T-43

History

While the classic T-34 medium tank helped the Soviet Union turn the tide of war in the East, some developments on the German side worried Soviet war planners. In May 1942, the Germans started using the 75mm KwK 40 L/48 anti-tank gun against the T-34 at range with continued success, so this is a new Soviet tank project, hopefully the T-34 medium tank will be successful The tank and the T-34 also advance the KV-1 heavy tank line by combining the best qualities of both - the speed/mobility of the former and the armor protection of the latter.

This approach was called the "universal tank" and basically laid the groundwork for the "main battle tank" of the Cold War era (1947-1991). The Soviet authorities instructed engineers at the Nizhny Tagil and Chelyabinsk production plants to start work on this new universal tank so that a single design could replace two or more types in service and help break the scourge of German tanks, every time.

Nizhni Tagil Plant - Plant No. 183 (Ural Wagon Plant) is responsible for the project, as workers in Chelyabinsk are deeply involved in the KW-13 program (detailed elsewhere on this website).

The design was heavily influenced by the T-34 in service, and carried over through its stout sloping fuselage fairing, while paired with a new, more spacious three-man turret containing the primary armament. The weapon of choice was the same 76.2mm F-34 gun as the T-34, which had proven itself on the battlefield against German armor, and was placed on the front of the turret. The radio operator and his machine gun position in the bow were removed to move the driver's position further to the centerline, albeit slightly offset to the starboard side of the forward hull.

The new turret had better armor protection than the T-34 and had a 7.62mm DT machine gun in a coaxial mount as an anti-infantry measure. The armor protection of the new tank ranges from 16mm to 90mm, along the various fairings, the more important front and side panels of the hull (70mm) and the turret (90mm), are inevitably subject to further enemy protection.

More direct hits. To the left of the turret roof line is a commander's cupola. There were four people inside - the driver, the tank commander, the gunner and the loader.

The landing gear includes five large wheels on the fuselage side, no track return rollers are used. Unlike the T-34's American Christie suspension, the T-43 features a more modern torsion bar arrangement to improve off-road capability while reducing complexity. Propulsion comes from a 500-horsepower V-2-34 12-cylinder diesel engine, which enables a 48 km/h travel speed and 300 km range.

The vehicle can wade in water up to a depth of 1.3 meters.

The final product is 8 meters long, 3 meters wide and 2.58 meters high. The weight reaches 34 tons. Up to 70% of the existing T-34 (1943 model) parts were used to make the T-43.

Comments were quick to note that the T-43 was vulnerable to German 88mm anti-aircraft guns, which were heavily used in anti-tank (AT) roles (and the Tiger I heavy tank's primary weapon). The fact that the T-43 was found to be no better in armor protection and maneuverability than the T-34 was worrying. In addition, the weight of the additional armor and the new turret reduced road speed and hindered the tank's maneuverability, especially off-road.

If the T-43 program matured for mass production, the switch to an entirely new turret would also disrupt production at many important Soviet facilities.

Furthermore, during the Battle of Kursk (July 5, 1943 - August 23, 1943) - Germany's last "blitzkrieg", the T-34 again played a leading role - aftermath reports indicate that, The only thing missing from the existing T-34 is a more powerful main gun. In response, T-43 engineers attempted to install a more powerful 85mm D-5T main gun in an improved version of the new T-43 turret, but this effort did not contribute to the success of the T-43 project. Simply arming an existing T-34 became more convenient - this gave rise to the famous T-34/85 medium tank design (detailed elsewhere on this site).

For this reason, the T-43 program was completely discontinued and only one prototype was realized.

For the Germans who suspected that the T-34's successor, the T-34, was named "T-43", the T-34/85 was in production when it entered service in 1944, as the Soviet Army's standard main battle tanks were Misidentified as the new T-43, German war reports often refer to the "T-43" in direct combat service on the Eastern Front.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes