T-28E

This page is about the Soviet medium tank T-28E. For other versions, see T-28 (Family).

T-28E

KV-1 (L-11)

T-28E

KV-1 (L-11)

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.3	2.3	2.3

Class:

Medium tank

Research:7 900

Purchase:10 000

Description

The T-28E is an upgraded T-28 with additional armour by adding shields welded on top of the tank's armour, giving it improved protection due to the lessons learned during the Winter War with Finland. The E stands for ekranirovannij which means shielded. Due to adding additional weight due to the extra protection, the T-28 went from 28 tons to 32 tons.

The T-28E was introduced with Update 1.47 "Big Guns". It is similar to the original T-28 in all respects except the additional armour welded onto the front, side, and rear of the tank. The additional armour improves protection, making the T-28E more survivable in both close quarter battles and long-range engagements. However, improved armour also means greater weight, making the T-28E a bit less manoeuvrable than the previous T-28.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull30 / 20 / 20

Turret20 / 20 / 30

Crew6 people

Visibility95 %

As with all other Soviet vehicles, the letter "E" behind the tank name means "ekranami" (which means "with screens" or "applique armour" in English). In this case, the T-28 received several 30 mm and 20 mm armour plates to enhance its protection. Whole main turret and machine gun turrets are reinforced by 30 mm plates, and Driver's viewport (a big weak spot) by 20 mm and 30 mm plates. Then there are several 20 mm and 30 mm armour plates installed on the sides and rear of the vehicle.

The extra armour on this tank is noticeable, especially when you angle your tank a bit, random poorly aimed shots will often be absorbed by extra layers of armour, or machine gun turrets, or will simply ricochet off. However, this is only true when you are playing as a "top vehicle" against weaker opponents. This tank has a slightly higher BR, and when the matchmaker puts you in a uptier, your armour will unfortunately not protect you anymore. Heavy tanks like the KV-1 (L-11) are completely immune to all your types of ammo, even from the rear.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (glacis, flanks and roof)
• Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet only)

Appliqué armour on the T28E - The red shields on the upper flanks, the turret flanks and the rear plate as well as the yellow shields on the lower flanks, the lower front plate and the driver's hatch are the main armour changes between the T-28 and the T-28E.

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	30 + 20 mm (20-22°) Driver's port 15 mm (65°) Front glacis 30 + 20 mm (23-25°) Lower glacis	20 + 30 mm Top 20 + 10 mm Bottom	15 mm (68°) Top 20 + 30 mm (6-37°) Bottom	15 mm
Main Turret	20 mm Turret front 20 mm (0-49°) Gun mantlet	20 + 30 mm (0-23°)	30 + 30 mm	15 mm
Secondary Turrets	22 + 30 mm	20 + 15 mm	20 + 15 mm	10 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 10 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
• Applique armour ranging from 20 to 30 mm in thickness cover the tank, but do not cover the entire surface area.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB43 / 8 km/h

RB and SB39 / 7 km/h

Number of gears5 forward

1 back

Weight29.4 t

Engine power

AB954 hp

RB and SB500 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB32.4 hp/t

RB and SB17.0 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	43	8	29.4	775	954	26.36	32.45
Realistic	39	7		442	500	15.03	17.01

The additional armour adds about 4 tons to the weight, making it slightly slower than the original T-28. However, it is still fast and mobile.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB417 → 536

RB446 → 574

SB559 → 719

Total cost of modifications6 920

6 720

Talisman cost530

Crew training3 000

Experts10 000

Aces115

Research Aces160 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

30 / 40 / 40 %

112 / 112 / 112 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 460 Cost: 450 80 Suspension Research: 310 Cost: 300 55 Brake System Research: 310 Cost: 300 55 Filters Research: 580 Cost: 560 100 Transmission Research: 750 Cost: 730 130 Engine Research: 750 Cost: 730 130	Improved Parts Research: 460 Cost: 450 80 Improved FPE Research: 310 Cost: 300 55 Crew Replenishment Research: 580 Cost: 560 100	Horizontal Drive Research: 460 Cost: 450 80 Adjustment of Fire Research: 310 Cost: 300 55 76mm_AP_1941_ammo_pack Research: 310 Cost: 300 55 Elevation Mechanism Research: 580 Cost: 560 100 Artillery Support Research: 750 Cost: 730 130

It is recommended to prioritize the following modules:

• Parts - mandatory first modification, as you'll need to repair modules from the damages of enemy fire.
• BR-350A shell - mandatory second modification, as the stock shrapnel shell's performance is rather poor.
• FPE - to have the ability to put out fires.
• After those, prioritize upgrades that improve firepower and then anything else.

