T-34 (1942)

T-34 (1942)

T-34 (1941)

T-34E STZ

T-34 (1942)

T-34 (1941)

T-34E STZ

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	4.0	4.0

Class:

Medium tank

Research:11 000

Purchase:22 000

This page is about the Soviet medium tank T-34 (1942). For other uses, see T-34 (Family).

Description

The T-34 (1942) is a Rank II Soviet medium tank with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41.

In 1942, a new hexagonal turret was developed and introduced for the T-34 medium tank in order to streamline production. Crew ergonomics were slightly improved, although the turret remained a two-man turret. Various other improvements were introduced, although most of these were geared towards increasing reliability and ease of production.

Ingame, the 1942 model is very similar in capability and characteristics to the earlier T-34 (1941). The primary improvements are in the slightly faster reload speed (reflecting the improved crew ergonomics) and the thickened driver's hatch cover. It also has access to late-war APCR ammunition.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
• Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Driver's hatch, Machine gun mount)

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	45 mm (61°) Front glacis 99 mm (5-35°) Welded glacis joint 45 mm (52°) Lower glacis 60 mm (1-73°) Machine gun ball mount 75 mm (60°) Driver's hatch	40 mm (40°) Top 45 mm (0°) Lower	40 mm (47-49°) Top 40 mm (47°) Bottom	16 mm
Turret	53 mm (3-58°) Turret front 45 mm (2-78°) Gun mantlet	53 mm (21-22°)	53 mm (18-20°)	15 mm

Notes:

• Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.

Hull armour

The 1942 model has a very similar hull armour profile to the 1941 model, relying on angling instead of sheer thickness for protection. There are two key differences: the machine gun ball mount has an increased thickness of 60 mm of armour (compared to 45 mm on earlier models), as does the driver's hatch (75 mm, compared to 45 mm on earlier models). The weak spots created by the driver's optics on earlier models have also been removed. The driver's hatch has the thickest armour on any part of the T-34 and can be quite resilient to enemy fire if hit.

It should be noted that due to the relatively thin plate thickness used (40–45 mm), the T-34's hull is vulnerable can be vulnerable to overmatching from 75 mm and larger guns.T

Turret armour

The new hexagonal turret features thicker armour than on the 1941 model. However, there are a few caveats:

• The angling is noticeably worse, and there are some relatively flat spots on the front that can be vulnerable to penetrations from even relatively weak guns at close ranges.
• The turret front, side, and rear armour is made of cast armour instead of rolled plate, which is slightly weaker.

Overall, the turret armour is not a significant improvement over the earlier models and is in some ways weaker.

Module/crew layout

The bulk of the T-34's main gun ammunition is carried low in the hull, making it relatively hard to detonate the ammunition of a T-34, especially if it is carrying a reduced ammunition load. However, the T-34's hull sides are spanned by relatively large fuel tanks; thus, side penetrations can cause the diesel fuel to catch fire.

The crew are seated in a quite compact manner inside the tank, and successful penetrations are likely to disable multiple crew members at once.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons)	Add-on Armor weight (tons)	Max speed (km/h)
29.8	0.2	54 (AB)
		49 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	775	954
Realistic/Simulator	442	500
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	25.83	31.80
Realistic/Simulator	14.73	16.67

The T-34 has a relatively good power-to-weight ratio. Combined with the wide tracks, this gives it excellent mobility, even over relatively soft terrain. The 1942 model is slightly heavier than the earlier T-34 models, although its mobility is not noticeably different.

The T-34 is not capable of neutral steering and has a reverse speed of about 10 km/h.

Armaments

Main armament

The 76 mm F-34 remains the main armament of the 1942 model. It has a wide selection of ammunition, a relatively fast rate-of-fire, and is reasonably accurate.

The hexagonal turret has a very fast rotation speed, complimenting the T-34's advantages in brawling, close-range combat and allowing it to respond quickly to threats from multiple directions. The 5° of gun depression is standard for most Soviet tanks, although bad compared to most Allied tanks.

