T-44
| T-44 | |
|---|---|
A restored T-44 tank.
|
|
| Type | Medium tank |
| Place of origin |
 Soviet Union
|
| Service history | |
| In service | 1944 – 1960s |
| Used by |
 Poland (Briefly used for training in 1952) |
| Production history | |
| Designer | A.A. Morozov |
| Designed | 1943–1944 |
| Manufacturer | Factory No. 75, Kharkiv |
| Produced | 1944–1947 |
| No. built | 1,823 |
| Specifications (T-44A) | |
| Weight | 32 t (35 short tons; 31 long tons) |
| Length | 6.07 m (19 ft 11 in) 7.65 m (25.1 ft) over gun |
| Width | 3.25 m (10 ft 8 in) |
| Height | 2.455 m (8 ft 0.7 in) |
| Crew | 4 |
|
|
|
| Armour | 120 mm (4.7 in) |
|
Main
armament |
85-mm ZiS-S-53 tank gun (58 rds.) 100-mm D-10T tank gun 100-mm LB-1 tank gun 122-mm D-25-44 tank gun |
|
Secondary
armament |
2 x 7.62-mm DTM machine gun |
| Engine | Model V-44 12-cyl. 38.88 L diesel 520 hp (388 kW) |
| Power/weight | 16.3 hp/tonn |
| Transmission | planetary 5-speed manual |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
| Ground clearance | 510 mm (20 in) |
| Fuel capacity | 500 litres (110 imp gal; 130 US gal) 150 litres (33 imp gal; 40 US gal) external |
|
Operational
range |
350 km (220 mi) |
| Speed | 53 km/h (33 mph) |
85-mm ZiS-S-53 tank gun (58 rds.) 100-mm D-10T tank gun 100-mm LB-1 tank gun
The T-44 is a medium tank first produced near the end of World War II by the Soviet Union. It was the successor to the T-34, offering improved ride and cross-country performance and much greater armor. Designed to be equipped with a powerful 85 mm main gun, by the time it was fully tested the T-34 had also moved to this weapon. Both tanks offered similar performance, so introducing the T-44 was not considered as important as increasing T-34 production. Fewer than 2,000 T-44s were built, compared to about 84,000 T-34s. Although the T-44 was available by the end of the war, they were not used in combat.
Attempts were made to improve the T-44's armament with a new 122 mm gun, but the turret proved very cramped and the rate of fire was poor, on the order of three rounds per minute. Another attempt with a 100 mm gun seemed more promising although a number of additional changes would be needed to make a truly effective design. Design work on a slightly enlarged version of the T-44 began during the war and a prototype was produced in 1945. This newer design entered production in 1947 as the T-54/55 series of medium tanks, the most-produced tank of all time.
By the end of 1940, when production of the T-34 started, there were already plans to improve the vehicle's reliability and operational capabilities by adopting more modern technology.
This design project was designated T-34M. It had enhanced armour protection, a three-man hexagonal turret, torsion bar suspension instead of Christie suspension, road wheels with internal shock absorption, increased fuel capacity, and more main gun ammunition (100 rounds instead of 77 in standard T-34). The bow machine gun and driver's hatch switched positions on the glacis plate. In addition to six smaller wheels, the suspension of the T-34M had four return rollers. The original model V-2 12-cylinder diesel engine developing 500 hp (373 kW) was replaced by a new 12-cylinder diesel engine which produced 600 horsepower (450 kW). It had a new 8-speed transmission system. It was the first tank design to feature transverse engine placement, which made it smaller than a standard T-34 and gave the crew more space.
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Wikipedia