Experience of the Great War. Start in science Soviet tanks of the Second World War

The tank was created on the basis of the French FT-17 tank and its Italian version “Fiat 3000” and was put into service in 1928. The tank was produced in three modifications: the 1927 model, the 1929 model and the 1930 model. The main difference of the latter modification was the increase engine power and replacing Fedorov's machine gun with Degtyarov's. A total of 959 vehicles were produced. By the beginning of the war, the Red Army had 160 tanks and 450 armored hulls, converted into pillboxes. Tank performance characteristics– length – 4.4 m; width – 1.8 m; height – 2.1 m; ground clearance – 315 mm; weight – 5.3 t; armor – 8-16 mm; engine type - in-line 4-cylinder carburetor air-cooled; power – 35-40 hp; power density– 6.6 hp/t; speed on the highway – 16 km/h; Power reserve – 100 km; main armament - 37 mm Hotchkiss gun; ammunition - 104 rounds; additional weapons - two 6.5 mm Fedorov machine guns (ammunition - 1,800 rounds) or a 7.62 mm DT-29 machine gun (ammunition - 2,016 rounds); crew – 2 people.

The tank was created on the basis of the English Vickers Mk-E tank and entered service in 1931 and was produced in 8 modifications: T-26 model 1931 (double-turreted version with machine gun armament); T-26 model 1932 (double-turret version with cannon-machine gun armament (37 mm cannon in one of the turrets and a machine gun in the other); T-26 model 1933 (single-turret version with a cylindrical turret and 45 mm gun); T-26 model 1938 (single-turret version with a conical turret and a welded hull); T-26 model 1939 (T-26 model 1938 with reinforced armor); T-26RT (double-turret tank with radio station 71-TK- 1); T-26TU (commander version with radio); T-26A (with a short-barreled 76-mm tank gun).

A total of 11,218 vehicles were produced. On the basis of the tank, flamethrower tanks OT-26, OT-130, OT-133 and OT-134, self-propelled guns SU-5, as well as the TT-26 teletank, armored personnel carriers and tractors were produced. Tank performance characteristics: length – 4.6 m; width – 2.4 m; height – 2–2.3 m; ground clearance - 380 mm; weight – 8-10 t; armor – 6-15 mm; engine type - in-line 4-cylinder carburetor air-cooled; engine power – 80-95 hp; speed on the highway – 30 km/h; Power reserve – 130-220 km; main armament - two 7.62-mm DT machine guns or a 37-mm Hotchkiss-PS or B-3 cannon or a 45-mm 20-K cannon; additional weapons – 7.62 mm DT-29 machine gun; ammunition - 6,489 rounds; means of communication - radio station 71-TK-1, intercom TPU-2 or TPU-3; crew – 3 people.

Light wheeled-tracked tank BT-2: with machine gun armament

The BT-2 high-speed tank was a single-turret tank of a classical layout with cannon and machine gun armament and bulletproof armor. It was developed based on the American licensed M-1940 Christie tank. Mass-produced in 1932-1933. in the following modifications: BT-2 cannon-machine gun (37 mm B-3 cannon and DT machine gun); BT-2 cannon (37-mm B-30 cannon; BT-2 machine gun (DT machine gun in a ball mount and 2 coaxial DT or DA machine guns); BT-2 machine gun without a ball mount (2 coaxial DT machine guns (possibly also YES). Tanks equipped with machine guns were produced in 350. A total of 640 vehicles were produced, of which 580 were in service with the Red Army on June 1, 1941. On wheels, the tank could only move on paved roads, due to the high specific pressure on the ground and the presence of only one pair of driving wheels (rollers). At the same time, the high specific power allowed the tanks to jump 15-20 meters. The transition from one type of movement to another took approximately 30 minutes. Tank performance characteristics: length - 5.5 m; width - 2.3 m; height - 2.1 m; ground clearance - 350 mm; weight - 11 tons; armor - 6-13 mm; engine type - carburetor aviation four-stroke 12-cylinder V-shaped liquid cooled "Liberty" (or its production in the USSR, an analogue of the M-5-400); power - 400 hp; specific power - 36.2 hp/t; speed on the highway - on tracks - 51 km/h, on wheels - 72 km/h; Power reserve – 160 (200); main armament - 37 mm B-3 (5-K) cannon, later 45 mm cannon; ammunition - 92 rounds; additional weapons - 7.62 mm DT machine gun (ammunition - 2,709 rounds); crew – 3 people.

