Heavy tanks of the USSR of the Second World War. Tanks of the USSR of the Great Patriotic War: characteristics and photos Heavy tank of the Second World War
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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 understood perfectly well how important it was to have a large number of tanks in the army and, more importantly, to 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 vehicle.” 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 In Nazi Germany, tanks were called Panzerkampfwagen, which translated means “armored fighting vehicle.” 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.
German light tanks
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 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 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 the M-O modifications - a 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, due to which the projectile had a low 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 medium tanks Panzerkampfwagen V "Panther" (however, the Soviet classification considered them already heavy) are considered one of the best in World War II. 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 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 initial stage 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 in service Soviet army during the Second World War there were amphibious light tanks, 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. The T-34 entered serial production 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, the Soviet troops were unable to take full advantage of their advantage: ignorance of the tactics of using tank forces, their poor 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 USSR heavy tanks with strong armor were 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 counteract the German “Tigers” that reigned on the battlefields, the development of the IS-1 began in 1943 at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant, 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 World War I ended, 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, 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.
Tanks are a formidable weapon, a symbol of the power and strength of world powers. Russia is a superpower in terms of the number of legendary tanks.
MS-1 (T-18)
MS-1 (T-18) became the first Soviet mass tank. In total, about 960 units were produced. For the first time in battle, MS-1s were used in the conflict on the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1929, when an attack by 9 tanks put the Chinese infantry to flight. In the second half of the 30s - early 40s, a significant part of these vehicles were used as fixed firing points on the border on Far East and the Karelian Isthmus. There are occasional references to the participation of MS-1 in hostilities in the first months of the Great Patriotic War. To this day, no more than 10 MS-1 have survived as museum exhibits and monuments.
BT-7
BT-7 is a fast tank. His military debut was fighting against Japanese troops at Lake Khasan in the summer of 1938. However the best way BT-7 showed its worth a year later in Mongolia in the battles of Khalkhin Gol, where in the steppes they fully manifested themselves high speed and the maneuverability of this tank. BT-7 operated successfully during the Red Army's campaign in Poland in September 1939, when the rapid advance of mobile tank groups made it possible to paralyze possible active actions Polish troops. At the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War, the BT-7 was not inferior to most in its combat qualities German tanks and was used until the first half of 1942.
The final episode in the combat biography of the BT-7 was the Soviet-Japanese War in August-September 1945.
At that time, these already outdated tanks were part of the second battalions of tank regiments and went into the breakthrough behind the more powerful T-34 and IS-2.
T-34/76
T-34/76. One of the best medium tanks for 1940. It combined good armor protection and powerful weapons. The tank's 76 mm gun could effectively fight both manpower and equipment. At least until mid-1942, the enemy could do little to oppose him. Often T-34s, having received numerous hits, remained in service.
Most productive soviet tank East, who fought on the T-34, D.F. Lavrinenko (4th Tank Brigade) destroyed or disabled 52 two German tanks from October to December 1941.
With the advent of heavy equipment from the enemy in 1943, the T-34 also underwent serious modernization. Has been strengthened armor protection, a fifth crew member has been added, and the tank is armed with a new 85 mm cannon, capable of close and medium distances hit almost all German tanks. New T-34/85s began arriving at the front in March 1944. The T-34 turned out to be not ideal in many ways, but it was easy to produce and master, and also the most popular tank in the world. In the second half of the 20th century, T-34s were used in conflicts until the 90s (the war in Yugoslavia).
KV-1
KV-1 - Soviet heavy tank. The first KVs underwent military tests in the last weeks of the Soviet-Finnish war. As of June 1941, the KV could be considered one of the strongest heavy tanks in the world. There is a known case in June 1941 in the Rasseney area, when one KV-1 constrained the actions of a German division for almost two days. One German document noted:
“There were practically no means to cope with the monster. The tank cannot be bypassed; the surrounding area is marshy. It was impossible to transport ammunition, the seriously wounded were dying, they could not be taken out. An attempt to destroy the tank with fire from a 50-mm anti-tank battery from a distance of 500 meters led to heavy losses in crews and guns. The tank was not damaged, despite the fact that, as it turned out, it received 14 direct hits. All that remained were dents in the armor.
