T-34 Tank: The Soviet Workhorse That Defeated Nazi Germany
The T-34 tank, developed by the Soviet Union starting in June 1940, is regarded as the most significant tank of World War II. Mikhail Koshkin was the designer, and the tank's design was based on the earlier A-20 and A-32 prototypes, integrating insights gained from the Spanish Civil War and the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. Equipped with a 76mm gun, sloped 45mm armor, and a diesel engine, it offered impressive mobility (32 mph, 28 tons). In 1941, it surprised German troops, rendering their Mark III and IV tanks outdated. A total of around 58,000 units were manufactured, including over 23,000 T-34/85 variants, which featured an 85mm gun and were introduced in February 1944. Its strategic significance peaked during the Battle of Kursk in July 1943.
Key facts
- T-34 production began in June 1940.
- Designed by Mikhail Koshkin at the Komintern Locomotive Plant.
- Approximately 58,000 T-34s produced, including over 23,000 T-34/85s.
- T-34/85 introduced in February 1944 with an 85mm gun.
- Kirov Factory No. 185 relocated from Leningrad to Chelyabinsk (Tankograd).
- Battle of Kursk (July 1943): 850 Soviet tanks charged SS Panzer Corps, destroying over 300 German tanks.
- German generals Guderian and Von Mellenthin acknowledged T-34 superiority.
- T-34 influenced German tank design and post-war main battle tanks.
Entities
Artists
- Mikhail Koshkin
- Heinz Guderian
- Friedrich von Mellenthin
Institutions
- Komintern Locomotive Plant
- Kirov Factory No. 185
- Red Army
- Wehrmacht
- SS Panzer Corps
Locations
- Soviet Union
- Germany
- USSR
- Stalingrad
- Berlin
- Manchuria
- Khalkhin Gol
- Leningrad
- Chelyabinsk
- Ural Mountains
- Moscow
- Kursk