The BR-350B APHEBC shell is by far the best shell for the F-34 under most circumstances. It has the best penetration of the AP rounds with explosive fillers and is extremely lethal, usually one-shotting most tanks if it successfully penetrates.

The 1942 model also has access to the late-war BR-350P APCR shell. It has the best penetration of all the shells against vertical armour, but its lethality is very disappointing and the performance against sloped armour is atrocious. It is often better to simply flank around enemy tanks and use the BR-350B APHEBC round instead. Nevertheless, it is useful as a backup option if a frontal engagement against a heavily armoured tank is unavoidable.

The other shells are very situational:

• OF-350M: HE; useful for breaking the hulls of lightly armoured/unarmoured vehicles.
• Sh-354T: Shrapnel; useful against vehicles that are resistant to the HE shell but too thinly armoured to trigger the fuzes of APHE shells.
• BP-350A: HEAT; best penetration beyond 1,000 m, but the T-34 generally do not fare well in long-range duels.
• BR-350SP: APBC; a solid shot that is somewhat more lethal than APCR, but with less penetration.

76 mm F-34
Capacity			Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Stabilizer
100			-5°/+28°	±180°	N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	14.90	20.60	_.__	_.__	_.__
Realistic	14.90	17.50	_.__	_.__	_.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
8.40	_.__	_.__	_.__

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration in mm @ 90°
		10m	100m	500m	1000m	1500m	2000m
BR-350A	APHEBC	86	85	76	67	59	52
OF-350M	HE	10	10	10	10	10	10
Sh-354T	Shrapnel	37	35	29	25	20	17
BR-350SP	APBC	102	100	91	81	72	64
BR-350B	APHEBC	94	92	83	73	65	57
BR-350P	APCR	135	130	92	60	39	26
BP-350A	HEAT	80	80	80	80	80	80

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Fuse delay in m:	Fuse sensitivity in mm:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):	Normalization At 30° from horizontal:	Ricochet:
								0%	50%	100%
BR-350A	APHEBC	665	6.3	0.15	10.0	150	+4°	48°	63°	71°
OF-350M	HE	680	6.2	0.05	0.1	621	+0°	79°	80°	81°
Sh-354T	Shrapnel	680	6.2	0.5	8.0	85	+0°	62°	69°	73°
BR-350SP	APBC	680	6.8	N/A	N/A	N/A	+4°	48°	63°	71°
BR-350B	APHEBC	680	6.3	0.9	15.0	108.8	+4°	48°	63°	71°
BR-350P	APCR	950	3.0	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.5°	66°	70°	72°
BP-350A	HEAT	355	5.3	0.1	0.1	1,060	+0°	62°	69°	73°

Smoke characteristic
Ammunition	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Screen radius in m	Screen time in s	Screen hold time in s:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):
D-350A	680	6.5	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of T-34 1942.

The T-34 1942 model has a maximum ammunition capacity of 100 rounds, which is far more than is likely to be needed in an average battle.

Taking 89 rounds will leave only the ammunition racks in the bottom of the hull, decreasing the risk of ammunition detonation if penetrated.

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
100	97 (+3)	93 (+7)	89 (+11)	1 (+99)	no

Machine guns

7.62 mm DT
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
1,890 (63)				600	N/A	N/A

Usage in the battles

Like the previous T-34 models, the 1942 model excels at close to medium range fighting, utilizing its outstanding mobility for a medium tank to rapidly close the distance and relocate to attack from unexpected directions. The sloped hull armour has a good chance of ricocheting hastily aimed shots and helps increase the odds of the T-34 surviving when moving in to engage. The lethal BR-350B APHEBC round complements this playstyle, having about enough penetration to deal with the flanks of most enemies likely to be encountered; a single penetrating hit is usually fatal for the target. In close combat, the fast turret traverses and quick reload allow the T-34 to respond quickly towards changing situations, usually helping to ensure it will be the first to get its gun on the target.

