Tanks of World War II played a very important role in achieving such a coveted victory. It was a time of confrontation between two different worldviews and the competition of both technical means and the fighting spirit of the soldiers. This article will discuss the most popular tanks of World War II: KV-1, IS-2, T-34, Panther, Tiger and Sherman.
Armored Giants
They first appeared during the First World War. These armored vehicles had enormous weight and dimensions, which terrified their enemies, who often lost their temper and began to panic at the sight of these iron monsters. The first tanks were relatively easy to break through the enemy’s defenses, breaking trenches, trenches and wire fences. However, having all of the above advantages, they had low speed, maneuverability and poor maneuverability.
By the beginning of World War II, heavy tanks became more advanced. The designers took into account the mistakes made during the creation of the first machines, and now sought to endow them with high speed and maneuverability. In addition, the priority was considered to provide tanks with reliable frontal armor, which would be able to withstand the hit of artillery and anti-tank shells. The main manufacturers of heavy vehicles were Germany, the Soviet Union and several countries that are members of the anti-Hitler coalition.
Heavy tanks made in the USSR
Our country was the only one participating in the Second World War, which by 1940 already had such a machine in service. It was the Kliment Voroshilov assault tank, or KV, which weighed 52 tons. The thickness of its side and frontal armor varied between 70-75 mm. It was equipped with 36-charging 152-mm guns and three machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber. A total of 204 KV tanks were produced , and almost all of the vehicles were lost during the first battles in 1941.
The next similar tanks of the Second World War, released in the USSR, were cars under the name "Joseph Stalin" (IS-2). Their mass was only 46 tons. They were not the heaviest, but they are still deservedly called the "tanks of Victory." The thickness of the armor of the IS-2 was in the range of 90-120 mm. It possessed high maneuverability and in some of its characteristics surpassed even the best German heavy tanks of World War II, including the Panther, which weighed 44.8 tons, and the Royal Tiger, weighing 60 tons. The Yagdtiger, the most heavy tank - self-propelled guns. Its weight was 75.2 tons.
In Nazi Germany, superheavy machines were also developed. These were experimental tanks E-100, "Mouse" and "Rat". The last of them was never embodied in the metal, however, judging by its description, it should have had truly stunning dimensions.
The names of German combat vehicles
As soon as Hitler seized power in Germany, he immediately began to pay great attention to the development of the country's tank industry. Two years later, mass production of light German tanks began with the strange abbreviation Pz. Kpfw. I Ausf. A. He was unsuccessful due to the poor quality of armor and weak weapons, but laid the foundation for the creation of Panzerwaffe - armored forces of the Nazi Third Reich.
The unusual, incomprehensible and long name of the tanks of the Second World War, produced in Germany, deserves a separate topic. The fact is that in German it is allowed to combine several words into one. So, the phrase panzer kampf wagen, which translates as “armored fighting vehicle,” was combined together, then abbreviated, and then the following abbreviation was inserted in the name of the vehicle: Pz. Kpfw. After that, the model number, indicated by the Roman numeral, and the modification were added.
The tracked vehicle in the German manner was called the Volkettenkraftfahrzeug. This long word was abbreviated and a number was added to it, indicating the mass in tons, as well as the prototype number, for example, VK 7201.
Best Panzerwaffe Car
The most famous German tanks of World War II are the Tigers. It is known that the technical manual for this machine was compiled with the personal participation of Goebbels himself. At his request, a text was added to the memo intended for German tankers saying that the car cost the Third Reich 800 thousand Reichsmarks and everyone is obliged to protect it. Indeed, a multi-ton tank equipped with a 10 cm thick frontal armored plate was guarded by six people at once.
The Tiger had wide caterpillars, which gave the car the opportunity to move smoothly and destroy its enemies while in motion. The anti-aircraft gun of the tank modification KwK 36 could hit a target measuring 40 x 50 cm, being at a distance of 1 km from it.
Famous Panthers
These tanks of World War II were a mass version of the more advanced Tiger. Compared to him, the Panthers were equipped with main guns of a smaller caliber and significantly less light armor. Thanks to this, they had high speed and, moving along the highway, turned into an easily maneuvering serious enemy.
It is known that from a distance of 2 km a shell fired from his KwK 42 cannon could penetrate the armor of almost any Allied fighting vehicle.
American tanks
The Second World War took the US Army by surprise, since only 50 heavy vehicles were in its arsenal. These were Sherman M4 tanks, weighing 35 tons. However, by 1945, American designers managed to create the most balanced machine and put it into mass production. By that time, there were already about 49 thousand units, produced in various versions. There were cars whose engines were running on high-octane gasoline, and, for example, the Marine Corps units had at their disposal M4A2 tanks that were powered by diesel fuel. The last of the above modifications of "Sherman" the American government and supplied to the USSR. These vehicles were so liked by the high command that it almost completely transplanted to them such elite Soviet units as the 1st and 9th Guards Corps.
American tanks of World War II, such as the M4A4 Sherman, were designed for a crew of five. Two of them were located in front of the car, and three in the tower. The armor on its frontal part was 50 mm, and on the body - 38 mm. Initially, an engine with a capacity of 350 liters. With., which put on the "Sherman", was designed for aviation, hence the significant height of the tank. "Americans" were equipped with a gun model M1 with a caliber of 76.2 mm. In addition, there were also several machine guns on board.
The Thirty Four
The most mass-produced Soviet tanks of World War II are the T-34. In total, more than 84 thousand of these machines of various modifications were assembled. They were distinguished by a peculiar grace, power and super-patency. At that difficult time, it was such a machine that the Red Army needed.
In 1941, the T-34 had no analogues. The tank was equipped with a 500 liter diesel engine. with., the F-34 gun 76 mm caliber, truly unique armor and wide tracks. Such an optimal ratio made this machine quite protected, as mobile and powerful as possible.
Legendary car
The T-34-85 was recognized as the best tank of the Second World War in the USSR. It was a modernization of the "thirty-four", where its main drawback was finally eliminated - the crampedness that made it impossible to share the labor of all crew members. To do this, the designers had to increase the diameter of the tower, and neither the layout nor the body underwent significant changes. However, this made it possible to place a larger caliber artillery system in it. Now it was 85 mm.
The great advantage of these Soviet tanks of World War II is that they were distinguished by very convenient maintainability. In them pretty quickly it was possible to replace any units, parts or assemblies. All this became possible thanks to their proper layout. It is worth noting that at the beginning of the war this factor was of great importance, since due to numerous technical malfunctions more cars were out of order than from damage caused by the enemy.
Despite all the shortcomings of the T-34-85, it was easy to operate, quite convenient not only in operation, but also in maintenance. And this, together with excellent maneuverability, good armor protection and powerful weapons, largely served the success that the “thirty-four” of the Soviet tankers had.