The tank is an improved version of the BT-2 and was produced in 1933-1934. A total of 1,884 vehicles were produced, of which 500 remained in service with the Red Army by the beginning of the war. A radio station with a handrail antenna was installed on some of the tanks. Tank performance characteristics: length – 5.6 m; width – 2.2 m; height – 2.2 m; ground clearance - 350 mm; weight – 11.5 t; armor – 6-13 mm; engine type - V-shaped 12-cylinder carburetor liquid cooling M-5; power – 400 hp; specific power – 34.8 hp/t; travel speed – on tracks – 52 km/h; on wheels – 72 km/h; Power reserve – 150 km (200); The main armament is a 45-mm cannon 20-K mod. 1937; ammunition - 115 rounds; additional weapons - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; means of communication - on command tanks radio station 71-TK-1; crew 3 people.

The tank differed from its predecessors in having a welded hull, a new engine and a large fuel supply. It was produced in 1935-1940. in four modifications: sample 1935 (basic version); model 1937 (with a conical turret, 4,727 units produced); sample 1939 (BT-7M) (with a V-2 diesel engine, 705 units produced); BT-7A (with 76 mm cannon, 154 units produced). A total of 5,328 vehicles were produced. Tank performance characteristics: length – 5.7 m; width – 2.3 m; height – 2.4 m; ground clearance – 400 mm; weight – 13.9 t; armor – 6-22 mm; engine type - V-shaped 12-cylinder carburetor liquid cooling M-17T; power – 400 hp; specific power – 28.8 hp/t; travel speed – on tracks – 52 km/h; on wheels – 72 km/h; Power reserve – 375 km (460); The main armament is a 45-mm cannon 20-K mod. 1934; ammunition - 84 rounds; additional weapons - two 7.62 mm DT machine guns; means of communication - radio station 71-TK-1, intercom TPU-3; crew – 3 people.

BT-7A is one of the modifications of the BT-7 high-speed tank, which differs from the prototype in having an enlarged turret with a 76-mm cannon. This was achieved by adapting the T-26-4 turret. A total of 154 tanks were produced. Tank performance characteristics: length – 5.7 m; width – 2.3 mm; height – 2.4 m; ground clearance - 390 mm; Power reserve - with additional tanks - 350 - 500 km; main armament - 76 mm KT gun; ammunition - 50 shots; additional weapons - three DT machine guns; ammunition - 3,339 rounds; crew 3 people.

The tank was created on the basis of the T-26 and entered service in 1941. A total of 75 vehicles were produced. Tank performance characteristics: length – 5.2 m; width – 2.5 m; height – 2.2 m; ground clearance - 350 mm; weight – 13.8 t; armor – 12-45 mm; engine type – four-stroke in-line 6-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine V-4; power – 300 hp; specific power – 21.7 hp/t; speed on the highway – 60 km; Power reserve – 344 km; main armament - 45-mm 20-K cannon; ammunition - 150 rounds; additional weapons - two 7.62-mm DT machine guns; ammunition - 4,032 rounds; communication means - radio station KRSTB, internal intercom TPU-3 for 3 subscribers and a light-signal device for internal one-way communication from the commander to the driver; crew – 4 people.

The tank was created on the basis of the T-40 amphibious tank and entered service in 1941. A total of 5,920 vehicles were produced. Some vehicles were equipped with additional armor screens up to 10 mm thick. On the basis of the tank, self-propelled guns for BM-8-24 rockets, as well as self-propelled guns OSU-76, were built. Tank performance characteristics: length – 4.1 m; width – 2.4 m; height – 1.8 m; ground clearance - 300 mm; weight - 5.8 - 6.4 tons; armor – 10 – 25 mm; engine type - in-line 4-stroke 6-cylinder carburetor GAZ-202; engine power – 70 hp; specific power – 10.7-12 hp/t; speed on the highway – 42 km/h; Power reserve – 410 km; main armament - 20-mm TNSh cannon; ammunition - 750 rounds; armor penetration - 15 mm at a distance of 500 m at an angle of 90°; additional weapons - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; ammunition - 945 rounds; communications equipment - radio station 71-TK-Z on command tanks; crew – 2 people.

The tank was developed on the basis of the T-60 and put into service in 1942. A modification of the tank with reinforced chassis under the designation - T-70M. A total of 8,231 cars were produced. The SU-76 self-propelled gun and a number of self-propelled guns were built on the basis of the tank. Tank performance characteristics: length – 4.3 m; width – 2.4 m; height – 2 m; ground clearance - 300 mm; weight – 9.2 – 9.8 t; armor – 10 – 50 mm; engine type - twin in-line 4‑stroke 6‑cylinder carburetor GAZ-203; engine power - 140 hp; specific power – 15.2 hp/t; speed on the highway – 42 km/h; Power reserve – 410 km; main armament - 45-mm 20-K cannon; ammunition - 90 rounds; additional weapons - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; ammunition - 945 rounds; communications equipment - radio station 12-RT or 9-R (only on command tanks), intercom TPU-2; crew – 2 people.

