T-43 - Soviet experienced medium tank during the Second World War . It was created on the basis of T-34 , differing at the same time with deep changes in the design, and was intended to replace it. Development of the tank was carried out in 1942 - 1943 , but after the release of three experimental machines, further work on the tank was stopped in favor of strengthening the serial T-34. Despite the fact that the T-43 was never put into mass production, it had a significant impact on the development of the design of the Soviet tank. The developments on the T-43 were used both in the creation of other promising models of medium tanks (such as the T-44 ) and in the modernization of the T-34, leading eventually to the appearance of the T-34-85 .
| T-43 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| T-43 sample 1943 | |
| Classification | medium tank |
| Combat weight, t | 34.1 |
| Crew , pers. | four |
| Story | |
| Manufacturer |  |
| Years of production | 1942 - 1943 |
| Number issued, pcs. | 3 |
| Key operators | the USSR |
| Dimensions | |
| Case length, mm | 6900 |
| Length with gun forward, mm | 8100 |
| Width, mm | 3000 |
| Height mm | 2580 |
| Clearance , mm | 450 |
| Booking | |
| The forehead of the body, mm / deg. | 75 |
| Board of the case, mm / hail. | 60 |
| Body feed, mm / deg. | 60 |
| Bottom, mm | 20 |
| Roof of the case, mm | thirty |
| Front of the tower, mm / deg. | 90 |
| Armament | |
| Caliber and brand gun | 76mm F-34M |
| Gun type | rifled |
| Barrel length, gauges | 41.6 |
| Ammunition guns | 82 |
| Sights | telescopic OP-1 |
| Machine guns | 1 × 7.62 mm DT |
| Mobility | |
| Engine type | B-2 -34: V-shaped 12- cylinder diesel liquid cooling with direct injection |
| Engine power, l. with. | 500 |
| Speed on the highway, km / h | 51 |
| Speed over rough terrain, km / h | 25 |
| Cruising on the highway , km | 280 |
| Cruising over rough terrain, km | 240 |
| Suspension type | individual torsion |
| Breakable wall, m | 0.75 |
| Overcoming ditch, m | 2.5 |
| Overcoming ford , m | 1,3 |
Content
History
The project was developed by the design bureau of plant No. 183 in 1942 on the basis of the T-34 using the structural elements of the T-34 tank. By completely reworking the hull of the T-34 and more compact placement of all components and mechanisms, it was possible to significantly increase the security of the tank (75-mm frontal and 60-mm side and aft armor against 45-mm armor from the T-34-76). This significantly increased the chance of survival of a tank on the battlefield, since as early as in the summer of 1942, after shelling a serial T-34-76 from German captured guns, it was noted that the T-34 tank “permeated German anti-tank guns to fire at all distances and all corners real fire. "
Construction
The main requirement for the design of the T-43 tank was the mandatory preservation of all the main components and mechanisms of the serial T-34 tank. On the one hand, this requirement significantly simplified T-43 production into mass production, on the other hand, it resulted in the inheritance of some not very successful solutions from the T-34 tank. In particular, the length of the engine compartment T-43 could not be reduced, with the result that the fighting compartment turned out less. It was possible to partially compensate for this (in order to provide the crew with the necessary interior space) by using a torsion bar suspension that is more compact than the candlestick with vertical springs, which the T-34 inherited almost unchanged from the Christie tank .
Surpassing the T-34 in terms of armor protection, the medium tank T-43, however, approached heavy tanks in terms of specific pressure on the ground, which adversely affected the maneuverability and cruising range.
Project Evaluation
The design of the tank came out of the limit, excluding further upgrades. And when the serial “thirty-four” was equipped with a 85-mm cannon, the need for the T-43 disappeared, although it was the turret from the T-43 that was used for the T-34-85 with minor modifications. The test mileage of the T-43 for 3 thousand km clearly showed the correctness of the choice for the medium tank torsion bar suspension, which was subsequently implemented on an average tank T-44 .
Notes
Links
- Experimental tank T-43 . The Russian Battlefield . Archived April 10, 2012.
- 76-mm tank gun F-34 . The Russian Battlefield . Archived April 10, 2012.