Difference between revisions of "T-34-85E"

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{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_t_34_85E}}
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{{About
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| about = Soviet medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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| usage = other versions
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| link = T-34 (Family)
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}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=ussr_t_34_85E
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
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<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced as a [[wt:en/news/3071--en|premium pack]] in  [[Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory"]]. It was discontinued after the [[wt:en/news/5488-shop-victory-day-allied-bundles-and-discounts-en|2018 Victory Day]] sales.
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 +
The T-34-85E is essentially a gift version of the [[T-34-85]], it has nearly the same characteristics and the only difference would be the mesh screens added onto the turret and hull. It is an improvement over the original's predecessor, the [[T-34-85 (D-5T)]] with a better armament, ammo, and an additional crew member. Aside from that, both tanks' technical specifications are pretty much the same.
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The front hull armour is only 45 mm thick, even when sloped this is a pitiful amount of armour to fight with against the other vehicles at its BR as every other tank gun can penetrate that armour. Thus if possible, do not prolong the exposure of the hull armour towards the enemy.
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As the T-34-85E is statistically the same as the T-34-85, many of the latter's strategy work well in the former. The T-34-85E's best playstyle is that of a flanker. Due to its high mobility, fast turret traverse, and a capable cannon with excellent post-penetration damage, the T-34-85E fills this role perfectly. Since the turret is so tall, it makes combat behind low obstacles difficult, as the turret segment above the main gun is visible. The T-34-85E's other playstyle can be as a support tank, by keeping up with more protected vehicles like the [[IS-2]] and supplement firepower while their heavy armament reloads.
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The T-34-85E would not make a very suitable short-range brawler though even with the 85 mm gun as the gun has a rather tedious reload for the specific playstyle and the T-34's armour is very poor at its BR. With that, the T-34-85E would tend to be able to fire one shot at a close enemy before it gets taken out by other enemies nearby. However, it is understandable that the situation is unavoidable, so it is recommended to stay steady by firing one shot at an unsuspecting enemy at close range before retreating to reload, evading enemy shots.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
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''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
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<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
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Any enemy vehicle around the T-34-85E's BR can destroy it if it can get a solid shot on the hull armour. Beware when exposing hull when coming out to take a shot on an enemy, someone is bound to be watching for the T-34-85 and they won't be afraid to plant a shell into the 45 mm hull armour.
  
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''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
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'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Cupola, Driver's hatch, Machine gun port)
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
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| Hull || 45 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 45 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 75 mm (60°) ''Driver's hatch'' <br> 65 mm (30°) ''Machine gun port'' || 45 mm (39-40°) ''Top'' <br> 45 mm ''Bottom'' || 45 mm (47-49°) ''Top'' <br> 45 mm (46°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
 +
|-
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| Turret || 90 mm (1-69°) ''Turret front'' <br> 90 mm (8-61°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 75 mm (19-22°) ''Front 2/3rd'' <br> 52 mm (13-19°) ''Rear 1/3rd'' || 52 mm (9°) || 20 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Cupola || 90 mm || 90 mm || 90 mm || 20 mm
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|-
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|}
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'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
* Unlike the original T-34-85 which has 40 mm armour plates behind the 90 mm thick gun mantlet, this vehicle doesn't have those additional 40 mm armour plates.
 +
* Suspensions wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 18 mm thick
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}
  
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== Weaponry ==
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=== Modifications and economy ===
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=== Main weaponry ===
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{{Specs-Economy}}
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''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
 
