Film and Television: Starting from the Journey to Guandong

Chapter 147

When talking about two-station propeller fighters, you may be able to blurt out a few, such as the P51 "Mustang" and the aforementioned Spitfire. Even people who know little about the military have heard of its reputation.

However, the contribution of the Mao Xiong Air Force during the second station has been hidden. It was once considered cannon fodder on the battlefield and could not produce any commendable high-performance propeller fighter. Wrong, big mistake!

For example, the Yak-3 fighter jet, which has hidden merit and fame, is the king of mid- and low-altitude combat that makes the German army tremble.

In the early days of the Soviet-German War, the skies on the Eastern Front were completely dominated by the German Bf 109E/F. Mao Xiong’s old-fashioned fighter jets I-15 and I-16 were no match for Messerschmitt. Only Yak-1 and MiG A few aircraft such as -3 can barely compete with their German opponents.

The Yak-1's excellent maneuverability has created many flying heroes. Among them, the world's first queen pilot Lilia Litvyak's plane is the Yak-1B. She has flown in 168 times and shot down enemy planes alone. 12, and together with teammates shot down 3 enemy aircraft, known as the "White Rose of Stalingrad".

However, as the Germans launched the newer Bf 109G and Fw 190, the disadvantages of the Mao Xiong aircraft became more obvious. The frontline air force urgently needed new fighters to compete with the German fighters and regain air supremacy.

Under this circumstance, the Yakovlev Design Bureau decided to design a new fighter aircraft that could overwhelm German fighters in performance, which became the Yak-3.

The prototype of the Yak-3 fighter is the Yak-1M.

Since the design follows the principle of minimum geometric size and relatively maximum payload, by reducing the wing area and replacing the wooden structure with duralumin alloy, the wing area of ​​the Yak-1M reaches 14.85 square meters.

Compared with the previous Yak-1 fighter, it is 2.3 square meters smaller, and the wingspan of the aircraft is reduced to 9.2 meters. The Yak-1M is 1 kilograms lighter than the Yak-245, and the total weight of the entire aircraft is only 2665 kilograms. Making it extremely petite and flexible.

In order to improve the versatility of parts and shorten the development cycle, the aircraft's landing gear and other parts were borrowed from the Yak-1. The new aircraft is equipped with three fuel tanks, two located on the outside of the wing, and the other in the middle of the wing. In terms of protection of various parts, the Yak-3M has also made significant improvements to the Yak-2.

The biggest feature of the prototype is that the oil cooler air intake under the nose has been eliminated, and instead two smaller air intakes are installed in the center part under the cockpit floor near the wing root, which makes the engine cover extremely simple. , thereby significantly eliminating resistance.

Based on feedback after the prototype's test flight, the second improved Yak-1M Dooblyor was born in September 1943.

改进型雅克-1MDooblyor在10月初接受设计局测试后，随即送往毛熊航空科学研究院进行测试试飞，9月和10月的两次试飞使改进型雅克-1M备受好评。

The Mao Xiong military immediately decided to put this type of aircraft into production, and gave the new aircraft the code name "Yak-1943" in October 10. Thus the Yak-3 was born.

Based on the experience of the first two years of the Soviet-German war and combined with the latest aerodynamic research results at that time, the Yakovlev Design Bureau created the Yak-3, the pinnacle of Soviet aerodynamics in piston aircraft.

The petite and cute figure makes it extremely flexible in air combat. The 17-degree maneuver in 360 seconds gave the Germans a headache. When chasing the Yak-3, it often stalled due to over-pull of the lever, but the Yak-3 could bite it more easily. The rear of a German fighter plane.

其复杂的机体表面处理工艺耗时是雅克-1的2.5倍，使得雅克-3的机体表面及其流畅光滑，具备极佳的空气动力特性，加速性极佳，Bf 109G在4000米高度的速度还是比雅克-3慢了10-20km/h。

In this case, there is even an extreme situation. An inadvertent dive of the Yak-3 may exceed the maximum speed limit of the body and cause disintegration.

The 1300-horsepower VK105PF2 liquid-cooled engine is enough to drive the Yak-3's petite body, providing a strong heart for this elegant dancer at medium and low altitudes, allowing it to compete with its German opponents in terms of speed and maneuverability. Germany People even formulated a rule that prohibits fighting with Yak-5000 below 3 meters, otherwise you will be responsible for the consequences.

