aced on the left side of the vehicle and could be hit more easily than one in a more conventional tank. Armor thickness was 75 mm (2.95 in) for hull and 90 mm (3.54 in) on the front of the turret. The side armor was 45 mm (1.77 in) thick and it could have a 30 mm plate added.
However, there was widespread skepticism over the design – the engine and transmission in particular. A 12 cylinder engine with a displacement of 40 liters which was perpendicular to the direction of travel could break the connection rods and effectively disable the tank. However, Morozov argued that whilst transmission was complicated by this, it did solve some problems. Firstly, the engine and transmission were now more accessible for maintenance. Secondly, the turret could now be placed in the center of the hull, which moved the vehicle’s rotational axis and center of mass, thus making the main gun more accurate.
The thickness of the armor could also be doubled without disturbing the vehicle’s center of mass, which meant that it could be better protected whilst maintaining stability. Whilst these developments sound superb, the trials that the T-44-122 undertook in February and March 1944 were not successful, as the gun failed.
Trials were resumed in April and May after a brief return to the factory for repairs. It was put up against a captured Panther tank and the second T-44-85 prototype. It did not go well. It was discovered that the rate of fire was no more than three rounds per minute because the ammo was so heavy. As well as this, the turret was cramped and had an abysmal storage space that could only fit 24 rounds. Development of the T-44-122 was subsequently ended. However, the second T-44-85 prototypes showed somewhat more promise. Other than mounting the smaller 85 mm (3.35 in) gun, they had minor differences between them, such as the position of the driver’s hatch, and one having a splashboard on the glacis plate.
One of the prototypes had an 85 mm ZiS-S-53 gun and an increased turret armor of 115 mm (4.53 in), as well as hull side armor being upped to 75 mm (2.95 in). Despite this, it only weighed 31.8 tonnes. It passed the trials at the NIBT training grounds near Kubinka in June and July of 1944. Also, it did not feature a hull radio operator / machine gunner position, because the Red Army deemed it practically worthless – it was a weak point and firing the machine gun was ineffective due to obscured vision of targets. The radio operator duty was given to the commander, as having another crew member was simply inefficient.
The second T-44 prototype.
This was now designated the T-44A, after the Morozov Design Bureau had moved back to their original location of Kharkiv. It had a new V-44 12-cylinder 4-stroke diesel engine, producing 520 hp and gave the tank a top speed of 60 km/h (37 mph). Also, the driver’s hatch was moved onto the roof of the hull and the vision flap was replaced by a vision slot in the glacis plate. After some more trials in August and September 1944, it received a few minor upgrades which made it weight 32 tonnes. It was officially taken into service on the 23rd of November, 1944, but was never fielded during WWII.
There were attempts to mount a 100 mm (3.94 in) gun on the T-44. In 1944, the Red Army had several potential guns of this caliber to mount, the D-10 (as used on the SU-100) and two prototype guns – the LB-1 and ZiS-100. Two prototypes of this vehicles were made, and were designated T-44B. Like the two T-44-85 prototypes, one had a splashboard and the other did not. Testing was conducted from October 1944 to February 1945, with further trials in March and April. The T-44/100 would later be accepted into service as the T-54.
Most T-44 variants came about as a result of a modernization that took place in the early 1960s.
The T-44M was given parts from the new T-54 tank, such as a new gearbox, improved radio, space for three extra shells, night vision and infra-red sights, increased fuel capacity by 150 liters, and additional minor changes, in 1961.
The T-44MK was a command version of the T-44M. It was given 