M4 Sherman a fost un tanc mediu american din al Doilea Război Mondial. Primele prototipuri au fost construite în 1941, iar producția în serie a fost realizată în perioada 1942-1945. În total, au fost create aproximativ 49.000 de exemplare ale acestui tanc din toate versiunile, ceea ce îl face unul dintre cele mai produse tancuri ale celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial și cel mai important tanc din dotarea armatelor aliate în timpul acestui conflict. M4 Sherman a fost propulsat de o versiune cu un singur motor a M4A1 Continental R 975 C4 cu o putere de 400 CP . Vehiculul era înarmat cu - în funcție de versiune - un singur tun M3 de 75 mm sau un tun M1 de 76 mm sau un obuzier M4 de 105 mm și două mitraliere Browning1919A de 7,62 mm.
M4 Sherman a fost dezvoltat ca succesor al tancurilor M2 și M3, deși a folosit multe dintre componentele acestuia din urmă. În primul rând, a folosit doar un șasiu ușor schimbat al mașinii M3 Lee. La proiectarea M4 Sherman, s-a pus în primul rând pe rolul unui vehicul de sprijin al infanteriei și nu pe lupta cu tancurile inamice - acesta a fost rolul distrugătoarelor de tancuri americane. S-au presupus doar posibile ciocniri cu cărucioarele Pz.Kpfw III și Pz.Kpfw IV. Un rol semnificativ a fost jucat și în producția în masă a noului rezervor și a costurilor de producție cât mai mici. Rezultatul a fost un tanc cu armament bun pentru 1942 și începutul anului 1943, blindat mediu, dar cu o placă frontală înclinată, dar și cu manevrabilitate slabă și - mai ales în primele versiuni - foarte susceptibil la incendiu ca urmare a lovirii compartimentului motor . În același timp, însă, a fost creat un rezervor care ar putea fi cu adevărat o producție la scară largă și care avea un potențial de modernizare semnificativ. Multe versiuni de dezvoltare au fost create în cursul producției în serie M4 Sherman. Cronologic, prima a fost versiunea M4A1 care avea deja o armură turnată. Un altul - M4A2 - avea blindaj sudat și un nou motor General Motors 6460 cu 375-410 CP, dar mult mai puțin predispus la foc. A apărut și o versiune a lui M4A3, înarmată cu un obuzier de 105 mm și propulsată de un motor Ford GAA cu o capacitate de 450 CP. Pe baza versiunii M4A3, au fost create două subversiuni: M4A3E2 Jumbo cu armură întărită și M4A3E8 cu HVSS și tun de 76 mm. O versiune de dezvoltare interesantă a fost și T34 Calliope cu rachete montate care nu sunt ghidate pe turelă. M4 Sherman a fost, de asemenea, furnizat în număr mare Armatei Britanice și Roșii. Primul a dezvoltat o versiune a Firefly pe baza acestuia, cu un tun antitanc grozav de 17 lire. În timpul celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial, tancurile M4 Sherman au luptat în Africa de Nord (1942-1943), Italia (1943-1945), în timpul luptelor din Normandia, Franța și Germania de Vest (1944-1945), dar și în Pacific sau în rânduri. Armata Roșie pe Frontul de Est. După al Doilea Război Mondial, M4 Sherman a fost folosit în multe țări, inclusiv în Argentina, Belgia, India, Israel, Japonia, Pakistan și Turcia. De asemenea, a luat parte la multe conflicte post-1945, inclusiv Războiul Indo-Pakistan din 1965 și Războiul de șase zile din 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.