Conversely, the T-34 fares poorly in long-range combat; both the BR-350B APHEBC and BR-350P APCR rounds have poor penetration at long ranges, and the BP-350A HEAT round is quite underwhelming as well.

Common opponents

Medium Tank M4, M4A2 (American): 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.

Medium Tank M4A1, Sherman II (American/French, British): 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.

Assault Tank M4A3E2 (American/French): The 'Jumbo' is one of the most dangerous opponents the T-34 can face. It is completely immune to the 76 mm F-34 gun from the front, except for the hard-to-hit hull machine gun mount. It is relatively slow and unmanoeuvrable, however, and is very vulnerable to flanking attacks, as its side armour is thin. It also shares the same lower side hull weakness with the other M4 variants.

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2, G, H, J (German): 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 (Japanese): Essentially the Japanese counterpart to the German Panzer IV Ausf. F2.

Churchill III, Churchill(e) (British, German): 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.

Churchill VII (British): The Churchill VII is virtually immune to the T-34 from the front, while it's 75 mm gun can penetrate the T-34's turret fairly easily. Even from the side, it has 95 mm of armour that cannot be penetrated by the BR-350B APHEBC round except at very close range, and even slight angling will render it all but immune. It is even slower than the Churchill III, however, and thus easy to avoid and outflank.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fast turret traverse and quick reload, excelling in close combat situations
• Sloped hull armour resistant against lower calibre guns, capable of ricocheting larger calibre guns when angled correctly
• Outstandingly lethal BR-350B APHEBC round, capable of one-shotting most tanks if it penetrates
• Excellent manoeuvrability and high speed for a medium tank, allowing for quick relocation and flanking attacks
• Access to BR-350P APCR round for use against heavily armoured targets at close range
• Well-protected ammunition stowage in the hull floor

Cons:

• Hull armour is vulnerable to overmatching by large-calibre shells
• Hexagonal turret has a thicker but less angled armour and is also a larger target compared to the original T-34 turret
• Poor penetration at long range with any ammunition type
• Cramped interior, penetrations are likely to cripple multiple modules and/or crew members
• Poor gun depression

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-around 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. 1942

The T-34 Mod. 1942 was an improved variant of the T-34 that also presented some fixes to general issues with the T-34. The Model 1942 was still mounted with a 76.2 mm cannon, making it a T-34/76 still, and the design featured additional armour and many simplified parts and components. The tank's road wheels, track pattern, driver's hatch, and transmission access cover on the rear were redesigned. Some of the designs also had a headlight moved to the left of the hull. However, at the same time, the Model 1943 (released in 1942) was also introduced into the circulation, which features the more radical changes in the T-34 tank compared to the Mod. 1942. The T-34 Mod. 1943 was most prominent with the hexagonal turret, more armour, increased fuel capacity, and more ammo stowage. The hatches on this new turret came in two, one for loader and the commander and opens in a way that the Germans nicknamed it the "Mickey Mouse" tank due to the round hatches forming a shape similar to the circular ears when both are opened. Later Mod. 1943 production tanks were given a commander's cupola that provided a decent view for the commander, much better compared to a lone periscope, which was the only vision device for the commander when "button-upped" beforehand. To increase confusion, the Mod. 1943 was called the Model 1942 by the Soviets; regardless this vehicle is the most prominent by the hexagonal turret, which is seen in-game. Though it is unsure about the specific number of the model was produced, it made up part of the 35,120 T-34/76 created in its production life.

Combat usage

The newer T-34 models saw action in most operations in 1942, most notably during the Battle of Stalingrad, where T-34s made the main striking force of Operation Uranus to encircle the German Sixth Army and trap them inside Stalingrad. During the battle, T-34s were still being made in the Stalingrad Tractor Factory, churning out tanks that were immediately sent to the front-lines once finished that sometimes went without paint finish and crewed by the workers that were involved building the tank in the factory. After Stalingrad, the Soviet Army continued to push the Germans back in various of offensives, with the T-34 as the main tank in the armoured force. The T-34 mod. 1943 were also given to Polish and Czech units that escaped to the Soviet Union to continue fighting against the Germans. Like the Soviets, these units received little training with the T-34 and so casualties remain high in T-34 crew members.