  
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=== Additional weaponry ===
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== Armaments ==
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''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
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=== Main armament ===
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
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{{main|ZIS-S-53 (85 mm)}}
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 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[ZIS-S-53 (85 mm)|85 mm ZIS-S-53]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
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|-
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! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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|-
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! ''Arcade''
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| rowspan="2" | 60 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+22° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 23.8 || 32.9 || 40.0 || 44.2 || 47.1 || rowspan="2" | 9.62 || rowspan="2" | 8.51 || rowspan="2" | 7.84 || rowspan="2" | 7.40
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|-
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! ''Realistic''
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| 14.9 || 17.5 || 21.3 || 23.5 || 25.0
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|-
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|}
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==== Ammunition ====
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{{:ZIS-S-53 (85 mm)/Ammunition|BR-365K, BR-365A, BR-365P, O-365K}}
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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[[File:Ammoracks_T-34-85.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the T-34-85]]
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<!-- '''Last updated: 2.7.0.208''' -->
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! Full<br>ammo
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! 1st<br>rack empty
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! 2nd<br>rack empty
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! 3rd<br>rack empty
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! 4th<br>rack empty
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! 5th<br>rack empty
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! 6th<br>rack empty
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|-
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| '''60''' || 57&nbsp;''(+3)'' || 55&nbsp;''(+5)'' || 54&nbsp;''(+6)'' || 48&nbsp;''(+12)'' || 43&nbsp;''(+17)'' || 37&nbsp;''(+23)''
 +
|-
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! 7th<br>rack empty
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! 8th<br>rack empty
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! 9th<br>rack empty
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! 10th<br>rack empty
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! 11th<br>rack empty
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! Visual<br>discrepancy
 +
!
 +
|-
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| 31&nbsp;''(+29)'' || 25&nbsp;''(+35)'' || 19&nbsp;''(+41)'' || 17&nbsp;''(+43)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+59)'' || No
 +
!
 +
|-
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|}
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'''Notes''':
 +
 
 +
* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
 +
* Rack 11 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 16 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
 +
* This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 11 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 10.
 +
* If you pack 17&nbsp;''(+43)'' shells, it will keep the hull empty of ammo.
 +
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 10 into rack 11. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
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''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
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<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
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{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}
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 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
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|-
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
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|-
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| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
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|-
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|}
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 +
== Usage in battles ==
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<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
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The T-34-85E can do well in many environments with its battle role, though it is recommended to stay away from large open areas as bigger guns like the Tiger's [[KwK36 (88 mm)|88 mm]] can chew up the T-34-85E from a long-range. Thus, it is best to stay in cover, like fighting in the forests and urban areas. Using its mobility, attempt to flank enemy tanks to hit them before they realize where the T-34-85E is. Even if caught in a frontal engagement, the 85 mm gun can dish out enough penetration to get through weak points on most enemy tanks like the Tiger I's front hull plate and the Panther's gun mantlet. In these engagement, keep little hope in hull armour and hull angling, shoot first and evade, otherwise enemy tanks will be able to destroy the T-34-85E easily.
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Any enemy vehicle around the T-34-85E's BR bracket can destroy it if it can get a solid shot on the hull armour. Beware when exposing hull when coming out to take a shot on an enemy, someone is bound to be watching for the T-34-85E and they won't be afraid to plant a shell into the 45 mm hull armour.
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Even if upgunned with the [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm gun]] with a much more protective turret, the T-34-85E's hull armour is just as thick as it was on the [[T-34 (1942)|1942 variant]]. As such, the T-34-85E is very vulnerable to tanks BR 5.7 and higher since they have guns able to tear through the armour.
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As such, it is best to keep T-34-85E away from the front arc of beasts like the [[Panther A|Panther]], [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]], and IS-2 and try aiming for their much more vulnerable side armour. It is best for the T-34-85E to do so as the post-penetration damage of the 85 mm gun can do much more damage hitting through the side right into the middle of the hull than it is from the front. Against medium tanks like [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3 Shermans]], [[Pz.IV H|Panzer IVs]], and other T-34-85Es, it is safe to fight them frontally as long as the player T-34-85E gets the first, penetrating shot on the enemy tank, as the first tank to shoot and hit tends to be the winner.
 +
 
 +
'''Enemies worth noting:'''
  
−
== Usage in the battles ==
+
[[Panther A]], [[Panther D]], [[Tiger II (P)]] - The Panthers are one of the most common tanks around BR 5.7, and they pose a great threat with their deadly long 75 mm cannon, thick frontal armour and adequate speed. You want to avoid engaging them at long range as the T-34 has only x3.5 scope magnification, making long range shooting super hard. Engage the Panthers within 500 m and avoid shooting their frontal hull. Their biggest weak spot is the gun mantlet, which is only 100 mm thick and has a flat part in the middle. That is where you want to aim at, the T-34's APHE has sufficient damage to instantly destroy the Panther even from its turret. The second weak spot is of course the sides, guaranteeing an instant kill. Generally APHE is enough to deal with the Panthers, and no APCR is needed. For the Tiger II P, aim at the vertical area of the frontal turret which is also 100 mm. The best tactic is still to flank it however.
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
 
