German press: how German tankers managed to compete with Russian T-34

If not for the case, the creator of the most famous in the world stories tank T-34 Mikhail Koshkin could become not a gunsmith designer, but a pastry chef. By order of the influential party functionary Sergei Kirov, who sought to make the USSR a powerful industrial power, Koshkin went to study in Leningrad in the 20s to become a leading mechanical engineer.

Florian Stark writes about this in the German edition of Die Welt.

When the first T-34s appeared at the front, the Wehrmacht could not oppose anything to these perfect machines, which it considered "omnipotent."

The former offensive spirit disappeared, instead a feeling of enemy superiority arose, because the crews knew that enemy tanks could hit them from a long distance.

- recalled one of the Nazi officers.

Despite this, the military leadership of Germany had to look for a way out of the situation, because Germany began to produce "Tigers" and "Panthers" only in 1943. Stark tells how the German tankers managed to compete with the Russian T-34s.

He believes that it was possible to do this thanks to more sophisticated tactics compared to the Soviet one. After all, if the commander of the T-34, in addition to leading a crew of three, was also supposed to perform the duties of a gunner, then the German tank had a separate gunner, and the commander could concentrate only on the leadership function. In addition, the Wehrmacht tanks were equipped with better radio communications, which made it possible to more effectively exercise command and control the conduct of battle.

It should also be borne in mind that at the initial stage of the war, the Red Army used tanks only to support the actions of the infantry, however, as well as the Allied armies. Only later did the Soviet tank units, following the example of the Germans, begin to act independently, becoming more mobile.

Earlier in the German press there were articles that German tank crews "often coped with ease" with the T-34. Therefore, the interpretation that the German author calls the T-34s "omnipotent", while referring to the Wehrmacht tankmen, looks surprising, especially when you take into account the anti-Russian propaganda that is increasingly pouring from the Western media.

The T-34 is a fast and maneuverable medium tank weighing 30 tons. Its speed could reach 55 kilometers per hour, and the thickness of the armor was 45 mm. The diesel fuel consumption of the T-34 was lower than the fuel consumption of German tanks. 76mm cannon and two machine guns made this agile vehicle formidable weapons with high firepower.

Comments

[SaLaR]

And what have we learned from this article ???.NOTHING

[Axiles]

Quote: SaLaR

And what have we learned from this article ???.NOTHING

We just remind some who are again going to fight with Russia .. Are the Germans again inciting against Russia? Well, let's take it as "family", but first we will overwhelm those who play us off on the sly ..

[SaLaR]

Well, not the same empty writing ...

[Sergey_G_M]

For example, we learned that German journalists can be both objective and truthful))

[Doccor18]

The only surprising thing is that this is a German.

[Ascold1901]

You are wrong!))) We found out the author of this article knows NOTHING from what he writes about!))))

[SaLaR]

Well ... this version did not occur to me ...........

[Andrey Yuryevich]

my grandfather fought on the KV-1, and did not want to go to 34ku, he spoke more calmly on the "Klim", the tank was stronger. the face of my grandfather, how ... I don't know what to compare with, except perhaps it was cut by fragments of armor, which flew inside from the blow of the blanks. but most importantly, he returned alive.

[SaLaR]

My grandfather was an artilleryman. I rode with a ZIS (which I don't remember exactly) ... he told me that they were taught to aim on our tanks ... so the T-34 was the most difficult to target.

[SaLaR]

For those who are in the armored train !!!!! trained in training ... and tankers were trained to ride and maneuver ...

[orionvitt]

Quote: SaLaR

And what have we learned from this article ???. NOTHING

We are of course nothing. The article was originally written for the Germans, for many of them, it most likely turned out to be a revelation. They still probably believe that the Russians won by chance, in spite of Stalin, thanks to Hitler's mistakes and "General Frost".

[svp67]

Quote: SaLaR

And what have we learned from this article ???. NOTHING

An attempt at propaganda, "patriotic" ...

When the first T-34s appeared at the front, the Wehrmacht could not oppose anything to these perfect machines, which it considered "omnipotent."

Yes, they all could, our tankers no longer knew how to use the advantages that these vehicles gave them ...

Despite this, the German military leadership had to look for a way out of the situation, because Germany began to produce "Tigers" and "Panthers" only in 1943.

Yes, normally they found the answer, in the form of modernized Pz-III and Pz-IV with long-barreled guns, with their BP and K-shells

[Alexey RA]

Quote: svp67

Yes, normally they found the answer, in the form of modernized Pz-III and Pz-IV with long-barreled guns, with their BP and K-shells

Rather, in the form of saturation of the VET, first with 5 cm of VTP, and then 7,5 cm For the main enemy of the tank was anti-tank artillery (except for those cases when ours tried to stop the German tank formations with their own).

