Description
T-34-85s first saw combat in the spring of 1944 with 1st Guard Tank Army. In the hands of experienced tankers, the T-34-85 was an awesome weapon despite the Tiger’s superiority at long ranges; that is, the Tiger could kill a T-34-85 from a greater range than the 85 mm gun could penetrate its armor. Still, the T-34-85 stood a good chance of success owing to its maneuverability. Later versions of the Pz. IV were roughly comparable to the T-34 in firepower, but the T-34-85 had better dynamic characteristics combined with the effective armoring. Owing to huge production numbers and the growing skill of Soviet tankers, the T-34-85 proved effective at neutralizing German Tigers and Panthers. Still, the threat from German Panzerfausts forced the introduction of some field modifications, especially during the Battle of Berlin (see photo below). The additional screening consisted of a thin 1.5 mm metal plate or a 3 mm wire mesh welded on the supporting corners. The shield was placed about 15-20 cm from the main armor on the sides of the hull, turret, and the turret’s top. Although the screening effectively deflected the hits of Panzerfausts, further development was stopped with the end of the war.
T-34-85’s took part in the European and Pacific theaters of WWII, the Korean war, the Middle East, and Vietnam conflicts. The tanks were exported to many countries following the second World War, and were used as recently as the Bosnian war.
1/30 scale, readymade model.
Metal gun barrel √
Openable hatches √
Barrel pitching √
Turret rotating √
Metal tracks √
Movable wheels and tracks √
Movable suspension √