The T-34 also became the most numerous tank in Soviet usage by the time Germany launched the 1943 Summer offensive Operation Citadel or the "Battle of Kursk". This battle was the debut of the Panthers and saw a very large concentration in Tiger Is and Ferdinand tank destroyers. Other units supplementing these heavier tanks were the Panzer IVs, StuG IIIs, and the Panzer IIIs. The introduction of these newer and more powerful tanks and tank destroyers and improved German tanks in the largest tank battle in history caused high casualties in the T-34 ranks and the entire Soviet armoured forces in a whole. The Tiger's 88 mm cannon is able to destroy the T-34 from a range of 1,500 meters while the 76.2 mm cannon on the T-34 must get very close in order to penetrate. In order to engage these tanks, the T-34 forces try to maximize their massive quantity of units to overwhelm German tank units and getting to "point-blank" ranges to the point of ramming in order to negate either of the tank's range advantages and blast away at each other.

The T-34's growing deficiency in performance in the war was due to the Soviet high command decision's to keep with one design in production to minimize costs and keep manufacturing rate high. This meant that upgrades to the tank were not the highest priority for the tank. While this ideal was very sufficient in the first two years since Operation Barbarossa, it now made the T-34 lacking compared to the improved German tanks. Attempts to fix this decision was to mount stronger guns onto the T-34, the first attempt was the mounting of the 57 mm ZiS-4 cannon to make the T-34 a "tank hunter", but the 57 mm gun lacked a decent HE shell, this was not an efficient tank gun and was pulled. Then, it was decided to mount an 85 mm anti-aircraft gun onto the tank, though requiring a much larger turret to take in the bigger gun. This tank with the 85 mm gun was called the T-34-85.

In-game description

In 1942, a larger cast hexagonal turret was developed with two round hatches for the commander and the loader. The turret's armour was enhanced to a thickness of 52 mm in its frontal section. Its ammunition load was increased to 100 shells. Its operational range was also increased to 400 km by adding additional fuel tanks inside and outside the hull. The front-mounted 7.62 mm DT machine gun received an armoured gun mantlet. Depending on the factory that made them, the road wheels differed from each other in their appearance. h

Solid drop-forged rubber-coated wheels cast with reinforcing bars and circular apertures on the disc were used, both with and without bands. The tank was equipped with a more effective air filter system and an all-range fuel pump regulator. Unit commanders' vehicles were upgraded to the more powerful 9-R radio set from the 71-ТК-3 set. The T-34's mass increase from 28.5 tonnes to 30.9. The increased weight did not affect the vehicle's speed and manoeuvrability.

The turrets, produced by the UZTM factory in 1943, were drop-forged from 45 mm plate. These turrets were easy to differentiate from others owing to their rounded upper edges. On the whole, the new changes lead to an increase in the tank's manufacturing ease, combat strength and manoeuvrability. In total, 23,332 of these tanks were manufactured with the upgraded turret.

Tanks of this model participated in all the operations of the Great Patriotic War from the end of 1942 to the Battle in Berlin. Furthermore, their proportion in tank brigades constantly grew, and by November 1943, brigades had become uniform groups of 65 T-34s. Captured tanks served in the armies of Finland, Romania, and Hungary and were actively used by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS. The latter had an entire battalion of T-34s, one of which was commanded by the notorious tank ace Emil Seibold, who destroyed around 40 tanks with his T-34.

The Polish Army, the Czechoslovakian corps and the army of Yugoslavia all received tanks of this model.

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read also

[Vehicle Profile] T-34 Model 1942 - A Tough Nut to Crack

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.