Armaments

Main armament

76 mm L-10 cannon

Ammunition69 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

6.5 → 5.0 s

Vertical guidance-5° / 25°

The 76 mm L-10 gun offers a reasonable penetration power at its battle rating. Its low muzzle velocity allows for a curved firing trajectory, ideal for firing at targets behind cover. However, it makes it hard to anticipate the path of moving targets. Because of the shortness of the gun, accuracy drop is noticeable from 700 m distance and a handicap over 1000 m. The rotation speed of the gun is decent compared to other tanks at the same rank or battle rating. The elevation angle is average. The depression angle is not big enough for you to fire from cover but it is better than no depression as it is a rare feature on Soviet vehicles. Your recoil is barely noticeable due to your short gun and the overall weight of the tank. The targeting procedure is quick together with a short reload time.

76 mm L-10					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	69	-5°/+25°	±180°	N/A	14.3	19.8	24.0	26.5	28.2	6.50	5.75	5.30	5.00
Realistic					8.9	10.5	12.8	14.1	15.0

Ammunition

The three available shells for the T-28 are very efficient for causing crew depletion. Each shell is suited for a specific type of opponent:

• Use the BR-350A (with MD-5 fuze) when facing enemy armoured targets (medium/heavy tanks). Its penetration power will force you to play at close or middle range (between 500 m and 1 km max) from your target. However, the post-penetration damage is very potent and will almost guarantee one-shot knockouts.
• The Sh-354T is most suited for lightly armoured targets (light tanks, armoured cars, planes) thanks to the increased spallation.
• The OF-350M is best to use against open-top vehicles (SPG with only a gun shield, platform trucks, SPAAs, etc.) because of the blast effect.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Sh-354T	Shrapnel	31	30	26	22	19	16
BR-350A (MD-5 fuze)	APHEBC	67	66	60	54	48	43
OF-350M	HE	10	10	10	10	10	10

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
Sh-354T	Shrapnel	560	6.44	1.2	14	85	62°	69°	73°
BR-350A (MD-5 fuze)	APHEBC	555	6.3	1.2	14	150	48°	63°	71°
OF-350M	HE	560	6.2	0.05	0.1	621	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the T-28 (1938) (identical)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty
69	62 (+7)	56 (+13)	50 (+19)	47 (+22)	44 (+25)	41 (+28)	39 (+30)	36 (+33)
9th rack empty	10th rack empty	11th rack empty	12th rack empty	13th rack empty	14th rack empty	15th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
33 (+36)	30 (+39)	20 (+49)	17 (+52)	14 (+55)	4 (+65)	1 (+68)	No

Notes:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• If you pack 50 (+19) shells, it will keep the turret empty of ammo.
• If you pack 33 (+36) shells, it will keep the turret and the top hull empty of ammo.

Machine guns

2 x 7.62 mm DT machine gun

Ammunition5 292 rounds

Belt capacity63 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate600 shots/min

7.62 mm DT machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition2 646 rounds

Belt capacity63 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate600 shots/min

Firing arc of MG turrets on the T-28E.

7.62 mm DT
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	2,646 (63)	600	±15°	±15°
Left turret	2,646 (63)	600	-5°/+28°	-155°/+5°
Right turret	2,646 (63)	600	-5°/+28°	-33°/+145°

Usage in battles

The powerful, yet accurate gun, paired with large profile make the T-28 look ideal for long-range encounters, yet its low penetration, slow shell muzzle velocity and the absence of gun depression to cover yourself behind terrain quite discourage this kind of gameplay style. But the crew/equipment spacing, its high versatility and powerful main gun make this tank quite capable in close range encounters. Hit and run tactics work pretty well (if the "run" aspect of it is ever needed).

If you ever find yourself against well-protected medium or heavy tanks, it is often better to stay and try to fight, as the large profile of your tank makes you easy to be hit while retreating. Always aim for weak points like the driver's hatch or gunner's port. If you find yourself unable to ensure an accurate shot against such a small target, attempt to cripple the tank's offensive armament first to take some pressure off.