When the 88-mm gun was brought to a distance of 700 meters, the tank calmly waited until it was placed in position and destroyed it. Attempts by sappers to blow up the tank were unsuccessful. The charges were insufficient for the huge tracks. Finally he fell victim to the trick. 50 German tanks feigned an attack from all sides to divert attention. Under cover, they managed to move it forward and camouflage the 88-mm gun from the rear of the tank. Of the 12 direct hits, 3 penetrated the armor and destroyed the tank."
Unfortunately, most of The KV was lost not due to combat reasons, but due to breakdowns and lack of fuel. At the end of 1943, the KV was replaced by heavy IS tanks.
IS-2
IS-2 ("Joseph Stalin") heavy tank. It was created to break through heavily fortified enemy positions and fight enemy heavy tanks. There is a known case when, during the Lviv-Sandomierz operation, two IS-2s, acting from an ambush, destroyed 17 German tanks and self-propelled guns in two days. The IS-2 turned out to be indispensable as an assault weapon when breaking through enemy defenses, especially in the Berlin direction and near Koenigsberg. In the post-war period, the tank underwent modernization and officially remained in service until 1995.
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Soviet vehicles, but the role of the main tank still belonged to the Troika. The defeat of the Soviet tank divisions and mechanized corps deployed along the western border was so rapid that it later gave rise to many rumors that German tanks were “many times outnumbered and much better than the Soviet ones.” The last statement is incorrect only because the Soviet tank group included the KV and T-34, which had no equal in 1941, and as for numerical superiority, on the contrary, it was the USSR that surpassed Germany in the number of tanks, but if we take into account not all the equipment dispersed throughout the vast territory of the USSR, but only the tank forces of the troops of the western border districts, then it turns out that this is not a “multiple”, but only a twofold superiority. Soviet tank units scattered across the entire border, which also did not have such impressive infantry support as the German tank forces, were forced to face an avalanche of well-directed and concentrated attacks from large masses of German armored vehicles on narrow sections of the front. The formal numerical superiority of Soviet tanks in such conditions no longer mattered. The Germans quickly broke through the weak front line of the Soviet defense and occupied vast areas in the deep Soviet rear and held them with the help of their motorized infantry, disorganizing the entire Soviet defense system. In the first weeks of the war, our tanks most often attacked the enemy without aviation, artillery and infantry support. Even if they managed to carry out a successful counterattack, they could not hold the captured positions without the help of infantry. Germany's superiority in manpower over the troops of the western border districts made itself felt. In addition, Germany, as already mentioned, at the beginning of the war clearly surpassed the USSR in the mastery of tank units, in organizing interaction between tanks and other branches of the military, and in good operational management of mobile formations. This is not even surprising, given that the German command had experience of two large and rapid military operations (the defeat of Poland and France), in which effective techniques for tank groups and the interaction of tanks with infantry, aviation and artillery were developed. The Soviet command did not have such experience, so at the beginning of the war it was obviously weaker in terms of the art of controlling tank formations. Let's add to this the lack of combat experience among many tank crews superimposed on the mistakes and miscalculations of the Soviet command. As the war progresses, experience, knowledge and skills will be acquired and Soviet combat vehicles will become truly formidable weapons in the capable hands of tank crews and commanders of tank units. The prediction of the German tank commander Melentin, who predicted that the Russians, who created such a wonderful instrument as tanks, would never learn to play it, will not come true. They learned to play very well - and the brilliant operations of the Red Army against the Wehrmacht in the second half of the war are clear and indisputable confirmation of this. Technical superiority of the USSR in the pre-war years and during the war
At the initial stage of the Second World War, Soviet tanks were superior in combat characteristics to all their potential opponents. At the beginning of the war, the arsenal of Soviet tank forces included vehicles that had no analogues at that time. These were medium tanks "T-34", as well as heavy tanks "KV-1" and "KV-2". They had quite powerful weapons and were capable of hitting any German tank of that period at a long range of fire, while remaining invulnerable to the fire of the main mass German guns