Compared with advanced Western propeller fighters, the French Nieman Fighter Group, which has flown the Yak-3, also believes that this type of fighter is superior to the American P51D "Mustang" and the British Super Marlin "Spitfire" fighter.

The Yak-3 is not so much an elegant dancer as it is a violent fighting lolita. No matter how excellent its mobility is without weapons, it is just a living target for the Germans. The Yak-3 armed with a sharp blade is the killer that the Germans respect. .

Unlike Britain and the United States, which like to arrange weapons on the wings and create a ballistic intersection point in front of the nose, the simple and crude Mao Xiong arranges firepower on the front line of the nose. The firepower is intensive, easy to aim, simple and easy to use, and in the shortest possible time. Time exerts great fighting power.

The Yak-3 is equipped with a 20mm Schwak shaft cannon in the hollow of the engine shaft and two 12.7mm Berezin machine guns on the top of the nose, forming intensive forward firepower.

Of course, the nose space is small and the amount of ammunition carried is small, which is also the reason that restricts the individual results of a single sortie by the Bear pilot.

The petite Yak-3 is equipped with a 20mm cannon and can withstand it, but the Mao Xiong designer seems to have a soft spot for the design concept of Lolita carrying a cannon. There have been Yak-37T equipped with a 3mm cannon, and the Yak-37T equipped with a 3mm cannon. The Yak-T with a millimeter gun is very suitable for ground attack missions and has excellent low-altitude maneuverability.

However, the recoil force of the 37 gun is too great. Even with the muzzle brake installed, it is unbearable for the petite Yak-3. It will cause the engine to vibrate when shooting. In addition, the smoke from the muzzle is too large, and the engine also has overheating problems. As a result, the Yak-3T was not put into production.

But do you think this is the end? Far from it!

The crazy Mao Xiong designer also designed and built the Yak 57T-3 equipped with a 57mm gun. As for the result, you don't need to think about it to know that he gave up.

除此以外雅克-3还有换装更可靠的20mm机炮的雅克-3P型，装有火箭发动机的雅克-3RD混合动力验证机，换装带有增压器的VK-105PD型发动机的雅克3-PD高空截击型，以及换装VK-107，VK-108发动机的雅克3VK-107和雅克3VK-108。

The Yak-108 fighter equipped with a VK-3 engine can reach a maximum level flight speed of 745km/h.

This almost reached the performance limit of a piston fighter and became the fastest piston fighter in the Soviet Union.

In addition to being used by the Woolly Bears themselves, the Yak-3 has also become famous in the hands of the French.

In March 1942, France sent French pilots and crew to the Soviet Union to participate in the war against Germany.

On November 11, the Soviet Union and France signed an agreement to form the French Volunteer Aviation Group.

On the 28th, the first batch of French volunteers arrived in the Soviet Union and formed an aviation brigade named "Normandy" at the Ivanovo Municipal Airport. Mao Xiong provided equipment, materials and technical support and assigned some maintenance personnel.

In the summer of 1944, he participated in the Battle of the White Bear and supported and covered the troops in crossing the Neman River in the second phase of the Battle of Vilnius.

Due to his outstanding military exploits, he was awarded the honorary title of "Niemann" regiment on November 11 of the same year.

By the time Germany was defeated, the aviation regiment had dispatched 5062 combat sorties, conducted 869 air battles, shot down 273 enemy aircraft, damaged 80 aircraft, annihilated and destroyed a large number of German troops and technical equipment, and only lost 46 pilots.

The Normandy Nieman Aviation Regiment is equipped with Yak-3 fighter jets. The French volunteer pilots were impressed by its good performance. The pilots pointed out that the Yak-3 has good maneuverability, good visibility and comfort, and proposed to let the troops Equip the machine as quickly as possible.

The Normandy-Niemen Regiment has also become the most famous combat unit equipped with Yak-3 due to its special historical status. The French Air Force's second ace Albert has become the most famous Yak-3 pilot. His confirmed result is a shootdown. 23 enemy aircraft.

In order to express his respect for these French young men, Stalin presented each of these aerial heroes with a Yak-3 fighter plane made of a furry bear when they were about to return to their hometown.

Someone raised objections, and Stalin retorted: I reward soldiers who are brave in combat. It is precisely because of these brave soldiers that we have today's victory.

