T - 34




T 34 in front of the tractor factory

Picture : reachvolgograd.org

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Engineer M. I. Koshkin became chief designer at the Kharkov Locomotive Factory in November 1937. He started to build a wheel/track medium tank that had shell safe armor. It was designated the A-20. Work on it continued into 1938. Another project for a medium tanks was started. It was initially designated the A-32 and then later changed to T-32. It had a 76.2 mm gun whereas the A-20 had a 45 mm gun. The armor was also thicker.

In August 1938 the High War Council, let by People's Commissar for Defense, K. J. Voroshilov, discussed the A-20 and T-32. Many on the Council disliked the T-32. In July 1939, the Kharkov Locomotive Factory had completed the prototypes for the A-20 and T-32. They were both then tested and it was decided to go with the T-32. On December 19, 1939, the People's Commissariat for Defense released the T-32 to the Red Army. It was soon designated the T-34.



Source : http://www.wwiivehicles.com/ussr/tanks_medium/t34.html

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http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-34

http://www.europa1939.com/tanques/tanques/t34.html

http://www.saunalahti.fi/veijju/tankit/tank6.html

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/NKorea/NorthKorea.html

T 34 found in Latvia, http://www.geocities.com/military_archeology/tanks_ru.htm

http://www.flamesofwar.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=919

http://www.e-zine.com.cn/yuekan/top/first/allied/ussr/3/t3476.asp