[bessmertniy]

Efficiency in simplicity is both the T-34 tank and the three-line of the First World War and the Kalashnikov assault rifle. It's a classic. And the defense industry should be equal to this. Not all is good that is expensive and sophisticated.

[Constanty]

The Kalashnikov assault rifle is simple but reliable. T-34 not really. Only from January 1944 did the situation improve.

[Recon]

I read the book "I fought in the T-34" (I strongly advise everyone, as well as the IL-2), I remember that many tankers sinned very bad communication.

[Ascold1901]

At the beginning of the war, ~ 4/5 tanks had no communications at all! ((((T 34-85 and T-34 start of the war are very different tanks! Like Heaven and Earth!)))

[orionvitt]

Quote: Ascold1901

T 34-85 and T-34 of the beginning of the war are very different tanks! Like Heaven and Earth!

Wrong approach to the question. At the beginning of the war, everything was fundamentally different from what happened at the end. Both ours and the Germans. But even the early modifications of the T-34 were head and shoulders above everything that the Germans had before 43. I am already silent about KV. To radically modernize the "thirty-four", they began only following the results of the Battle of Kursk, there was no special need before. Initially, all the problems were really in tactics, communications and the level of interaction of troops, with which at the end of the war, our problems did not exist. Yes, I almost forgot about the level of professionalism of the military. The paradox is that for ours it was constantly increasing, while for the Germans it was falling, just like the economic resource base.

[Ascold1901]

You are wrong here. The issue of modernizing the T-34 has been around since 1940.
The first project of modernization of the T-34 was carried out by OKB-24 in the summer (work began in July) 1940. It had the factory index A-41.
On November 19, 1940, ABTU authorized the pilot production of a T-34 tank with a torsion bar suspension.
In December 1940, at the plant No. 183, in pursuance of the order of the NKSM No. 268 of November 25, 1940, an extended meeting was held on the implementation of plans for 1941 and the improvement of the T-34 design.
Work on the T-34 tank for capital modernization, and in fact, for the development of a fundamentally new vehicle, which received the A-43 index, began in January 1941.
This is so - "short".))))

[orionvitt]

Quote: Ascold1901

You are wrong here. The issue of modernizing the T-34 has been around since 1940.

Modernization is different. It is possible, as combat and operational experience, to improve components and assemblies, or you can completely radically alter the car, as it happened at the end of 43. The T-34 tank of the 40th model and the T-34-85 are, in fact, two different tanks. True, on the same conceptual and technological basis.

[Alexey RA]

Quote: orionvitt

But even the early modifications of the T-34 were head and shoulders above everything that the Germans had before 43.

In German memoirs and in our propaganda. But in our documents, the T-34 is described as a blind slow machine, the merits of which cannot be revealed due to the disgusting working conditions of the crew.
Shifting gears stops the machine and can shut off the engine. Leverage force - up to 30 kg. Effort on the flywheel of the turret rotation - up to 32 kg. The main clutch is designed so that it breaks down after a hundred kilometers. The service life of the diesel engine is less than 100 operating hours. The fuel range on the main tanks is 165-185 km. The electric turret rotation drive cannot be used during observation - the turret has to be turned blindly. Parts of the sights collide with each other during vertical aiming. The commander's observation devices cannot be used. It is impossible to use the mechanical drive observation devices. The location of the ammo reduces the rate of fire to 2-3 rounds per minute. Etc.

The magnitude of the daily transition is limited by failures in the work of the materiel, g. tracks and main clutch.
Cruising range for fuel and lubrication of the engine, these values ​​of the daily transition ensure full

It was not possible to fully check the operation of the gearbox, side clutches and gears from the point of view of their reliability due to the fact that the main clutch failed, first of all, being a fuse in the transmission chain for tanks

© "Report on the test of three T-34 tanks with a long run"
And what about the plant? And the plant promises to fix everything from the 1001st machine. And then he promises to make all the corrections only on the new model of the tank.
And only when it became clear that the T-34 would have to fight, the plant was combed.

Quote: orionvitt

To radically modernize the "thirty-four", they began only following the results of the Battle of Kursk, before there was no special need.

The first radical modernization is a five-step step. Finally, we managed to improve the dynamics of the tank and increase the speed in "combat" gear from the notorious 12 km / h.

Quote: orionvitt

I am already silent about KV.