Stalin also ordered that French pilots must not be disarmed when they left Soviet territory.

It was precisely because of Stalin's order that France's air heroes were able to maintain the dignity that soldiers deserve and fly fighter planes back home.

Afterwards, the French pilot expressed his gratitude to Stalin many times. After hearing this, Stalin smiled and said: "We are all soldiers, so there is no need to say thank you."

However, in addition to the Jacques 3, the more famous one is the La 7.

On April 1945, 4, on the first day of the Battle of Berlin, four FW16 fighter jets, fully loaded with bombs, flew in fingertip formation to a crossing on the Oder River, preparing to bomb the woolly bears there.

With the help of the cover of battlefield smoke, these four aircraft were not intercepted along the way.

Just as they were about to reach the river, four FW4s turned into a dive and threw bombs at the bear. The bombs exploded in the crowd.

But suddenly, the No. 20 aircraft in the four-machine formation was shrouded in a series of tracer bullets, and its body was torn apart by mm projectiles.

Before the lead plane could react, Plane No. 3 also plummeted to the ground with thick smoke.

Only then did the captain notice that several green planes suddenly appeared in the sky, tumbling nimbly towards him.

It’s Mao Xiong’s La-5! The captain's warning sound came over the radio.

The remaining two FW-190s hurriedly dropped their bombs and climbed away to escape. Just as the planes were about to fly into the clouds, the German lead pilots were about to thank their German God, but at the same time as the prayers sounded, cannon pellets were fired into the cockpit. With a "bang bang" sound, a projectile mercilessly penetrated into the pilot's head, and blood and brains were scattered on the hatch...

Different from the decline in 1941 and 1942, the sky in 1945 was already red.

From 1943 to 1944, it was the protagonist La-5 fighter that turned the tide around, a reliable comrade who turned the tide in adversity!

At the beginning of the Soviet-German war, apart from the old I-15 and I-16, the newly designed fighter jets of the Mao Xiong people were mainly Yak-1, MiG-3 and Lago-3.

Among them, the best performer was the Yak-1, which had good maneuverability. At that time, the only Woolly Bear fighter that could deal with the German army, and the first queen pilot in the world flew the Yak-1.

The MiG-3 comes second. The MiG-3 has a higher wing load and is very fast, but the down stick force at high speed is too large and can hardly be pulled, and it cannot maneuver at low speed.

此外米格-3使用的AM-35/37引擎还抢了伊尔-2强击机使用的AM-38引擎的生产资源，伊尔-2作为“像面包一样不可或缺的飞机”，在前线急需伊尔-2的前提下，继续生产一款空战不如雅克-1，舔地不如伊尔-2的飞机显然没有必要的，米格-3就这样让慈父枪毙了。

As for the Lager-3, it is not much better than the MiG-3. The use of hot-pressed plywood to make the fuselage makes the Lager-3 very solid. Coupled with the poor mass production process, the weight is seriously exceeded. Biyak- 1 weighed 600 kilograms.

The engine uses the same Klimov M-1P engine as the Yak-105, which results in poor horizontal and vertical maneuvers and is relatively bulky. The only advantage is that the plywood is strong and resistant to beating, and it is called a "paint coffin." .

In addition, under the lobbying of the proud Yakovlev, his own Jacques is so good that the useless Lager-3 should be cancelled. Seeing that Lager-3 will also face the end of being shot by his loving father.

The Lavochkin Design Bureau was in trouble. The main problem still came from the insufficient power of the engine. It was about to be imminent. It was obviously too late to wait for the Klimov engine with more horsepower. Moreover, even if it did wait, it would be given priority to Jacques. .

Another person who had the same difficulty as Lavochkin was Shvetsov, a Soviet aerospace engine designer. No one was using his own M-82 air-cooled engine.

In fact, the M-82 engine has a very large potential user, which is the Il-2 attack aircraft. The air-cooled engine's anti-strike capability is much better than that of the liquid-cooled engine. It is very suitable for the Il-2 that braves intensive ground artillery fire to perform ground licking missions. -.

Even Ilyushin himself prefers the IL-82 equipped with the M-2 engine, but senior officials believe that the production capacity of the AM-38 liquid-cooled engine is sufficient, and there is a large number of IL-38 equipped with the AM-2 liquid-cooled engine. Temporary replacement will affect production and is not conducive to the versatility of parts. In a word, during wartime, production comes first and universality comes first.

