Book Review of
T-34 An Illustrated History of
Stalin’s Greatest Tank
Author: Wolfgang Fleischer
Forward by: Anthony Tucker Jones
Pen & Sword Books
ISBN: 9781784384951
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $34.95
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $34.95
HISTORY:
The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940, famously deployed during World War II against Operation Barbarossa.
Its 76.2 mm (3 in) high-velocity tank gun was more powerful than its contemporaries, while its 60 degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The Christie suspension was inherited from the design of American J. Walter Christie M1928 tank, versions of which were sold turret-less to the Red Army and documented as "farm tractors",after being rejected by the U.S. Army.
The T-34 had a profound effect on the conflict on the Eastern Front in the Second World War, and had a lasting impact on tank-design. After the Germans encountered the tank in 1941, German general Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist called it "the finest tank in the world" and Heinz Guderian affirmed the T-34's "vast superiority" over German tanks”.
As early as July 1941, OKW chief Alfred Jodl noted in his war diary the surprise at this new and thus unknown wunder-armament being unleashed against the German assault divisions. Although its armour and armament were surpassed later in the war, it has been described as the most influential tank design of the war.
The T-34 was the mainstay of Soviet armoured forces throughout the war. Its general specifications remained nearly unchanged until late 1944, when it received a firepower upgrade with the introduction of the greatly improved T-34/85 variant. Its production method was continuously refined and rationalized to meet the needs of the Eastern Front, making the T-34 quicker and cheaper to produce.
The Soviets ultimately built over 80,000 T-34s of all variants, allowing steadily greater numbers to be fielded despite the loss of tens of thousands in combat against the German Wehrmacht. Replacing many light and medium tanks in Red Army service, it was the most-produced tank of the war, as well as the second most-produced tank of all time (after its successor, the T-54/T-55 series).
With 44,900 lost during the war, it also suffered the most tank losses ever. Its development led directly to the T-44, then the T-54 and T-55 series of tanks, which in turn evolved into the later T-62, T-72, and T-90 that form the armoured core of many modern armies. T-34 variants were widely exported after World War II, and as recently as 2018 more than 130 were still in service.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Medium tank
Place of origin: Soviet Union
In service: 1940–1960s (Soviet Union), 1950s–present (by other states)
Used by: Soviet Union and 39 others
Wars: World War II, and many others
Designer: KhMDB
Designed: 1937–1940
Produced: 1940–45 (USSR), 1951–55 (Poland), 1951–58 (Czechoslovakia)
No. built: 84,070M, 35,120 T-34, 48,950 T-34-85
T-34 Model 1941:
Mass: 26.5 tonnes (29.2 short tons; 26.1 long tons)
Length: 6.68 m (21 ft 11 in)
Width: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
Height 2.45 m (8 ft 0 in)
Crew: 4 (T-34), 5 (T-34-85)
Armour: Hull front 47mm /60° (upper part), 45 mm (1.8")/60° (lower part), Hull side 40 mm[3]/41°(upper part), Hull rear 45 mm, Hull top 20 mm, Hull bottom 15 mm, Turret front 60 mm (2.4"), Turret side 52mm/30°, Turret rear 30 mm, Turret top 16 mm
Main armament: 76.2 mm (3.00 in) F-34 tank gun, (T-34-85: 85 mm ZiS-S-53 or D-5T gun)
Secondary armament: 2 × 7.62 mm (0.3 in) DT machine guns
Engine: Model V-2-34 38.8 L V12 Diesel engine of 500 hp (370 kW)
Power/weight: 18.9 hp (14 kW) / tonne (T-34) 15.6 hp (11.6 KW) / tonne (T-34-85)
Suspension: Christie
Ground clearance: 0.4 m (16 in)
Operational range: 250–330 km (T-34) (250 mi), 250–300 km (T-34-85) (150 mi)
Maximum speed: 53 km/h (33 mph)
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is hardcover of 214 pages in 6” x 9 ¼” page format
It comes in a paper-jacket that has fold-over locking-tabs.
The jacket has the cover art on it. It shows a black and white photo of a T-34/85 in the streets of Budapest during the suppression of the Hungarian Uprising of 1950.
