Tanks of the USSR - absolute quantitative and qualitative superiority

In the late thirties, the tanks of the USSR possessed all the signs of modern armored vehicles of the late twentieth and early present centuries. These include the following: long - barreled gun, diesel engine, powerful anti-ball-bearing armor made without rivets, and rear transmission. Throughout the Second World War, no country created a single model of military equipment that corresponded to all these four criteria, only in the second half of the fifties foreign designers realized what Soviet tank builders were clear in the mid-thirties.

The basis of the tank fleet of the Soviet Union as of 1941 was light BT-7 (high-speed). This state of affairs fully corresponded to the offensive nature of the military doctrine: the enemy was preparing to strike on its territory. These cars had high-speed (up to 80 km / h) and maneuvering characteristics, were wheeled-caterpillar. They practically could not fight off-road, but like all tanks of the USSR, they had a powerful diesel engine, rear-end rollers, a 45-mm cannon that could hit any foreign analogue of its time, and a machine gun. The rear drive provided a lower profile, which reduced the vulnerability, since it was not necessary to drive the driveshaft to the front skating rinks.

Despite the predominant role of the offensive strategic idea, the tanks of the USSR were not only light, but also medium and heavy. T-34, the best in the middle class, had a 75-mm gun in the first modification, in addition, the frontal reservation was thick, it was located at a reflecting angle. As in BT tanks, its undercarriage included support rollers on spring-spring springs. This scheme was invented by the American engineer Christie, she became the best in the practice of world tank building and remains so to this day. In 1943, a modification of the T-34-85 appeared, with an 85-mm cannon and a cast tower.

After Germany's attack on the USSR, it was the medium and heavy tank building that became the main development direction of design developments.

The heavy tanks of the USSR of the Second World War did not know themselves equal. KV and appeared at the front in 1944, the ISI became an ideal tool for breaking the enemy's echeloned defense. The tower gun of 122 mm caliber did not give a chance to any German tank to win an artillery duel, and armor protection of up to 120 mm thick made the 46-ton giant almost invulnerable.

Compared with the German, the tanks of the USSR had much better cross-country ability, they were more convenient to operate, and due to the correct arrangement, it was even easier, having the best fighting qualities. They were much easier to transport, to pass through bridges both conventional and pontoon. It should be noted and the fact that German designers did not manage to create a tank diesel engine before the end of the war, which could be compared to our 600-strong V-2-34.

In the post-war decades, Soviet factories continued to build tanks. The USSR produced them more than all other countries combined. T-54, T-62, T-72 and other examples of Soviet-era armored vehicles became masterpieces of design ideas and the object of borrowing technical ideas for tank builders around the world.