Offensive role

The T-28E, like the T-28, should be played as a support tank, taking advantage of its APHEBC shell, good mobility, high crew count and complex frontal glacis shape. By playing as a support/second line tank, you will help kill enemy tanks and thus turn the tide of engagements on the frontline. Once the enemy is destroyed, your good mobility allows you to move forward together with frontline tanks and help capturing objectives. Stay close to the frontline to maximize penetration power and support spearheading tanks with it, all while staying away from the frontline to avoid being flanked or swarmed. When engaging enemy tanks, angle your tank to cover your driver's hatch and your turret flanks. Use your MG turrets and your lower glacis to absorb incoming fire. Inexperienced players will most likely waste shots on your complex frontal armour shape. With the BR-350A shell, the T-28E easily can take on most opponents.

Defensive role

In the event the spearhead tanks of your team get crushed by the enemy, you will then play a defensive role by containing enemy breakthrough attempts. It will fall upon you to stop enemy tanks dead in their tracks. Being at a distance from the frontline will force enemy tanks to drive in the open to get to you. Always play with a nearby obstacle you can use as cover if you get hit and need to repair. Have a planned escape plan as the enemy will try to use artillery or CAS to dislodge you from cover and your big silhouette will increase your chance of being hit by artillery strikes. A good player in a T-28E can lock a side of the battlefield, especially in corridor maps.

Other roles

If you try to use the T-28E in a different role on the battlefield, you will quickly reach its limits:

• If you try to play the T-28E as a frontline tank, you will take shots from long range tank destroyers that will disable your tank: your armour has a complex shape but is not very thick, even with the applique armour. You will also be easily flanked by light tanks or armoured cars, especially if they swarm you. Your reverse speed is too poor to get you out of hot spots quickly enough. Only 1-on-1 engagements should be performed in this role.
• If you attempt to play long range engagements, your short gun will lack accuracy and penetration will greatly drop over distance, while your big silhouette will make you a target of choice for enemy counterfire. The absence of gun depression will prevent you from firing behind the cover of a ridge while the slow muzzle velocity will make it difficult to aim at moving targets in the distance.

Notable enemies

• Long range tank destroyers: ZiS-30, Marder III, LVT(A)(4)(ZiS-2), SU-76M.
• Frontline tanks: T-50, Pz.III J, Sd.Kfz. 234/2.
• Tanks with HEAT shells: Pz. IV E/F1, StuG III A, SU-122, Italian 75 mm tank destroyers.

Defeating a T-28E

The T-28E received additional armour shields in comparison to the T-28 but weak spots remain:

• In a frontal encounter, the driver's hatch (between the MG turrets) or below the gun mantlet are the easiest to target.
• When flanking, aim for the flanks right under the center of the main turret or the rear side of the turret ring (small area).

In case of a frontal attack, try blinding the T-28E with smoke and then swarm it with several fast tanks to saturate its defensive capacities. If you are alone, flanking a T-28E undetected remains your best chance to destroy it.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fast and versatile for such a big medium tank
• The cannon does a lot of damage and is quite accurate
• BR 350A shell will instantly destroy most tanks around this tank's battle rating, even the M3 Lee frontally
• Crew of 6 - "extra" machine gunners can replace other knocked-out crew members and keep the tank performance at its full potential
• Machine gun turrets and complicated multilayer side armour often simply "absorb" projectiles
• Armour is good when playing as a "top tank"
• It has the Shrapnel as standard ammunition, which is very effective against light tanks and SPAAs
• Total of 3 machine guns can make short work of any open AA vehicles

Cons:

• Large silhouette
• Slow reloading
• Unreliable armour - a lot of small weak spots and strong areas very close to each other
• Though not necessarily slower, it takes a slightly longer time to accelerate than the original T-28
• Poor gun depression
• Very low penetration on standard ammo, making the initial grind quite painful, AP ammo penetration isn't very good either

History

Development

Prerequisites set up in 1929 called for infantry support and breakthrough tank that are able to exploit breakthroughs and handle infantry fortifications. The development of this tank under Chief engineer S.Ginsburg may have been inspired by the British Vickers A1E1 Independent tank as the final design took some elements of it. The end result was a multi-turreted medium tank with a 76.2 mm L-10 main gun and two 7.62 mm machine gun turrets in front. The design was satisfactory that Stalin himself ordered a heavier variant of the tank that can suit the breakthrough role, which would be the T-35. The first multi-turreted was designated the T-28 and was considered revolutionary for the time as it was the first medium tank of its kind and would establish the concept of such tanks. The first prototype of the T-28 was created sometime in 1931, its design was considered revolutionary for the time as it was one of the first medium tanks in the world. Production of this tank began in the Kirov Factory in Leningrad sometime in 1932, and it was accepted into service on August 11, 1933. Though in service for eight years from 1933 to 1941, only 503 units were produced.

