Difference between revisions of "T-35"

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(Rearrangement of the P&C list, Condensed/Clarified some points, Shot traps seem to be con rather than pro.)
(Added In-game description.)
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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.-->
 
<!--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.-->
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{specs|rank}} Russian heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]]. The T-35 has the distinction in-game as the vehicle with the most crew members (10 total). While the armour may not provide great protection against enemies even at Rank I, the large crew count makes up in part for the tank's survivability in combat.
  
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a premium Rank {{specs|rank}} Russian heavy tank {{Battle-rating|1}}. It was introduced in Update 1.43. The T-35 has the distinction in-game as the vehicle with the most crew members (10 total). While the armour may not provide great protection against enemies even at Rank I, the large crew count makes up in part for the tank's survivability in combat.
+
The T-35 is ''large''. It has five turrets on top too, but only three should be taken into consideration, the one in the middle, the one front right from the middle, and the one bottom left from middle due to the armaments able to destroy tanks. However, don't be deceived by its size, the T-35's armour is barely more than 30 mm thick, so even with a Rank I standard gun, you may be able to penetrate its armour.
 
 
The T-35 is ''large''. It has five turrets on top too, but only three should be taken into consideration, the one in the middle, the one front right from middle, and the one bottom left from middle due to the armaments able to destroy tanks. However, don't be deceived by its size, the T-35's armour are barely more than 30 mm thick, so even with a Rank I standard gun, you may be able to penetrate its armour.
 
  
 
Despite the huge ammo reserve for the secondary turrets, the total ammo is split between the two turrets. This means that if one 45 mm cannon fires more than the other, it will run out and be unable to fire until resupplied.
 
Despite the huge ammo reserve for the secondary turrets, the total ammo is split between the two turrets. This means that if one 45 mm cannon fires more than the other, it will run out and be unable to fire until resupplied.
  
The T-35 is the largest tank among the Rank I vehicles. With a multi-turreted platform of two 45 mm cannons and one 76.2 mm cannon, the tank could combat enemies at an almost 360° angle. However, the armour is quite thin for a vehicle of its size so one should not play this vehicle like a typical heavy tank later down the rank. Though, the speed is decent for a vehicle of its size, so it is possible to catch the enemies off guard by attacking from an area they least expect.
+
The T-35 is the largest tank among the Rank I vehicles. With a multi-turreted platform of two 45 mm cannons and one 76.2 mm cannon, the tank could combat enemies at an almost 360° angle. However, the armour is quite thin for a vehicle of its size so one should not play this vehicle like a typical heavy tank later down the rank. Though the speed is decent for a vehicle of its size, so it is possible to catch the enemies off guard by attacking from an area they least expect.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
Line 361: Line 361:
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
*Slow and with poor maneuverability
+
*Slow and with poor manoeuvrability
 
*Largest target currently among the ground forces  
 
*Largest target currently among the ground forces  
 
*Poorly armoured despite the size
 
*Poorly armoured despite the size
Line 368: Line 368:
 
*Very long, can get stuck into difficult situations in close quarters
 
*Very long, can get stuck into difficult situations in close quarters
 
*Tall and with poor gun depression  
 
*Tall and with poor gun depression  
*Ammo racks strewn all over the center compartment when carrying large amounts  
+
*Ammo racks are strewn all over the centre compartment when carrying large amounts  
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
Line 374: Line 374:
  
