for combat, combat in cooperation with other branches of the military. Around the question of the best tank

There are many myths about the Second World War. Let's analyze the literature data on tanks of the Second World War and try to draw our own conclusion about the advantages and disadvantages of the tanks of the opposing sides.

Tank classification- a tank that falls into the corresponding category of combat vehicles according to one of the classification criteria (weight or armament). When classified by weight, a light tank is considered to be a combat vehicle no heavier than the conventional limit value between the categories of light and medium tanks. When classified by armament, all tanks armed with automatic guns(or machine guns) with a caliber up to 20 mm inclusive (or non-automatic up to 50 mm), regardless of weight or armor.

Different approaches to tank classification led to the fact that different countries the same machines were considered to belong to different classes. The main purpose of light tanks was reconnaissance, communications, direct support of infantry on the battlefield, and counter-guerrilla warfare.

TO medium tanks included tanks that had combat mass up to 30 tons and armed with a large-caliber cannon and machine guns. Medium tanks were intended to reinforce infantry when breaking through a heavily fortified enemy defensive line. Medium tanks included T-28, T-34, T-44, T-111, Pz Kpfw III, Pz Kpfw IV and others.

TO heavy tanks These included tanks that had a combat weight of over 30 tons and were armed with large-caliber guns and machine guns. Heavy tanks were intended to strengthen combined arms formations when breaking through heavily fortified enemy defenses and attacking their fortified areas. Heavy tanks included all modifications of the KV tank, IS-2, Pz Kpfw V “Panther”, Pz Kpfw VI “Tiger”, Pz Kpfw VI Ausf B “Royal Tiger” and others.

Chapter I. Tanks of the USSR, which were of greatest importance in the Great Patriotic War

T-28 - three-turreted Soviet medium tank 1930s.

The first medium tank in the USSR to go into mass production. Used in the "Liberation Campaign" on Western Ukraine, Winter War and initial stage Great Patriotic War. The power plant was chosen aircraft engine M-5 with a power of 400 hp. With.

On December 19, 1939, by a joint resolution of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the government, it was decided to produce two samples of the T-34, armed with a 76-mm cannon and protected by armor 45 millimeters thick.

Before the start of the war, more than a thousand tanks were built at the KhPZ and the Stalingrad Tractor Plant. Looking ahead, we note that the T-34 was indeed an ideal tank in terms of the balance of characteristics that determine the quality of a combat vehicle. Throughout the war, medium tanks underwent countless modernizations. It was a continuous process - a tank arms race. Innovations were immediately tested, tested in combat conditions, many changes were made in field conditions. And in this process Soviet designers were one step ahead of their competitors (primarily German).

Chapter II. German tanks that had the GREATEST IMPORTANCE IN World War II

Germany entered the second world war with a tank fleet of about 3,200 vehicles. It was easy T-I tanks and T-II various modifications, as well as medium tanks T-III and T-IV (Appendix 2). German tanks were created as a means of implementing the concept of “lightning war”, so they were armed primarily with small-caliber automatic and semi-automatic cannons, as well as machine guns.

“The material superiority of our tank forces, which had existed until now, was now lost and now passed to the enemy. Thus the prospects for rapid and continuous success disappeared. I wrote about this new situation for us in my report to the army group command, in which I outlined in detail the advantage of the T-34 tank compared to ours tank T-IV, pointing out the need to change the design of our tanks in the future."

Panzerkampfwagen(PzKpfw) III - German medium tank, produced from 1938 to 1943. In Soviet documents it was referred to as Type-3 or T-3. These combat vehicles were used by the Wehrmacht from the first day of World War II until their complete destruction in battle.

Many captured T-3s great success They were also used in our troops; there were even entire battalions consisting entirely of tanks of this type. A large number of The Germans supplied these vehicles to their allies. By the time of the invasion of the USSR, this tank was the main weapon of the Wehrmacht and easily dealt with the obsolete Soviet T-26s, which then formed the basis tank troops. The tank was modernized many times, but after the Battle of Kursk, all reserves for further modernization of this model were exhausted and its production was stopped.

