
The first two pre-series vehicles rolled out of the KhPZ factory in Kharkov (Ukraine) during the very first month of 1940, under the patronage of Sergey Ordzhonikidze. It was ready as early as the beginning of 1939, as USSR was undergoing a major rearmament plan. The first prototype of the T-34 was an improved A-32 with thicker armor, which successfully completed field trials at Kubinka and was simplified for mass production. If you spot anything out of place, please let us know! Hello, dear reader! This article is in need of some care and attention and may contain errors or inaccuracies.

This was done both to increase the range and to avoid bursting into flames too easily, as the BT-5 and BT-7 did during the war against Japan in Manchuria. The bureau designed a sloped armored box encasing a powerful diesel V12 engine which was less sensitive than the high-octane petrol engines used in previous Soviet tanks. The team lead by engineer Mikhail Koshkin promised Stalin to replace the BT series with a better “universal tank”. Early precursor: The A-32įrom the BT-IS, A-20, the BT-SV’s sloped armor (1936) to the five-roadwheel A-32, the blueprint of the T-34 was set up far before the war. Links in the evolution of the T-34, left to right: BT-7M, A-20, T-34 mod. While the T-34 did have a number of deficiencies, the T-34’s influence on the future designs and the concept of the main battle tank is unquestionable. A perfect winner for an industrial war and a significant leap in tank design. Not only were they able to cope with the mud and snow with their large tracks, but they came with a perfect combination of thick and highly sloped armor, efficient gun, good speed, autonomy and, above all, extreme sturdiness, reliability, ease of manufacturing and maintenance. The first version of the T-34/76 came as a nasty surprise for the overconfident German troops in the fall of 1941, when it was first committed en masse. Hello dear reader! This article is in need of some care and attention and may contain errors or inaccuracies. The basic design was drawn for the first time in 1938 with the A-32, in turn partially derived from the BT-7M, a late evolution of the US-born Christie tank. They formed the backbone of countless armored forces around the globe from the fifties to the eighties. Many are still stored in depots in Asia and Africa, and some served actively during the 90’s (such as during the 1991-99 Yugoslavian war). It is not only the most produced tank of the WWII-era, with 84,000 built (compared to the 48,966 Shermans of all versions) but also one of the longest-serving tanks ever built. Medium Tank – 35,467 Built A landmark in tank history