The IL-82 equipped with M-2 was rejected, and the M-82 engine was useless.

The two frowning people met by chance at a conference in Moscow. The two hit it off and eventually led to the replacement of the Lager-3 with the M-82 engine, which later became the legendary birth of the La-5.

This is not to say that the Lager-3 was immediately successful after it was replaced with an M-82 engine. The MiG and Jacques next door also tried to replace it with an M-82 engine, but both ended up overturning.

First of all, the M-82 engine is an air-cooled engine. Its diameter is much larger than that of the Klimov M-105 liquid-cooled engine. Its 1700 horsepower power is much larger, but the larger diameter brings greater power. The resistance of the engine must be greatly reduced.

To this end, Lavochkin designed a more rounded engine cowl and adjustable air intake fins, and the engine frame was also redesigned to adapt to the M-82 engine.

Secondly, the M-82 is more than 105 kilograms heavier than the original M-200. The center of gravity of the entire machine has changed, and a series of improvements such as weight reduction and shape modification are required.

Finally, it showed good performance during the test flight in February 1942, and the speed was increased by 2% compared to the Lager-3. This shows that the replacement of the M-10 engine and a series of improvement ideas are correct, and the improved prototype A series of good performances quickly attracted the attention of high-level officials, and the Lavochkin Design Bureau was preserved.

1942年9月，原型机正式改名为拉-5，并在1942年末有超过1000架拉-5开始服役。

But at this time, the La-5 is still some distance from being complete, and there is still a gap when facing the new German Fw-190A.

Of course, the potential of La-5 has just begun.

First, the La-82F was replaced with an M-5F engine equipped with a supercharger, which increased the engine's output above 1500 meters. At the same time, in response to the strong request of front-line pilots, the rear part of the cockpit was designed to improve the rearward orientation. view, and add bulletproof glass.

The real complete body is the La-82FN equipped with an M-5FN engine with a jet carburetor. The power is increased to 1850 horsepower, and it is not afraid of negative G maneuvers.

In addition to replacing the engine, the La-5FN also used aluminum materials. Its wing structure began to use metal materials to further reduce weight and increase the structural strength of the body, thereby reaching the peak performance of the La-5 series. Su Kong has a strong relationship with Dekko. The advantages begin to show themselves.

1943年8月，毛熊缴获了FW-190A4型战斗机，将它与拉-5FN进行对比试飞。

The results show that the speed and maneuverability of the FW-190 at medium and low altitudes are inferior to the La-5FN.

拉-5FN与FW-190同时水平盘旋，一圈后就可以切入FW-190的内圈。而在3000米以下，拉-5FN即使是打开舱盖飞行，速度也要比FW-190快15-20KM/H。

This allows the FW-190 to be brought to high altitudes when dealing with the La-5, avoiding dogfights at mid- and low-altitudes.

In addition to the high-power engine, the excellent mid- and low-altitude maneuverability of the La-5 (all subsequent ones are referred to as La-5FN by default) also has a special design that must be mentioned, and that is the unique leading edge slat design of the La-5. , except for the La-5, you can hardly see World War II propeller fighters with similar designs.

The La-5 is equipped with leading edge slats on the outer leading edges of the wings. The leading edge slats can effectively improve the stall characteristics of the fighter at large angles of attack, delay the stall of the ailerons at the rear, and improve the efficiency of the ailerons. This wonderful design effectively enhances the La-5's low-to-medium altitude and low-speed maneuverability.

Not only the La-5, but also the Soviet fighter jets have outstanding mid- and low-altitude maneuverability, which is a major feature of the Soviet Union.

Some people believe that mobility is still very important and that energy warfare has been demonized.

Mobility is the use and consumption of energy. Higher mobility can use energy more flexibly, and can effectively release it when it should be used. Through maneuvering, energy can be converted into angles, and the shooting window can be quickly obtained to launch an attack. It is easier to get out of the enemy's firing axis when being attacked.

But whether it can be replenished quickly after release is a bigger problem. The early Mao Xiong Air Force paid great attention to maneuverability, but the energy could not be replenished in time after it was released. The engine power was insufficient and the resistance of the wings was too large. In other words, the maneuverability was only limited. It can be a one-time use, and you can’t keep up with it after you use it.

