Soviet T-34/85 Medium Tank
The Soviet T-34/85 entered service on 15th December 1943 in response to the well armed and armoured Tiger and Panther tanks of the Wehrmacht. Of more than 52,000 T-34 medium tanks produced until the end of the war, approximately 22,000 were of the T-34/85 configuration. Early T-34/85 medium tanks were armed with the 85 mm D-5T tank gun which was replaced by the 85 mm ZIS-C-53 tank gun in the M.1944 version of the same vehicle. The T-34/85 medium tank proved very successful in combat, and it continued to serve in the Korean War, the Middle East, Vietnam, Angola, Ethiopia, and many other trouble spots around the world.
Available Scale Model Kits
- T-34/85, 1:72 Armourfast 99009
- T-34/85, 1:72 Atlantic 614 (Soft Plastic)
- T-34/85, 1:72 Cooperativa 72009
- T-34/85 M.1944 with D-5T Gun, 1:72 UniModel 72327
- T-34/85 with S-53 Turret, 1:72 UniModel 72328
- 1:72 AER Moldava 72009
- Minenräumgerät für T-34/85, 1:72 AER 7209
- T-34/85, 1:72 Toga 251
- T-34/85, 1:72 Rhino Models #36 (KPHZ Turret)
- Detail Kit, 1:72 EDUARD
- Photo Etched Detail Plate, 1:72 Part PT P-72-017
- KPHZ Turret, Conversion Kit, 1:72 Rhino Models #35
- T-34/85, 1:76 Hinchliffe 20/195
- T-34/85, 1:76 Airfix 01316
- T-34/85, 1:76 Crusader Models CMB67
- T-34/85, 1:76 Archer Models
- T-34/85, 1:76 Fujimi 76009
- T-34/85 1943 ZAVOD NR-112 Turret with D-5T Gun, 1:76 VUC C-133
- T-34/85 1944 ZAVOD NR-112 Turret with ZIS-C-53 Gun, 1:76 VUC C-139
- T-34/85, 1:87 KoMo/ROCO 1225
- T-34/85, 1:100 Roskopf 151
Technical Specifications
- T-34/85
- Type: Medium Tank
- Motor: V-12 cylinder diesel, 372 kw
- Speed: 60 km/h on roads
- Cruising Range: 400 km
- Overall Length: 8100 mm
- Width: 3000 mm
- Height: 2700 mm
- Ground Clearance: 400 mm
- Weight: 32,000 kg
- Armament: 85 mm D-5T Tank Gun (1943) or ZIC-C-53 (1944) Tank Gun with 55 rounds; two DT 7.62 mm MGs with 1890 rounds
- Crew: Commander, Driver, Radio Operator, Gunner, and Loader
Bibliography
- Funcken: L’Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats de la Guerre 1939–1945, p. 77
- Hughes, Matthew: Weapons of War: The T-34 Tank
Museum Exhibits
T-34/85 Medium Tank, Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim, Germany
T-34/85 Medium Tank, Wehrtechnische Studiensammlung (WTS) Koblenz, Germany
Historical Employment
- Soviet Army, 1943–1945
- Polish People’s Army (LWP), 1944–1945
- Korea, 1950
- Middle East, 1965
- Middle East, 1967
- Middle East, 1973
- Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), 1982–1984
- Vietnam
- Angola
- Ethiopia
The T-34/85 was a very effective variant of the T-34 medium tank, and it was cheap enough to mass-produce. Wargamers will want at a platoon or a company of T-34/85 to defeat enemy armour and overrun opposing infantry positions.