The M4 Sherman was an American medium tank from the Second World War. The first prototypes were built in 1941, and serial production was carried out in the period 1942-1945. In total, about 49,000 copies of this tank of all versions were created, which makes it one of the most produced tanks of the Second World War and the most important tank in the equipment of the Allied armies during this conflict. The M4 Sherman was powered by a single engine version of the M4A1 Continental R 975 C4 with a power of 400 hp . The vehicle was armed with - depending on the version - a single 75mm M3 cannon or a 76mm M1 cannon or a 105mm M4 howitzer and two 7.62mm Browning1919A machine guns.
The M4 Sherman was developed as the successor to the M2 and M3 tanks, although it used many of the latter's components. First of all, it only used a slightly changed chassis of the M3 Lee car. When designing the M4 Sherman, the emphasis was primarily on playing the role of an infantry support vehicle, and not fighting enemy tanks - this was the role of American tank destroyers. Only possible clashes with the carts were assumed Pz.Kpfw III and Pz.Kpfw IV. A significant role was also played in the mass production of the new tank and the lowest possible production costs. The result was a tank with good armament for 1942 and early 1943, average armor, but with a tilted front plate, but also with poor maneuverability and - especially in the first versions - very susceptible to fire as a result of hitting the engine compartment . At the same time, however, a tank was created that could be truly large-scale production and had a significant modernization potential. Many development versions were created in the course of serial production M4 Sherman. Chronologically the first was the M4A1 version that already had a cast armor. Another - M4A2 - had welded armor and a new General Motors 6460 engine with 375-410hp, but much less prone to fire. A version of the M4A3 also appeared, armed with a 105 mm howitzer and powered by a Ford GAA engine with a capacity of 450 HP. Based on the M4A3 version, two sub-versions were created: the M4A3E2 Jumbo with reinforced armor and the M4A3E8 with the HVSS and 76mm gun. An interesting development version was also the T34 Calliope with mounted missiles not guided on the turret. The M4 Sherman was also supplied in huge numbers to the British and Red Army. The former developed a version of the Firefly based on it, with a great 17-pounder anti-tank gun. During World War II, M4 Sherman tanks fought in North Africa (1942-1943), Italy (1943-1945), during the battles in Normandy, France and West Germany (1944-1945), but also in the Pacific or in the ranks The Red Army on the Eastern Front. After World War II, the M4 Sherman was used in many countries, including Argentina, Belgium, India, Israel, Japan, Pakistan and Turkey. He also took part in many post-1945 conflicts, including the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Six-Day War of 1967.
The KW-1 is a Soviet heavy tank from the Second World War. The first prototypes of this vehicle were made in 1939, and the car entered service a year later (1940). Approximately 4,700-5,000 vehicles of this type were produced in the course of production. The combat weight of the tank was up to 42.5 tons. The drive was provided by a single W-2K diesel engine with a power of up to 600 HP. The main armament consisted of a 76.2 mm ZiS-5 gun and three 7.62 mm DT machineguns.
The KW-1 vehicle was developed as a successor to the failed T-35 tank. Compared to its predecessor, it differed on many levels, and above all, the multi-turret system was abandoned in favor of a single turret with main armament. What's more, based on the experience of the civil war in Spain (1936-1939), the armor of the entire car was also very impressive, for the late 1930s. Finally, when it was introduced to the KW-1 line, it clearly exceeded the armor and firepower of virtually every German tank. However, it was not without disadvantages, including poor maneuverability and high failure rate of some mechanical elements - especially the drive train. The KW-1 was used on a large scale during the German-Soviet war of 1941-1945, and its serial production was maintained until 1943 in parallel with the production of the T-34. The variants of the KW-1 include the KW-1s (a vehicle with improved reliability and ergonomics) and the KW-85 (armed with a 85mm D-5T gun).
The KW-2 is a Soviet heavy tank from the interwar period and the beginning of World War II. The first prototypes of this vehicle were created in 1940, and the car entered service in the same year. About 330 vehicles of this type were built during the production process. The combat weight of the tank was up to 52 tons. The drive was provided by a single diesel engine with a power of up to 600 HP. The main armament consisted of a 152mm M-10 gun and three 7.62mm DT machineguns.