However, after replacing with a high-power engine, significantly reducing weight and drag, and ensuring the replenishment and preservation of energy, efficient maneuvering becomes extremely advantageous in the flexible use of energy, and it also has certain advantages in the face of energy wars. flexibility.

Kuo Ye piloted an improved La-5 of the La-7 and shot down two P-51D Mustangs, which are known for their energy warfare. This is a typical example.

The excellent performance of the La-5 produced a lot of Soviet aces, among which I have to talk about the first Soviet ace, Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub. By the end of the war, he had shot down 62 German aircraft. This record not only ranks Mao Xiong first, but also the first ace pilot in the Allied Air Force. At the same time, he is also the only pilot in the Soviet army who has shot down a German jet fighter.

In a sense, he is even the world's number one ace pilot.

Some people may say that the German ace Hartmann is the number one ace. He is the pilot who has shot down the most aircraft in the world, with a total of 352 aircraft shot down.

It is very interesting to compare Kozhidub and Hartmann. Major Hartmann, the number one ace of the German air force, shot down 352 aircraft, ranking first in number. Major Hartmann personally completed 1425 combat flights. , of which he participated in 800 battles. With his record of 352 aircraft, he only shot down one enemy aircraft in an average of 2.2 battles. It can be seen that the German army achieved such amazing air combat results not only due to their air combat skills, but also their tireless combat.

From his participation in the battle in March 1943 to the defeat and surrender of Germany in May 3, Kozhidub flew 1945 times, participated in 5 air battles, shot down 330 enemy aircraft, not including group shootdowns, and shot down one enemy aircraft in an average of 120 battles. .

另一方面阔日杜布击落敌机62架，其中包括22架性能优秀的德国战斗机Fw190和19架著名的BF109战斗机-——这些都是德国一线的主力战斗机。

Moreover, Kozhidub had never been shot down, was only injured by the opponent and made an emergency landing once, and was never even injured. This was a miracle in the unprecedentedly brutal air battle of World War II. On the other hand, it illustrates his long-term career as a pilot. The instructor's flying skills were superb, but Hartmann was shot down and forced to land 16 times, and was captured once.

As for the reason why Kozhidub shot down two P-51Ds, the reason was Kozhidub's strong curiosity.

At that time, Ugly B-17s were bombing the Berlin area. It happened that the Soviet Air Force was also attacking German ground targets in the nearby area. Kozhidub happened to find several B-17s returning home after completing their missions. Kozhidub, who had been famous for these "flying fortresses" for a long time, Zhidub decided to get closer to get a better look.

At this time, two P-2Ds of the 332nd Fighter Group of the Ugly Army (the only fighter group composed of black people in the U.S. military) that were escorting discovered two "FW-51s with red noses" (this wave was a red tail plane attacking a red plane). The head) was approaching the bomber, so he immediately opened fire. Kozhidub did not show any weakness, and shot down one by one in an air battle.

Later, he reported that he was attacked by two "FW-190" (Backpacker FW-190) and shot them down in the ensuing air battle.

One of the two American pilots died, and the other was rescued by the Soviet army after parachuting. He told the Bear Man that he was shot down by a German FW-190.

After returning home, after the film in the camera gun on Kozhedub's plane was developed, the intelligence officer discovered that what he shot down was actually two P-2Ds.

Recalling the words of the Ugly pilot, it is obvious that Kozhidub actually shot down a friendly aircraft.

This matter was "suppressed" by his superiors. In order not to cause trouble, the air battle was erased from the official records of the regiment. However, the intelligence officer gave these photos to Kozhidub as a souvenir. These photos were taken during the war. It was published several years later.

The ultimate improved version of La-5, La-7, has also been mentioned before.

The La-7 further improved its aerodynamic shape through wind tunnel testing. The main improvement was that the air inlet of the nose was changed to the wing root, and the air inlet of the oil cooler was changed from the lower part of the nose to the lower part of the belly, making the nose The fairing becomes more complete and smooth, further reducing air resistance and increasing speed.

In addition, in addition to these visible improvements, there are many invisible improvements, and the handling quality has been greatly improved, making the La-7 the best Soviet fighter in World War II, and the only one that can rival it is the Yak-3.

As for which one of the two is the best, with the permission of the military, La-7 and Yak-3 conducted a simulated air battle.