The book contains 156 black and white wartime photos of the T-34. These include a photo of a destroyed German 4.7mm gun, a photo of the T-34/85, the A-34, 3 photos of the A-32, 2 of the BTSW-2, 2 of the A-20, 5 of the T-46 a T-26 and a BT-7.
There is one diagram, 2 photos of the Christie type running gear model 1931, 2 line-drawings of the 76.2mm main gun of the T-34, 2 line drawings of the engine, a cut-away drawing of the BT-20, a line-drawing of the A-20’s drive train and 5 data lists.
There is a 4-view line-drawing of the T-34 1940 model, cut-away line-drawing of the T-34 & A-34, a 2-view line-drawing of the T-34M, a line-drawing of the T-34’s bogies and road wheels, a 5-view line-drawing of the T-34 1941 model, 2 illustrations of T-34 turrets, a 5-view line-drawing of the T-34 1942 model, 2 drawings of the T-34’s main gun being removed, a cut-away drawing of the T-34, 5 line-drawings of the T-34 1943 model, a cut-away line-drawing of the T-34’s interior, a line-drawing of the rear hull-wall and engine compartment roof. a line-drawing of the driver’s hatch and the hull, 2 line-drawings of the main gun, a illustration of the T-34’s running gear. A 3-view line-drawing of a T-34 with a 122mm main gun, a 3-view line-drawing of a T-34 with a 76.2mm main gun.
A black and white photo of the turret, a photo of a Soviet gun boat, 2 photos of a damaged T-34, 2 photos of a T-34 1942 model, 76 photos of the T-34, 2 photos of the SU-122, 10 photos of the SU-85 and 3 photos of the SU-100.
There are 30 color photos in the center of the book, printed on slick-coated paper. They show the T-34 model 1941, the BT-2, 24 different ammo rounds, 2 photos of the mantle, the bow machine gun, the front of a T-34, a model 1944 version, a T-34/85, 6 photos of the T-44, 3 photos of the SU-122, 10 photos of the SU-100, 5 photos of the turret interior.
There are numerous data lists included.
The last page of the book shows 4 cover arts of other Pen & Sword book:
“Panzer Ace”, “Tiger Battalion 507”, “Hitler’s Third Reich” and “Radio Operator on the Eastern Front”.
This book will be of great interest to modelers and also to military historians.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword books and all Pen & Sword book titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940, famously deployed during World War II against Operation Barbarossa.
Its 76.2 mm (3 in) high-velocity tank gun was more powerful than its contemporaries, while its 60 degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The Christie suspension was inherited from the design of American J. Walter Christie M1928 tank, versions of which were sold turret-less to the Red Army and documented as "farm tractors",after being rejected by the U.S. Army.
The T-34 had a profound effect on the conflict on the Eastern Front in the Second World War, and had a lasting impact on tank-design. After the Germans encountered the tank in 1941, German general Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist called it "the finest tank in the world" and Heinz Guderian affirmed the T-34's "vast superiority" over German tanks”.
As early as July 1941, OKW chief Alfred Jodl noted in his war diary the surprise at this new and thus unknown wunder-armament being unleashed against the German assault divisions. Although its armour and armament were surpassed later in the war, it has been described as the most influential tank design of the war.
The T-34 was the mainstay of Soviet armoured forces throughout the war. Its general specifications remained nearly unchanged until late 1944, when it received a firepower upgrade with the introduction of the greatly improved T-34/85 variant. Its production method was continuously refined and rationalized to meet the needs of the Eastern Front, making the T-34 quicker and cheaper to produce.
The Soviets ultimately built over 80,000 T-34s of all variants, allowing steadily greater numbers to be fielded despite the loss of tens of thousands in combat against the German Wehrmacht. Replacing many light and medium tanks in Red Army service, it was the most-produced tank of the war, as well as the second most-produced tank of all time (after its successor, the T-54/T-55 series).