that period. German tank crews they could not oppose anything to the good armor of Soviet combat vehicles. The main standard 37mm gun of the Germans did not allow them to confidently hit the T-34 or KV in the frontal projection from medium and long distances, and this forced the Germans to often use heavy tanks in the early stages of the war to combat Soviet tanks. anti-aircraft guns FlaK caliber 88mm. In addition to the T-34 and KV, the USSR had light combat vehicles; there were especially many T-26 tanks in the Soviet army. The armor of the T-26 and BT-7 tanks, which were common in the Soviet army in the early 40s, left much to be desired, but many of them carried a 45mm gun, which could successfully hit all German tanks at the beginning of the war, which means under certain conditions and proper use, this technique could withstand German tanks. In the second half of the war, Soviet designers carried out a comprehensive modernization of the T-34, the T-34-85 tank appeared, as well as new heavy IS tanks. The excellent dynamics of the vehicle and powerful weapons did their job: the IS successfully hit its main opponents at long distances while remaining slightly vulnerable to enemy return fire. Thus, during the Second World War, Soviet tanks somehow surpassed their German opponents in the quality of combat vehicles, and at the final stage of the war they also had a decisive numerical superiority over the demoralized enemy. The experience of using medium and heavy tanks in the war with Finland showed that 30-40 mm armor can no longer provide protection from anti-tank gun fire and that controlling multi-turreted tanks in battle is very difficult. For this reason, the new heavy tank KV-1 received shell-proof armor and was made with a single turret, with a classic layout. In the front part of the welded box-section hull there was a control compartment, in the middle there was a fighting compartment, and power point
. On the basis of the KV-1, the KV-2, KV-3, KV-8, KV-9 and others tanks were created. In the Second world war
10. Tank Panzerkampfwagen III (PzKpfw III)
PzKpfw III, better known as T-III, is a light tank with a 37 mm gun. Reservation from all angles – 30 mm. The main quality is Speed (40 km/h on the highway). Thanks to the advanced Carl Zeiss optics, ergonomic crew workstations and the presence of a radio station, the Troikas could successfully fight with much heavier vehicles. But with the advent of new opponents, the shortcomings of the T-III became more apparent. The Germans replaced the 37 mm guns with 50 mm guns and covered the tank with hinged screens - temporary measures yielded results, the T-III fought for several more years. By 1943, production of the T-III was discontinued due to the complete exhaustion of its resource for modernization. In total, German industry produced 5,000 “triples”.
9. Tank Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV)
The PzKpfw IV looked much more serious, becoming the most popular Panzerwaffe tank - the Germans managed to build 8,700 vehicles. Combining all the advantages of the lighter T-III, the “four” had a high firepower and security - the thickness of the frontal plate was gradually increased to 80 mm, and the shells of its 75 mm long-barreled gun pierced the armor of enemy tanks like foil (by the way, 1,133 early modifications with a short-barreled gun were produced).
The weak points of the vehicle are that the sides and rear are too thin (only 30 mm in the first modifications); the designers neglected the slope of the armor plates for the sake of manufacturability and ease of operation for the crew.
Panzer IV is the only German tank that was in mass production throughout World War II and became the most popular tank of the Wehrmacht. Its popularity among German tankers was comparable to the popularity of the T-34 among ours and the Sherman among the Americans. Well-designed and extremely reliable in operation, this combat vehicle was, in the full sense of the word, “ workhorse» Panzerwaffe.
8. Tank KV-1 (Klim Voroshilov)
“...from three sides we fired at the iron monsters of the Russians, but everything was in vain. The Russian giants were coming closer and closer. One of them approached our tank, hopelessly stuck in a swampy pond, and without any hesitation drove over it, pressing its tracks into the mud ... "
- General Reinhard, commander of the 41st tank corps of the Wehrmacht.
In the summer of 1941, the KV tank destroyed the elite units of the Wehrmacht with the same impunity as if it had rolled out onto the Borodino field in 1812. Invulnerable, invincible and incredibly powerful. Until the end of 1941, all the armies of the world had no weapons capable of stopping the Russian 45-ton monster. KV was 2 times heavier than himself large tank Wehrmacht.
Armor KV is a wonderful song of steel and technology. 75 millimeters of solid steel from all angles! The frontal armor plates had an optimal angle of inclination, which further increased the projectile resistance of the KV armor - German 37 mm anti-tank guns they didn’t take it even at point-blank range, and 50 mm guns – no further than 500 meters. At the same time, the long-barreled 76 mm F-34 (ZIS-5) gun made it possible to hit any German tank of that period from any direction from a distance of 1.5 kilometers.