The La-7 is led by Vladimir Lavrinenkov, the captain of the 3th Guards Combat Company, and the Yak- is led by Louis DeIfino, the captain of the "Normandie-Niemen" aviation team of the famous French aid force to the Soviet Union. Both sides carry a wingman with the most tacit understanding. Conduct a simulated air battle against the second team.

During the battle, La-7 used its strong acceleration and vertical maneuvers to get rid of tail bites many times, and occupied a high position in order to overwhelm the opponent.

The Yak-3 frequently uses light horizontal maneuvers to cut into the opponent's inner circle or dodge the opponent's shooting axis.

The result of the battle was indisputable. In the fierce confrontation, due to frequent high-G maneuvers, La-7 leader Lavrinenkov suffered a heart attack and had to withdraw from the battle.

It can be said that Yak-3 and La-7 were the highest-level representatives of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War.

But whether Jacques 3 or La 7, they are too far away from now, and Zhu Chuanren will not consider it.

His first choice is the Spitfire, followed by the P40.

Lao Chang did indeed deploy a large number of air forces in coastal areas to deal with potential threats.

However, Zhu Chuanren did not give up the idea of ​​furry bear weapons. He would definitely get a batch of t34.

Even if it doesn't have much effect, it is at least a deterrent.

The T34 is a revolutionary tank with epoch-making significance, and it is also the mainstay equipment of the Soviet army.

Of course, we must also face up to the various shortcomings of t34.

Many people believe that "the reason why the T34 has received a high reputation in history and its ability to turn the tide of the war is because of its rough workmanship and solid and reliable leather."

However this is wrong.

The "sturdiness and reliability" of the T34 is not due to its rough workmanship, and compared with the more sophisticated work of other tank industry powers, the T34's rougher manufacturing process itself does not bring any advantages and has also caused serious problems.

For example, early production transmissions had terrible reliability.

For another example, there were serious flaws in the welding quality of the production models from the end of 1941 to the Great Recession of 42.

Due to the extensive use of unskilled female and child labor, the welding joints of the tank's front and side steel plates sometimes even have exaggerated error gaps of several millimeters to more than ten millimeters.

The T34's armor also has technical flaws. The steel plate material with higher Brinell hardness used in the car body is originally beneficial to crushing small-caliber artillery shells. However, due to the relatively rough smelting process, the car body steel plate sometimes causes damage to the back plate and splashes when hit by artillery shells.

The cast steel plate used in the turret also has many bubbles and blisters, making the actual protection unable to meet the ideal requirements of its design.

In the critical situation of losing mining areas and lacking rare earth materials in the middle of the war, the armor toughness of T34 dropped further from its original design indicators. There were often cases where the armor was shattered after being hit by small-caliber shells, although it did not penetrate. Phenomenon.

There are also problems with the ergonomics of the T34 tank. The turret shape of the 1941 model is basically derived from the A20 tank, and this shape was originally designed to carry a 45mm gun.

After installing the L34 and F11 34mm cannons on the T76, the space inside the turret becomes very small: there is insufficient horizontal movement space for the crew, and it is difficult for the commander and loader to stretch their arms and shoulders. This is especially true after wearing thick cotton coats in winter. It also makes the observation port set on the side of the turret useless, further deteriorating the situational awareness.

Moreover, this kind of turret with inwardly inclined sides and excessive pursuit of a small outline, in addition to reducing the projected area, does not provide much good protection. Its thickness level of about 45mm to 50mm and the 45mm/60-degree protection on the front of the car body The level is also very inconsistent. . .

The design of the T34 turret and car body also seems to be quite paranoid about tilted armor fundamentalism.

If you look at it from a God's perspective, it is worthy of recognition that the sloped armor on the front and sides of the vehicle body has indeed greatly improved the tank's ricochet capability and defense. In comparison, the T34/76 1940 and The side of the 1941 turret and the rear of the entire T34 family also use a considerable degree of sloped armor, which makes it unnecessary:

The sloped armor in these two areas not only has no actual protection gain, but also limits the available space in the passenger compartment and engine compartment.

Moreover, the combination of the sloping side armor with insufficient available space and the Christie suspension that takes up space also makes the T34, which has a relatively wide internal volume, not as good as the smaller Panzer III tanks of the same period in terms of actual body space.

Other major flaws include, but are not limited to, the poor quality of the T34 sight and sight glass, and the poor quality of the T34/76 radio. In the early days, only the commander's car used radios, and the commander had to use semaphores.

