Alexandra
Posts: 546
Joined: 12/7/2000
From: USA
Status: offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rothery:
It would appear that the basis for the criticism is that folks have a feeling for the T34 being a real shock to the Germans and that the adjustments to the V7 OOb make it a mere mortal.
In 1941 when the Germans first encountered the T34 and KV series tanks the 50mm armed Pz III's were a rare item. The bulk of german armour and AT gun units were armed with the 37mm. The upgunning of the PzIV F with the 75L43, the long barrelled 50mm for the PzIII and Marders with the PAK 40 were all responses to the difficulties in taking out the heavier allied armour. Whole Panzer diisions were still armed with the Czech 35T and 38T with 37mm gun, with the Panzerjager units only having the PzJgr I with the Czech 47mm gun. The T34 must have been a real problem to deal with at that time.
The T34 was well respected because it was such a good all round package, and highly suitable to the Russian winter. It was quick and with its wide tracks was a good performer in mud and snow. The sloping armour gave it good protection for the weight, which allowed it to have a good power-to-weight ratio. It had an OK gun, and an air-cooled diesel that was more resiliant to the temperature extremes.
The reason that the T34 is often praised as the best tank of the war is because is could be produced cheaply and quickly.....and it is that strategic consideration that made it a success. I have thought for many years now that Soviet equipment was over-rated on a comparitive basis.
I agre with Mike, here. I think we, as gamers, often get a skewed idea of what was powerful and not based on how we game, which tends to be nothing but the 'best' units facing off against one another, which was not the most common of irl occurances.
The T-34 was feared, not because it was overly scary to the best SS and elite Panzer units with the most modern tanks - though period writings do show it suprised them - but because it was lethal to the lesser units, i.e. 37mm Panzers - as Mike said - and, to a much greater extent, Infantry Units. The 50mm they used - when lucky - was pretty useless against the T34, and the 37 wasn't even tried against it.
Yet, for all it's feearsomeness, the T-34 was not invincible. As one example, on Dec 11, 1942, the Soviet 5th Tank Corps was commited, against Army Group Center, as part of Operation Mars. At dawn, that day, it had 131 tanks, mostly T-34. At dusk on the 12th, it had 23.
108 dead tanks, 36 hours.
Now, I have to admit I find the entire armor debate silly. Deciding that a version is 'good' or 'bad' based on some number on a chart strikes me as being wound a tad tightly.
Instead, why not do what irl tank commanders had to do. They couldn't say "Dear Uncle Joe, please give the T-34m40 an extra 2 mm armor over here." or "Hey, OKH, how about 8 more mm here." They had to use tactics to defeat the challenge.
Can't kill something from the front - shell the heck out of it, and kill it with infantry. Move, and hit it from the rear, or, swarm it with numbers - which, at least, the Russians should always have.
Alex
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