 +
[[Tiger H1]]/[[Tiger E]] - The Tiger's weak spots are the opposite with the Panthers. Their hull are unsloped and rather thin, while the gun mantlet is weirdly shaped and can absorb quite some shells. The best engaging range remains the same, within 500 m. If the Tiger is angling, aim at the turret ring to disable the gunner and destroy the turret traverse, or aim at the hull side below the side skirt, which is only 60 mm. If it is not angling, aim between the driver's vision port and the MG for an instant kill. Avoid shooting at these two parts as they tend to bounce/absorb shells. For the Tiger E, don't shoot at the lower glacis as there will be add-on tracks installed there, making it harder to penetrate.
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 +
[[Ho-Ri Production]] - In a frontal engagement, APCR is required as the APHE shells don't have enough penetration. With APCR loaded, aim at the further sides of the fighting compartment, away from the gun, because the further from the gun, the thinner the armour gets, with the thinnest part being around 160 mm unsloped. Penetrating there will knock out its loader, gunner or commander, or detonate the ammo. Of course, the best way is still side-shooting with APHE.
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 +
[[Panzer IV/70(V)]], [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]] - These small tank destroyers with their well angled frontal armour can be quite a problem from a distance. With APHE, you can disable their transmission by shooting at their lower glacis. Now if you can, flank them. The 85 mm APHE does a great job at penetrating sloped, thin armour, so you don't have to get to their absolute sides. For the Pz IV/70, you can also aim at the downward part of the gun mantlet since the shell might ricochet downwards into the hull, knocking out every crew member. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) doesn't have this problem, so side-shooting is required to destroy it effectively.
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 +
[[M4A3E2]] Jumbo - This is another common enemy. It is recommended to use the BR-365A, the one with less penetration but more explosive filler. The reason is that it is better at penetrating sloped armour, which the Jumbo has. With that shell you can easily destroy a M4A3E2 who's not angling. If it is, aim at the hull side just above the tracks, or load APCR and shoot straight at its gun mantlet. Against a 75 mm M4A3E2 you can relax a bit as it will struggle to penetrate your armour, but your cupola is a rather large weak spot and a shot through there can knock out the T-34. Be more careful with the M4A3E2 76 W, as they can easily pierce through your armour.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 +
'''Pros:'''
  
−
'''Pros:'''
+
* Excellent firepower: adequate penetration, destructive damage and good reload rate
−
*
+
* Has two types of APHE for players to choose from: BR-365K with higher penetration but less TNT, and BR-365A with less penetration but plenty of TNT, either of which are enough to knock out most tanks with a single round
 +
* 56 km/h top speed and great manoeuvrability allows it to reposition or flank easily
 +
* 5-man crew increases survivability against solid shells
 +
* Similar playstyle with the previous T-34s which is beginner-friendly
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* Fast turret traverse to easily deal with targets from multiple directions
 +
* Sloped hull and round frontal turret might bounce low-penetrating guns like the 75 mm M3 on early [[M4]] Shermans
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
 
  
−
== Historical part ==
+
* Armour is extremely thin, providing very limited protection against common guns (American 76 mm, British 17-pdr, German 75 mm & 88 mm, etc)
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
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* Crew members are closely packed, a well-aimed shot tends to knock them all out
 +
* -5 degrees gun depression is below average, limiting its capability in hilly maps
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* Poor reverse speed
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* Large turret profile makes it easier to get spotted and shot
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* Wire mesh screens do little against HEATFS, let alone any normal HEAT rounds which are commonly used by early cold war tanks (e.g. [[Type 60 SPRG (C)|Type 60]]) in an uptier
 +
* Awkward to place bushes on upper front hull due to the obstruction of MG port and driver's optics
 +
 
 +
== History ==
 +
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 +
{{main|T-34-85#History|l1=History of the T-34-85}}
 +
 
