The largest German tank of World War 2. What is the largest tank in the world? Deutsch? Suffering defeats and gaining victories

World War II was one of the bloodiest battles in the history of the civilized world. The number of lives given in the name of freedom is amazing and at the same time makes everyone proud of their homeland, realizing that the merit of their ancestors is invaluable. The desire to study the history of this battle among young people is very commendable, because it was not in vain that Sir said that "a people who do not remember their past have no future." To appreciate how important the feat of our defenders is, one must definitely get acquainted with the history of German tanks. It was the German WWII tanks that served as the main element of the Wehrmacht's weapons, but this still did not help the German troops win. So what's the reason?

Light tanks

Germany's preparations for armed confrontation began long before the offensive itself. But although some of the developments of German armored vehicles had already been tested, the effectiveness of light tanks remained highly questionable.

Panzerkampfwagen I

The signing, which took place at the end of the First World War, put Germany in a certain framework. This agreement strictly regulated all the weapons of Germany, including military forces and armored vehicles. The strict terms of the contract only led to the fact that soon Germany began to develop and then secretly produce new military equipment.

The first tank created in Germany in the interwar period was the Panzerkampfwagen I, also known by the abbreviated name PzKpfw I. The development of this tank began in 1931, and officially, according to the documents, it was used as an agricultural tractor. The order for the creation was given to 4 leading engineering firms, but as a result, the Wehrmacht preferred the model created by Friedrich Krupp AG.

After developing and carrying out all the necessary tests of the test model, this light German tank was put into production. According to official figures, from 1934 to 1936, about 1,100 copies were created. After the first samples were handed over to the troops, it turned out that the tank was not capable of developing a sufficiently high speed. After that, two modifications were created on its basis: Pzkpfw I Ausf.A and PzKpfw I Ausf.B. After minor changes to the hull, chassis and engine, the tank already posed a serious danger to enemy armored vehicles.

The baptism of fire of the PzKpfw I took place in Spain during the Civil War of 1936-1939. During the very first battles, it became clear that the German tank could hardly fight against the Soviet T-26. Despite the fact that the PzKpfw I gun is quite powerful, it cannot penetrate the T-26 from long distances, while this was not a problem for the Soviet machine.

Since the technical characteristics of this configuration left much to be desired, most of the copies were lost on the battlefields. Throughout almost the entire Second World War, tanks were in service with the Wehrmacht, although they had secondary tasks.

Panzerkampfwagen II

After checking the not-so-successful PzKpfw I tank, the German armed forces needed to create a light tank with an anti-tank gun. It was these requirements that were presented to the development companies, but the projects did not satisfy the customer, and therefore the equipment was made with parts from various companies. Like the PzKpfw I, the PzKpfw II was officially an agricultural tractor.

In 1936-1937, 75 tanks were produced in three different configurations. These sub-modifications almost did not differ in technical characteristics, but they served as test samples to determine the effectiveness of individual technical solutions.

In 1937, a modification of the Pz Kpfw II Ausf b was launched, which combined an improved transmission and undercarriage, subsequently used to produce the best German tanks. The production of PzKpfw II in all three modifications was carried out in 1937-1940, during this period about 1088 copies were produced.

After the first battles, it became clear that the PzKpfw II was significantly inferior to similar tanks of enemy vehicles, since its armor turned out to be too weak and the damage done was small. Nevertheless, the production of this machine only increased until 1942, and when new, more advanced models already appeared, the tank began to be used in secondary areas.

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf L Luchs

Poor cross-country ability on Polish lands forced the development of a new unit of armored vehicles, which would have a caterpillar drive. The development of new technology was entrusted to two engineering giants - Deimler-Benz and MAN, which produced almost all German tanks of the Second World War. Despite the name, this modification had very little in common with the PzKpfw II, although they share the same manufacturers of most of the modules.

In 1939-1941, both firms were engaged in the design of a reconnaissance tank. Based on the results of these works, several models were created, which were subsequently even produced and sent to the front. But all these configurations did not satisfy the customers, so the work continued. In 1942, the engineers finally managed to create a machine that met all the requirements, and after minor modifications, it was released in the amount of 800 pieces.

Luchs was equipped with two radios and a large number of observation devices, as a result of which a new member appeared in the crew - a radio operator. But after the first 100 vehicles were sent to the front, it became obvious that the 20-millimeter gun was definitely not able to cope with enemy armored vehicles. Therefore, the rest of the party was re-equipped, and the 50-millimeter cannon was already working on its armament. But even this equipment did not meet all the requirements, so the production of Luchs was stopped.

medium tanks

German medium tanks of the Second World War period were equipped with many modules that the enemy did not have. Although the armored vehicles of the USSR still managed to successfully fight enemy vehicles.