"Panzerkampfwagen IV"(“PzKpfw IV”, also “Pz. IV”; read as “Panzerkampfwagen IV”; in the USSR it was also known as “T-IV”) - a German medium tank of the Second World War. Most mass tank The Panzerwaffe (a total of 8,686 vehicles were produced), was mass-produced in several modifications from 1937 to 1945. The constantly increasing armament and armor of the tank in most cases allowed the PzKpfw IV to effectively resist enemy vehicles of a similar class.

Chapter III. Comparison of the main models of medium tanks of the USSR and Germany

Let's compare medium tanks from the beginning of World War II: T-28 with Panzerkampfwagen (Pzkpfw) III.

1.Speed. The maximum for the T-28 was 45 km/h, and for the Pzkpfw III - 40 km/h (since the T-28 was at the beginning of the war, we take the early modifications of the Pzkpfw III). In terms of speed, the T-28 has the advantage.

2. Armament. The T-28 used four 7.62 DT-29 machine guns and a 76mm KT-28 or L-10 cannon. The Pzkpfw III has three MG-34 machine guns and one 37mm cannon. Thus, the T-28 had more serious weapons.

3. Booking. The Pzkpfw III had only 14.5 mm of armor, while the T-28 had twice as much armor in the frontal part, and 20 mm on the sides, therefore, according to this criterion, the T-28 has advantages.

4. Overcoming obstacles (Table 1).

Table 1

Based on the analysis, the advantage of the T-28 medium tank over a similar medium tank of the German Peninsula at the beginning of the Second World War becomes obvious.

Let's compare the medium tanks that took part in the Battle of Kursk T-34-76 and Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. J/H.

1. Speed. The T-34 accelerated to 54 km/h, while the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. J/H only up to 40. T-34 has a clear advantage.

2. Armament. Panzerkampfwagen IV was armed with a 75mm KwK 40 caliber gun and two 7.92mm MG-42 machine guns. The T-34 received a 76.2 mm L-11 cannon and 2 7.62 mm DT machine guns. Thus, the tanks have the same weapons.

3. Booking. For Panzerkampfwagen IV: Hull forehead, mm 80; Hull side, mm 30; Hull stern, mm 20; Tower forehead, mm 50; Turret side, mm 30; Tower feed, mm 30; Turret roof, mm 18. For T-34: Hull forehead (top), mm. 45; Body forehead (bottom), mm 45; Hull side (top), mm 45;

Hull side (bottom), mm 45; Hull stern (top), mm/deg. 40; Hull rear (bottom), mm/deg. 42; Bottom, mm 13-16; Housing roof, mm 16-20.

In addition to a slight advantage in armor thickness, the T-34 has rational angles of inclination, which provides it with a clear superiority over the Pz-4

4. Overcoming obstacles (Table 2).

table 2

Comparison of tanks based on their ability to overcome obstacles

Thus, the T-34 has a number of advantages over the Panzerkampfwagen IV, the main of which are high reliability and rational armor angles.

Conclusion:

The T-34 became the ideal tank for war: it had, in my opinion, the two most important qualities - ease of operation and relative cheapness to manufacture.

Chapter IV. The Battle of Kursk as a criterion for assessing the effectiveness of the use of tanks

Battle of Kursk, July 5 - August 23, 1943. In defensive battles in July, Soviet troops of the Central and Voronezh fronts (army generals K.K. Rokossovsky and N.F. Vatutin) repelled a major offensive German troops army groups “Center” and “South” (Field Marshal H.G. Kluge and E. Manstein), prevented the enemy’s attempt to encircle and destroy Soviet troops on the Kursk Bulge, and later our troops defeated 30 enemy divisions and liberated Oryol (5 August), Belgorod (August 5) and Kharkov (August 23).

