T-34 (1940)

This page is about the Soviet medium tank T-34 (1940). For other versions, see T-34 (Disambiguation).

T-34 (1940)

T-50

T-34 (1941)

T-34 (1940)

T-50

T-34 (1941)

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.3	3.3	2.7

Class:

Medium tank

Research:9 200

Purchase:16 000

Description

The T-34 (1940) is the first variant of the T-34 medium tank family. The T-34 medium tank family was and continues to be legendary. It is not only one of the most produced tank types of World War II, with 84,000 units produced of all variants (compared to 48,966 M4 Sherman units produced of all variants), but it is also one of the longest-serving tanks ever created. Many are still stored as reserves in bases in Asia and Africa, and others saw active service in the 1990s (the 1991-1999 Yugoslav war). From the 1950s until the 1980s, they were the backbone of numerous armoured armies around the world. The fundamental design was developed for the first time in 1938 with the A-32, which was based in part on the BT-7M, a late version of the US-born Christie tank. The first mass-production variant was the T-34 (1940). However, the T-34 (1940) variant suffered from a number of issues. Since the intricate hull front armour component was difficult to construct and there was a lack of V12 diesel engines, most of the T-34 (1940) variant tanks were outfitted at the Gorky factory with the underpowered BT tank's Mikulin M-17 engine, as well as unreliable interim transmission and clutch. The first 76 mm L-11 tank gun was criticized for its poor muzzle velocity. It was later put into production, with the first regiments receiving it in July 1941.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the T-34 (1940) was the Soviet Army ground forces' first mass-produced medium tank. The T-34 medium tank family, with its cutting-edge and revolutionary innovations, played a key role in World War II. The introduction of sloped armour on the T-34 (1940) is one of the most important features that players will undoubtedly appreciate. Despite its 45 mm thickness, the sloping nature of the hull frontal armour plate results in a substantially higher effective thickness. Most adversaries will struggle to pierce the T-34 (1940) frontal hull from a distance. In addition, the T-34 (1940) has exceptional off-road agility and mobility. This is critical because paved roads are uncommon on some maps. This enables the T-34 (1940) to readily traverse muddy and soft terrain, gaining crucial ground early in the battle.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull45 / 45 / 40

Turret45 / 45 / 45

Crew4 people

Visibility83 %

The T-34 (1940) can be a formidable enemy at its BR and one will find it to be resilient against enemy tank fire. However, it is not invincible. Smart players will be aware of the cheek and turret ring weak spots and aim for them, so you will want to keep being on the move to prevent accurate fire on these points. Against tank destroyers, you should also be wary, as the L-11 is not a good gun at long distance, working far better at close ranges.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Driver's hatch, Machine gun port)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides (Slope angle)	Rear	Roof
Hull	45 mm (60°) Front Glacis 45 mm (53°) Lower Glacis 45 mm (61°) Driver's Port 45 mm (28-77°) Machine Gun Port	40 mm (40°) Top Hull 45 mm (0°) Lower hull	40 mm (47°) Top 40 mm (46°) Bottom	20 mm
Turret	45 mm (8-81°) Turret front 45 mm (3-74°) Gun mantlet	45 mm (30-31°)	45 mm (30°)	15 mm

Notes:

• Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB55 / 8 km/h

RB and SB49 / 7 km/h

Number of gears4 forward

1 back

Weight25.6 t

Engine power

AB954 hp

RB and SB500 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB37.3 hp/t

RB and SB19.5 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	55	8	25.6	775	954	30.27	37.27
Realistic	49	7		442	500	17.27	19.53