The KV crews were staffed exclusively by officers; only driver mechanics could be foremen. Their level of training far exceeded that of the crews who fought on other types of tanks. They fought more skillfully, which is why they were remembered by the Germans...
7. Tank T-34 (thirty-four)
“...There is nothing worse than tank battle against superior enemy forces. Not in numbers - that didn’t matter to us, we got used to it. But against better vehicles it is terrible... Russian tanks are so agile, at close ranges they will climb a slope or overcome a swamp faster than you can turn the turret. And through the noise and roar you constantly hear the clang of shells on the armor. When they hit our tank, you often hear a deafening explosion and the roar of burning fuel, too loud to hear the dying screams of the crew ... "
- opinion German tankman from 4th tank division, destroyed by T-34 tanks in the battle near Mtsensk on October 11, 1941.
Obviously, the Russian monster had no analogues in 1941: a 500-horsepower diesel engine, unique armor, a 76 mm F-34 gun (generally similar to the KV tank) and wide tracks - all these technical solutions provided the T-34 with an optimal balance of mobility, firepower and protection. Even individually, these parameters of the T-34 were higher than those of any Panzerwaffe tank.
When the Wehrmacht soldiers first met the “thirty-four” on the battlefield, they were, to put it mildly, in shock. The cross-country ability of our vehicle was impressive - where German tanks didn’t even think about going, the T-34s passed without much difficulty. The Germans even nicknamed their 37mm anti-tank gun“knock-knock”, because when its shells hit the “thirty-four”, they simply hit it and bounced off.
The main thing is that Soviet designers managed to create a tank exactly as the Red Army needed it. The T-34 ideally suited the conditions of the Eastern Front. The extreme simplicity and manufacturability of the design allowed as soon as possible to establish mass production of these combat vehicles, as a result, the T-34s were easy to operate, numerous and ubiquitous.
6. Tank Panzerkampfwagen VI “Tiger I” Ausf E, “Tiger”
“...we took a detour through a ravine and ran into the Tiger.” Having lost several T-34s, our battalion returned back..."
- a frequent description of meetings with PzKPfw VI from the memoirs of tank crews.
According to a number of Western historians, the main task of the Tiger tank was to fight enemy tanks, and its design corresponded to the solution of precisely this task:
If in the initial period of World War II the German military doctrine had a mainly offensive orientation, then later, when the strategic situation changed to the opposite, tanks began to be assigned the role of a means of eliminating breakthroughs in the German defense.
Thus, the Tiger tank was conceived primarily as a means of combating enemy tanks, whether on the defensive or offensive. Taking this fact into account is necessary to understand the design features and tactics of using the Tigers.
On July 21, 1943, the commander of the 3rd Panzer Corps, Hermann Bright, issued the following instructions for combat use tank "Tiger-I":
...Taking into account the strength of the armor and the strength of the weapon, the Tiger should be used mainly against enemy tanks and anti-tank weapons, and only secondarily - as an exception - against infantry units.
As combat experience has shown, the Tiger's weapons allow it to fight enemy tanks at distances of 2000 meters or more, which especially affects the enemy's morale. Durable armor allows the Tiger to approach the enemy without the risk of serious damage from hits. However, you should try to engage enemy tanks at distances greater than 1000 meters.
5. Tank "Panther" (PzKpfw V "Panther")
Realizing that the Tiger was a rare and exotic weapon for professionals, German tank builders created a simpler and cheaper tank, with the intention of turning it into a mass-produced medium tank for the Wehrmacht.
Panzerkampfwagen V "Panther" is still the subject of heated debate. The technical capabilities of the vehicle do not cause any complaints - with a mass of 44 tons, the Panther was superior in mobility to the T-34, developing 55-60 km/h on a good highway. The tank was armed with a 75 mm KwK 42 cannon with a barrel length of 70 calibers! Armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile, released from its hellish mouth, flew 1 kilometer in the first second - with such TTX gun"Panthers" could hole any Allied tank at a distance of over 2 kilometers. The armor of the Panther is also considered worthy by most sources - the thickness of the forehead varied from 60 to 80 mm, while the angles of the armor reached 55°. The side was weaker protected - at the level of the T-34, so it was easily hit by Soviet anti-tank weapons. The lower part of the side was additionally protected by two rows of rollers on each side.