The tank was created on the basis of the T-70 and entered service in 1942. A total of 85 vehicles were produced. Tank performance characteristics: length – 4.3 m; width – 2.4 m; weight – 11.6 t; ground clearance - 300 mm; armor – 10-45 mm; engine type - twin in-line 4‑stroke 6‑cylinder carburetor GAZ-203F; engine power – 170 hp; specific power – 14.6 hp/t; speed on the highway – 42 km/h; Power reserve – 320 km; main armament - 45-mm 20-K cannon; ammunition - 100 shots; additional weapons - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; ammunition - 1008 rounds; communication means - radio station 12-RT, intercom TPU-3; crew – 3 people.

Tanks of World War II

During the fighting of World War II, tanks were of 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 Hitler's Germany the 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 serial number shaped like letters of the German alphabet. However, a name like "Panzerkampfwagen" I Ausfuhrung A", which translated means "Tank model I 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 weak characteristics production of this model was stopped in 1938, however, throughout the first half of the Second World War, these light German tanks were found 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 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 different 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 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 a single battle, but secular troops successfully undermined them with the help 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 battles, Soviet troops managed to capture one intact copy, which made it possible to thoroughly examine and identify it. 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. BT-2 had 13 mm armor and 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 Soviet-Finnish war and on 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, 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-bladed 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, a 20-mm cannon, but with loss of buoyancy, participated in battles until 1944), its more powerful version 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 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 testing of the prototype of this armored vehicle, a T-shaped muzzle brake and the famous one almost died soviet marshal Kliment Voroshilov. The IS-2 began to participate in the battles of the Great Patriotic War at the beginning of 1944. The results were amazing Soviet command, which required the industry to 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, quick start in mass production a combat vehicle that did not pass the required number of 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 attacked Soviet Union President Roosevelt ordered to double the production of tanks, for which the capacities of new enterprises were 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. "Sherman" had a crew of 5 people, was reliable and unpretentious, although it did not differ high level 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 ended, 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.

Not everyone knows that the idea of ​​a tracked vehicle first appeared in Russia, back in 1878. Tests began in May 1915 armored vehicle Porokhovshchikov called 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 a huge tank army, which turned out to be powerless against the much smaller, but experienced, organized and modern German one.

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, was 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-2s that appeared at the end of the war fought equally against the best examples Wehrmacht technology, and the IS-3, which did not have time to fight, was head and shoulders above all its contemporaries. The decline of heavy tanks was approaching, 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, which has excellent mobility and good armor.

Projects also constantly appeared and experimental machines, whose ideas are still relevant today. 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.

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Research objectives. 3

Introduction 4

Chapter I. Tanks of the USSR that were of greatest importance 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. The Battle of Kursk as a criterion for assessing the effectiveness of the use of 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. Determine the main tactical and technical characteristics of 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. There are many myths surrounding the question of the best tank of World War II. 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

Light tank- 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, the category of light vehicles includes all tanks armed with automatic cannons (or machine guns) with a caliber of 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 cannon large caliber 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 is a three-turreted Soviet medium tank from the 1930s.

The first medium tank in the USSR to go into mass production. Used in the “Liberation Campaign” in Western Ukraine, the Winter War and at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War. As power plant the M-5 aircraft engine with a power of 400 hp was chosen. 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 upgrades. It was a continuous process - a race. tank weapons. 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 World War II with a tank fleet of approximately 3,200 vehicles. These were light tanks T-I and T-II of various modifications, as well as medium T-III tanks 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 T-IV tank, 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 were used with great success by 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 of the tank forces. 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 Panzer III- 40 km/h (since the T-28 was at the beginning of the war, we also take the Pzkpfw III of early modifications). 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's entire armor was only 14.5 mm, 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 by German troops of 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 subsequently our troops defeated 30 enemy divisions and liberated Orel (August 5), 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 the success of the 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 forced measure, often led to significant losses of tanks and to the weakening of tank formations and formations, but in specific conditions it justified itself. Perhaps the constructive superiority of Soviet armored vehicles, the heroism and courage of Soviet soldiers, combined with new strategic approaches to large-scale combat operations, 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 proved effective in supporting advances by 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 this conclusion serves as 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

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 Tiger, Soviet T-34, English, American Sherman- classic cars, 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 fallen snow, 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 cross-country ability, speed and artillery, which no one had equal in that period, made it the most massive, the most universal tank. Anti-ballistic armor that reliably protects the crew, a diesel engine, and the possibility of high-speed shooting - 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 PZ-III and PZ-IV medium tanks, the Germans put them into mass production, and then began constructing more reliable and durable heavy tanks.

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

The Kremlin made its main mistake when, before the Battle of Kursk, it 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 of 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).

Panther shells were characterized big penetration and shooting accuracy, and the new inclined armor created the possibility of an enemy projectile ricocheting - the Tiger was inferior to it in these characteristics too. Among the German tanks captured by the Allies, 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

The rapid success of the German troops at the very beginning of the war was largely due not only to well-coordinated work tank units between themselves and other units, but also with the seating arrangements 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 the 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.