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB553 → 711

RB631 → 812

SB767 → 987

Total cost of modifications8 410

9 410

Talisman cost640

Crew training4 500

Experts16 000

Aces160

Research Aces190 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

30 / 50 / 60 %

118 / 118 / 118 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 560 Cost: 630 90 Suspension Research: 380 Cost: 430 60 Brake System Research: 380 Cost: 430 60 Filters Research: 700 Cost: 790 110 Transmission Research: 910 Cost: 1 000 140 Engine Research: 910 Cost: 1 000 140	Improved Parts Research: 560 Cost: 630 90 Improved FPE Research: 380 Cost: 430 60 Crew Replenishment Research: 700 Cost: 790 110	Horizontal Drive Research: 560 Cost: 630 90 Adjustment of Fire Research: 380 Cost: 430 60 76mm_AP_1942_ammo_pack Research: 380 Cost: 430 60 Elevation Mechanism Research: 700 Cost: 790 110 Artillery Support Research: 910 Cost: 1 000 140

Armaments

Main armament

76 mm L-11 cannon

Ammunition77 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

9.3 → 7.1 s

Vertical guidance-5° / 25°

76 mm L-11					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	77	-5°/+25°	±180°	N/A	23.80	32.94	40.00	44.24	47.06	9.23	8.17	7.53	7.10
Realistic					14.88	17.50	21.25	23.50	25.00

Ammunition

• BR-350A: Most versatile of all the ammo types, with a decent penetration of ~80 mm and with an explosive filler for maximum damage. If a shot penetrates an enemy tank, the 150 g of explosives will decimate the crew.
• BR-350SP: More penetration than 350A with about 88 mm of penetration at 100 m, but no explosive filler for more internal damage.
• OF-350M: Standard high-explosive shell for use against unarmoured targets.
• Sh-354T: Shrapnel shell with nearly same damage potential as high-explosive, but has some penetration capabilities that allows the round to do maximum damage at light armour vehicles by exploding inside the tank.

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
BR-350A (MD-5 fuze)	APHEBC	78	76	70	62	56	50
BR-350SP	APBC	90	88	79	69	60	53
OF-350M	HE	10	10	10	10	10	10
Sh-354T	Shrapnel	35	34	30	26	22	19

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%
BR-350A (MD-5 fuze)	APHEBC	615	6.3	1.2	14	150	48°	63°	71°
BR-350SP	APBC	615	6.5	-	-	-	48°	63°	71°
OF-350M	HE	615	6.2	0.05	0.1	621	79°	80°	81°
Sh-354T	Shrapnel	615	6.44	1.2	14	85	62°	69°	73°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the T-34 (1940)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
77	75 (+2)	72 (+5)	69 (+8)	1 (+76)	No

Turret empty: 69 (+8)

Machine guns

7.62 mm DT machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition1 890 rounds

Belt capacity63 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate600 shots/min

7.62 mm DT
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	1,890 (63)	600	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

This is the first non-premium model of the T-34 series. It's a powerful breakthrough tank in the right hands due to its battle rating, good armour and powerful gun but is prone to get heavily damaged or destroyed from shots to the turret ring or cheeks. Keep moving, using its high speed and manoeuvrability, and get close to guaranteeing a penetration and angle the armour to easily bounce shells from enemy tanks.

The T-34 features great speed and agility, together with a good turret traverse and reload speed. It is best used in groups employing flanking manoeuvres and focusing on the impressive speed of the vehicle to catch players off-guard. The armour is also thick and sloped, allowing it to bounce the shots from the short 75 mm and the high-velocity 50 mm on German tanks although the Pz.IV F2's gun will easily go through the sides or UFP even with moderate angling.

At its BR, the T-34 (1940) faces a lot of German and Japanese armour. These Axis tanks tend to have very flat and thin armour which make the 76 mm APHE shell extremely effective. The large HE filler makes it very easy to knock out medium tanks with a single shot. At range, however, Axis long-guns excel - get up close and personal to your opponents.

Counterplay

If your vehicle can reliably penetrate 90 mm (more if the vehicle is angled) of armour at medium to long-range, you should try to eliminate the T-34 at the longest possible range, where the L-11 gun will perform poorly. If your weapon cannot reliably penetrate 90 mm of armour and you are forced to close the distance, be wary of your foes mobility.