The Battle of Kursk is the most massive tank battle in the history of mankind. More than 13 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, Soviet historians, including Academician A. M. Samsonov, talk about more than 500 thousand killed, wounded and prisoners, 1,500 tanks and over 3,700 aircraft. In the Battle of Kursk, the Soviet side participated mainly in medium and light tanks, and positive traits The T-34 showed its best. What was the basis for success? Soviet troops? In planning the use of tanks there were characteristics. Separate tank and mechanized corps were used as mobile army groups, and tank armies were used as mobile groups of the Voronezh Front, which was new in the art of war. The success of the counteroffensive was ensured by the timing of the transition of Soviet troops to the offensive and the organization of strategic interaction between groups of fronts attacking in the western and southwestern, as well as in other directions. This excluded the possibility of regrouping German troops in areas dangerous to him. On a larger scale, tank and mechanized troops were used. The density of tanks compared to the counteroffensive at Stalingrad increased and amounted to 15 - 20 tanks and self-propelled guns per 1 km of front. Tank and mechanized corps became the main means of developing the success of combined arms armies, and tank armies of a homogeneous composition became the echelon for developing the success of the front. Their use to complete the breakthrough of a previously prepared positional defense was a necessary measure, often leading to significant tank losses and weakening of tank formations and formations, but in specific conditions it justified itself. Perhaps the constructive superiority of Soviet armored vehicles, heroism and courage Soviet soldiers together with new strategic approaches to the conduct of large-scale combat operations, it was the cornerstone of the success of the Battle of Kursk and the entire war. For the first time, self-propelled artillery regiments were widely used near Kursk. They turned out to be effective means supporting the advance of tanks and infantry.

CONCLUSION

As a result of the analysis of the literature, the main tactical and technical characteristics of tanks of the Soviet army and Germany that participated in the Second World War were determined. Based on the data obtained, a conclusion was made about the technical superiority of Soviet medium tanks over similar German models. Historical confirmation of this conclusion is the result of the largest tank battle- The Battle of Kursk, which ended in victory for the Soviet troops.

Literature

1. Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945. Events. People. Documents: Brief history. Directory / Under general. Ed. O. A. Rzheshevsky; Comp. E.K. Zhigunov. - M.: Politizdat, 1990. - 464 pp.: ill., map.

2. Guderian G., Memoirs of a Soldier: trans. with him. / G. Guderian. - Smolensk: Rusich, 1999.-653 p.

3. History of military art: A textbook for senior military officers educational institutions/ Under general ed. I.Kh. Bagramyan. - M.: Military Publishing House of the USSR Ministry of Defense, 1970. - 308 p.

4. Mernikov A.G. Armed forces of the USSR and Germany 1939-1945./A.G.Mernikov-Minsk: Harvest, 2010.- 352 p.

5. USSR in the Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945: Brief chronicle / I. G. Viktorov, A. P. Emelyanov, L. M. Eremeev and others; Ed. S. M. Klyatskina, A. M. Sinitsina. - 2nd ed. . - M.: Military Publishing House, 1970. - 855 s.

6. Tank yesterday, today, tomorrow [ electronic resource] /Encyclopedia of tanks. - 2010. Access mode http://de.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enc_tech/4239/Tank, free. (Date of access: 03/10/2016)

7. Battle of Kursk [electronic resource] / Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia. Access mode https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle of Kursk#cite_ref-12, free. (Date of access: 03/10/2016)

8. Tank T-34 - from Moscow to Berlin [electronic resource]. Access mode http://ussr-kruto.ru/2014/03/14/tank-t-34-ot-moskvy-do-berlina/, free. (Date of access: 03/10/2016).

APPLICATIONS

Annex 1

Characteristics of the T-34 tank

Appendix 2

Characteristics of German tanks

Tank was 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.