 
===Development===
 
===Development===
The '''T-35''' concept began from the OKMO design bureau of the Bolshevik Factory in 1930, when work began on a heavy tank. Two teams were made for two competing designs, one was headed by German engineer Grotte and the other was headed by N. Tsiets. Grotte worked on a 100-ton four-turreted TG-5 tank, armed with a 107 mm naval gun, using pneumatic servo-controls and suspension, but this was cancelled. N. Tsiets worked on a design that may be inspired by the British tank design Vickers A1E1 Independent, which is a multi-turret tank using one main turret with a gun and smaller ones housing machine guns. This tank may also be the inspiration for the Soviet [[T-28|T-28 medium tank]].
+
The '''T-35''' concept began from the OKMO design bureau of the Bolshevik Factory in 1930 when work began on a heavy tank. Two teams were made for two competing designs, one was headed by German engineer Grotte and the other was headed by N. Tsiets. Grotte worked on a 100-ton four-turreted TG-5 tank, armed with a 107 mm naval gun, using pneumatic servo-controls and suspension, but this was cancelled. N. Tsiets worked on a design that may be inspired by the British tank design Vickers A1E1 Independent, which is a multi-turret tank using one main turret with a gun and smaller one's housing machine guns. This tank may also be the inspiration for the Soviet [[T-28|T-28 medium tank]].
  
The development was completed with a prototype by July 1932. The prototype was about 35 tons, had a 76.2 mm main gun and four smaller turrets around it, two with a 37 mm gun and two with machine guns. There were many defects with the transmission design and the design was considered too complex for the manufacturing process, plus it was expensive. Work stopped for a simpler prototype to be produced. This simpler version had a new engine, gearbox, and an improved transmission over the previous prototype. A standardization on the turrets between the prototype and that on the T-28 medium tank was utilized so the small machine gun turret are the same between the two designs, the main gun turret was also nearly identical, but the one on the T-28 has a rear-facing machine gun. The design was approved for production on August 11, 1933 and was produced at the Kharkov Locomotive Factory with about 20 units produced.
+
The development was completed with a prototype by July 1932. The prototype was about 35 tons, had a 76.2 mm main gun and four smaller turrets around it, two with a 37 mm gun and two with machine guns. There were many defects with the transmission design and the design was considered too complex for the manufacturing process, plus it was expensive. Work stopped for a simpler prototype to be produced. This simpler version had a new engine, gearbox, and an improved transmission over the previous prototype. Standardization on the turrets between the prototype and that on the T-28 medium tank was utilized so the small machine gun turret is the same between the two designs, the main gun turret was also nearly identical, but the one on the T-28 has a rear-facing machine gun. The design was approved for production on August 11, 1933, and was produced at the Kharkov Locomotive Factory with about 20 units produced.
  
The tank was upgraded again from experiences of the two prototypes, the chassis was made longer, the hull redesigned, and 45 mm gun turrets from the [[BT-5|BT-5 light tanks]] used instead of a 37 mm gun. This was designated the T-35 Model 1935 and started production on 1935 and had 35 units built by 1938, with small improvements made throughout its production life. A final redesign made in 1938 had new turrets with sloping armour installed and modified side skirts for protecting the idler wheel, six of these Model 1938s were produced. The total production run from 1933 to 1938 produced a total of 61 T-35s for the Soviet Union, its high cost being the deciding factor that ended its production. A variant produced from the chassis was a self-propelled artillery mount called the ''SU-14'', but only two were made and never reached production stages.
+
The tank was upgraded again from experiences of the two prototypes, the chassis was made longer, the hull redesigned, and 45 mm gun turrets from the [[BT-5|BT-5 light tanks]] used instead of a 37 mm gun. This was designated the T-35 Model 1935 and started production in 1935 and had 35 units built by 1938, with small improvements made throughout its production life. A final redesign made in 1938 had new turrets with sloping armour installed and modified side skirts for protecting the idler wheel, six of these Model 1938s were produced. The total production run from 1933 to 1938 produced a total of 61 T-35s for the Soviet Union, its high cost being the deciding factor that ended its production. A variant produced from the chassis was a self-propelled artillery mount called the ''SU-14'', but only two were made and never reached production stages.
  