Brawling with a T-34 (1940) is not recommended, the mobility and armour of the vehicle combined with a quick turret rotation speed may prove fatal. However, the T-34 is not an invincible foe. The T-34 (1940) has a weak turret, which even low-tier guns can penetrate. It is recommended to aim for the turret ring, as the cramped crew compartment will result in an easy crew kill. Another weak spot of the T-34 is the turret cheeks - there are some flat spots that are 45 mm, disabling the turret crew and the gun. A shot may ricochet off the turret cheeks into the crew compartment.

Common opponents

• M4, M4A2 - The T-34's 76 mm gun cannot penetrate the welded hull M4/M4A2 reliably from the front, while the 75 mm gun on the M4/M4A2 can penetrate the T-34's turret and disable or cripple it. They do have very weak lower side hull armour (only 38 mm) that can be overmatched by the 76 mm APHEBC round if exposed, and the flat areas on the turret can also be penetrated fairly reliably if they can be hit. Generally avoid head-on engagements, especially if the M4 is hull-down.
• M4A1, Sherman II - Similar to the M4/M4A2, except that the cast hull is weaker than the welded hull on the M4/M4A2, and can be penetrated frontally. Otherwise, the same advice applies.
• Pz.IV F2, G, H, J - The Ausf. F2 variant is the first Panzer IV to mount a long-barreled 75 mm gun. This gun is one of the most lethal mounted on any tank within the T-34's BR range, and it is easily capable of penetrating the T-34 at most ranges. The Ausf. F2 has very weak armour, however, and is something of a glass cannon. The Ausf. G, H, and J have up-armoured hulls that are quite difficult to penetrate, but their turrets are as weak as the one on the F2. The Ausf. J, in particular, has manual turret traverse and is very vulnerable to being flanked. Avoid long-range duels with them.
• Chi-Nu II - Essentially the Japanese counterpart to the German Panzer IV Ausf. F2.
• Churchill III, Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany) - The 6-pounder gun on the Churchill will be hard-pressed to penetrate the sloped T-34 hull, but it can easily penetrate the turret and disable the turret crew. It is difficult to penetrate the frontal armour of the Churchill at long ranges. However, it is a slow, cumbersome heavy tank, and is easy to outflank and dispatch with shots to the side armour.

Pros and cons

T-34 (1940) abilities chart

Pros:

• Excellent post-penetration effect with the BR-350B, easily knocking out most tanks with a single shot
• Sloped hull armour provides good protection against small calibre / low-penetration shells (e.g. 75 mm KwK37, 50 mm KwK39), and even large calibre guns when angled correctly
• 49 km/h top speed allows it to change position quickly and outrun lots of other medium tanks
• Nearly impossible to damage the transmission and immobilize it from the front
• Very fast turret traverse, good for urban combat

Cons:

• The 4 crew members are very close together making it easily knocked out with a single shot by common enemies when penetrated from the front / side hull, or even the turret.
• -5 degrees gun depression is below average, making it ineffective to combat in hills comparing to the M4 with -10 degrees depression
• Rather long reload time means the player must carefully aim each shot
• Large fuel tanks scattered at the sides of the hull, tend to catch fire if being hit
• The AP shells all lack the penetration against more heavily armoured foes like the StuH 42 G
• L-11 cannon has a lower muzzle velocity and penetration than the F-34

History

Development

By 1939, the most numerous tank models in the Red Army were the T-26 and the BT-series light tanks. Though adequate on the days they were introduced, they are now outdated by this time due to the changing technology in anti-tank warfare. Back in 1937, a new tank project was already taking place under engineer Mikhail Koshkin, who was assigned to lead a design team at the Kharkiv Locomotive Factory (KhPZ) for a replacement for the BT light tanks as a new "cavalry tank" to engage in manoeuvre warfare. The first prototype was designated the A-20 with 20 mm of armour, a 45 mm gun, and a diesel engine in a V-12 configuration. The Christie suspension is taken from the BT, even the conversion to drive track-less on roads. But gradually, the new track designs available made this conversion redundant and was excluded in further models. The A-20 also showed the effective research done into sloping armour on previous prototype designs, utilizing an all-round sloping armour on the design.