Panzerkampfwagen III

The German medium tank Pzkfw III replaced its weak predecessor Pzkfw I. The Wehrmacht demanded from the manufacturer a machine that could fight on equal terms with any enemy equipment, and the weight of the new model was to be equal to 10 tons with a 37 mm gun. it was expected that the Pzkfw III would be the main unit of German armored vehicles. In battle, he was to be assisted by one light tank Pzkfw II and one heavy tank, which should serve as the firepower of the platoon.

In 1936, the first modifications of the machine were presented, and in 1939 one of them had already entered mass production. Since a military-technical cooperation agreement was concluded between Germany and the Soviet Union, the USSR acquired one copy of the machine for testing. After research, it was decided that although the tank was sufficiently armored and fast, the gun was weak.

After the first battles with France, it became clear to the Wehrmacht that the German Pzkfw III tank could no longer cope with the tasks assigned to it, so it was modernized, a more powerful gun was installed on it and its forehead was made armored so that the vehicle would not be too easy prey for self-propelled guns. But since the quality of enemy vehicles continued to grow, and the accumulation of new modules on the Pzkfw III led to a significant increase in mass and, consequently, a deterioration in cross-country ability, the production of the tank was discontinued.

Panzerkampfwagen IV

The production of this machine was carried out by the Krupp company, which was entrusted with the development and creation of a powerful tank weighing 24 tons with a 75-mm gun. Like many other German tanks of the Second World War, the PzKpfw IV was equipped with a chassis, which included 8 road wheels, which improved the maneuverability and maneuverability of the vehicle.

The tank had many modifications. After testing the first model A, it was decided to install a more powerful engine, which was carried out in the next two trim levels B and C, which took part in the Polish campaign. Although they performed well on the field, it was decided to create a new model with improved armor. All subsequent models have been significantly modified, taking into account the experience gained after testing the first versions.

From 1937 to 1945, 8525 copies of various modifications were produced, which took part in almost all battles and proved themselves well throughout the war. That is why several other vehicles were created on the basis of the PzKpfw IV.

Panzerkampfwagen V Panther

A review of German tanks proves that the PzKpfw V Panther was one of the most efficient vehicles of the Wehrmacht. Checkerboard suspension, 75mm gun and excellent armor made it the best German tank according to many experts.

Since German armored vehicles met the requirements during the first years of the war, the development of a powerful tank remained in the initial stages. But when the Soviet Union demonstrated its superiority in tank building with the release of the KV and T-34, which were vastly superior to the existing German tanks of the Second World War, the Third Reich began to think about the production of a new, more powerful model.

The PzKpfw V Panther, created on the basis of the T-34, took part in the main battles on the front of all Europe and proved to be the best. Although the production of this model was quite lengthy and costly, it justified all the hopes of the creators. To date, only 16 copies have survived, one of which is in the Kubinka tank museum.

Heavy tanks

During World War II, it was heavy tanks that served as the main firepower of Germany. This is not at all surprising if we take into account their technical characteristics. The most powerful heavy German tank is, of course, the "Tiger", but the no less famous "Maus" does not graze the rear.

Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger

The Tiger project was developed in 1941, and already in August 1942 the first copies took part in the battle of Leningrad, and then in the battle on which could damage any German tank, it was decided to create a machine capable of repulsing him. Therefore, the engineers were faced with the task of creating a modernized analogue of the KV-1 using the PzKpfw IV technology.

Excellent armor and an 88 mm gun made the tank the best among heavy tanks in the world, which was recognized by the troops of the USA, Great Britain and France. The powerful armor of the tank from all sides made it practically invincible, but such new weapons caused the need for new means of combat. Therefore, towards the end of the war, Germany's opponents had self-propelled guns that were capable of destroying them, including the Soviet SU-100 and ISU-152.

Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus

The Wehrmacht planned the construction of a super-heavy tank, which would become an unattainable target for enemy vehicles. After Hitler had already signed an order for development, leading machine builders convinced him that there was no need to create such a model. But Ferdinand Porsche thought differently and therefore personally set about designing a complete set of a new heavy unit of military equipment. As a result, the "Maus" was created, the armor of which is 200-240 mm, which is a record for military equipment.

Only 2 copies saw the light, but they were blown up by the Red Army in 1945, like many other German tanks. The surviving photos and the model assembled from the two aforementioned blown up tanks give an excellent idea of ​​how powerful this model was.

