Soviet T-34 tank building is considered a masterpiece of the world.In his designs applied technical solutions far ahead of their time, of armored vehicles used by developers today.Especially interesting observations made by engineers from the United States had the opportunity in 1943 to get acquainted with this machine at a military base in Aberdeen, Maryland, where she was taken out of the Murmansk transport boat.They were interested to know on what parameters superior to T-34 American tank "Sherman" mass produced at the time, including for the Lend-Lease to the USSR.
primarily engineers from the United States, according to published reports, in our time, paid attention, oddly enough, on minor details.In the context of the war years sverhmassovogo production quality of the individual components and metallurgical products, unfortunately, leaves much to be desired.Comments focused on the durability of the transmission of the T-34, the direction of its exhaust pipe, creating a lot of dust, lack of waterproofing the case, the low level of comfort for the crew.
Affected peculiar understanding of the nature of the allies fighting against Germany.In preparation for the invasion of Europe, the US military experts are sufficiently relaxed and going according to plan a military operation in which tanks would play only a supporting role, acting about the same tactical scheme as in Africa.
However, there were sensible comments concerning the quality of welds and air filtration system T-34 is not enough efficient operation that reduces the service life.This also demonstrates some of the naivety of American specialists, greatly overstates his calculations survival equipment both Soviet and German under intense fighting.As a rule, war machines were unable to wear, let alone the convenience for tankers and had no time to think, as well as on the dust raised by the armored columns.
Subsequently, Soviet engineers modified the air filters.Underestimated was V-shaped 400-horsepower diesel V-2-34, made of aluminum mounted on the T-34.This, too, was a masterpiece, and create something like this, none of the Western countries - and allies, and opponents of the Soviet Union - did not work for many years.
The Aberdeen Group report says nothing about the revolutionary layout.Rear driving rollers creates a huge advantage in lowering the profile of the tank and reduces its weight, but to see this, Western experts took several more years.
-steel tracks in the USSR produced internally, because of the shortage of rubber, but it turned out to be the best technical solution.
Spring suspension "Christie" - an American invention, it is not priced in the US nor in the twenties or after the learning experience of its practical application in the USSR.But Soviet tanks T-34, BT-7, BT-5 is equipped with a damping system.
American research team points to weaknesses in the performance of welded joints at a time when the US industry producing tanks with might and main riveted hull.
Pointing to a small power reserve tank builders from the United States is somehow forgotten that the "Sherman" it is even less.In other words, by virtue of their snobbery useful information from the received art the American engineers have received little.Delivered from the USSR specimen it was used as a target and is destroyed.But the results of their research took advantage of Soviet specialists for further improvement of our military equipment.It was only after the war, in 1946, Americans have understood that in order to win, you need to learn a lot from Russian, including how to build tanks, by launching his campaign for re-ground forces.