Analyzing the reasons for the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, one can consider many factors, proving its regularity and inevitability. However, in addition to moral superiority, mass heroism of soldiers and officers, and the feat of home front workers, attention should also be paid to such an important component of overall success as technical support troops. Home impact force ground troops During World War II there were tanks. The USSR had in its arsenal unsurpassed models of armored vehicles already in the late thirties. For a long time no country in the world could achieve such a technological level.

First tanks

The basic ideas of tank building were formed painfully; the search for optimal layout schemes, criteria for sufficiency of protection and the ratio of maneuverability to firepower was accompanied by many mistakes and insights. It was important to find the best suspension for the road wheels, the correct location of the drive wheels, calculate the gearbox, and choose the appropriate caliber of turret guns. The first tanks of the USSR were produced abroad, more precisely, in France, by Renault. They were renamed in honor of the “freedom fighters comrades Lenin and Trotsky,” and there were only two of them. Experience in mass construction of tanks in Soviet Russia and it could not be, and before the revolution this issue was not given enough attention. In fairness, it should be remembered that both in the 20s and 3s, discussions were still ongoing between strategy theorists about the primary importance of cavalry during deep invasion operations and defense, not only in our country, but also abroad. abroad. We had to start practically from scratch.

20s

Accuse pre-war cavalry supporters of illiteracy and retrograde thinking for a long time was considered a win-win situation. These, of course, included Budyonny and Voroshilov, and Tukhachevsky, Blucher, Uborevich, and even Yakir, who suffered from Stalin, were just as schematically classified as “progressives.” In fact, the supporters of the “equestrian” theory, of course, had their own, and quite weighty, arguments. In the early 30s armored vehicles was, to put it mildly, imperfect. The armor is bulletproof, otherwise the low-power carburetor car engine could not move the car. The armament was also in most cases at the level of the famous “Rostov cart”. A logistical problem arose in the delivery of fuel and lubricants; a car is not a horse; you can’t feed it grass. And yet, already in the twenties, the first tanks of the USSR appeared. Photos of these samples today are not impressive, and neither are the technical characteristics. In most cases, they copied foreign analogues and did not stand out in anything special.

We had to start somewhere. The starting point can be considered the T-18, which became the first mass-produced Soviet tank. It was produced in 1928-1931, 9 hundred copies were built. All tanks of the USSR and Russia can be considered the descendants of this “grandfather” of Soviet tank building. The same Renault 17 served as the basis for its creation. The work of the designers was complicated by the need to “reinvent the wheel,” since not all parts and components were preserved after the Civil War. The tank was light, armament consisted of one machine gun. Until the conflict on Lake Khasan, it remained in service, and the main value of this vehicle is that it laid the foundation for the Soviet tank building school.

Wheel-track concept

The mid-30s were marked by the heyday of the wheeled-tracked concept. Its essence boiled down briefly to the fact that in future offensive operations the priority factor for success will be speed, and vehicles that move along European highways like cars will be able to achieve it. But you still need to get to good roads, having overcome the chronic Russian impassability. Caterpillars could also be needed to cross fortified areas, trenches and ditches. The enemy should not be underestimated; he would definitely use everything known methods protection.

This is how the idea of ​​a hybrid chassis arose, providing for the ability to carry out the initial stage of an offensive on tracks, then drop them, and then develop success using actually wheeled tanks. The USSR was preparing for an offensive, fleeting war on foreign territory, accompanied by minor losses, with the support of the rebellious proletariat of the liberated countries.

T-29

The first embodiment of the wheeled-tracked concept was the T-29. Theoretically, he absorbed all the most advanced technical ideas of his time, even going beyond them. The caliber of the turret gun was unthinkable for the mid-30s, it was as much as 76 mm, had slightly larger dimensions than the previous T-28 model, and with 30 mm armor thickness it could move quite quickly, no worse than light tanks of the USSR of that time . The machine was let down by the complexity of production and low reliability; it remained experimental, but its role should not be downplayed.

