Tuesday 21 January 2014

Immortal T-34

The initial T-34 was far from a perfect vehicle, with the T-34-85 upgrade being a far superior vehicle that saw many decades of post-war service. However, the older 76 mm model was not forgotten, and saw post-war service along with its successor.


T-34-85 and T-34-76 in the East German Nationale Volksarmee. The T-34-76 has a small turret and lacks railings for infantry, meaning it was likely produced in early 1942. 

The above image is dated somewhere around the late 1950s to late 1960s, but here is a much more recent image of two T-34-76es in North Korean service, a model 1941 and a model 1942.


Despite the poor picture quality, the suspension is obviously different. The road wheels have been replaced with post-war ones, and the track is from a T-55. The gun, however, is still the same F-34. I wonder if they developed any improved ammunition for it.

Edit: Another T-34-76 from North Korea. This photo is dated 2013.


5 comments:

  1. Maybe a, by today's standards, fairly basic HEAT shell.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The T-34 had a HEAT shell in 1943, surely they improved on that.

      Delete
  2. I wonder if they honestly expect to do much against a modern tank like the abrams or if these serve more like an armored car for policing the local population.

    Now that i touched that subject are there any historical records of very old war material being used succesfully against more modern equipment ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The DPRK no longer uses the T-34 in combat units. It is used in Reserve Armoured Training Units, basically for training crews.

      Delete
  3. Speaking for the NVA, the T-34 was beginning to get replaced by the T-54 as 'early' as 1957. Which isn't bad, considering that the NVA itself was only founded in 1956 and the (preceding) Kasernierte Volkspolizei only got it's own armor after the revolt of summer 1953.

    When my father started tanker training in 1981 there weren't any active T-34/85s left. Even the reserve warehouses were filled with T-54/55s. Not so surprising, considering the first T-72M deliveries had been in 1978... The 'practical' part about it seems to have been that tank crews regularly trained firing at 'real' targets, that is the T-34s.
    In relation to the NVA, one should keep in mind, that the (upgraded) T-55 was regarded as a very good tank and even in 1989 command saw it as the mainstay of it's tank forces, plans were made to update all T-55s to the new 'standard. And with the ERA and guided missile equipped T-55AMV variant it was well enough equipped for warfare in central Europe. After all the 9M117 ATGM could kill every contemporary western vehicle at reasonable long range. As for the expected city fighting a HEAT round from the main gun could kill almost everything, while the fire control advantage of the more modern western MBTs was reduced through the short engagement ranges.

    ReplyDelete