It was during this design process that the Russo-Japanese border wars took place and showed the deficiency of the T-26 and BT models. Koshkin then appealed for the initiation of a much better tank concept, the "universal tank" to completely replace the T-26 and BT tanks. The second prototype was the A-32 and has an increased 32 mm of frontal armour with a 76.2 mm L-10 gun. The heavier prototype was still just as mobile as the A-20, and further development into the design increased the frontal armour thickness to 45 mm thick and a newer 76.2 mm L-11 gun attached instead. This model was approved for production and designated the T-34 after the year 1934 when Koshkin believed was when he formulated the idea for the T-34. Koshkin, however, never saw his tanks in action as he succumbed to pneumonia in September 1940 after trials with the T-34 in the cold winter. Thus, the drivetrain developer Alexander Morozov was appointed as the next Chief Designer. The T-34 tank would go on to become the most produced World War II tank, with 84,070 tanks produced in the production span between 1940 to 1958.

Design

The T-34 took all of the Soviet's experiences with tanks and incorporated into the design. The tank had great sloping armour, a powerful engine, wide tracks, and a large gun. At its introduction, the armour of the T-34 was one of the best in the world, by sloping the 45 mm thick armour plate by 60 degrees, the effective thickness was now 90 mm thick. The armour was welded into place instead of riveted as rivets tend to "spall" and cause damage inside the tank even if the armour was not penetrated. The 76.2 mm gun was a major advantage compared to those on its adversaries, as it could be used as a multi-purpose weapon against infantry and tanks, unlike the Germans who had tanks split for two different roles such as the Panzer III for anti-tank and the Panzer IV for infantry support. The engine, a Model V-2-34 V12 diesel engine, was adequately powerful for the Christie suspension tank design and allowed the T-34 to reach a maximum of 53 km/h (33 mph). The powerful engine, added with the wide tracks that gave it lower ground pressure, allowed the T-34 to travel across cross-country terrain with relative freedom without risk of bogging down.

However, the T-34 is not without its fault and its quality is very questionable in some cases. Two T-34 (1941) models were sent to the United States in late 1942 for evaluations. The evaluations found the armour quality to be rather insufficient, with improper welding in places that can allow leaks and improper alloys that made armour weaker in some places than others, the T-34 cast turret was even found to use softer armour than the hull that render it vulnerable to even 37 mm shells. The gun sights for the 76.2 mm cannon was also quite poor in comparison to the Axis and other Allies. The tank reliability was also troubled by various mechanical issues, especially in the earlier models. Low-quality air filters and insufficient airflow could impede the engine capabilities and the turret drive had poor reliability that could easily jam up. The vision devices were also poor, the crew are unable to see outside the tank with enough situational awareness, even the tank commander couldn't see well out of the tank. Also, the lack of radios on the first few years of T-34s forced the tank commanders to communicate via flags, with only company commanders tanks fitted with the radios. Ergonomics inside the tanks was unsatisfactory and was very cramped inside, with no turret basket the loader has to struggle when the turret rotates and accessing ammunition on the floor boxes makes it a hard and dangerous job for the loader. The commander's hatch on the turret was also one-piece, making even a "heads-up" view for the commander impossible on these large one-piece hatches. Finally, the two-person turret suffered from not only a very cramped compartment but an overworked commander who has to act as a gunner as well.

T-34 Mod. 1940

The T-34 Mod. 1940 was the initial production variant of the T-34 and the first of the T-34/76 series. In its initial stages, it ran into political trouble from the conservative side, who wanted to keep the T-26 and BTs in production, that or keep the T-34 out of production as the more advanced T-34M completes its development to take over the tank role more effectively. However, these concerns were dissipated with the Winter War against Finland and the German Blitzkrieg tactics across Poland and France, which then advocated for the mass-production of the T-34 to compete against the Germans and improve the Soviet armoured forces.

