| T-34 | |
|---|---|
| The Uralvagonzavod T-34 tank as it appeared in the film and the parodies. | |
|
Type |
Medium tank |
|
Place of origin |
Soviet Union |
|
In service |
1940–present |
|
Weight |
26.5 tonnes |
|
Armor |
turret front 60 mm (2.4") (thickest) |
"Yeah some of the guys were talking about them..."
"Sergei said he drove one!"
"No kidding? Probably went into a wall, huh?”
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II. First produced at the KhPZ factory in Kharkov (Kharkiv, Ukraine), it was the most-produced tank of the war. The T-34 was developed from the BT series of fast tanks. The design and construction of the tank were continuously refined during the war to enhance effectiveness and decrease costs, allowing steadily greater numbers of T-34s to be fielded. In early 1944, the improved T-34-85 was introduced, with a more powerful 85 mm gun and a three-man turret design. By 1945, the versatile and cost-effective T-34 had replaced many light and heavy Soviet tanks. The T-34 was the most important weapon fielded by the Red Army in World War II.
By mid-war, the T-34 may have no longer technically outclassed its opponents but it remained effective in combat.
Although it was no match for the Tiger I and Panther tanks, it still managed to overwhelm them in combat because due to the fact that more T-34's were available and that the Russian industry could easily keep up with the rate of the destroyed tanks.
In the parodies[]
The Uralvagonzavod T-34-85 tank was one of the few tanks to appear in the film. The other was the Tiger tank (like most WWII films, the Tigers were mocked up Russian tanks; in this case, the same T-54/55's used in the five-part Soviet film Liberation, or Osvobozhdenie). Its appearance in the parodies were rare compared to the Tiger, which appear mostly as a background.
Notably, it has appeared in parody series such as The Console Wars, DeltaForce62's universe, where Saab Magalona's army was equipped with various Soviet weapons, including the T-34, the United Nazi War, where it is used by the United Alliance of Bush's Fans.
Gallery[]
