T-34/85 Medium Tank:

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| T-34/85 1/72 Armor | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dragon Armor | Easy Models | Forces of Valor |
| 60248: 60249: |
36271: 36274: |
85018: |
During the 1st half of 1943 another group under General F. F. Petrov work on 2 variants of the 85 mm that was later used in the KV-85, IS-1, and SU-85.
At Factory No. 92 in Gorki, A. Savin made a 3rd variant of the 85 mm gun. It was mounted in a modified T-34 turret for testing. During testing it was realized that the turret would have to be enlarged to accommodate 3 crew members to allow for maximum possible rate of fire. The People's Commissariat for the Armor Industry assigned the task to a development bureau in the Krasnoye Sormovo factory. A cylindrical cupola for the commander was installed. However, when the 85 mm gun from V.G. Grabin was installed it was discovered that it had a limited elevation. New guns were developed and were tested at the end of 1943. The State Defense Committee approved it for introduction to the army on December 15, 1943.
| Gun | Ammo Type | Weight | Muzzle Velocity | Penetration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 mm Model 1944, L/538 | AP8 | 20.3 lb8 | 2,600'/sec8 | 4.7"@0° at 100 yards11 |
A Tsch 16 scope was installed and it had a 16 degree field of view and 4x manification.
Production started in late 1943 and entered service in Guard units in March 1944. To combat the German Panthers & Tigers a more powerful gun was needed. The 85 mm was selected and was based on an Anti-Aircraft gun. The turret was modified from the KV-85 and held a crew of 3. Hand rails were welded onto the hull for infantry to hold on to. Gun could penetrate 100 mm at 1,100 yards. A special "Arrowhead" round was produced but was inaccurate at longer ranges.
OT-34/85:
Had an AT-42 flame-thrower mounted in place of the hull MG. Could shoot a flame 60-100 meters.
PT-3:

Had a mine removal roller attached. Engineer regiments had 22 T-34s and 18 PT-3 min removal devices.
There was a bridgelayer and mine-roller version too.
| T-34/85 | T-34/85 1944 | |
|---|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, driver, hull gunner, turret gunner, loader 51,3,4,5, 4-58 |
52 |
| Physical Characteristics | ||
| Weight | 70,000 lb, 70,548 lb, 31.5 tons1,3,5, 30 tons4, 32 tons6 32,000 kg1,3 |
32 tons2 |
| Length w/gun | 24.6'5, 26' 5.75", 26' 8", 26' 7"3 7.53 m4, 8.15 m3,6 |
8.15 m2 |
| Length w/o gun | 19' 5.25", 20', 6.29 m1 | 6.1 m2 |
| Height | 7.8'5, 8' 5", 8' 6", 9' 10"1, 9' 7"3, 9'3 2.5 m4, 2.6 m6, 2.74 m1,3 |
2.72 m2 |
| Width | 9.8'5, 10' 6.25", 9' 10", 9' 7"1 2.99 m1, 3 m4,6 |
3 m2 |
| Width over tracks | ||
| Ground clearance | 1' 4" 0.4 m4 |
0.4 m2 |
| Ground contact length | ||
| Ground pressure | 10.8 psi8, 12.37 psi 0.87 (kg/cm2)4 |
0.81-0.85 (kg/cm2)2 |
| Turret ring diameter | 5' 2", 1.6 m | |
| Armament (mm) | ||
| Main | 85 mm ZiS-S-533 85 mm1,5 85 mm L/534 85 mm D5-T (1st 300 production)6 85 mm ZiS S-53 (rest of production)6 85 mm M1944 S53 (D-5T)7 85 mm Model 1944, L/538 |
85 mm ZIS S-53 1944 L/51.52 |
| Secondary | ||
| MG | 2: 7.62 mm DT MG3 2: 7.62 mm DT MG, coaxial, hull7,8 2: 7.62 mm MG1 2: MGs4 1: MG5 |
2: 7.62 mm DT MG, coaxial, hull2 |
| Side arms | ||
| Quantity | ||
| Main | 55, 564,8, 60, 767 | 56-602 |
| Secondary | ||
| MG | 1,8908, 1,9554, 2,394 | 1,8902 |
| Side arms | ||
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 903 18 - 755 Front: 1.8"@60°8, 906 Side: 1.8"@40°8, 756 |
|
| Hull Front, Upper | 454, 90, 471 | 602 |
| Hull Front, Lower | 45 | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | 454, 601 | 452 |
| Hull Sides, Lower | 45 | |
| Hull Rear | 30, 40-454, 471 | 452 |
| Hull Top | 201, 304 | 20-232 |
| Hull Bottom | 18, 201,4 | 222 |
| Turret Front | 3.7"8, 45-554, 901 Mantlet: 2.3"8 |
45-75 |
| Turret Sides | 3.5"8, 50-554, 751 | 752 |
| Turret Rear | 504, 601 | 752 |
| Turret Top | 201,4 | 202 |
| Engine (Make / Model) | W-2-343 W-24 |
|
| Bore / stroke | 4 cycle8 | |
| Cooling | Water4,8 | |
| Cylinders | V-128 | |
| Capacity | ||
| Net HP | 5005,6, 500@1,800 rpm8 | |
| Power to weight ratio | ||
| Compression ratio | 15:18 | |
| Transmission (Type) | Constant mesh spur gear8 4 forward, 1 reverse4,8 |
|
| Steering | Clutch brake8 | |
| Steering ratio | ||
| Starter | Air and electric8 | |
| Electrical system | 24-volts and 12-volt8 | |
| Ignition | ||
| Fuel (Type) | Diesel5,8 | |
| Octane | ||
| Quantity | 147 gallons (8 internal tanks)8, each external tank 25 gallons8 480 liters4 Internal: 127 gallons, 214 gallons, 144 gallons External: 71 gallons |
840 liters2 |
| Road consumption | 1.7 mpg8 | |
| Cross country consumption | ||
| Performance | ||
| Traverse | 360° Hand and electric8 |
360° |
| Max speed | 31 mph1,5, 33 mph8, 34 mph3 47 kph4, 55 kph3,6, 50 kph1 |
50 kph2 |
| Cross country speed | 5-10 mph8, 18.6 mph, 21.8 mph | |
| Road radius | 186.4 miles, 190 miles1,3, 224 miles1, 250 miles8 360 km1, 300 km1,3,4 |
300 km2 |
| Cross country radius | 160 km4, 310 km1 155 miles8, 193 miles1 |
|
| Turning radius | 25' 4" 7.7 m4 |
|
| Elevation limits | -5° to +25° | |
| Fording depth | 47"8, 4' 4", 4' 3" 0.9 m4 |
1.3 m2 |
| Trench crossing | 8.2'8, 8' 3" | 2.5 m2 |
| Vertical obstacle | 30"8 | 0.73 m2 |
| Climbing ability | 35° (70%) slope8 | |
| Suspension (Type) | Christie4,8 Each wheel suspended on movable arm working against a coil spring located in the hull8 |
|
| Wheels each side | 54,8 | |
| Return rollers each side | ||
| Tracks (Type) | Dry pin8 | |
| Length | ||
| Width | 1' 10" 560 mm4 |
|
| Diameter | ||
| Number of links | 728 | |
| Pitch | 7"8 | |
| Tire tread | Steel4 | |
| Track centers/tread | ||
| Production | 1943: 2831, 1002 1944: 11,7781, 11,0002,3 1945: 7,2301, 18,3302 |
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
- Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1943-1945, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
- Battle Winning Tanks, Aircraft & Warships of World War II, David Miller, 2000
- Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?
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