Design

The T-28 was relatively slow for its weight, but as an infantry tank, this disadvantage was mitigated by its role and its heavier armour. The front two turrets with machine guns are installed in front of the main turret, which was considerably higher. The main turret was a shared feature from the T-35 in order to standardize parts in production. The tank was initially to be armed with a 45 mm gun like the BT and T-26 light tanks, but the larger 76.2 mm howitzer was chosen instead for added explosive power. The turret had a turret basket and a rear-facing machine gun. A later upgrade had a commander's cupola added onto the turret plus the capability to mount another machine gun on top for anti-aircraft purposes. The tank had a crew of six (driver, two machine gunners, loader, gunner, commander) and ran on a V12 M17 air-cooled engine that can deliver 500 horsepower. Though providing enough power to propel the T-28 at a speed of about 37 km/h (22 mph), the gasoline fuel it used was flammable and rare in Soviet usage. The armour on the tank was 30 mm maximum on the front and side glacis, which was sufficient enough to stop most anti-tank armament at the time. The suspension on the tank was a bogie system with plunger springs and usually has a 20 mm thick side skirt protecting the sides. Transmission and engine compartment is at the very rear under a canopy for easy access. At its introduction in 1933, the T-28 was one of the most effective tanks in the world and had a few innovations. Other countries only had WWI-era Renaults and the Germans had no tanks of their own at its development. The T-28 was also the first to have radios and anti-aircraft gun mounts.

Combat usage

The standard organization of the T-28 tanks in 1939 was 136 T-28s and 47 BT-7 in one heavy armoured brigade. The T-28s were first deployed on the eastern borders during the border clashes with Japan in 1939. The first large scale action was in September 1939 when the Soviet Union invades Poland with its front line fleet of T-28s. Though the Polish tanks and anti-tank guns were able to take out a few T-28s, it is not known how many were lost. The next conflict the T-28 served in was the Winter War against Finland. These tanks were used against Finnish fortifications, but the conflict also showed the inadequate armour on the T-28, where Finnish anti-tank guns were able to reliably penetrate the tanks. Though over 200 T-28s were knocked out in the conflict, only 20 were totally lost due to the system of armour recovery and repairs the Soviet had and the conflict's close proximity to the Kirov Factory, some tanks were repaired more than five times and sent back to the front. The Finnish were able to capture seven of these (two in the Winter War, 5 in Continuation War)and used them against their users. The Finnish came about to nicknaming them Postivaunu ("mail coach") after an incident where a T-28 commander was captured carrying the salary and mail for the 91st Tank Battalion and Kivitalo ("stone building") for its large size. The heavy weight of the tank caused the Finnish to be unable to tow some of the knocked out T-28s for capture, so those unable to be recovered were stripped of their equipment.

After Finland, the T-28's inadequate armour was showcased to the Soviets and an attempt at up-armouring the design was made in 1940 with the welding of additional armour plating to increase the 30 mm armour to 80 mm of armour in thickness. This increase in armour made the tank now weigh 32 tons. This up armouring of the tank was designated the T-28E.

During the German invasion in Operation Barbarossa in mid-1941, the Soviets had about 411 T-28s in their inventory. Many were lost not due to battle, but actually from mechanical breakdowns due to lack of spare parts and low maintenance, causing them to be abandoned by the crew. The Germans were able to capture at least two of these tanks and may have used these against the Soviets as the T-28 746(r). The T-28s that were not lost during the first few months of Operation Barbarossa took part in winter defence of Leningrad and Moscow. Though still in inventory, by 1942 they were rare in Soviet service and declared obsolete as better tanks like the T-34 was taking over its role and is more heavily gunned, more armoured, and faster. The tanks still in one piece were dismantled for spare parts or sent to training facilities.

Archive of the in-game description
A version of the T-28 multi-turret medium tank with additional armour plating on the turret and body. Its enhanced armour was based on the experience of the Soviet-Finnish War and also had the goal of adapting outmoded tanks to meet modern conditions.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the T-28E from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Other vehicles of similar configuration or role

• Nb.Fz.
• Independent

External links

• [Devblog] B-57B-2 and T-28E
• Wikipedia - T-28 variants