Oh yes ... if the director of the LKZ was not Zaltsman - the design bureau and the plant's management would have been waiting for merry times for the delivery of constructively unusable and poorly manufactured tanks to the army. Before the start of the war, LKZ did not correct any of the GABTU's comments - and so it handed over tanks to the army at a speed of 20 km / h, wedge brakes and a turret that did not rotate when heeling. Oh yes, the suspension and transmission of the KV were designed for the tank's weight of 40 tons - and so it went into series.

[Aerodrome]

Quote: Recon

I read the book "I fought in the T-34" (I strongly advise everyone, as well as the IL-2), I remember that many tankers sinned very bad communication.

Quote: Ascold1901

At the beginning of the war, ~ 4/5 tanks had no communications at all! ((((T 34-85 and T-34 start of the war are very different tanks! Like Heaven and Earth!)))

exactly ... flags were given signals. communication was the most subtle point.

[APASUS]

A strange choice of material for the VO, it feels like a portal in Germany. It was logical to post material about Russian tankers in opposition to the Tigers

[Ascold1901]

“When the first T-34s appeared at the front, the Wehrmacht could not oppose anything to these perfect machines, which it considered“ omnipotent ”. Stupidity (to put it mildly) !!! (((The anonymous author of the article does not know anything about tanks from the Second World War!)

[samarin1969]

Here on the site there are such "Guderians" grazing that this "naivety" looks just indecent.

[maxim k.]

At the beginning of the war, there were few T-34s at all, mainly BT-7, T-26 and KV. Article. to put it mildly, no ice

[Aerodrome]

Quote: maxim k.

At the beginning of the war, t-34 was generally small

and were radically different from those that went in 42 and beyond.

[Constanty]

As for the armor - the tank practically did not change - if by the beginning of the 44s it was only for the worse - pre-war production tanks had armor slightly below 400 on the Brinell scale, in 42-43 a maximum of 320 with the same thickness.

[Ascold1901]

"By June 1, 1941, there were already 832 T-34s in the western military districts, but only 38 of this number were in operation!" and "... 504 heavy KB". Mikhail Baryatinsky "T-34 IN BATTLE" ©

[Alexey RA]

Quote: maxim k.

At the beginning of the war, there were few T-34s at all, mainly BT-7, T-26 and KV.

At the beginning of the war, there were 935 T-34s in the Western Districts. Another 526 T-34s arrived before August 01, 1941.
Losses by 01.08.1941 - 1303 vehicles. Remaining - 158 T-34. From the Black Sea to the Barents Sea.

© Ulanov / Shein

[Constanty]

I'm sorry. It's buulshit. In 1941, the problem for the German troops was mainly caused by the KW-1, and not this, not very armored T-34.
The memoirs of Halder or Guderian are often cited as evidence, and it is clear there that in fact it was about "Klim." ... After the appearance of the PAK-38, not to mention the PAK-40 and PzKmpfw IVF2, and then the T-34, there was generally a poorly armored tank.

And, despite attempts with the modernized T-34-85M, it remained weakly armored - which was initially a problem for the PAK 35/36 37mm, because it was a "cardboard box" for later guns.

[tuts]

The article is not fully posted here
read the original translation there five times more text
https://inosmi.ru/military/20201129/248631527.html

[orionvitt]

that it was possible to do this thanks to more sophisticated tactics in comparison with the Soviet one.

Only in the second half of the war, everything changed. And our tactics have become better and weapons. Even "Tigers" with "Panthers" did not save the Germans.

[yasher]

And where is the minus to the article to put?

[geniy]

How did the German tankers manage to compete with the T-34?
Well, really nobody understands anything? It's very simple! Several factors were at work here. Firstly: at the beginning of the war, many Soviet tanks were simply thrown and burned by Soviet tankers themselves, because they often ran out of ammunition and fuel, and no one brought new ones.
Secondly: the saying is known: tanks with tanks almost never fight, or rather, very rarely. That is, in fact, it was not German tankers who fought the Soviet T-34 and KV, but German anti-tank artillery.

[Alex Justice]

The German 88mm anti-aircraft gun, and then the Tiger with the same gun, were the main problem of our tanks throughout the war.

[Hiller]

At one time an elderly German with burnt brushes came up to us in the gashtet. He said that during the war he was a tanker. Calling "T34" raised his finger up .. also raised his finger calling "Russian soldier". He paused and added "burned us." Gone. He returned with a boy (350g.) Of vodka. He put it on the table, poured it himself and said: "for friendship." Such an episode came to mind.