 
===Design===
 
===Design===
The T-35 is the only five-turreted tank to ever enter production. The main turret in the center and mounted high is equipped with a 76 mm KT-28 cannon, two secondary turrets mounted front right and back left had a 45 mm 20-K gun, and two more secondary turrets on the front left and back right had a 7.62 mm machine gun. Despite being a rather large tank, the interior was quite constricted for its crew. The crew of 11-12 men were crammed together and this directly affected their combat efficiency. The crew layout was a compartment for the driver, each machine gun turret had one man, two man in the turret with 45 mm guns, and three man in the main turret. It was typical for a couple crewman to serve outside the tank. A senior driver was responsible for the transmission and running gear. While a mechanic overlooked and took care of the engine. Construction of the T-35s armour was a mix of welds and rivets. The tank was powered by a 12-Cylinder Mikulin M-17M engine generating nearly 500 hp and was considered under-powered. The design had many reliability issues and even flaws, such as the main turret able to render escape hatches on the smaller turrets unable to be opened due to its gun mount.
+
The T-35 is the only five-turreted tank to ever enter production. The main turret in the centre and mounted high is equipped with a 76 mm KT-28 cannon, two secondary turrets mounted front right and back left had a 45 mm 20-K gun, and two more secondary turrets on the front left and back right had a 7.62 mm machine gun. Despite being a rather large tank, the interior was quite constricted for its crew. The crew of 11-12 men were crammed together and this directly affected their combat efficiency. The crew layout was a compartment for the driver, each machine gun turret had one man, two men in the turret with 45 mm guns, and three men in the main turret. It was typical for a couple of crewmen to serve outside the tank. A senior driver was responsible for the transmission and running gear. While a mechanic overlooked and took care of the engine. Construction of the T-35s armour was a mix of welds and rivets. The tank was powered by a 12-Cylinder Mikulin M-17M engine generating nearly 500 hp and was considered underpowered. The design had many reliability issues and even flaws, such as the main turret able to render escape hatches on the smaller turrets unable to be opened due to its gun mount.
  
 
===Combat usage===
 
===Combat usage===
The T-35 was issued to the 5th Separate Heavy Tank Brigade in Moscow and was involved in parades through the Red Square from 1935 until 1940. The T-35 was there to impress spectators as well as foreign observers rather than as a fighting piece. In June 1940, the T-35 was subjected to either be withdrawn from front-line duties, be converted into self-propelled artillery, or be sent to military academies for future studies. It was decided to keep them for combat purposes and the T-35s were issued to the 67th and 68th Tank Regiments in the 34th Tank Division in the 8th Mechanized Corps in the Kiev Special Military District. The T-35 then saw action against the German forces when Operation Barbarossa was commenced. Though the tanks actual combat history is not very well documented, the tank regiments they were assigned to reported a loss of 90% of the vehicles, more to mechanical failures than to enemy combat. These broken down tanks were subsequently destroyed by their crews to avoid capture. The last reported use of these tanks was during the Battle of Moscow, where two T-35s were deployed and its performance went unrecorded. One such vehicle was captured by the Germans and sent to the Kummersdorf military proving grounds for evaluations. This captured T-35 may or may not be the same one the German used during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945.
+
The T-35 was issued to the 5th Separate Heavy Tank Brigade in Moscow and was involved in parades through the Red Square from 1935 until 1940. The T-35 was there to impress spectators as well as foreign observers rather than as a fighting piece. In June 1940, the T-35 was subjected to either be withdrawn from front-line duties, be converted into self-propelled artillery, or be sent to military academies for future studies. It was decided to keep them for combat purposes and the T-35s were issued to the 67th and 68th Tank Regiments in the 34th Tank Division in the 8th Mechanized Corps in the Kiev Special Military District. The T-35 then saw action against the German forces when Operation Barbarossa was commenced. Though the tanks actual combat history is not very well documented, the tank regiments they were assigned to report a loss of 90% of the vehicles, more to mechanical failures than to enemy combat. These broken down tanks were subsequently destroyed by their crews to avoid capture. The last reported use of these tanks was during the Battle of Moscow, where two T-35s were deployed and its performance went unrecorded. One such vehicle was captured by the Germans and sent to the Kummersdorf military proving grounds for evaluations. This captured T-35 may or may not be the same one the German used during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945.
  