Conclusion

Summing up, it must be said that although in Germany during the Second World War the tank industry was quite well developed, its new products appeared as a response to such models of Soviet tanks as the KV, KV-1, T-35, and many others. It is this fact that makes it clear how important the desire of the Soviet people for victory played for the outcome of the war.

tsar tank

Before you is the Tsar Tank (also called the Bat, Lebedenko Machine, Bat, Mastodon, Mammoth) - the largest tank that our planet has ever seen. True, it is worth noting that this is rather an armored land vehicle of enormous size.

The mammoth was designed by Russian engineer Nikolai Lebedenko, in which B. Stechkin, N. Zhukovsky and A. Mikulin also took part. The construction was completed in 1915, at the same time large-scale tests of the machine were carried out, as a result of which it was concluded that this tool was unsuitable for combat conditions, so the project had to be closed. The only unit built was then broken up for scrap.

As Lebedenko himself said, Asian carts inspired him to build the Mastodon, which, thanks to their large wheels, easily overcame potholes and potholes. As a result, the built copy had two huge front wheels with a diameter of 9 meters, while the rear one differed in much less modest dimensions - 1.5 meters. The width of the T-shaped hull is 12 m. It was decided to fix the machine guns on the planes behind the front wheels. The maximum speed that the tank could develop was 17 kilometers per hour.

Much more interesting is that the engineer was able to get approval to build the project, because at that time it was difficult to do, especially with such a strange wagon. Nevertheless, in January 1915, Nicholas II allocated funds for the project - about 210,000 rubles.

When the tests began, it immediately became clear that the car was very easily vulnerable - it was enough to hit the spokes of the wheels once, like a Mammoth folded like a house of cards. In addition, it became an excellent target - due to its size, it could be seen as far as several kilometers away. And the cross-country ability, due to its size, was not amazing. Thus, this combat weapon remained another dead project in tank development, which at that time was based on the trial and error method. By the way, the engine was weak for Bat.

Meanwhile, we forgot to mention the dimensions of the tank. Here they are:

Length - 17.8 m
Width - 12 m
Height - 9 m
Weight - 60 tons

Char 2C

The list of our champions does not end there. Another giant is the Char 2C tank, developed by the French during the First World War. To date, this giant is the largest tank in terms of its dimensions that has ever been put into service. In height, it ranks second after the Mammoth described above.

Its development began in 1917, the project itself was ready two years later, but the tank did not enter service, since all hostilities were curtailed. Nevertheless, piece production began and over the following years several pieces of equipment were produced. By the beginning of the 30s of the last century, the Char 2C was considered obsolete military equipment, since the two towers in the upper tier did not allow circular fire, the dimensions were very large, making the tank an easy target, the maneuverability left much to be desired, etc.

By the 40s, at least 10 copies were produced, which were in service with the French army until 1940. However, after the Nazis occupied France, the government decided to blow up all the tanks so that they would not get to the enemy. However, there is an alternative opinion on this matter - all Char 2Cs were destroyed directly by the Germans.

It is noteworthy that each Char 2C had its own name - they were named after the provinces. In 1939, a tank named "Lorraine" was reinforced with additional armor, as a result of which its mass reached 75 tons. The length of the hull was 10.27 m, the width was 3 m, and the height was 4.09 m.

Also on our list is the T-35, a legendary Soviet heavy tank developed in the 1930s. Interestingly, a decade earlier, our vast country did not have large heavy tanks, with the exception of vehicles called "Ricardo" (British Mk V). That is why the authorities decided to create giants.

The first prototype was presented in 1932, while its weight was significantly different from the planned one - 42 tons instead of 35 tons. However, this did not become a big problem, besides, the model performed well in tests, although experts noted several shortcomings (for example, high cost of some components and parts). The tank entered the series in 1934 and it was a version of the T-35A, which produced 59 units.

The engine used was a 12-cylinder M-17 carburetor aircraft engine, created under license from BMW. He developed a very good power for those times - 400 horsepower at 1450 rpm. A few years later, its power was raised to 580 hp. through modernization. But the fuel consumption was huge - three fuel tanks with a total volume of 900 liters provided a cruising range of no more than 150 km.

The T-35 participated in World War II, and in the first few weeks after the start of the war, the tank fell into the hands of the Nazis and they sent it to a training ground in Germany, where they carefully studied it. Where that copy went, no one knows. But it is reliably known that there were big problems with the transportation of this giant - it simply did not fit into the railway dimensions. The combat weight of the T-35A was 50 tons, the hull length was 9.72 m, the width was 3.2 m, and the height was 3.43 m.