Grotte's Mystery Machine

Those uninitiated in the intricacies of tank history may consider the name of this Soviet model foreign. In a sense, this is true.

In parallel with the T-28 and T-29, work was carried out in the USSR to implement another secret project. Having become a communist, the German designer Edward Grotte created his own car in our country, using unusual and even revolutionary approaches. Some of his achievements were later used by Soviet engineers (welding technologies, for example), but other of his ideas were not continued (spiral suspension of rollers and multi-tiered placement of weapons). Alas, the tank of the German engineer Grotte suffered from unnecessary complexity, was expensive to produce and unreliable.

Multi-tower QMS

The first heavy tanks of the USSR were named after the murdered leader of the Leningrad Bolsheviks, Sergei Mironovich Kirov. Based on the already proven design of the T-35, a means of breaking through echeloned enemy fortifications was created. The mass of the vehicle was 55 tons, it was armed with two guns (76 and 45 mm caliber), placed in individual turrets. The original design included a five-turret design, but the weight was too high and it was simplified. SMK - the most unusual tanks of the USSR. Their photos give an idea that the maneuverability of these machines leaves much to be desired. Their silhouette is immortalized on the obverse of the medal “For Courage”. In the Great Patriotic War, this tracked artillery battery practically did not have to fight, but the experience of the Finnish campaign revealed the general constructive conceptual depravity of the multi-turret scheme.

Fast

All light tanks of the USSR of the Second World War are generally considered obsolete, even taking into account the fact that their age in 1941 was measured in a period of several years. Their armor was modest, their armament was insufficient, at least, so claimed post-war historians. The BT series turned out to be of little use for the defense of the country, this is true. However, this does not at all detract from their technical merits. A 45-mm cannon was quite enough to defeat anyone German tank the initial period of hostilities. Vehicles of this series performed excellently during offensive operations at Khalkhin Gol in very difficult conditions. It was on them that the main ideas were tested, according to which all subsequent tanks of the USSR were built, including the rear location of the transmission unit, inclined armor and the indispensable diesel engine. The speed of the vehicles justified the name of the series (BT-2 - BT-7), it reached figures of 50 km/h or more (on tracks), and exceeded 70 km/h on wheels.

Floating

When conquering vast territories, the armed forces of any country face the problem of crossing numerous water barriers. Usually it is solved by landing troops and holding the bridgehead for the time necessary to establish a pontoon crossing. The ideal case would be the capture of bridges, but the retreating enemy, which is quite logical, seeks to destroy them before retreating. Immediately before the war, our designers created amphibious tanks. The USSR, according to the official historical version, did not expect World War II, but prepared the Red Army to overcome numerous rivers and other bodies of water. T-38 and T-37 were built in large series (by 1938 there were over a thousand of them), and in 1939 the T-40 was added to them. They were of little use for defense, the armament was rather weak (7.62 or 12.7 mm machine gun), so at the initial stage of the war almost all the vehicles were lost. By the way, the German Wehrmacht did not have amphibious tanks at all.

Main tank T-34

The most famous and mass-produced tanks of the USSR from 1941 to 1945 were the T-34s. The designers of the warring countries were never able to create a better car. And it’s not about the super-thick protection or the unique caliber of the gun. The main advantage of this tank was its amazing survivability, mobility, ability to repel projectiles, and manufacturability. All this was achieved thanks to the correct layout of the components. The designers lowered the silhouette by placing the drive rollers at the rear and removing the driveshaft. The armor weight has decreased and driving performance has improved. The 1944 modification received a cast hexagonal turret and a gun with a caliber increased to 85 mm. Much has been said and written about this tank; it deserves it, even despite its shortcomings, which, however, not a single piece of equipment can do without.