 +
=== T-34-85E ===
 +
In the final months of World War II, the T-34-85 was still very adequate as a medium tank, but the high casualties suffered by the fanatic defenders of Germany and their anti-tank weapons made the crew seek out a way to increase the tank's survivability against these infantry weapons. The crew improvised in the field modifications, and one of the method to shield the T-34s was to apply thin metal sheets or mesh screens onto the T-34 body in hopes that it would disrupt the warheads of Panzerfaust or Panzershreck before it detonates on the hull. These improvised T-34-85s were called '''T-34-85E''' with "E" for "ekranami" or "with screens".
 +
 
 +
However, it was found that these improvisation actually did not reliably stop an anti-tank warhead from penetrating the armour of the tank, or even disrupt the flight path to the target, the warhead would often just tear through the extra screens and hit the hull. Therefore, the practice of adding these screens was actually not widespread throughout the entire armoured forces, but enough were made that they were documented during the Battle of Berlin in many historical photographs as casualties from the tank crew man are so high that any chances of survival are taken in hopes of living to fight another day.
 +
 
 +
Overall, except with the addition of improvised screenings, the T-34-85E performed just like a regular [[T-34-85]] in terms of mobility and firepower.
 +
 
 +
{{break}}
 +
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
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{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
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The T-34-85 medium tank was equipped in field conditions with screens to protect it against high-explosive antitank projectiles during the assault on Berlin. During the Berlin strategic offensive the Red Army's tank divisions encountered a problem with increased human casualties and lost combat vehicles due to the enemy's use of portable anti-tank grenade launchers with high-explosive antitank grenades. The greatest difficulty involved conducting military operations in urban areas, where the enemy had the opportunity to use portable anti-tank guns from a large amount of cover at close range. One of the attempts to reduce the effectiveness of these munitions involved using mesh screens installed on the body of the tank a certain distance from the armour plating. These mesh screens were presumably built in tank-repair workshops. However, the screens did not provide effective defence.
 +
{{Navigation-End}}
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
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''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
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<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
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;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_t_34_85E Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
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 +
;Images
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<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
 +
Image:T3485E hist.jpg|<small>Historical photo of the T-34-85E</small>
 +
</gallery>
  
−
== Read also ==
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== See also ==
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
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<!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
−
''ETC.''
+
 
 +
;Other T-34-85 variants
 +
* [[T-34-85 (D-5T)]]
 +
* [[T-34-85]]
 +
* [[T-34-85 No.215]]
 +
* [[Т-34-85 (S-53) (China)]]
 +
* [[Т-34-85 Gai]]
  
−
== Sources ==
+
== External links ==
−
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''page on the Wikipedia;''
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* ''other literature.'' -->
−
* ''other literature.''
+
 
 +
* [[wt:en/news/3059--en|[Series] Weapons of Victory: T-34-85E]]
 +
* [[wikipedia:T-34|[Wikipedia] T-34]]
 +
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_T34-85 <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> T-34-85]
 +
 
 +
{{TankManufacturer Morozov}}
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{{USSR medium tanks}}
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{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

Latest revision as of 21:28, 28 January 2023

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
This page is about the Soviet medium tank T-34-85E. For other versions, see T-34 (Family).
T-34-85E
ussr_t_34_85e.png
GarageImage T-34-85E.jpg
T-34-85E
USSR flag.png USSR
IV Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.7 5.7 5.7
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:Bundle or Gift
Show in game

Description

The T-34-85E is a premium gift rank IV Soviet medium tank with a battle rating of 5.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced as a premium pack in Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory". It was discontinued after the 2018 Victory Day sales.

The T-34-85E is essentially a gift version of the T-34-85, it has nearly the same characteristics and the only difference would be the mesh screens added onto the turret and hull. It is an improvement over the original's predecessor, the T-34-85 (D-5T) with a better armament, ammo, and an additional crew member. Aside from that, both tanks' technical specifications are pretty much the same.

The front hull armour is only 45 mm thick, even when sloped this is a pitiful amount of armour to fight with against the other vehicles at its BR as every other tank gun can penetrate that armour. Thus if possible, do not prolong the exposure of the hull armour towards the enemy.