Tiger II (King Tiger)

It is impossible not to mention the Tiger II - a heavy tank that was produced by the Germans during the final part of the Second World War, starting in 1944. In a short time, 489 copies of equipment were produced.

This machine differs not so much in its dimensions, which, of course, surprise, but in incredible power. Thanks to the 88-mm cannon, the tank was able to hit any targets in its path, and the presence of excellent protection allowed it to pass where other tanks had already been disabled.

Experts assure that the Tiger II surpassed absolutely all the heavy tanks that the USSR and its associates could have. However, this did not help Hitler, because at that time the Soviet troops already knew how to deal with such vehicles (our tankers knew exactly which place to shoot at). However, the King Tiger knocked out a lot of our vehicles, because his cannon had a very high rate of fire. Therefore, an experienced team from the Nazis could shoot a tank division before they found themselves.

Currently, not a single Tiger has survived. The last of them was shot down in Berlin on May 2, 1945.

The combat weight of the vehicle is 70 tons, the hull length is 7.38 m, the width is 3.75 m, and the height is 3.09 m.

Ratte P1000 (Rat)

Rat - that was the name of the super-heavy tank, which the Germans developed during the Second World War. Hitler first saw this project in mid-1942, which was well received by him.

Let's say in advance that Ratte was never created, but the data on it is impressive. So, only the weight of this giant would reach 2000 tons, and the length of the hull would easily be 35 meters.

Particular attention was paid to the fact that the P1000 would certainly be extremely clumsy and slow, but its hull would be invulnerable to artillery and anti-tank mines.

In the 20th century, the types of armed forces developed at great speed. One of the most important inventions in this area were tanks. It was they who made a revolution in the methods of warfare. This article will talk about the heaviest military vehicles in history.

Pre-tank era

The project of the first prototype of the tank was proposed in 1874 by the French designer Edouard Buyen. He came up with the idea of ​​an all-terrain train, which would move due to the railway built into it. The military model consisted of 8 sections with 12 guns on the hull. Unfortunately, at that time it was not possible to implement such a project.

Another project was put forward by engineer V. D. Mendeleev in 1916. He designed a model of an armored vehicle with a large-caliber cannon and a machine gun. The project turned out to be difficult to manufacture and did not interest the Russian government.

The era of tank vehicles

The development of the world's first tank immediately followed Mendeleev's project and became famous for its formidable name throughout the world, however, the project was never implemented.

"Tsar Tank"

The car is known to everyone who is interested in tanks. It was designed by engineer Nikolai Lebedenko. On January 8, 1915, the model in the drawings was presented to Nicholas II. The Russian emperor was impressed by the development of the engineer and allocated funds for the project. The tank was nicknamed "The Bat", but it turned out to be unsuitable for war: the wheels quickly failed, the tank got stuck on the road.

The Bat is the largest and longest tank in the world. Because of his size, he became famous:

• Weight - 60 tons;
• Height - 9 m;
• Length - 17.8 m;
• Width - 12 m.

The impossibility of the practical use of the Tsar Tank predetermined its fate - it stood at the assembly site until the model was disposed of in the 1920s.

The model is the only representative of the type of super-heavy machines put into mass production. The tank was created at the end of the First World War. The purpose of the huge machine was to break through the German defensive fortifications. The manufacturer - the French company FCM, received an order for the production of 300 copies in February 1918.

Interesting!

During the Second World War, one copy of the tank was captured by the Germans, after which nothing is known about it.

During the First World War, the warring states were interested in creating machines capable of breaking through enemy fortifications. Germany was no exception. In 1917, engineer Josef Vollmer was ordered to develop a German tank with such capabilities. Vollmer provided a project for a machine weighing 150 tons and 12.8 m long. The military vehicle was driven by two engines of 650 horsepower. Of the weapons were 4 cannons with a caliber of 77 mm and 7 machine guns.

The K-Wagen was flown by a crew of 22. The designers managed to assemble one model and some components for the second. Due to the approach of the Entente troops, the developments had to be destroyed.

By the 1930s The Char 2C (FCM 2C) has ceased to meet the requirements of modern warfare. The French, guided by the experience of the First World War, decided that they needed a new heavy tank.

In 1938, the French military decided on the vision of model number 2. According to their plan, the tank was supposed to have a powerful cannon and a quick-firing gun. The armor was planned to be made invulnerable to anti-tank guns. The competition for the production of the model was won by FCM. They decided to release the first car by May 1940, but the successes of the German troops prevented these plans.

The tank was built by British developers. The model weighing 64 tons developed a speed of no more than 8 km / h. For a number of reasons, TOG II did not go into mass production.