4. Tank IS-2 (Joseph Stalin)
IS-2 was the most powerful and most heavily armored of the Soviet serial tanks period of the war, and one of the strongest tanks in the world at that time. Tanks of this type played a big role in the battles of 1944-1945, especially distinguishing themselves during the assault on cities.
The thickness of the IS-2 armor reached 120 mm. One of the main achievements of Soviet engineers is the efficiency and low metal consumption of the IS-2 design. With a mass comparable to that of the Panther, the Soviet tank was much more seriously protected. But the too dense layout required the placement of fuel tanks in the control compartment - if the armor was penetrated, the Is-2 crew had little chance of surviving. The driver-mechanic, who did not have his own hatch, was especially at risk.
City assaults:
Together with the self-propelled guns at its base, the IS-2 was actively used for assault operations in fortified cities, such as Budapest, Breslau, and Berlin. The tactics of action in such conditions included the actions of the OGvTTP in assault groups of 1-2 tanks, accompanied by an infantry squad of several machine gunners, a sniper or a marksman with a rifle, and sometimes a backpack flamethrower. In case of weak resistance, tanks with assault groups mounted on them broke through at full speed along the streets to squares, squares, and parks, where they could take up a perimeter defense.
3. Tank M4 Sherman (Sherman)
"Sherman" is the pinnacle of rationality and pragmatism. It is all the more surprising that the United States, which had 50 tanks at the beginning of the war, managed to create such a balanced combat vehicle and rivet 49,000 Shermans of various modifications by 1945. For example, the ground forces used a Sherman with a gasoline engine, and units Marine Corps There was a modification M4A2, equipped with a diesel engine. American engineers rightly believed that this would greatly simplify the operation of tanks - diesel fuel could easily be found among sailors, unlike high-octane gasoline. By the way, it was this modification of the M4A2 that came to the Soviet Union.
Why did the Red Army command like the “Emcha” (as our soldiers called the M4) so much that they completely switched to them? elite units, for example the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps and the 9th Guards tank corps? The answer is simple: Sherman had the optimal balance of armor, firepower, mobility and... reliability. In addition, the Sherman was the first tank with a hydraulic turret drive (this ensured special pointing accuracy) and a gun stabilizer in the vertical plane - tankers admitted that in a duel situation their shot was always the first.
Combat use:
After the landing in Normandy, the Allies had to come face to face with German tank divisions, which were sent to defend Fortress Europe, and it turned out that the Allies had underestimated the degree to which the German troops were saturated with heavy types of armored vehicles, especially Panther tanks. In direct clashes with German heavy tanks, the Shermans had very little chance. The British, to a certain extent, could count on their Sherman Firefly, whose excellent gun made a great impression on the Germans (so much so that the crews of German tanks tried to hit the Firefly first, and then deal with the rest). The Americans, who were counting on their new weapon, quickly found out that in order to confidently defeat the Panther head-on, its power armor-piercing shells still not enough.
2. Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B "Tiger II", "Tiger II"
The combat debut of the Royal Tigers took place on July 18, 1944 in Normandy, where the 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion managed to knock out 12 Sherman tanks in the first battle.”
And already on August 12, Tiger II appeared on Eastern Front: The 501st heavy tank battalion tried to interfere with the Lvov-Sandomierz offensive operation. The bridgehead was an uneven semicircle, its ends resting on the Vistula. Approximately in the middle of this semicircle, covering the direction to Staszow, the 53rd Guards Tank Brigade defended.
At 7.00 on August 13, the enemy, under the cover of fog, went on the offensive with the forces of the 16th Tank Division with the participation of 14 Royal Tigers of the 501st Heavy Tank Battalion. But as soon as the new Tigers crawled to their original positions, three of them were shot from an ambush by the crew of the T-34-85 tank under the command of junior lieutenant Alexander Oskin, which, in addition to Oskin himself, included driver Stetsenko, gun commander Merkhaidarov, radio operator Grushin and loader Khalychev . In total, the brigade's tankers knocked out 11 tanks, and the remaining three, abandoned by the crews, were captured in good condition. One of these tanks, number 502, is still in Kubinka.