It can be said that the above defects have indeed affected the actual combat capabilities of the T34 to a great extent.

Generally speaking, the early T34's paper performance advantages were seriously wasted due to poor observation and aiming systems, worrying reliability and other problems, as well as insufficient crew training.

Although there were a large number of T34s that rushed into the German encirclement, they could not survive the flanking and rear flanking attacks of German anti-tank guns and tanks.

Moreover, because of the shortcomings and lack of radio stations mentioned above, t34, which often has a numerical advantage in the same area, also falls into a situation of fighting on its own. Then in a state of confusion, the number of radio stations is smaller and the paper performance is worse. But the German tanks and anti-tank artillery, which did not have the above problems, were defeated, and this was also the norm in the first year of the Soviet-German war.

What needs to be pointed out in particular is that during the Soviet-German honeymoon period from 1940 to 41, the Soviet Union imported several Type III e/f tanks from Germany.

随后在测试场对t34和三号坦克的对比也让苏联人发现，三号坦克除了火力和装甲防护不如t34以外，其他大多数性能尤其是乘员工作环境远胜t34，这也刺激了苏联在1941年在借鉴了kv1的悬挂和三号坦克一些设计的基础上准备研发t34m坦克。

Although the research and development work of the t34m was interrupted due to the outbreak of the Soviet-German war, this also illustrates from the side that the basic version of the t34 is far from a mature design.

First of all, its designer Koshkin team and its affiliated Kharkiv factory not only absorbed the essence of Marshal Tukhachevsky's deep strategy, but also made sufficient predictions about the possible technological development direction of future wars. :

At the same time, when Britain and France were still fond of dividing tanks into different functions such as "infantry tanks", "cavalry tanks" or "cruise tanks", the T34 adopted a "triple tank" similar to a universal tank, that is, a universal tank. "Unity" idea.

Koshkin gave the T34 the goal of integrating the three functions of npp (infantry support), dpp (long-distance infantry support), and PP (long-distance action) in terms of positioning, not just a "medium tank" .

The final result is that t34 is basically all-round and comprehensive in terms of main performance. This comprehensiveness is also fully reflected in the following points:

1.率先装备了76mm大口径长身管火炮，L11和F34是两型身管较长，初速较高的76mm火炮，尤其是f34。

This gives the T34/76 excellent anti-armor and anti-personnel capabilities.

在此之前，没有任何一种同类坦克能够装备像t34/76的f34这样有效的火炮，哪怕是同样装备75mm级别火炮的四号和b1坦克都只是分别属于短身管火炮或旧式火炮，在反坦克性能上都不如t34。

2.较早的使用了中等厚度的大倾斜装甲，45mm的60度法线角钢板带来的在1941年首屈一指车体正面防护水平，在1940年到1941年其正面车体足够防御除88炮以外的绝大多数反坦克炮的直射。

3.v2发动机尽管早期频繁出现可靠性问题，尤其是所配属的空气滤清器运转不良，但是仍然为t34提供了500马力的充沛动力，事实上这是1940年到1941年最澎湃的发动机。

总得来说，在1940到1941年以前量产的坦克里，只有kv1坦克装备了和t34/76性能相当的76mm口径级别的中长身管火炮

It is the combination of these key performances that gave t34 its epoch-making status at the beginning of its birth.

尤其是考虑到t34/76对德国和丑国同类装备的性能时间差，也就是从1941年苏德战争爆发到1942年下半年四号f2型坦克和早期的谢尔曼出现为止，丑国和德国，没有一款坦克在总体硬性指标上可以匹敌t34/76坦克。

As one of the main tanks of the Soviet Union, the T34 has enjoyed a large advantage in hard indicators for a whole year.

Although Germany equipped the Panzer III tank with a 50mm gun and the Panzer IV tank with a short 75mm gun during this year, they had the technological advantages of a three-person turret and subsystems.

It can better demonstrate its equipment level than the T34, and it can also eliminate the "rough and inferior" T34 tanks with more sophisticated tactics and command capabilities.

However, the performance advantages of the T34 still shocked them greatly, which also left a deep impression on the German officers including Guderian.

And the tilted armor shape of the T34 profoundly influenced the design of subsequent German Panther tanks.

The "t34 myth" spread in later generations also originated from this time period.