TOG I

The car was developed simultaneously with TOG II. The first TOG I model was produced in 1940. The main advantage of the tank was the increased cross-country ability with a weight of 82.3 tons. Due to the low speed and outdated design, the military refused to mass-produce the model.

The world's largest heavy tank is also known as the Mouse. The Mouse was made by the Austrian designer Ferdinand Porsche. Despite the grandiose mass of 188 tons, the model has good handling and increased cross-country ability.

By the second half of 1944, two "Mice" were made, but further production was stopped due to a lack of funds from Germany.

Interesting!

During the offensive of the Soviet troops, tank models were captured. One of them is currently on display at the Kubinka Central Museum. Photos and videos about Maus are posted on the Internet.

In 1943, British engineers began to develop a heavy tank. As planned by the designers, it was supposed to be equipped with powerful armor and combat systems. Therefore, the model began to be called Tortoise - "land turtle".

In 1944, the manufacturer received an order for the production of 25 machines, but in May 1945 the Second World War ended, and the need for a “turtle” disappeared. As a result, 5 models were released.

In essence, the "land turtle" was a self-propelled artillery mount, and not a tank, but due to its weight of 89 tons, it was assigned to the family of tanks. Of the weapons, the "land turtle" had a 94-mm cannon and 3 machine guns. The model was discontinued when it turned out that the tank was inferior to Soviet heavy vehicles in terms of technical characteristics.

The developer - Heinrich Ernst Knipkamp considered the E-100 as a universal combat vehicle. The armored tank was supposed to displace the "Mouse" and other tracked vehicles. In terms of armor power, the E-100 was not inferior to the Mouse, but had a lower weight (140 tons).

The project was not completed. The developers managed to make only the chassis, which later fell into the hands of the British military.

In the 20th century, Soviet enterprises produced the largest number of tanks in the world. The government paid attention to the production of medium and light vehicles, and there were not enough resources for super-heavy ones. Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, they worked on the creation of a copy of a heavy tank at the Kirov Plant, but the offensive of the German troops forced them to curtail the research.

When the Second World War ended, the production of heavy tanks was recognized as unprofitable. The designers focused on the invention of machines capable of fighting in a nuclear war. In 1957, the design bureau of Zh. Ya. Kotin produced a model of a special tank. The size of the turret armor was 305 mm with a tank weight of 60 tons, but due to poor maneuverability, the project did not pass the test.

The development belongs to the German engineer Edward Grotte. As planned, the weight of the vehicle was to be 1000 tons. At the same time, the tank would accelerate to 35 km/h. In 1942, the drawings were presented to Hitler and he gave the go-ahead for the construction of the machine. Work on the project was stopped a year later - there were not enough materials for its implementation.

The project was developed in the early 1930s. in KB "Bolshevik". Remarkably, its author was the already well-known Edward Grotte. The thousand-ton vehicle was to be equipped with six turrets with a dozen guns. According to the calculations of engineers, the maximum speed of the car was 60 km / h. As a result of the survey, the construction of the TG-5 was recognized as impossible.

Finally

Heavy tanks enjoyed relatively little popularity among the military. They were difficult to manufacture and rarely justified their cost. Therefore, today medium and light models are popular in the armed forces. For example, the most powerful tank in the world weighs less than 70 tons.

Related video

Military situations encourage designers to create tanks that are as invulnerable to the enemy as possible. After logical reflection, they came to the conclusion that large parameters will allow tanks to be armored at the maximum level. Our top 10 largest tanks in the world contain those types of tanks that amaze with their size.

10 "Object 279"

9 T28 Turtle

8 TOG2

7 A39 Tortoise

6 Panzerkampfwagen 8 Maus

5 Char 2C

4 FCM F1

3 E-100

During the Second World War, tanks played a decisive role in battles and operations, it is very difficult to single out the top ten from the many tanks, for this reason, the order in the list is rather arbitrary and the place of the tank is tied to the time of its active participation in battles and significance for that period.

10. Tank Panzerkampfwagen III (PzKpfw III)

The PzKpfw III, better known as the T-III, is a light tank with a 37 mm gun. Booking from all angles - 30 mm. The main quality is Speed ​​(40 km / h on the highway). Thanks to the perfect Carl Zeiss optics, ergonomic crew jobs 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 manifested themselves more clearly. The Germans replaced the 37 mm guns with 50 mm guns and covered the tank with hinged screens - temporary measures gave their results, the T-III fought for several more years. By 1943, the release 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, which became the most massive Panzerwaffe tank, looked much more serious - the Germans managed to build 8700 vehicles. Combining all the advantages of the lighter T-III, the "four" had 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, it was fired 1133 early modifications with a short-barreled gun).

The weak points of the machine are too thin sides and feed (only 30 mm on the first modifications), the designers neglected the slope of the armor plates for the sake of manufacturability and the convenience of the crew.

Panzer IV - the only German tank that was in mass production throughout the Second World War and became the most massive 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 the “workhorse” of the Panzerwaffe.

8. Tank KV-1 (Klim Voroshilov)

“... from three sides we fired at the iron monsters of the Russians, but everything was in vain. Russian giants came closer and closer. One of them approached our tank, hopelessly bogged down 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 smashed the elite units of the Wehrmacht with impunity as if it had rolled out onto the Borodino field in 1812. Invincible, invincible and extremely powerful. Until the end of 1941, in all the armies of the world, there was generally no weapon capable of stopping the Russian 45-ton monster. The KV was twice as heavy as the largest Wehrmacht tank.

Bronya KV is a wonderful song of steel and technology. 75 millimeters of steel firmament 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 did not take it even at close 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 a distance of 1.5 kilometers from any direction.

The crews of the KV were staffed exclusively by officers, only driver-mechanics could be foremen. The level of their training was much higher than the level of the crews who fought on tanks of other types. They fought more skillfully, and therefore the Germans remembered ...

7. Tank T-34 (thirty-four)

“... There is nothing worse than a tank battle against superior enemy forces. Not in terms of numbers - it was not important for us, we were used to it. But against better vehicles, it's terrible... Russian tanks are so nimble, at close range they'll climb a slope or cross a swamp faster than you can turn a turret. And through the noise and roar, you hear the clang of shells on the armor all the time. When they hit our tank, you often hear a deafening explosion and the roar of burning fuel, too loud to hear the death cries of the crew ... "
- the opinion of a German tanker from the 4th Panzer 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 ratio of mobility, fire power and security. Even individually, these parameters for the T-34 were higher than for any Panzerwaffe tank.

When the Wehrmacht soldiers first met the T-34s on the battlefield, they were, to put it mildly, shocked. The cross-country ability of our vehicle was impressive - where the German tanks did not even think to meddle, the T-34s passed without much difficulty. The Germans even nicknamed their 37mm anti-tank gun the "tuk-tuk mallet" because when its shells hit the "thirty-four", they simply hit it and bounced off.

The main thing is that the Soviet designers managed to create the tank exactly the way the Red Army needed it. The T-34 was ideally suited to the conditions of the Eastern Front. The extreme simplicity and manufacturability of the design made it possible to establish mass production of these combat vehicles as soon as possible, as a result, the T-34s were easy to operate, numerous and ubiquitous.

6. Tank Panzerkampfwagen VI "Tiger I" Ausf E, "Tiger"

“... we went around through the beam 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 tankers.

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 this particular task:

If in the initial period of the Second World War the German military doctrine was mainly offensive, then later, when the strategic situation changed to the opposite, tanks began to play the role of a means of eliminating German defense breakthroughs.

Thus, the Tiger tank was conceived primarily as a means of fighting enemy tanks, whether in defense or offensive. Accounting for this fact is necessary to understand the design features and tactics of using the "Tigers".

On July 21, 1943, the commander of the 3rd Panzer Corps, Herman Bright, issued the following instructions for the combat use of the Tiger-I tank:

... 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 battle experience has shown, the Tiger's weapons allow it to fight enemy tanks at distances of 2000 meters or more, which especially affects enemy morale. Strong armor allows the "Tiger" to move closer to the enemy without the risk of serious damage from hits. However, you should try to start a battle with enemy tanks at distances of more than 1000 meters.

5. Tank "Panther" (PzKpfw V "Panther")

Realizing that the "Tiger" is 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 Wehrmacht medium tank.
Panzerkampfwagen V "Panther" is still the subject of heated debate. The technical capabilities of the car 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! An armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile fired from its infernal vent flew 1 kilometer in the first second - with such performance characteristics, the Panther's cannon could pierce any Allied tank at a distance of more than 2 kilometers. Reservation "Panther" by most sources is also recognized as worthy - the thickness of the forehead varied from 60 to 80 mm, while the angles of the armor reached 55 °. The board 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)

The IS-2 was the most powerful and most heavily armored of the Soviet mass-produced tanks of the war period, 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 storming of cities.

