T-34/76 Medium Tank 1941–45

T-34/76 Medium Tank 1941–45
Author: Steven J. Zaloga
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1994-07-28
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781855323827

The T-34 was the most influential tank design of World War 2. When first introduced into combat in the summer of 1941, it represented a revolutionary leap forward in tank design. Its firepower, armour protection and mobility were superior to that of any other medium tank of the period. This superiority did not last long. While the T-34 underwent a series of incremental improvements during 1943, it was being surpassed by new German tank designs, most notably the Panther. This title traces the life of the original T-34 through all its difficulties to eventual success.

T-34/76 Medium Tank 1941–45

T-34/76 Medium Tank 1941–45
Author: Steven J. Zaloga
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2013-08-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472805542

The T-34 was the most influential tank design of World War 2. When first introduced into combat in the summer of 1941, it represented a revolutionary leap forward in tank design. Its firepower, armour protection and mobility were superior to that of any other medium tank of the period. This superiority did not last long. While the T-34 underwent a series of incremental improvements during 1943, it was being surpassed by new German tank designs, most notably the Panther. This title traces the life of the original T-34 through all its difficulties to eventual success.

Designing the T-34

Designing the T-34
Author: Peter Samsonov
Publisher: Gallantry
Total Pages: 92
Release: 2019-12-27
Genre: History
ISBN: 1911658832

When the German army launched Operation Barbarossa – the invasion of the Soviet Union – on June 22, 1941, it was expecting to face and easily defeat outdated and obsolete tanks and for the most part it did, but it also received a nasty shock when it came up against the T-34. With its powerful gun and sloped armour, the T-34 was more than a match for the best German tanks at that time and the Germans regarded it with awe. German Field Marshal von Kleist, who commanded the latter stages of Barbarossa, called it ‘the finest tank in the world’. Using original wartime documents author and historian Peter Samsonov, creator of the Tank Archives blog, explains how the Soviets came to develop what was arguably the war’s most revolutionary tank design.

T-34-85 Medium Tank 1944–94

T-34-85 Medium Tank 1944–94
Author: Steven J. Zaloga
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2013-08-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472805569

The T-34-85 tank is one of those rare weapons that have remained in service for more than half a century. First introduced in 1944, it has seen combat in nearly every corner of the globe. Steven Zaloga and Jim Kinnear look at this long-serving tank at length. Although long obsolete in Europe, it has proven a reliable and potent weapon in many Third World conflicts, and is still in service with more than a dozen armies around the world.

T-34 Shock: The Soviet Legend in Pictures

T-34 Shock: The Soviet Legend in Pictures
Author: Francis Pulham
Publisher: Fonthill Media
Total Pages: 743
Release: 2021-07-11
Genre: History
ISBN:

The Soviet T\-34 medium tank needs no introduction, being the most famous tank ever built especially as has seen service across the globe throughout the twentieth century’s most brutal wars. However, despite this fame, little has been written about its design changes. While most tank enthusiasts can differentiate between the ‘T\-34\/76’ and the ‘T\-34\-85’, identifying different factory production batches has proven more elusive. Until now. With nearly six hundred photographs, mostly taken by soldiers who both operated and fought against the T\-34, this book seeks to catalogue and contextualise even the subtlest details to create a true ‘T\-34 continuum’. The book begins with the antecedents of the T\-34, the ill\-fated BT ‘fast tank’ series and the influence of the traumatic Spanish Civil War before moving to an in\-depth look at the T\-34’s prototypes. After this, every factory production change is catalogued and contextualised, with never\-before\-seen photographs and stunning technical drawings. Furthermore, four battle stories are also integrated to explain the changing battle context when major production changes take place. The production story is completed with sections on the T\-34’s post\-war production (and modification) by Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the People’s Republic of China, as well as T\-34 variants.

IS-2 Heavy Tank 1944–73

IS-2 Heavy Tank 1944–73
Author: Steven J. Zaloga
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 104
Release: 2011-10-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1780961391

The Iosef Stalin tanks were the ultimate heavy tanks developed by the Soviet Union and were popularly called 'Victory tanks' due to their close association with the defeat of Germany in 1945. Yet in spite of their reputation, the Stalin tanks emerged from a troubled design, had a brief moment of glory in 1944 and 1945, and disappeared in ignominy after 1960. This title covers the events contributing to the Soviet Union's need to design the new series, with particular reference to the unsuccessful KV series and the advent of a new generation of heavy German tanks including the Tiger. It also covers their development, operational history and myriad variants.

Ju 87D/G STUKA versus T-34

Ju 87D/G STUKA versus T-34
Author: Robert Forsyth
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 81
Release: 2023-09-28
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472854764

An examination of two of the most high-profile air and land weapons to be deployed on the Eastern Front in World War II. In late 1942, as part of its attempts to strike back at ever-increasing numbers of Soviet tanks, the German air ministry authorised the development of an adaptation and enhancement of the longspan Junkers Ju 87D-5 Stuka dive-bomber. The aircraft was duly fitted with two underwing pods containing 37 mm BK cannon – an antiaircraft cannon with its origins dating back to 1933. The solid, slow, Ju 87 airframe offered the Luftwaffe an ideal platform for specialist, low level, 'tank-killing' operations. Despite the wealth of experience possessed by some of the Luftwaffe's ground-attack and dive-bomber aces, knocking out T-34 tanks from the air was a demanding and difficult process. Nevertheless, some Luftwaffe pilots notched up impressive tank scores, and the Ju 87 is credited with the destruction of more than 100 tanks across the central and southern sectors of the Eastern Front, including during the Battle of Kursk. Including personal accounts from Stuka pilots and biographies of the anti-tank aces, together with detailed photographs of the cannon installation into the Ju 87G and details of the construction of the T-34 illustrated using specially commissioned artwork, this book covers the epic clash of two legendary machines of World War II.

Modelling the T-34/76

Modelling the T-34/76
Author: Jorge Alvear
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2006-09-26
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781841769295

The Russian T-34 was the most influential tank design of World War II, with its sloping armour, heavy hitting firepower and rapid mobility. It first saw combat in the summer of 1941, and its qualities soon set it apart from other medium tanks of the period. However, its battlefield superiority did not last long, and it was soon matched by German designs such as the Panther. Several models, designated by years, were produced between 1940 and 1943, featuring changes such as upgunning (model 1941) and redesigning the turret (model 1943). More T-34s were produced by the Allies than any other tank. The T-34-76 was produced until mid-1944, when it was replaced with the better armed T-34-85, the subject matter of a planned future Osprey Modelling title. The modeling community is well served with several full kits and a plethora of aftermarket items to cater for the interest in the T-34/76, and it remains one of the most popular World War II Allied modeling topics with new kits being released. This title guides the reader through the basics of assembly and finishing, before progressing to more advanced modelling projects using conversion kits and extensive scratchbuilding. It covers both 1/35- and 1/76-scale versions of the T-34/76.