The KW-2 vehicle was developed as a development of the KW-1 tank, and its production was the responsibility of the Leningrad Plant named after Kirov. The vehicle was created as a result of the experience of the Winter War (1939-1940), and its main task was to destroy the enemy's fortified resistance points and support their own infantry in the attack, not fight with tanks. For this reason, one can risk a statement that the KW-2 was essentially a self-propelled gun, and not a strictly senso tank. Despite their powerful armament and armor, the KW-2 vehicles suffered from high faults, especially in the drive train, which effectively reduced their combat value. Cars of this type were used primarily in the initial phase the German-Soviet war in 1941, although some of them served until 1945.
The SU-122 is a Soviet self-propelled gun (also classified as a tank destroyer) from the Second World War. The first prototypes of this car appeared in 1942, and the production of serine continued in the years 1942-1943. Approximately 640 vehicles of this type were created in its course. The weight of the vehicle was 31 tons. The drive was provided by a single V-2 engine with a capacity of 500 HP. It was armed with the 122 mm M-30 howitzer. The crew also had two 7.62 mm PPS submachine guns. Work on the SU-122 began in 1942, in connection with the decision of the Main Artillery Board to introduce new self-propelled guns to the line. During the design work, it was decided that the new SPG would use the chassis of the T-34 and many of its structural elements. Design works proceeded at a very fast pace, which led to the fact that in December 1942 the mass production of the car was initiated. Overall, the SU-122 was a rather successful SPG, based on a proven and successful chassis and suspension, with good off-road characteristics. The considerable disadvantages were the crampedness of the crew compartment (due to the size of the M-30 howitzer) and the rather small angle of fire, especially the complicated aiming process. However, the weapon was considered much better than the SU-76 self-propelled gun. The SU-122 vehicles were used on the Eastern Front from 1943 to 1945. Few of them, however, survived the war.
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank from the Second World War and the post-war period.
The first prototypes were built in 1937-1940, and serial production in the USSR was carried out in 1940-1957. About 84,000 vehicles of this type were built in its course, which makes the T-34 one of the most produced tanks in history! The drive was provided by a single engine V-2-34 with a power of 500 hp. The length of the car - in the T34 / 76 version - was 6.68 m, with a width of 3 meters. The armament consisted of a 76.2 mm F-34 gun and two 7.62 mm DT machineguns. The main armament in the T-34/85 version was the 85mm ZIS-S-53 gun.
The T-34 is undoubtedly one of the most famous tanks in the history of both World War II and military in general, representing a specific symbol of Soviet victory in the war with the Third Reich. The vehicle was developed for the needs of the Red Army as a successor to the so-called pursuit tanks from the BT series (BT-5 and BT-7), but also the T-26 tank. Work on the car started in 1937 in a special design office at the Steam Engine Factory in Kharkiv. Initially, the works were managed by Eng. Adolf Dik (he also made the first sketches of the new car), and after his arrest by the Soviet security authorities, Mikhail Koszkin managed the work. Initially, the vehicle was designated as A-20. However, a second prototype (A-32) was quickly built, with a main armament in the form of a 76.2 mm cannon and much thicker frontal armor. It was the latter prototype that was finally adopted for production. It can be assumed that when it was introduced into service, the TT-34 was a very successful tank in many respects. It was characterized - as in 1940 - with a very strong weapon, it had a well-profiled armor based on sloped armor plates, as well as very high mobility and off-road driving properties. The disadvantages include the very poor ergonomics of the car or the poor optics used in the first production batches. Despite these shortcomings, when the T-34 appeared on the Eastern Front, German troops were greatly surprised by it. The high overall rating of the T-34 and its combat values determined its mass production and making it the basic tank of the Red Army during the fights in 1942-1945. They also resulted in further improvements to the structure, e.g. in 1942 a new hexagonal tower appeared, improving the quality of work of crew members with the commander's cupola. The engine and gearbox were also improved. However, in 1944, the T-34/85 model was introduced into service, with a completely new three-man turret and the main armament in the form of an 85 mm cannon. The T-34 tank fought in virtually all major battles fought between the Red Army and the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front in 1941-1945: starting at the Battle of Moscow, through the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, Operation Bagration, and the capture of Berlin. After 1945, the T-34 tank was still in service, it was also widely exported outside the USSR to countries such as Czechoslovakia, Poland, East Germany, Hungary and Syria.