T-44

A further development of the “thirty-four” concept was the T-44. This vehicle was distinguished by an even more advanced layout, in particular, the diesel engine was placed in it coaxially with the drive rollers, perpendicular to the longitudinal line of the armored hull. This solution made it possible to reduce the length (as well as weight), improve habitability conditions, move the driver's hatch to a horizontal plane in front of the tower and solve a number of other design problems. 190 copies of the T-44 were produced by KhTZ until May 1945. After the appearance of modern T-54 tanks, the chassis of the “forty-four” managed to serve as tractors, and various auxiliary equipment was mounted on them. The film career of the T-44 is also noteworthy: for filming feature films they were often “made up” to look like German “Panthers”.

"Klimas" - the heaviest tanks - 1941

The USSR was preparing to crush enemy fortifications on foreign territory. By the end of 1938, in parallel with the mentioned SMK, the Kirov plant began to design a unique single-turret KV vehicle. A year later, the first copies were tested in quite combat conditions in Karelia. According to the established plan, more than two hundred copies rolled off the assembly line in 1940, and in 1941 it was planned to produce 1,200 of them. Weight - 47.5 tons, speed - 34 km/h, turret gun caliber - 76 mm. No army in the world had such a machine. Its main purpose is to break through layered defenses equipped with powerful anti-tank weapons. Other WWII tanks appeared at its base. By the beginning of hostilities, the USSR already had a well-thought-out and perfect technological chain that made it possible to use successful chassis HF in combination with various types towers and varied artillery weapons(KV-1 KV-2, KV-3, etc.). The industry of Nazi Germany could not create such a maneuverable heavy tank. However, the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition did not succeed either.

IS - Stalin in metal

In order to name a tank after the leader, you had to have courage, but even if you had it, caution was also necessary. However, at the Kirov plant there were owners of both advantages. Without a doubt, these were the most powerful and invulnerable tanks of the USSR. The Second World War, with its monstrous pendulum, had already swung to the West, the Soviet Army went on the offensive, but the enemy was still strong and tried to turn the tide of hostilities in his favor, releasing more and more monsters with outstretched trunks onto the battlefields long-range guns. In 1943, tests of the IS-1, which was a deeply modernized version of the KV, ended. This machine had a relatively small caliber, like latest model T-34 (85 mm). The IS-2 was a further development of this series (caliber 122 mm), and for the IS-3 they came up with new uniform reflective surface of the frontal armor, nicknamed the “pike nose”.

After the war, many outstanding tanks were created, which are still considered the best in the world. The basis of the science and practice of armored vehicles production was laid by WWII tanks. The USSR became the leading tank-building power. This tradition continues in the new Russia.

The Second World War demonstrated the power of tanks in all its glory. Heavy armored vehicles became the spearhead of the German blitzkrieg strategy, when autonomous tank formations launched surprise attacks on the enemy, penetrating to great depths and destroying infrastructure, command posts, and so on.

After the start of the Great Patriotic War, confrontation began not only strongest armies that time, but also design schools of tank building.

How about the names, descriptions and photos of the most interesting samples?

In total, there are about 60 different armored vehicles, including those received under Lend-Lease and with the exception of experimental ones or those not in mass production.

The most outstanding are the following soviet tanks Great Patriotic War.

T-50

A light tank released to replace the outdated T-26. During development, the designers were inspired by German PzKpfw III, which has excellent mobility and reliability for its class.

A total of 77 units were produced, and the car itself was considered successful. The appearance of the T-34 made the T-50 practically unnecessary, which is where the history of this combat vehicle ended.

T-28

This medium three-turreted tank is often not given due attention, however, it was superior in performance characteristics to most Wehrmacht tanks in the initial period of the war.

Good armor and firepower were often not used due to inexperienced crews and worn-out equipment. Reliability and service life were extremely low, and the multi-tower design had already become obsolete.

The Red Army used the T-28 until 1944, and Finland until 1951.

T-34

Medium T-34, known throughout the world and which has become one of the symbols of victory. The most massive, superior in characteristics to the enemy at the time of its appearance. Simple and cheap.