As the T-34-85E is statistically the same as the T-34-85, many of the latter's strategy work well in the former. The T-34-85E's best playstyle is that of a flanker. Due to its high mobility, fast turret traverse, and a capable cannon with excellent post-penetration damage, the T-34-85E fills this role perfectly. Since the turret is so tall, it makes combat behind low obstacles difficult, as the turret segment above the main gun is visible. The T-34-85E's other playstyle can be as a support tank, by keeping up with more protected vehicles like the IS-2 and supplement firepower while their heavy armament reloads.

The T-34-85E would not make a very suitable short-range brawler though even with the 85 mm gun as the gun has a rather tedious reload for the specific playstyle and the T-34's armour is very poor at its BR. With that, the T-34-85E would tend to be able to fire one shot at a close enemy before it gets taken out by other enemies nearby. However, it is understandable that the situation is unavoidable, so it is recommended to stay steady by firing one shot at an unsuspecting enemy at close range before retreating to reload, evading enemy shots.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull45 / 45 / 45
Turret90 / 75 / 52
Crew5 people
Visibility100 %

Any enemy vehicle around the T-34-85E's BR can destroy it if it can get a solid shot on the hull armour. Beware when exposing hull when coming out to take a shot on an enemy, someone is bound to be watching for the T-34-85 and they won't be afraid to plant a shell into the 45 mm hull armour.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Cupola, Driver's hatch, Machine gun port)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 45 mm (60°) Front glacis
45 mm (60°) Lower glacis
75 mm (60°) Driver's hatch
65 mm (30°) Machine gun port 		45 mm (39-40°) Top
45 mm Bottom 		45 mm (47-49°) Top
45 mm (46°) Bottom 		20 mm
Turret 90 mm (1-69°) Turret front
90 mm (8-61°) Gun mantlet 		75 mm (19-22°) Front 2/3rd
52 mm (13-19°) Rear 1/3rd 		52 mm (9°) 20 mm
Cupola 90 mm 90 mm 90 mm 20 mm

Notes:

  • Unlike the original T-34-85 which has 40 mm armour plates behind the 90 mm thick gun mantlet, this vehicle doesn't have those additional 40 mm armour plates.
  • Suspensions wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 18 mm thick

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB62 / 10 km/h
RB and SB55 / 9 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight32.0 t
Engine power
AB954 hp
RB and SB500 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB29.8 hp/t
RB and SB15.6 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 62 10 32 775 954 24.22 29.81
Realistic 55 9 442 500 13.81 15.63

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB2 069 Sl icon.png
RB2 315 Sl icon.png
SB3 088 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts320 000 Sl icon.png
Aces800 Ge icon.png
Research Aces1 050 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 110 / 180 / 210 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 172 / 172 / 172 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement ussr.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank ammo.png
85mm_APHE_ammo_pack
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Mods tank ammo.png
85mm_APCR_ammo_pack
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support

Armaments

Main armament

85 mm ZIS-S-53 cannon
Ammunition60 rounds
First-order16 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
9.6 → 7.4 s
Vertical guidance-5° / 22°
Main article: ZIS-S-53 (85 mm)
85 mm ZIS-S-53 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 60 -5°/+22° ±180° N/A 23.8 32.9 40.0 44.2 47.1 9.62 8.51 7.84 7.40
Realistic 14.9 17.5 21.3 23.5 25.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
BR-365K APHE 148 143 126 106 90 77
BR-365A APHEBC 135 133 124 114 104 95
BR-365P APCR 195 187 154 122 96 76
O-365K HE 19 18 17 16 15 14
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
BR-365K APHE 792 9.2 1.2 14 77 47° 60° 65°
BR-365A APHEBC 792 9.2 1.2 14 164 48° 63° 71°
BR-365P APCR 1,050 4.99 - - - 66° 70° 72°
O-365K HE 785 9.54 0.2 0.1 741 79° 80° 81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the T-34-85
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty
60 57 (+3) 55 (+5) 54 (+6) 48 (+12) 43 (+17) 37 (+23)
7th
rack empty 		8th
rack empty 		9th
rack empty 		10th
rack empty 		11th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
31 (+29) 25 (+35) 19 (+41) 17 (+43) 1 (+59) No

Notes:

  • Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
  • Rack 11 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 16 shells and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
  • This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 11 - 1 - 2 - etc. until 10.
  • If you pack 17 (+43) shells, it will keep the hull empty of ammo.
  • Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from racks 1 to 10 into rack 11. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

Machine guns

7.62 mm DT machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition1 890 rounds
Belt capacity63 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main article: DT (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm DT
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 1,890 (63) 600 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

The T-34-85E can do well in many environments with its battle role, though it is recommended to stay away from large open areas as bigger guns like the Tiger's 88 mm can chew up the T-34-85E from a long-range. Thus, it is best to stay in cover, like fighting in the forests and urban areas. Using its mobility, attempt to flank enemy tanks to hit them before they realize where the T-34-85E is. Even if caught in a frontal engagement, the 85 mm gun can dish out enough penetration to get through weak points on most enemy tanks like the Tiger I's front hull plate and the Panther's gun mantlet. In these engagement, keep little hope in hull armour and hull angling, shoot first and evade, otherwise enemy tanks will be able to destroy the T-34-85E easily.

Any enemy vehicle around the T-34-85E's BR bracket can destroy it if it can get a solid shot on the hull armour. Beware when exposing hull when coming out to take a shot on an enemy, someone is bound to be watching for the T-34-85E and they won't be afraid to plant a shell into the 45 mm hull armour.

Even if upgunned with the 85 mm gun with a much more protective turret, the T-34-85E's hull armour is just as thick as it was on the 1942 variant. As such, the T-34-85E is very vulnerable to tanks BR 5.7 and higher since they have guns able to tear through the armour.

As such, it is best to keep T-34-85E away from the front arc of beasts like the Panther, Tiger I, and IS-2 and try aiming for their much more vulnerable side armour. It is best for the T-34-85E to do so as the post-penetration damage of the 85 mm gun can do much more damage hitting through the side right into the middle of the hull than it is from the front. Against medium tanks like M4A3 Shermans, Panzer IVs, and other T-34-85Es, it is safe to fight them frontally as long as the player T-34-85E gets the first, penetrating shot on the enemy tank, as the first tank to shoot and hit tends to be the winner.

Enemies worth noting:

Panther A, Panther D, Tiger II (P) - The Panthers are one of the most common tanks around BR 5.7, and they pose a great threat with their deadly long 75 mm cannon, thick frontal armour and adequate speed. You want to avoid engaging them at long range as the T-34 has only x3.5 scope magnification, making long range shooting super hard. Engage the Panthers within 500 m and avoid shooting their frontal hull. Their biggest weak spot is the gun mantlet, which is only 100 mm thick and has a flat part in the middle. That is where you want to aim at, the T-34's APHE has sufficient damage to instantly destroy the Panther even from its turret. The second weak spot is of course the sides, guaranteeing an instant kill. Generally APHE is enough to deal with the Panthers, and no APCR is needed. For the Tiger II P, aim at the vertical area of the frontal turret which is also 100 mm. The best tactic is still to flank it however.

Tiger H1/Tiger E - The Tiger's weak spots are the opposite with the Panthers. Their hull are unsloped and rather thin, while the gun mantlet is weirdly shaped and can absorb quite some shells. The best engaging range remains the same, within 500 m. If the Tiger is angling, aim at the turret ring to disable the gunner and destroy the turret traverse, or aim at the hull side below the side skirt, which is only 60 mm. If it is not angling, aim between the driver's vision port and the MG for an instant kill. Avoid shooting at these two parts as they tend to bounce/absorb shells. For the Tiger E, don't shoot at the lower glacis as there will be add-on tracks installed there, making it harder to penetrate.

Ho-Ri Production - In a frontal engagement, APCR is required as the APHE shells don't have enough penetration. With APCR loaded, aim at the further sides of the fighting compartment, away from the gun, because the further from the gun, the thinner the armour gets, with the thinnest part being around 160 mm unsloped. Penetrating there will knock out its loader, gunner or commander, or detonate the ammo. Of course, the best way is still side-shooting with APHE.

Panzer IV/70(V), Jagdpanzer 38(t) - These small tank destroyers with their well angled frontal armour can be quite a problem from a distance. With APHE, you can disable their transmission by shooting at their lower glacis. Now if you can, flank them. The 85 mm APHE does a great job at penetrating sloped, thin armour, so you don't have to get to their absolute sides. For the Pz IV/70, you can also aim at the downward part of the gun mantlet since the shell might ricochet downwards into the hull, knocking out every crew member. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) doesn't have this problem, so side-shooting is required to destroy it effectively.

