Trumpeter 07167 T-34/85 Model 1944

The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank of World War II and the post-war era.

The first prototypes were made in 1937-1940, and serial production in the Soviet Union was carried out in 1940-1957. Around 84,000 vehicles of this type were produced during the course, making the T-34 one of the most produced tanks in history! Propulsion was provided by a single V-2-34 engine with 500 hp. The length of the car - in the T34 / 76 version - was 6.68 m, and its width was 3 meters. Armament consisted of one 76.2 mm F-34 cannon and two 7.62 mm DT machine guns. The main armament of the T-34/85 version was the 85 mm ZIS-S-53 gun.

The T-34 is undoubtedly one of the most famous tanks in the history of both World War II and the military in general, a particular symbol of the Soviet victory in the war with the Third Reich. The vehicle was developed for the needs of the Red Army as a successor to the so-called pursuit tanks from the BT series (BT-5 and BT-7), but also the T-26 tank. Work on the car began in 1937 in the special design office of the Kharkiv steam engine factory. The works were initially managed by an engineer. Adolf Dik (he also made the first sketches of the new car), and after he was arrested by the Soviet security authorities, Mihail Kozkin managed the work. Initially, the vehicle was designated A-20. However, a second prototype (A-32) was quickly completed, with a main armament of a 76.2 mm gun and much thicker frontal armor. The latter prototype was finally used for production. It can be assumed that when it entered service, the TT-34 was a very successful tank in many respects. It was characterized - as in 1940 - by very strong armament, well-profiled armor based on inclined armor plates, and very high mobility and off-road characteristics. Among the disadvantages are the very poor ergonomics of the car and not the best optics, which were used in the first production batches. Despite these shortcomings, when the T-34 appeared on the Eastern Front, it greatly surprised the German troops. The high overall rating and combat value of the T-34 determined its mass production and made it the main tank of the Red Army during the fighting between 1942 and 1945. These also resulted in further improvements in the structure, for example in 1942 a new hexagonal tower appeared, which improved the quality of the crew's work with the commander's cupola. The engine and transmission have also been improved. However, in 1944, the T-34/85 model entered service, with an all-new three-man turret and main armament in the form of an 85 mm cannon. The T-34 tank took part in practically every major battle between the Red Army and the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front between 1941-1945: from the Battle of Moscow, through the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, to Operation Bagration on the Eastern Front. Berlin. After 1945, the T-34 tank was still in service and was widely exported outside the Soviet Union to Czechoslovakia, Poland, East Germany, Hungary and Syria.