T34-85

Entered Service: 1944

Crew: 5

Weight: 31.5 tons

Dimensions: Length – 8.15m

Armament: Main – 85mm/3.35in Zis S53 gun

Secondary – 72 x 7.62mm/0.3 in machine guns

Armour: 90mm/8.54in

Powerplant: V234 12-cylinder diesel, 373kW/500hp

Performance: Speed – Approx – 34.2mph.

It’s History…

By the end of World War Two, T34-85 tanks became one of the most common type of tank in the Czechoslovakian army. The first tanks of this type were received by the Czechoslovakian corps in early 1945, and up to 130 tanks of this type were received in total.

They took part in the liberation of Prague and later became the backbone of the post-war Czechoslovakian army.

The T34-85 was a very modern tank at the end of WWII, but it was no secret that the tank would soon be obsolete.

On October 17th, 1945, a meeting of the General Staff was held where its commander, Divisional General Bohumil Boček approved the tactical-technical requirements for the Tank všeobecného použití (TVP), a main battle tank. The requirements were clearly inspired by the T34-85, but the implementation details varied significantly.[1]

[1] https://www.tankarchives.ca/2016/09/czech-from-russia.html

In July of 1949, Czechoslovakia received a license to produce T34-85 tanks. The reasons why this tank, seemingly obsolete since 1945, was selected for production was quite simple. One was that the Czechoslovakian military was very familiar with the T34-85. Second, even though it was far from the best tank, this was not critical in the late 1940s. Finally, the tank was easy to produce, and starting up production would not be difficult.

Various other small parts also separated the Czechoslovakian tank from its Soviet brothers. The quality of the finish of the hulls and turrets is the most obvious. Castings from Martin were very carefully finished. The turret is most obvious, as it lacks the roughness that is characteristic of cast turrets.

The hull of the tank also differs slightly. The hinges of the rear plate were increased, and the armoured covers of the exhaust pipes have a more complicated design. Another characteristic element for Czechoslovakian tanks is the port for a field telephone, positioned in the rear left of the hull. A mount for a tow cable was added on the left, and the front headlight received a guard. Early tanks also received clones of German Notek lights.

The career of the T-34-85 in the Czechoslovakian army was uneventful. It served as a learning tool for many tankers. It served as a foundation for experiments with various equipment, including an underwater driving system. T-34-85 tanks produced in Czechoslovakia had a different fate abroad. These tanks had many battles ahead of them, the first of which stated before production in Martin ceased.

T-34/85 tanks in the basic design were produced in Czechoslovakia in the years 1951 to 1956 2 736 pieces (in 1951 25 pieces were made, in 1952 the production gave 395 copies and the following year 1 050 vehicles, in 1956 was produced last 515 tanks).

Similar to this tank, all T-34/85 tanks produced between 1955 and 1956 were exported. Of the total production, 1,437 machines were designated for the Czechoslovak army (731 produced in ČKD, 706 in ZJVS). In addition to them, the Czechoslovak army also received T-34/85 tanks directly from the Soviet Union.

The first 67 Soviet T-34/85 (supplemented by five T-34/76) was taken over in the summer of 1945 from armament 1. Czechoslovak Tank Brigade from the group 1.

Czechoslovak Army Corps in the USSR. The following year, 65 vehicles were imported from the Soviet Union. In 1949, another 114 tanks were delivered. Deliveries of T-34/85 tanks from the USSR ended in 1950, when the last 120 units were imported to Czechoslovakia.

We are still looking to find out more information about our T34-85, this is a jigsaw and we’re still trying to find the pieces!

Read more here (copyright) – https://www.tankarchives.ca/2016/09/czech-from-russia.html?m=1