With 44,900 lost during the war, it also suffered the most tank losses ever. Its development led directly to the T-44, then the T-54 and T-55 series of tanks, which in turn evolved into the later T-62, T-72, and T-90 that form the armoured core of many modern armies. T-34 variants were widely exported after World War II, and as recently as 2018 more than 130 were still in service.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Medium tank
Place of origin: Soviet Union
In service: 1940–1960s (Soviet Union), 1950s–present (by other states)
Used by: Soviet Union and 39 others
Wars: World War II, and many others
Designer: KhMDB
Designed: 1937–1940
Produced: 1940–45 (USSR), 1951–55 (Poland), 1951–58 (Czechoslovakia)
No. built: 84,070M, 35,120 T-34, 48,950 T-34-85
T-34 Model 1941:
Mass: 26.5 tonnes (29.2 short tons; 26.1 long tons)
Length: 6.68 m (21 ft 11 in)
Width: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
Height 2.45 m (8 ft 0 in)
Crew: 4 (T-34), 5 (T-34-85)
Armour: Hull front 47mm /60° (upper part), 45 mm (1.8")/60° (lower part), Hull side 40 mm[3]/41°(upper part), Hull rear 45 mm, Hull top 20 mm, Hull bottom 15 mm, Turret front 60 mm (2.4"), Turret side 52mm/30°, Turret rear 30 mm, Turret top 16 mm
Main armament: 76.2 mm (3.00 in) F-34 tank gun, (T-34-85: 85 mm ZiS-S-53 or D-5T gun)
Secondary armament: 2 × 7.62 mm (0.3 in) DT machine guns
Engine: Model V-2-34 38.8 L V12 Diesel engine of 500 hp (370 kW)
Power/weight: 18.9 hp (14 kW) / tonne (T-34) 15.6 hp (11.6 KW) / tonne (T-34-85)
Suspension: Christie
Ground clearance: 0.4 m (16 in)
Operational range: 250–330 km (T-34) (250 mi), 250–300 km (T-34-85) (150 mi)
Maximum speed: 53 km/h (33 mph)
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is hardcover of 214 pages in 6” x 9 ¼” page format
It comes in a paper-jacket that has fold-over locking-tabs.
The jacket has the cover art on it. It shows a black and white photo of a T-34/85 in the streets of Budapest during the suppression of the Hungarian Uprising of 1950.
The book contains 156 black and white wartime photos of the T-34. These include a photo of a destroyed German 4.7mm gun, a photo of the T-34/85, the A-34, 3 photos of the A-32, 2 of the BTSW-2, 2 of the A-20, 5 of the T-46 a T-26 and a BT-7.
There is one diagram, 2 photos of the Christie type running gear model 1931, 2 line-drawings of the 76.2mm main gun of the T-34, 2 line drawings of the engine, a cut-away drawing of the BT-20, a line-drawing of the A-20’s drive train and 5 data lists.
There is a 4-view line-drawing of the T-34 1940 model, cut-away line-drawing of the T-34 & A-34, a 2-view line-drawing of the T-34M, a line-drawing of the T-34’s bogies and road wheels, a 5-view line-drawing of the T-34 1941 model, 2 illustrations of T-34 turrets, a 5-view line-drawing of the T-34 1942 model, 2 drawings of the T-34’s main gun being removed, a cut-away drawing of the T-34, 5 line-drawings of the T-34 1943 model, a cut-away line-drawing of the T-34’s interior, a line-drawing of the rear hull-wall and engine compartment roof. a line-drawing of the driver’s hatch and the hull, 2 line-drawings of the main gun, a illustration of the T-34’s running gear. A 3-view line-drawing of a T-34 with a 122mm main gun, a 3-view line-drawing of a T-34 with a 76.2mm main gun.
A black and white photo of the turret, a photo of a Soviet gun boat, 2 photos of a damaged T-34, 2 photos of a T-34 1942 model, 76 photos of the T-34, 2 photos of the SU-122, 10 photos of the SU-85 and 3 photos of the SU-100.
There are 30 color photos in the center of the book, printed on slick-coated paper. They show the T-34 model 1941, the BT-2, 24 different ammo rounds, 2 photos of the mantle, the bow machine gun, the front of a T-34, a model 1944 version, a T-34/85, 6 photos of the T-44, 3 photos of the SU-122, 10 photos of the SU-100, 5 photos of the turret interior.
There are numerous data lists included.
The last page of the book shows 4 cover arts of other Pen & Sword book:
“Panzer Ace”, “Tiger Battalion 507”, “Hitler’s Third Reich” and “Radio Operator on the Eastern Front”.
This book will be of great interest to modelers and also to military historians.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword books and all Pen & Sword book titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
Recommended.