|Hello dear reader! This article is in need of some care and attention and may contain errors or inaccuracies. If you spot anything out of place, please let us know!|
A near total redesign
The T-44 medium tank came about as a successor to the world-famous T-34. However, it was a near-total redesign. It was made with the intention of having greater cross-country performance and more effective armor. In 1943, the plan was to mount the 85 mm (3.35 in) gun on a new, and improved platform, taking into account all the lessons learned from the T-34. However, when the T-34/85 was produced, it was clear that the T-44 lost out on its cutting edge design somewhat (as it shared some features with the T-34/85), and the design was considered less important than increasing T-34 production.
Developing and producing a new vehicle would slow down overall production of tanks – something the Red Army could hardly afford, even by this stage of the war. The T-44 project was reworked later in the war, and although it was mass produced, it was still a very secretive design. The T-44 design was subject to some attempts to give it a larger armament after the war, which led directly on to the highly successful T-54/55 tanks.
The design process of this tank was long, laborious, and goes as far back as 1940, when T-34 production had only just started. There were various plans to improve the tank’s capabilities which led to a whole host of new designs such as the T-34/85, T-34/100, and T-43, just to name a few of the more commonly known ones. The T-44 was another of these ideas has its roots in the T-34M. It was designed with greater armor, a three-man hexagonal turret (similar to the T-34/85), modern torsion bar suspension and road wheels that featured internal shock absorption, which would improve its off-road capabilities. The regular T-34 used Christie suspension that had now become outdated and had a tendency to give a very uncomfortable ride.
Further improvements included greater fuel capacity and more ammunition carrying space. The transversely-mounted engine was connected to an 8-speed transmission system. A transversely-mounted engine meant that the crankshaft axis was perpendicular to the long axis of the vehicle, which not only made the entire transmission system more reliable (a real problem faced by Soviet tank crews during the war), but it made the system smaller, thus giving the crew more room, which was a total luxury in Soviet tanks.
Five sets of armor plates for the hull of a T-34M were produced by the Zhdanov Metallurgical Factory and given to Zavod Nr. 183 in Kharkiv. However, the facility had no time for this development, as it was far too busy producing the T-34, in light of decimating AFV losses against the Wehrmacht in 1941. Work on the T-34M ceased in early 1941, and the idea of gradually improving the design was considered the best way to ensure efficient production of vehicles to fight the war. Development of an almost totally new vehicle would have taken up precious time and resources, as well as there being a period in which factory workers, factories, and tank crews had to be retrained and retooled for the job.
The next major development was the T-43 in 1942. As a result of what was learned on the Eastern Front, the Red Army needed a stronger medium tank to deal with the more effective guns of newer German tanks, such as the Tiger and more updated versions of the Panzer IV. The Red Army wanted better protection, but as little weight increase as possible. They recognized that mobility would play a key role in their deep battle tactic, as proven with strong armored but slow tanks like the KV series, which were deemed unsuitable for such tactics. However, the T-43 project focused on increasing armor and allowing a turreted vehicle to carry an 85 mm (3.35 in) gun, at a time when ease of production was paramount. The T-43’s entry into production was canceled, despite being recommended for service. However, there was one significant development that the designers kept – the turret.
This new turret could not only mount the much