Osprey New Vanguard 20 : T-34/85 Medium Tank 1944-1994

The T-34/85 tank is one of those rare weapons that have remained in service for more than half a century. First introduced in 1944, it has seen combat in nearly every corner of the globe. Although long obsolete in Europe, it has proven a reliable and potent weapon in many Third World conflicts, and is still in service with more than a dozen armies around the world. In T-34/85 Medium Tank 1944-1994 Steven Zaloga and Jim Kinnear look at this long-serving tank at length. The military background to its development (the Battle of Kursk and the introduction in significant numbers of the heavily armed and armoured German Tiger and Panther tanks) is recounted, as is the operational history of the tank. It's performance against both the Panther and the King Tiger is evaluated. Variants are looked at in detail and the tanks control systems are examined. Post war modifications to the tank are discussed and its performance in combat during the post-war period investigated. T-34/85s in African, Asian and Middle Eastern conflicts are all studied and their success or otherwise accounted for. Conversion of obsolete tanks into other forms of vehicle such as the WPT-34 armoured evacuation tractor is also detailed. An excellent book covering a wide geographical and historical span. Illustrations by Peter Sarson.

Contents

• Design and Development
• Operational History
• Variants
• Late-War Production Improvements
• Inside the T-34-85
• Post-War Modifications
• Technical Support Variants
• T-34/85 in Post-War Combat