Currently, the Royal Tigers are on display at the Saumur Musee des Blindes in France, the RAC Tank Museum Bovington (the only surviving example with a Porsche turret) and the Royal Military College of Science Shrivenham in the UK, the Munster Lager Kampftruppen Schule in Germany (transferred by the Americans in 1961) , Ordnance Museum Aberdeen Proving Ground in the USA, Switzerlands Panzer Museum Thun in Switzerland and the Military Historical Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka near Moscow.
1. Tank T-34-85
The T-34-85 medium tank, in essence, represents a major modernization of the T-34 tank, as a result of which a very important drawback of the latter was eliminated - the cramped fighting compartment and the associated impossibility of complete division of labor among the crew members. This was achieved by increasing the diameter of the turret ring, as well as by installing a new three-man turret of significantly larger dimensions than the T-34. At the same time, the design of the body and the arrangement of components and assemblies in it have not undergone any significant changes. Consequently, there are still disadvantages inherent in vehicles with a stern-mounted engine and transmission.
As is known, two layout schemes with a bow and stern transmission are most widely used in tank building. Moreover, the disadvantages of one scheme are the advantages of another.
The disadvantage of the layout with a rear-mounted transmission is the increased length of the tank due to the placement in its hull of four compartments that are not aligned along the length, or the reduction in the volume of the fighting compartment with a constant length of the vehicle. Due to the large length of the engine and transmission compartments, the combat compartment with a heavy turret is shifted to the nose, overloading the front rollers, leaving no space on the turret plate for the central or even side placement of the driver's hatch. There is a danger that the protruding gun will “stick” into the ground when the tank moves through natural and artificial obstacles. The control drive connecting the driver with the transmission located in the stern becomes more complicated.
T-34-85 tank layout diagram
There are two ways out of this situation: either increase the length of the control (or combat) compartment, which will inevitably lead to an increase in the overall length of the tank and a deterioration in its maneuverability due to an increase in the L/B ratio - the length of the supporting surface to the track width (for the T-34- 85 it is close to the optimal - 1.5), or radically change the layout of the engine and transmission compartments. What this could lead to can be judged by the results of the work Soviet designers when designing new medium tanks T-44 and T-54, created during the war and put into service in 1944 and 1945, respectively.
T-54 tank layout diagram
These combat vehicles used a layout with a transverse (and not longitudinal, like the T-34-85) placement of a 12-cylinder V-2 diesel engine (in the B-44 and B-54 variants) and a combined significantly shortened (by 650 mm ) engine and transmission compartment. This made it possible to lengthen the fighting compartment to 30% of the hull length (for the T-34-85 - 24.3%), increase the diameter of the turret ring by almost 250 mm and install a powerful 100-mm cannon on the T-54 medium tank. At the same time, we managed to move the turret towards the stern, making room on the turret plate for the driver's hatch. The exclusion of the fifth crew member (the gunner from the course machine gun), the removal of the ammunition rack from the fighting compartment floor, the transfer of the fan from the engine crankshaft to the stern bracket and the reduction in the overall height of the engine ensured a decrease in the height of the hull of the T-54 tank (compared to the hull of the T-34- 85) by approximately 200 mm, as well as a reduction in the reserved volume by approximately 2 cubic meters. and increased armor protection by more than two times (with an increase in mass of only 12%).
During the war they did not agree to such a radical rearrangement of the T-34 tank, and, probably, it was the right decision. At the same time, the diameter of the turret ring, while maintaining the same hull shape, was practically limiting for the T-34-85, which did not allow placing a larger caliber artillery system in the turret. The tank's armament modernization capabilities were completely exhausted, unlike, for example, the American Sherman and the German Pz.lV.
By the way, the problem of increasing the caliber of the main armament of the tank was of paramount importance. Sometimes you can hear the question: why was the transition to an 85-mm cannon necessary? Could it be possible to improve the ballistic characteristics of the F-34 by increasing the barrel length? After all, this is what the Germans did with their 75-mm cannon on the Pz.lV.
