Produced by the U.S.S.R. during
its "Great Patriotic War" (Velikaya Otechestvennaya Voyna) as
World War 2 in referred to by Russians, the tank is viewed with a similar
reverence and affection to that which Britons hold for the Spitfire plane.
The T-34 is, I think that it is safe to say, considered to be the best
all-purpose tank of World War 2.
It had a powerful engine, was fast and extremely manoeuvrable. It was well
equipped and highly defendable because the high calibre anti-tank weapons of
the day could not penetrate its armour: they simply bounced off the tank!
In order to disable the T-34, the Germans needed to come in close and aim for
slits or its engine compartment. Ground troops literally needed to be in a
position to mount the tank and toss a grenade into the crew area.
Alternatively, the other hope of stopping it was via the use of air power.
It was a tremendous piece of technology for its day and played a major role in
the Red Army's defeat on the Eastern Front of the forces of Nazi Germany.
© Adeyinka Makinde (2025).
Adeyinka Makinde is a writer
based in London, England.
