Soviet Union's T-35¹ heavy tank

T-35 Heavy Tank:	T-35 Heavy Tank:	T-35 Heavy Tank:	T-35 Heavy Tank:
T-35 Heavy Tank:

Design

The T-35 was designed by the Experimental Design Mechanical Section (OKMO) at the Bolshevik Factory in Leningrad by a team led by N. Tsiets.¹

The Red Army wanted a multi-turreted vehicle that would break through heavy defenses.

The engine was placed in the rear half of the hull.⁷

Crew

Internally the crew was linked by telephones.²

Armament

The main armament of the T-35 prototype was the 76.2 mm 1927/32 tank gun.² There were four BT-2 turrets that were placed around the vehicle.² The right front and left rear had 37 mm 1930 tank guns.² The left front and right rear had 7.62 mm DT MGs in ball mantlets.²

In 1935 new turrets, similar to the BT-5's turrets without the rear extension, replaced the BT-2 turrets.² These turrets had 45 mm 1932 guns.² The MG turrets were also replaced by turrets from the T-37 amphibian tank.² The main turret was redesigned to have a cylindrical shape and rear extension.² There was a radio installed and the antenna wrapped around the turret.²

Some models had a flame-thrower installed in one of the 45 mm gun turrets.²

Engine

The T-35 had a M-17 engine that produced 500 HP.² There were 5 forward and 1 reverse gear.²

Suspension

There was a suspension member for each pair of road wheels.² There were rubber tires for the road wheels.²

Prototype

Original design started in 1930 and first prototype appeared in July 1932.⁸
Two prototypes were constructed between 1932 and 1933.¹

The first prototype, the T-35-1, was to complex and cost too much to build.¹ The second prototype, the T-35-2, reduced the number of weapons, complexity, and crew was authorized by the STO Work Defense Council (STO) on August 11, 1933 for production.¹

The prototype vehicles had 6 road wheels on each side with rubber tires.^2,8 Production vehicles had 8.²

The prototype appeared at the May Day parade in Moscow in 1933.² Then in 1934 at the 17th Party Day of the Communist Party a company of heavy tanks appeared.²

Production

Prototype: 2¹
- Produced: 1932^2,8
T-35: 20 - 30⁷, 61^1,3,5, 62²
- Manufacturer: Kharkov Locomotive Factory (KhPZ)^1,2
- Production: 1933 - 1939^1,8

Variants

Prototype: With a seven man crew and armor that was 20 - 30 mm thick it weighed 37 tons.⁸ The armament consisted of a 76.2 mm gun, two 37 mm guns, and four 7.62 mm MGs.⁸ It could go 29 kph with its 500 HP engine.⁸
T-35:
T-35-1: Prototype.¹ 3 turrets.⁸
T-35-2: Prototype.¹ 2 turrets.⁸
T-35 Model 1935¹: Longer and had 76.2 mm L-10 gun and two 45 mm guns.¹
T-35 Model 1938¹: Final six tanks had turrets with sloping armor.¹
SU-7²: Projects to place 254 mm cannon, 305 mm howitzer, and 400 mm mortar in a self-propelled mount.² Weighed up to 106 tons and could do 26 kph.²
SU-14²: Designed at the Kirov factory in Leningrad in 1935 to carry a 152.4 mm to 203 mm guns.² The first prototype appeared in 1935 and had a 203 mm howitzer.² It weighed 50 tons and could go 20 kph.²
SU-14-1² or SU-BU-10²: The next prototype had a 152.4 mm B-10 naval gun.² It weighed 47.9 tons and could go 31 kph.²
SU-14-2² or SU-14-Br-2²: In 1939 they were developed at the Barikady works in Stalingrad.² It had a 152.4 mm Br-2 1935 gun.² It weighed 65 tons.²

Usage

Finland

They were used against Finland from December 1939 to March 1940.³
One source says they saw no action against the Finns.¹

Against the Germans

The Germans encountered them at Lvov shortly after Germany invaded Russia.³

The 5th Heavy Tank Brigade saw action in June and July of 1941.² Some saw action in the Lvov area. Most didn't reach the front due to mechanical breakdown.² Fought final battle at Moscow in December 1941.²

The T-35s saw action with the 67th and 68th Tank Regiments of the 34th Tank Division of the VIII Mechanized Corps.¹

Poor Performer

Due to the T-35s bulk and poor steering it was a ponderous beast that one officer said "couldn't cross as much as a large puddle."¹ The tank had to be still for the crew to have any chance of hitting their targets.¹