The fact is that German guns have traditionally been distinguished by the best internal ballistics(ours are just as traditionally external). The Germans achieved high armor penetration by increasing the initial speed and better testing of ammunition. We could respond adequately only by increasing the caliber. Although the S-53 cannon significantly improved the firing capabilities of the T-34-85, as Yu.E. Maksarev noted: “In the future, the T-34 could no longer directly, in a duel, hit new German tanks.” All attempts to create 85 mm guns with initial speed over 1000 m/s, the so-called high-power guns, ended in failure due to rapid wear and destruction of the barrel even at the testing stage. To “duel” defeat German tanks, it was necessary to switch to a 100-mm caliber, which was carried out only in the T-54 tank with a turret ring diameter of 1815 mm. But this combat vehicle did not take part in the battles of World War II.
As for the placement of the driver's hatch in the front hull, we could try to follow the American path. Let us remember that on the Sherman the driver and machine gunner’s hatches, originally also made in the sloping frontal plate of the hull, were subsequently transferred to the turret plate. This was achieved by reducing the angle of inclination of the front sheet from 56° to 47° to the vertical. The T-34-85's frontal hull plate had an inclination of 60°. By also reducing this angle to 47° and compensating for this by slightly increasing the thickness of the frontal armor, it would be possible to increase the area of the turret plate and place the driver’s hatch on it. This would not require a radical redesign of the hull design and would not entail a significant increase in the mass of the tank.
The suspension hasn't changed on the T-34-85 either. And if the use of higher quality steel for the manufacture of springs helped to avoid their rapid subsidence and, as a result, a decrease in ground clearance, then it was not possible to get rid of significant longitudinal vibrations of the tank hull in motion. It was an organic defect of the spring suspension. The location of the habitable compartments in the front of the tank only aggravated negative impact these fluctuations affect the crew and weapons.
A consequence of the layout of the T-34-85 was the absence of a rotating turret floor in the fighting compartment. In combat, the loader worked standing on the lids of cassette boxes with shells placed on the bottom of the tank. When turning the turret, he had to move after the breech, while he was hampered by spent cartridges falling right there on the floor. When conducting intense fire, the accumulated cartridges also made it difficult to access the shots placed in the ammunition rack on the bottom.
Summarizing all these points, we can conclude that, unlike the same "Sherman", the possibilities for modernizing the hull and suspension of the T-34-85 were not fully used.
When considering the advantages and disadvantages of the T-34-85, it is necessary to take into account one more very important circumstance. The crew of any tank, as a rule, in everyday reality does not care at all about the angle of inclination of the frontal or any other sheet of the hull or turret. It is much more important that the tank as a machine, that is, as a set of mechanical and electrical mechanisms, works clearly, reliably and does not create problems during operation. Including problems associated with the repair or replacement of any parts, components and assemblies. Here the T-34-85 (like the T-34) was fine. The tank was distinguished by its exceptional maintainability! Paradoxical, but true - and the layout is “to blame” for this!
There is a rule: to arrange not to ensure convenient installation and dismantling of units, but based on the fact that until they completely fail, the units do not need repair. The required high reliability and trouble-free operation are achieved by designing a tank based on ready-made, structurally proven units. Since during the creation of the T-34, practically none of the tank’s units met this requirement, its layout was carried out contrary to the rule. The roof of the engine-transmission compartment was easily removable, the rear hull sheet was hinged, which made it possible to dismantle large units such as the engine and gearbox in field conditions. All this was of enormous importance in the first half of the war, when more tanks failed due to technical faults than from enemy action (on April 1, 1942, for example, in active army there were 1642 serviceable and 2409 faulty tanks of all types, while our combat losses in March amounted to 467 tanks). As the quality of the units improved, reaching its highest level in the T-34-85, the importance of the repairable layout decreased, but one would hesitate to call this a disadvantage. Moreover, good maintainability turned out to be very useful during the post-war operation of the tank abroad, primarily in the countries of Asia and Africa, sometimes in extreme climatic conditions and with personnel who had a very mediocre, to say the least, level of training.
Despite the presence of all the shortcomings in the design of the "thirty-four", a certain balance of compromises was maintained, which distinguished this combat vehicle from other tanks of the Second World War. Simplicity, ease of operation and maintenance, combined with good armor protection, maneuverability and fairly powerful weapons, became the reason for the success and popularity of the T-34-85 among tankers.