The armor thickness of the IS-2 reached 120 mm. One of the main achievements of Soviet engineers is the cost-effectiveness and low metal consumption of the IS-2 design. With a mass comparable to the mass of the Panther, the Soviet tank was much more seriously protected. But too tight layout required the placement of fuel tanks in the control compartment - when the armor was broken, the crew of the Is-2 had little chance of surviving. The driver, who did not have his own hatch, was especially at risk.

Storms of cities:
Together with self-propelled guns based on it, the IS-2 was actively used for assault operations on fortified cities such as Budapest, Breslau, and Berlin. The tactics of operations in such conditions included the actions of the OGvTTP by assault groups of 1-2 tanks, accompanied by an infantry squad of several submachine gunners, a sniper or a well-aimed marksman from a rifle, and sometimes a knapsack flamethrower. In the event of weak resistance, tanks with assault groups planted on them at full speed broke through along the streets to squares, squares, parks, where it was possible to take up all-round 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 by 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 Sherman with a gasoline engine was used in the ground forces, and the M4A2 modification equipped with a diesel engine entered the Marine Corps. American engineers rightly believed that this would greatly simplify the operation of tanks - diesel fuel could be easily found among sailors, unlike high-octane gasoline. By the way, it was this modification of the M4A2 that entered the Soviet Union.

Why did the Emcha (as our soldiers called the M4) so ​​pleased the command of the Red Army that they were completely transferred to elite units, for example, the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps and the 9th Guards Tank Corps? The answer is simple: "Sherman" had the optimal ratio of armor, firepower, mobility and ... reliability. In addition, the Sherman was the first tank with a hydraulic turret drive (this provided special aiming accuracy) and a gun stabilizer in a vertical plane - the tankers admitted that in a duel situation their shot was always the first.

Combat use:
After landing in Normandy, the Allies had to come close to the German tank divisions that were thrown into the defense of Fortress Europe, and it turned out that the Allies underestimated the degree of saturation of the German troops 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 of all, and then deal with the rest). The Americans, who were counting on their new gun, quickly found out that the power of its armor-piercing shells was still not enough to confidently defeat the Panther in the forehead.

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, the Tiger II appeared on the Eastern Front: the 501st heavy tank battalion tried to interfere with the Lvov-Sandomierz offensive operation. The bridgehead was an uneven semicircle, resting at the ends against the Vistula. Approximately in the middle of this semicircle, covering the direction to Staszow, the 53rd Guards Tank Brigade was defending.

At 07:00 on August 13, the enemy, under cover of fog, went on the offensive with the forces of the 16th Panzer Division, with the participation of 14 King Tigers of the 501st Heavy Tank Battalion. But as soon as the new Tigers crawled out 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 the driver Stetsenko, gun commander Merkhaydarov, radio operator Grushin and loader Khalychev . In total, the tankers of the brigade 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 Saumur Musee des Blindes in France, RAC Tank Museum Bovington (the only surviving copy with a Porsche turret) and the Royal Military College of Science Shrivenham in the UK, 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 medium tank T-34-85, in essence, is a major modernization of the T-34 tank, as a result of which a very important drawback of the latter was eliminated - the tightness of the fighting compartment and the impossibility of a complete division of labor of the crew members associated with it. This was achieved by increasing the diameter of the turret ring, as well as by installing a new triple turret much larger than that of the T-34. At the same time, the design of the hull and the layout of components and assemblies in it did not undergo any significant changes. Consequently, there were also disadvantages inherent in machines with aft engine and transmission.

As you know, the most widespread in tank building are two layout schemes with a bow and aft transmission. Moreover, the disadvantages of one scheme are the advantages of another.

The disadvantage of the layout with the aft location of the 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 with a heavy turret shifts to the nose, overloading the front rollers, leaving no room on the turret sheet for the central and even lateral placement of the driver's hatch. There is a danger of "sticking" the protruding gun into the ground when the tank moves through natural and artificial obstacles. The control drive is becoming more complicated, connecting the driver with the transmission located in the stern.

The layout of the tank T-34-85

There are two ways out of this situation: either increase the length of the control compartment (or combat), 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 ratio L / B - the length of the supporting surface to the track width (for the T-34 - 85, it is close to 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 of Soviet designers in the design of new medium tanks T-44 and T-54, created during the war years and put into service, respectively, in 1944 and 1945.