The production for the T-34 started in September 1940 and completely overtook the production of the T-26, BTs, and even the T-28 at the KhPZ plant. However, the new design features on the T-34 plus the heavier weight on the tank compared to its predecessors posed a problem to the Soviet industry due to insufficient toolings and machinery available in the majority of the Soviet manufacturing plants, thus defects in armour plates were present in the early models.

The T-34 Mod. 1940 never saw wide use as the design was improved with better gun and layout. The L-11 76.2 mm gun was found to be insufficient in performance, so it was replaced by the newly designed F-34 gun, which was much better than its predecessors. The interior of the tank was also fitted with a 9-RS radio set (when available) and thicker, better quality armour on the tank. This new tank design would be the T-34 Mod. 1941 and this replaced the 1940 model, of which only 400 units were produced before it was phased out, in comparison to the 35,120 T-34/76 models produced in the war.

Archive of the in-game description

The most prolific and most popular soviet tank of World War II. It was developed in factory No. 183's design bureau for deployment in 1939. Around 100 of them were made by the end of 1940. The T-34 Mod. 1940 had a hull and turret made of rolled armour plates set at a slope. Cast steel turrets were installed on some of the tanks. The vehicle was armed with a short-barrelled 76.2 mm L-11 Mod. 1938 cannon with a 30.5 calibre barrel length, and two DT machine guns, one paired with the cannon and the other a bow machine gun set in the frontal armour plate. Its designers used the Christie suspension with five large steel road wheels paired at each side and a large area of clearance between the second and third pairs. The T-34 Mod. 1940 became the standard model for all the tank's alternate designs. They had interchangeable parts, including the engine, armament, transmission and periscopes. The T-34 had an unusually high power-to-weight ratio thanks to the new economic B-2 diesel engine. The tank enjoyed absolute superiority over other tanks of a comparable class in its mobility, manoeuvrability and moveability. The vehicle had a high weight limit, allowing for modernisation based on the results of combat deployment. When it was put into service, all the T-34's primary tactical and technical characteristics surpassed those of all the Wehrmacht's tanks. The flaws of the first series of this tank were its low motor operating time, unreliable gearbox, the incomplete design of its observation instruments, its crowded fighting compartment and its poorly placed ammunition complement. Because of the poor development of relevant tactics, the deployment of these tanks at the beginning of the war was extremely unsuccessful. The crews were completely untrained, the tactical use of these tanks was poor, and their deficit of armour-piercing shells and lack of repair and evacuation equipment also had a negative effect. Practically all tanks of this type produced in 1940 were lost in the first two months of the war.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the T-34 (1940) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The T-34 Family - War Thunder Official Channel discusses the T-34 (1940) at 00:39.

Tank Chat #68 T-34 - The Tank Museum

See also

Related development

• T-34 (Family)

External links

• [Vehicle Profile] The T-34 mod. 1940
• [Wikipedia] T-34
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] T-34/76

Kharkov Design Bureau for Mechanical Engineering named after A. A. Morozov
Light Tanks
BT-5	BT-5 · RBT-5
BT-7	BT-7 · BT-7M · BT-7A (F-32)
Medium Tanks
T-34-76	T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1940) · T-34 (1941) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34 (1942) · T-34E STZ · T-34E
T-34-57	T-34-57 · T-34-57 (1943)
T-34-85	T-34-85 (D-5T) · T-34-85 · T-34-85E
T-34-100	T-34-100
T-44	T-44 · T-44-100 · T-44-122
Main Battle Tanks
T-54	T-54 (1947) · T-54 (1949) · T-54 (1951)
T-64	T-64A (1971) · T-64B
Export/Captured
T-34	▀T 34 747 (r) · ▄T-34 · ▄T-34-85 · ␗T-34 (1943) · ␗Т-34-85 (S-53)
T-54	▄T-54
See Also	Uralmashzavod · Uralvagonzavod