Later, the Germans acquired the Pz.Kpfw.VI Tiger, Pz.Kpfw. Tiger Ausf. B and PzKpfw V Panther, which had better armor protection and firepower, but their reliability, mass production and cost left much to be desired.

Not everyone knows that the idea of ​​a tracked vehicle first appeared in Russia, back in 1878. In May 1915, tests began on Porokhovshchikov's armored vehicle called the All-Terrain Vehicle. Frankly speaking, it didn’t look much like a tank. Despite the armor and rotating turret with a machine gun, the vehicle was driven by one wide track and controlled by wheels on the sides. The cross-country ability turned out to be excellent.

In the same year, tests began on an extremely unusual Soviet tank designed by Lebedenko. It looked like a giant gun carriage with huge wheels that set it in motion. The designer believed that the tank would easily overcome trenches, holes, trees and other obstacles, however, this did not happen. The giant got stuck right during testing, after which it stood for many years, waiting to be sent for scrap.

Stagnation

It seemed that USSR tanks would take leadership in the world, but this did not happen. The First World War passed without domestic cars, in Civil War foreign ones were used. In 1918, there was a clear awareness of the need for development and production domestic tanks. Captured French Reno-FTs, shown at a parade in Moscow, were copied at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant, creating the first example on August 31, 1920 under the name Tank M.

In 1925, production of the MC-1 began, which was distinguished by its low price and copied from the Fiat-3000. Other models were also developed. Higher in price, more difficult to manufacture, but without significant advantages.

The vicious time of imitation began, when foreign models were taken as the basis for Soviet tanks. Vickers Mk became T-26, Carden Loyd Mk VI became T-27, Vickers Medium Mark III became T-28, Independent became T-35.

A series of high-speed BTs was created on the basis of the Christie tank. They had excellent mobility due to the possibility of wheel travel, but were extremely unreliable.

USSR tanks of World War II

The USSR entered World War II with enormous tank army, which turned out to be powerless against the much smaller, but experienced, organized and modern German.

But the imitation stopped and truly unique Soviet tanks began to appear. The heavy KV was practically invulnerable and could single-handedly hold off numerous enemy forces, but its mobility and reliability left much to be desired. The T-34, which appeared later, became a revolution in tank building, combining mobility, firepower and sloped armor. At the same time, the tank was cheap and easy to manufacture. Yes, at first there were many shortcomings, the disgusting quality of the components, and towards the end of the war there was not enough firepower and armor, but manufacturability, mass production and a set of characteristics left all competitors far behind.

The heavy IS-2, which appeared at the end of the war, fought on equal terms with the best examples of Wehrmacht equipment, and the IS-3, which did not have time to fight, was head and shoulders above all its contemporaries. Sunset was approaching heavy tanks, but the USSR managed to create the IS-7 and Object 279, which are surprising even now.

First in the world

The T-54 was born, which later became the T-55 - the most popular post-war tank, which was in service with more than 30 countries.

In 1964, the T-64 was released, which became the ancestor of modern MBTs and the world's first tank with multi-layer composite armor. The loading mechanism provided an amazing rate of fire and a very tight layout that made the silhouette extremely low.

1974 gave the world the T-72 - the second most popular modern tank after the T-55, which is still in service today.

In 1976, the T-80 was created - the world's first serial MBT with a gas turbine power plant, possessing excellent mobility and good armor.

Also, projects and experimental machines constantly appeared, the ideas of which are still relevant in our time. For example, the Kharkov Boxer, aka Hammer, received an uninhabited turret with a 152 mm cannon.

During their development, tanks of the USSR acquired distinct features that made them stand out among the equipment of all other countries. Maximum manufacturability and simplicity, sharply differentiated armor, low silhouette, high mobility, automatic loader and the ability to fire guided missiles through the barrel of the main gun.

All this made Soviet tanks extremely popular in many countries and, as a result, frequent participants in hostilities.