而对于1944年1月投入生产的t34/85而言，尽管由于豹式坦克的存在，使得t34/85的硬指标优势也不复存在，但是t34/85依然可以算得上是最好的30吨级坦克之一(豹式坦克45吨)。

And there is no doubt that compared to t34/76, t34/85 is a relatively mature design.

Before and after the Battle of Kursk, Germany's equipment sequence began to advance by leaps and bounds.

With the emergence and large-scale equipment of Tiger and Panther tanks, the Bears found that their F34 artillery was completely insufficient to damage these two tanks.

更何况德国的三号和四号坦克也在42到43年也开始把正面装甲提升到了70mm到80mm的水平，提高了其面对f34 76mm火炮的生存性。

因此，作为对德国装备更新和对库尔斯克之战惨胜反思的产物，1944年诞生的t34/85在t34/76的基做上做出了大量的改进：

It was first equipped with the d85t 5-fold 52mm gun, which is the same as the su85, and then was changed to the zis s53 85mm gun, which is lighter in weight and has a longer barrel.

At the same time, the larger turret of the T34/85 also brought about changes in the crew configuration. The addition of a gunner in the turret finally freed the commander from the heavy work tasks in the past. As a result, the commander can finally conduct full-time observation and command. (It also has an exclusive omnidirectional commander's observation tower), coupled with the actual increase in the space inside the turret, the overall man-machine efficiency of the T34/85 has been greatly improved compared to the T34/76.

最后，t34/85将炮塔的正面防护提高到了90mm，侧面也提高到了75mm，一举扭转了自t34/76以来炮塔里的乘员比车体里的乘员更容易死”的问题。

Another advantage of t34 that cannot be ignored is its amazing versatility.

Wartime designers developed a series of variant vehicles for the T34, the main ones including su85, su100 and su122.

On the basis of achieving better single performance goals than the T34, these variant vehicles use the same chassis and power system, so they can be produced without making major changes to the production line.

Also because most parts can be shared between different deformed vehicles, and even some large parts can be exchanged as a whole, it also has dual conveniences in production and wartime maintenance.

在1944年出现的su100坦克歼击车不但使用了威力强大的d10s 100mm反坦克炮，还拥有呈45度布置的75mm的正面倾斜装甲，使得其防护也超过了t34/85的水平

From the perspective of versatility, the German army obviously did the opposite.

The Germans equip each tank destroyer, assault gun and self-propelled artillery with a different tank chassis and superstructure, and the differences between different chassis are huge.

There are also too many types of artillery used. There are no less than four or five types of models derived from pak40 artillery and improved loading, and the artillery shells are not completely universal.

These problems have led to German production often experiencing a waste of production capacity due to shortages in the number of artillery or car bodies, as well as the huge pressure on logistics and production brought by a wide variety of chassis.

And if we look back from the perspective of God in later generations, the rear gearbox layout used by the T34 is indeed more suitable for reserving enough longitudinal space and weight for the front combat room to use thicker armor and more powerful weapons. At the same time, due to The reduced vehicle height without the need for a drive shaft also helps to lower the line of fire and reduce the defensive area.

This is why designers can improve upon their chassis to meet better performance goals.

In fact, for the T34/76 and T34/85, considering the time they have been used in the war, the former is more in line with the ideal universal tank, that is, the design of an all-round tank, while the latter follows the upgrading of opponent and allied tanks. The lead in performance has been basically lost (of course, under the same tonnage conditions, the performance of the T34 is still excellent), but with its excellent foundation and huge production volume, it is still the medium tank that the Soviet Union relies on most.

This is the controversial evaluation of the T34: The T34/76 enjoyed huge performance advantages on paper in the early days of the war, but was limited by craftsmanship, human-machine efficiency and the quality of the soldiers. It failed to reverse the war situation, but its main performance was very excellent. But it was highly praised by opponents who were shocked by it. This is the origin of the "myth" of t34.

In the middle of the war, as the Tiger and Leopard entered service, the technical advantages of the T34/76 were gradually lost and were often easily destroyed by tanks with better single-car performance such as the Tiger and Leopard. This also became a talking point for military fans to crazily belittle the T34 in the future.

With the emergence of the t1944/34 in 85, our evaluation of the t34 gradually became more rational, that is, as a qualified "victory tank" with a certain quality and huge quantity, it played a mainstay role in the war. effect.

(End of this chapter)