Soviet, German and American armored vehicles of World War II

How evolved the armored vehicles of World War II? What were the Soviet tanks, opponents or allies? In what direction were the German creators of armored vehicles and the Russian ones? These questions are of interest not only to the average reader, but also to many specialists who are studying this period. The main representative of armored vehicles is a tank, thanks to which many important battles were won.

Basic Tank Classifications

Classification of tanks did not take shape overnight. Moreover, in the period between the two world wars, the concept of the use of these combat vehicles has changed many times. To create a unique armored equipment capable of operating in different climatic conditions, in different terrains and for performing various tasks is a very difficult task. Therefore, first of all, when creating tanks, they rely on the need for this type of weapon, the conditions for its use, and necessarily take into account economic factors, that is, the state's ability to spend a certain amount.

It should be emphasized that in different countries the classification of tanks was different and to some extent was conditional. For example, in the Soviet Union, she pointed to the combat mass of the machine and in many ways to its purpose. In Germany, the caliber of weapons was at the forefront. In the UK, the division of armored vehicles was carried out for its main purpose.

The beginning of hostilities, or German armament

In the thirties, there were fundamental changes in the combat use of tanks. This led to the fact that they turned from a purely auxiliary means to one of the main strike forces of the ground forces. Due to the large theoretical studies in the use of armored vehicles, huge amounts of exercises, experts have shown that by concentrating tanks in a certain area of the terrain, you can use them to solve some operational problems. The German armored vehicles of the Second World War for the period of the beginning of 1939 were already assembled into whole tank groups.

Then in Germany there were several types of tanks. In their designation, the rather complex alphabetic abbreviation PzKnfw was used, but in literal translation it is an armored combat vehicle. The first tank, adopted by Nazi Germany, was a light T1.

With a length of about 4 meters, the combat weight of the car was 5.4 tons. It had anti-bullet armor with a thickness of sheets from 6 to 13 millimeters. In the tower, two machine guns were installed, the crew consisted of two men. The maximum speed along the highway was 37 kilometers per hour, and on rough terrain - about 20 kilometers.

Another type of tank in the German army was T2. On many characteristics, it was similar to T1, but had more powerful armament, and the crew consisted of three people. T1 and T2 had several modifications. Mainly, they differed the chassis and power plant. German armored vehicles of the Second World War at the beginning of the military operations of 1939 numbered about three thousand tanks.

Czechoslovakian fighting vehicles and factories

In Czechoslovakia, both the tanks themselves and the factories where they were manufactured were captured. These combat vehicles were designated LT35 and LT38. They got the indices 35T and 38T from the Germans. Czechoslovak tanks were not only light compared to German machines, they were also equipped with more powerful weapons.

The thickness of the armor plates was also greater, and, in principle, one could speak of their better protection if not for one "but". Unlike German tanks that had a welded construction, the Czechs were assembled with rivets, and when a shell hit the tank, they flew and wounded the crew even in cases where there was no through penetration of the armor.

Subsequent inventions of German designers

German armored vehicles of the Second World War were constantly being improved. Before the developers put all the new goals. And soon there are T3 and T4. It was T3 for a long time considered the main in the tank armies of the Wehrmacht. The weight of the machine was almost 20 tons. The maximum thickness of armor sheets reached 30 millimeters. Initially, the T3 was armed with a gun and three machine guns, two of which were mounted in the tower, and the third - on the ball joint in the frontal armored sheet.

As for the T4 tank, it was in many ways the same with T3. Approximately equal fighting masses, indicators of security, both used the same type of engines, and the crew consisted of five people. The main difference was in armament.

Domestic tank building

And what was the difference between Soviet armored vehicles of World War II? Tank construction in the Soviet Union in the first half of the 1930s was based on the experience of a foreign manufacturer, mainly British and American. In 1938, the heavy KV1 was adopted. The armor of the tank was anti-ballistic. The maximum thickness of armor sheets is 75 millimeters. The armor of Germany in World War II had a 2.5 times smaller armor thickness.

A more complex task was solved by the creators of T34. And it is worth noting, they coped well with the goals set. This tank, possessing high firepower, reliable fire protection and high mobility, served as the base point on which all Soviet tank armored vehicles of the Second World War were designed.

Strengthening of armor protection was necessary to be carried out in the rigid dimensional framework of the middle tank. The maximum thickness of the sheets was 45 millimeters, and the designers installed them at an angle. This increased the likelihood of a rebound. And most importantly, almost doubled the thickness of the armor horizontally. Also the designers determined the optimal angles of its inclination. In the most vulnerable frontal part, it was larger, and on the sides less.

US armored vehicles of World War II

During the Second World War, the United States experienced a revolution in the design and manufacture of tanks. The American weapon of victory was "Sherman". It was designed for a crew of five. In addition to the main 75-millimeter cannon in the tower, the machine was armed with three machine guns, as well as a mortar caliber 50.8 millimeters for setting a smoke screen. Armor had a thickness of up to 100 millimeters. The main advantage of this tank was that it combined the advantages of a light and medium tank.

But of course, World War II armored vehicles were not limited only to these designs. Throughout the entire period of hostilities, developers have consistently taken into account all the pros and cons of a combat unit, and upgraded to the extent that they were.