Until 1943, T-34-76 tanks could effectively fight against German Panzer IVs but with the appearance of Panzer V ‘Panther’ and Panzer VI ‘Tiger’ tanks in the Battle of Kursk they were rendered obsolete because of the superiority in both firepower and armour protection of their German counterparts.

Although a prototype was made with a 50mm cannon, only the variant with a 76.2mm cannon made it into mass production, to be gradually replaced by a version equipped with an 85mm gun from 1943.

These features were the sloped armour, welded body, moulded turret and a diesel engine and due to these innovations, the T-34 became one of the most successful battle tanks of the Second World War.īy the time of the German attack in 1941, the Red Army had almost 1000 pieces of this simply and cost effectively manufactured tanks in its ranks. The new construction, which was based on Christie’s tank design, had some unique features that were quite new compared to other period tanks. The development of the iconic Second World War tank began in 1936 in the Soviet Union according to the plans of J Walter Christie’s American M1928 tank.

T-34 tank battle of kursk