	T-35	T-35 Model 1935^1,2	T-35 Model 1938¹	T-35-1¹	T-35-2¹
Crew	10^4,7, 11^3,5	10^2,7	10⁷, 11¹	10^1,8	7^1,8
Physical Characteristics
Weight	110,250 lb, 45,000 kg³, 44 tons⁷, 44.3 tons³, 45 tons^4,5	45 tons²	49 tons⁷, 49.2 tons¹, 50 tons² 49,985 kg¹	45 tons⁸, 50 tons¹	46 tons⁸
Length w/gun	31.5'⁴, 31' 6"⁷, 31' 10.7"⁵, 31' 11"³, 9.72 m^3,5	11' 6"⁷ 9.72 m²	31' 6"⁷, 31' 11"¹ 9.72 m¹	31' 6"⁸	31.9'⁸
Length w/o gun
Height	11' 3"^3,5, 11.25'⁴ 3.43 m^3,5	3.43 m²	3.43 m¹ 11' 3"¹	11' 3"⁸	10' 6"⁸
Width	10' 6"^3,5,7, 10.5'⁴ 3.2 m^3,5	10' 6"⁷ 3.2 m²	10' 6"^1,7 3.2 m¹	10' 6"⁸	10' 6"⁸
Ground clearance		0.53 m²
Ground contact length				26.1'⁸	26.1'⁸
Ground pressure	11.08 psi	0.78 kp/cm² ²
Turret ring diameter
Armament
Main	76.2 mm L/16 or L/24³ 76.2 mm⁴	76.2 mm 1927/32²	76.2 mm¹	76.2 mm L/16.5⁸ 76.2 mm PS-3¹	76.2 mm L/24⁸
Secondary	2: 45 mm^1,3,4	2: 45 mm 1934²	1: 45 mm¹	2: 37 mm¹
MG	6: 7.62 mm MG³ 6: MG⁴	5 - 6: 7.62 mm DT MG²	6: 7.62 mm DT MG¹	2: MGs in turrets¹
MG - anti aircraft	1: P-40 AA		1: P-40 AA¹
Side arms
Quantity
Main	90	96 - 100²		96⁸	96⁸
Secondary		220 - 226²
MG		8,230 - 10,000²
Side arms
Armor Thickness (mm)	30⁷ 10 - 30^3,5 11 - 35⁴		1.18"¹ 30¹, 50^2,7		Front: 1.3"¹ Front: 35¹ Side: 0.9"¹ Side: 25¹
Hull Front, Upper		30²		30⁸	35⁸
Hull Front, Lower
Hull Sides, Upper		20²		20⁸	25⁸
Hull Sides, Lower
Hull Rear		20²
Hull Top		11-14²		11 - 14⁸	11 - 14⁸
Hull Bottom		11-14²		11 - 14⁸	11 - 14⁸
Turret Front		Main: 20, 45 mm: 20, M:G 20²		11 - 20⁸	11 - 35⁸
Turret Sides		Main: 20, 45 mm: 20, M:G 20²
Turret Rear		Main: 20, 45 mm: 20, MG: 20²
Turret Top		Main: 11, 45 mm: 11, MG: 11²
Engine (Make / Model)	M-17⁷ M-17 M⁵	M-17⁷ M-17 M^2,3	M-17⁷	M-17M⁸	M-17¹, M-17M⁸
Bore / stroke		4 stroke²
Cylinders	12⁷ V-12⁵	12^2,7	12⁷	12⁸	12⁸
Net HP	500^4,5,7	500⁷, 500@1,450 rpm²	500⁷	500⁸	500⁸
Transmission	5 forward, 1 reverse
Fuel type	Gasoline^4,5,7	Gasoline^2,7	Gasoline⁷	Gasoline⁸	Gasoline⁸
Octane
Capacity		910 liters²
Performance
Traverse	360°
Max speed	18 mph^4,7, 18.6 mph^3,5 30 kph^3,5	18 mph⁷ 30 kph²	18 mph⁷, 18.6 mph¹ 30 kph¹	18 mph⁸	19 mph⁸
Cross country speed	12 mph⁷, 12.4 mph	12 mph⁷	12 mph⁷
Road radius	93 miles³, 93.2 miles⁵ 150 km^3,5	150 km²	93.2 miles¹ 150 km¹	94 miles⁸	94 miles⁸
Cross country radius				50 miles⁸	50 miles⁸
Turning Radius
Elevation Limits
Fording depth		1.2 m²
Trench crossing	11' 6"⁵ 3.5 m⁵	3.5 - 4 m²
Vertical Obstacle	4'⁵ 1.2 m⁵	1.2 m²
Climbing ability		20°²
Suspension (Type)
Wheels each side	8			8⁸	8⁸
Return rollers each side
Track length
Tires
Track width				1' 0.18"⁸	1' 0.18"⁸
Track centers/tread

Sources:

Russian Tanks of World War II Stalin's Armored Might, by Tim Bean & Will Fowler, 2002
Russian Tanks and Armored Vehicles 1917-1945, by Wolfgang Fleischer, 1999
The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
-
Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
Airfix Magazine Guide 22 Russian Tanks of World War 2, John Milsom and Steve Zaloga, 1977

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