T-34: The Tank They Didn't Actually Want

The T-34 is a symbol of Soviet resistance, industrial power, and triumph against fascism. But in 1941, this wasn’t the tank the Red Army really wanted because they had plans for something even better. So it might not have been the tank they wanted – but it was the tank they had.

The T-34/76 was a bit of a mixed bag. It had some superb strengths – such as the Kharkiv V-2 engine, sloped armour and the Christie suspension systems. But other traits, such as the cramped turret and a dodgy gearbox, left a lot to be desired. The T-34M was designed to improve on these shortcomings… but Operation Barbarossa would see an end to this aspiration.

When the German Army invaded in 1941, the Soviets were caught well and truly on the back foot. Improving the imperfect T-34 was no longer a priority and quantity was prioritised over everything else.

The next attempt to improve the T-34 was the T-43. It took on many of the upgrades intended for the T-34M – including torsion bar suspension, thicker armour and a larger turret. The one thing it needed was a bigger gun – especially now that Panthers had made their debut at The Battle of Kursk. However, it was realised that production of a new vehicle would impact the production of T-34s, which were still desperately needed.

Soviet pragmatism kicked in. Instead of creating a whole new tank, they combined the tried and tested hull of the T-34, and married them up with the improved turret and larger gun of the later T-43s. This would become the iconic T-34/85 – one of the most important tanks in history.

For a tank they didn’t exactly want but got stuck with, the T-34 story turned out pretty well for the Soviets. This “not-quite-right design” from 1940 has gone on to leave an unexpected legacy as a tank that played a major role in winning World War Two. With such a legacy, it’s interesting to consider that under different circumstances, the T-34 as we know it could have been a mere footnote in Soviet tank design.

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This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.

In this video, historian James Donaldson dives into the unexpected legacy of the T-34. While this tank may have gone on to achieve legendary status for its impact on the Second World War, the T-34 was not the tank the Soviets wanted. The turret was cramped, the gun wasn’t good enough and the poor commander was completely overworked. But the T-34 also had some excellent things going for it – including the excellent Kharkiv V-2 engine and the fact it could be produced en masse. The Soviets tried several times to produce a new and improved tank – but in the end the compromise of a bigger gun on a tried and tested turret produced a winning combination, the T-34/85.

Want to learn more about the T-34? Here are some of the sources we used to make this film:

Images of T-43 by kind permission of Yuri Pasholok, military historian

www.tankarchives.com Peter Samsonov

‘Tigers in the Mud’ Otto Carius. 2003

‘T-34 Tank Owner’s Workshop Manual’ Mark Healy. 2018

‘Red Machines 3: T-34 Development & First Combat’ Igor Zheltov and Alexey Makarov. 2022

‘T-34 Medium Tank (1939-43)’ Russian Armour Volume 4. Mikhail Baryatinskiy. 2007

‘T-34/76 Medium Tank 1941-45’ Osprey New Vanguard 9. Steven J. Zaloga. 1994

‘T-34-85 Medium Tank 1944-94’ Osprey New Vanguard 20. Steven J. Zaloga. 1996

‘The First T-34. Birth of a Legend: T-34 Model 1940’ Christian Mulsow. 2018

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