The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940, famously deployed during World War II against Operation Barbarossa. Its 76.2 mm high-velocity tank gun was more powerful than its contemporarieswhile its 60 degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The sloped armour and Christie suspension were inherited from the design of American J. Walter Christie's M1928 tank,versions of which were sold turret-less to the Red Army and documented as "farm tractors", after being rejected by the U.S. Army. The T-34 had a profound effect on the conflict on the Eastern Front in the Second World War, and had a lasting impact on tank design. The T-34 was the mainstay of Soviet armoured forces throughout the war. Its general specifications remained nearly unchanged until early 1944, when it received a firepower upgrade with the introduction of the greatly improved T-34/85 variant. Its production method was continuously refined and rationalized to meet the needs of the Eastern Front, making the T-34 quicker and cheaper to produce. The Soviets ultimately built over 80,000 T-34s of all variants. As the war progressed the Germans created heavier tank designs like the Tiger I or Panther which were both immune to the 76mm gun of the T-34 when fired upon from the front. This meant that they could only be penetrated from the sides at ranges of a few hundred metres. Due to low anti-tank performance, the T-34 was upgraded during 1944 to the T-34-85 model. This model, with its 85 mm D-5T and later ZIS gun, provided greatly increased firepower compared to the previous T-34's 76.2mm gun. The 85 mm ZIS gun could penetrate the turret front of a Tiger I tank from 500 m and the driver's front plate from 300 m at the side angle of 30 degrees, and the larger turret enabled the addition of another crew member, allowing the roles of commander and gunner to be separated and increasing the rate of fire and overall effectiveness. The D-5T was capable of penetrating the Tiger I's upper hull armour at 1,000 metres.
The greater length of the 85 mm gun barrel - 4.645 m - made it necessary for crews to be careful not to plough it into the ground on bumpy roads or in combat. Standard practice when moving the T-34-85 cross-country in non-combat situations was to fully elevate the gun, or reverse the turret.
What is included:
Poser ERC figures:
Turret 1944
Turret 1945
Turret 1950
D-5T Tank Gun
ZIS-S-53 Tunk Gun
Muzzle Flame
Smart props:
Bustle Ammo Reserve
Side Rack Ammo Reserve
DT Magazines Reserve
PPS-43
Gunner Seat Strut Base (parents to hull interior ammor crates, not included)
Smoke Cloud (Parents to Muzzle Flame)
BONUS props:
Front, Left, Right and Rear Spare Tracks (part of next release Ultimate T-34 Equipment)
Materials
PBR and specular for figures and props with metallic material zones
1944 RKKA Turret camo, 1945 RKKA Berlin Operation, 1950 CSLA camo
Lights:
Muzzle Flame Point Light Preset
Poses:
Manual and Powered Traverse Handle Position