The layout of the T-54 tank

On these combat vehicles, a layout was used with a transverse (and not with a longitudinal, as in the T-34-85) placement of a 12-cylinder V-2 diesel engine (in the V-44 and V-54 variants) and a combined significantly shortened (by 650 mm ) engine compartment. This made it possible to lengthen the fighting compartment up to 30% of the hull length (24.3% for the T-34-85), increase the turret ring diameter by almost 250 mm, and install a powerful 100-mm cannon on the T-54 medium tank. At the same time, it was possible to shift the turret to the stern, allocating space on the turret plate for the driver's hatch. The exclusion of the fifth crew member (shooter from the course machine gun), the removal of the ammunition rack from the floor of the fighting compartment, 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 T-54 tank hull (compared to the T-34- tank hull). 85) by about 200 mm, as well as a reduction in the booked volume by about 2 cubic meters. and increased armor protection by more than two times (with an increase in mass by only 12%).

Such a radical re-arrangement of the T-34 tank was not done during the war, and, probably, this was the right decision. At the same time, the diameter of the turret shoulder strap, while maintaining the same shape of the hull, was almost limiting for the T-34-85, which did not allow placing a larger-caliber artillery system in the turret. The possibilities of upgrading the tank in terms of armament 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 did you need to switch to an 85-mm cannon, could it be possible to improve the ballistic characteristics of the F-34 by increasing the barrel length? After all, the Germans did the same with their 75-mm gun on the Pz.lV.

The fact is that German guns have traditionally been distinguished by better internal ballistics (ours are just as traditionally external). The Germans achieved high armor penetration by increasing the initial speed and better working out of ammunition. We could adequately answer only by increasing the caliber. Although the S-53 gun significantly improved the firing capabilities of the T-34-85, but, as Yu.E. Maksarev noted: “In the future, the T-34 could no longer directly, duel hit new German tanks.” All attempts to create 85-mm guns with an initial speed of 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. For the "duel" defeat of German tanks, a transition to 100-mm caliber was required, which was carried out only in the T-54 tank with a turret ring diameter of 1815 mm. But in the battles of the Second World War, this combat vehicle did not take part.

As for the placement of the driver's hatch in the frontal hull sheet, one could try to follow the path of the Americans. Recall that on the Sherman, the driver's and machine gunner's hatches, originally also made in an inclined frontal hull sheet, were subsequently transferred to the turret sheet. This was achieved by reducing the angle of inclination of the front plate from 56° to 47° to the vertical. The T-34-85 had a 60° frontal hull plate. By reducing this angle also to 47 ° and compensating for this by some increase in the thickness of the frontal armor, it would be possible to increase the area of ​​​​the turret sheet 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 has not changed for the T-34-85 either. And if the use of better quality steel for the manufacture of springs helped to avoid their rapid subsidence and, as a result, a decrease in 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 front of the tank only exacerbated the negative impact of these fluctuations on the crew and weapons.

The consequence of the layout scheme of the T-34-85 was the absence of a rotating turret floor in the fighting compartment. In battle, the loader worked, standing on the covers of the cassette boxes with shells laid on the bottom of the tank. When turning the tower, he had to move after the breech, while he was prevented by spent cartridges that fell right here on the floor. When conducting intense fire, the accumulated cartridge cases 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 upgrading the hull and suspension of the T-34-85 were not fully used.

Considering the advantages and disadvantages of the T-34-85, one more very important circumstance must be taken into account. The crew of any tank, as a rule, in everyday reality does not care at all at what angle of inclination the frontal or any other sheet of the hull or turret is located. It is much more important that the tank as a machine, that is, as a combination of mechanical and electrical mechanisms, works accurately, reliably and does not create problems during operation. Including problems associated with the repair or replacement of any parts, assemblies and assemblies. Here, the T-34-85 (like the T-34) was all right. The tank was exceptionally maintainable! It is paradoxical, but true - and the layout is “to blame” for this!

There is a rule: to arrange not to ensure convenient installation - dismantling of units, but based on the fact that the units do not need to be repaired until they completely fail. The required high reliability and non-failure operation are achieved when designing a tank based on ready-made, structurally proven units. Since, when creating the T-34, practically none of the tank units met this requirement, its layout was also carried out contrary to the rule. The roof of the engine compartment was easily removable; All this was of tremendous importance in the first half of the war, when more tanks went out of action due to technical malfunctions than from enemy influence (for example, on April 1, 1942, the active army had 1,642 serviceable and 2,409 serviceable tanks of all types, while while our combat losses in March amounted to 467 tanks). As the quality of the units improved, which reached the highest level for the T-34-85, the value of the maintainable layout decreased, but the language does not dare 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 Asia and Africa, sometimes in extreme climatic conditions and with personnel who had a very mediocre, if not more, level of training.

Despite all the shortcomings in the design of the "thirty-four", a certain balance of compromises was observed, which favorably 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 powerful enough weapons, became the reason for the success and popularity of the T-34-85 among tankers.