M4A3E2 Jumbo - This is another common enemy. It is recommended to use the BR-365A, the one with less penetration but more explosive filler. The reason is that it is better at penetrating sloped armour, which the Jumbo has. With that shell you can easily destroy a M4A3E2 who's not angling. If it is, aim at the hull side just above the tracks, or load APCR and shoot straight at its gun mantlet. Against a 75 mm M4A3E2 you can relax a bit as it will struggle to penetrate your armour, but your cupola is a rather large weak spot and a shot through there can knock out the T-34. Be more careful with the M4A3E2 76 W, as they can easily pierce through your armour.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Excellent firepower: adequate penetration, destructive damage and good reload rate
  • Has two types of APHE for players to choose from: BR-365K with higher penetration but less TNT, and BR-365A with less penetration but plenty of TNT, either of which are enough to knock out most tanks with a single round
  • 56 km/h top speed and great manoeuvrability allows it to reposition or flank easily
  • 5-man crew increases survivability against solid shells
  • Similar playstyle with the previous T-34s which is beginner-friendly
  • Fast turret traverse to easily deal with targets from multiple directions
  • Sloped hull and round frontal turret might bounce low-penetrating guns like the 75 mm M3 on early M4 Shermans

Cons:

  • Armour is extremely thin, providing very limited protection against common guns (American 76 mm, British 17-pdr, German 75 mm & 88 mm, etc)
  • Crew members are closely packed, a well-aimed shot tends to knock them all out
  • -5 degrees gun depression is below average, limiting its capability in hilly maps
  • Poor reverse speed
  • Large turret profile makes it easier to get spotted and shot
  • Wire mesh screens do little against HEATFS, let alone any normal HEAT rounds which are commonly used by early cold war tanks (e.g. Type 60) in an uptier
  • Awkward to place bushes on upper front hull due to the obstruction of MG port and driver's optics

History

Main article: History of the T-34-85

T-34-85E

In the final months of World War II, the T-34-85 was still very adequate as a medium tank, but the high casualties suffered by the fanatic defenders of Germany and their anti-tank weapons made the crew seek out a way to increase the tank's survivability against these infantry weapons. The crew improvised in the field modifications, and one of the method to shield the T-34s was to apply thin metal sheets or mesh screens onto the T-34 body in hopes that it would disrupt the warheads of Panzerfaust or Panzershreck before it detonates on the hull. These improvised T-34-85s were called T-34-85E with "E" for "ekranami" or "with screens".

However, it was found that these improvisation actually did not reliably stop an anti-tank warhead from penetrating the armour of the tank, or even disrupt the flight path to the target, the warhead would often just tear through the extra screens and hit the hull. Therefore, the practice of adding these screens was actually not widespread throughout the entire armoured forces, but enough were made that they were documented during the Battle of Berlin in many historical photographs as casualties from the tank crew man are so high that any chances of survival are taken in hopes of living to fight another day.

Overall, except with the addition of improvised screenings, the T-34-85E performed just like a regular T-34-85 in terms of mobility and firepower.


Archive of the in-game description

The T-34-85 medium tank was equipped in field conditions with screens to protect it against high-explosive antitank projectiles during the assault on Berlin. During the Berlin strategic offensive the Red Army's tank divisions encountered a problem with increased human casualties and lost combat vehicles due to the enemy's use of portable anti-tank grenade launchers with high-explosive antitank grenades. The greatest difficulty involved conducting military operations in urban areas, where the enemy had the opportunity to use portable anti-tank guns from a large amount of cover at close range. One of the attempts to reduce the effectiveness of these munitions involved using mesh screens installed on the body of the tank a certain distance from the armour plating. These mesh screens were presumably built in tank-repair workshops. However, the screens did not provide effective defence.


Media

Skins
Images

  • Historical photo of the T-34-85E

See also

Other T-34-85 variants

External links


Kharkov Design Bureau for Mechanical Engineering named after A. A. Morozov
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