The developer of the T-34 is Ko Xijin, who has successively designed the T-29 wheel and tracked dual-purpose tanks. It was recommended that a purely tracked model should be developed, with the design number A-32 (later T-32). At the end of January 1940, the first batch of production T-34s was completed at the Comington Plant, model T-34 06 1940. In early February, two of them were tested for long-distance travel under the supervision of Kosikkim himself. The production design drawings were completed in June 1940, and mass production of the T-34 began. At this time, due to Kosikkin's illness, his deputy Morozov completed the final design. Its long-barreled 76.2mm high muzzle velocity gun and excellent armor make the T34 superior to tanks of the same period such as the Panzer III. T34 has wider tracks, smaller ground pressure and excellent off-road performance. Its design is suitable for mass production and is easier to maintain on the battlefield. By the end of 1940, 115 T-34s had been produced and began to be equipped with the Soviet army, and some of them were sent to Finland for actual combat testing. By the time of the German offensive, more than 1,200 vehicles had been produced. The T-34 made its first actual combat appearance on June 22, 1941 near Grodno (located in Belarus). Its appearance surprised the German army. The German army found that its main tanks at that time were far inferior to the T34, and only a few cannons could destroy the T34 at long range. This is "T34 Shock".
The T-34 has a total weight of 32 tons, a crew of 5 people (T-34 85), and an armor thickness of 18 to 65 mm. The main weapon was originally designed to be a 76.2 mm Model 1939 L- The Type 11 gun was changed to the F-34 long-barreled 41.5 times high muzzle velocity gun in 1941. It has a longer barrel and higher muzzle velocity. The whole vehicle carries 77 rounds of artillery shells; the secondary weapon is 2 7.62 The DP/DT machine gun has a muzzle velocity of 662 meters per second. One is a coaxial machine gun on the side of the main gun, and the other is placed on the right side of the driver's seat of the body. Powered by a B-2-34 row water-cooled diesel engine with a power of 373 kilowatts and a maximum traveling speed of 55 kilometers per hour. When fully loaded with ammunition, the T34 can still reach a speed of 40 kilometers per hour and has a maximum range of 468 kilometers. The vehicle can pass obstacles 0.75 meters high, trenches 2.49 meters wide, and climb up to 30 degrees.
The chassis suspension system of the T34 tank comes from the innovative all-wheel independent suspension invented by American engineer Christie, which allows each wheel of the tank to independently fluctuate with the terrain, producing excellent off-road capabilities and speed. , this kind of chassis suspension can even drive up to 70 miles per hour on poor roads in the wild when it is not armored (the speed limit of highways in the United States and Britain today). However, the US military did not adopt it due to disagreement on specifications. After the Soviet Union saw the news The patent for this technology was quickly purchased and used on the T34 tank, which gave the T34 tank significantly better off-road mobility than Nazi tanks, and the wide track design also minimized ground pressure.
Although the T-34 is an excellent tank in terms of design, due to the need for mass production and simplified processes during wartime, the quality of the rushed work was rough and could not fully exert its effectiveness. In addition to the operational difficulties caused by the two-man turret, there is also too much noise inside the vehicle and poor radio contact, so sometimes you have to climb up the turret to signal. The ammunition compartment is on the lower level of the vehicle body, and the space inside the vehicle is narrow and it is difficult to access artillery shells. But it is undeniable that the T-34 tank has successfully focused on the three important indicators of firepower, protection and speed in its design. In Operation Barbarossa, the main guns of the German tanks currently in service could not penetrate the T-34 at a distance of 500 meters, but the F-34 76.2mm main gun of the T-34 could penetrate the three German tanks at a distance of 1,000 meters. Tanks No. 4 and 4. Moreover, its high range and wide tracks allow the T-34 to enjoy high maneuverability in Russia's harsh terrain.
The T-34-76 is the most basic model of the T-34 medium tank. A 76.2mm main gun is installed, and a two-man turret with a small space is used (there is no loader, and the commander loads the gun part-time, which greatly reduces combat efficiency).
The sub-models are: T-34/76 M1940 - an early model with a main gun of 76.2mm L/31 L11, and its armor-piercing capability is worse than that of subsequent models. T-34/76 M1941/42—an improved model with reinforced armor and upgraded main gun to Grabin Design Bureau’s new 76.2mm L/41 F34 gun (basically the same as the KV-1’s F32 main gun), with a longer barrel , the power is improved. T-34/76 M1943—the final model with a 76mm main gun, a new hexagonal turret and a round hatch for the commander and gunner (the previous model only had a hatch for the commander on the roof) , the turret space has been slightly increased, improving combat efficiency. Because of the shape of the two round hatches opened side by side, it was nicknamed "Mickey Mouse" by German soldiers.