The T-35 was once mistaken for taking part in the Winter War against Finland, this is due to the deployment of the [[SMK]], T-100s, and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1s]] prototypes into the battle as combat testing. The SMK was disabled by the Finnish and was documented in photographs, which the German intelligence designated it as the ''T-35C'', despite being not any way related to the T-35 tank.
+
The T-35 was once mistaken for taking part in the Winter War against Finland, this is due to the deployment of the [[SMK]], T-100s, and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1s]] prototypes into the battle as combat testing. The SMK was disabled by the Finnish and was documented in photographs, which the German intelligence designated it as the ''T-35C'', despite being not anyway related to the T-35 tank.
  
 
===Survivors===
 
===Survivors===
Today, only one T-35 is left not only in an intact state, but still in running condition. This tank is held in the Kubinka Tank Museum at Moscow and only survived because it was used at a training facility rather than combat use. Kubinka also holds the second prototype of the aforementioned SU-14 self-propelled artillery gun.
+
Today, only one T-35 is left not only in an intact state but still in running condition. This tank is held in the Kubinka Tank Museum at Moscow and only survived because it was used as a training facility rather than combat use. Kubinka also holds the second prototype of the aforementioned SU-14 self-propelled artillery gun.
 +
 
 +
=== In-game description ===
 +
This tank came into service in 1933 and was mass-produced between 1933 and 1939. In total, around 60 of them were made. The vehicle had a classic layout: the driver's compartment was located in the front, the fighting compartment in the middle and the engine compartment in the rear. Its armament was installed in five turrets on two tiers. A 76.2 mm KT-28 cannon and a 7.62 mm DT machine gun were installed in the central rotating turret. Two 45 mm 20K Mod. 1932 cannons were diagonally mounted on the lower tier and could fire to the forward right and forward left. Two machine guns were also diagonally mounted next to the cannon turrets. The undercarriage was protected by add-on armour plates.
 +
 
 +
Between 1933 and 1939, numerous changes were introduced to the vehicle's basic structure. The 1935 model was longer and received a new turret with a 76.2 mm L-10 cannon. The hull sides were equipped with new add-on armour. The tank's mass grew to 55 tonnes, while the crew complement was reduced to 9. In 1938, turrets with sloping armour were installed on the last six tanks owing to the increased power of anti-tank artillery.
 +
 
 +
Most of these heavy tanks were lost in battle in the summer and autumn of 1941, mostly due to mechanical failures. Two T-35s were used in the Battle of Moscow. The tank was used in combat for the last time at the end of April 1945, when the Germans used a captured T-35 during the defence of Berlin.
 +
 
 +
This vehicle's firepower surpassed that of any other contemporary tank in the world. However, this complicated its structural system. The tank's traction and dynamic properties were insufficient, which was particularly noticeable when it turned. All these flaws in combination prevented the heavy tank from completing the tasks set before it. The high number of turrets resulted in the commander being unable to effectively control firing. The tank's weak armour meant that it was vulnerable to artillery, and its low mobility and huge size made it a perfect target.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
 
<!--Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.-->
 
<!--Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.-->
[[File:T-35 Turrets.jpg|x300px|thumb|none|All the turrets shown on the T-35. The main turret is at center, the secondary turrets with cannons are on the top left and bottom right, and the machine gun turrets are on the top right and bottom left.]]
+
[[File:T-35 Turrets.jpg|x300px|thumb|none|All the turrets shown on the T-35. The main turret is at centre, the secondary turrets with cannons are on the top left and bottom right, and the machine gun turrets are on the top right and bottom left.]]
  
 
===Videos===
 
===Videos===

Revision as of 01:42, 22 May 2019

Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
Challenger DS Pack
T-35
ussr_t_35.png
T-35
AB RB SB
1.3 1.3 1.3
Purchase:2 100 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage T-35.jpg


The T-35 is a premium rank I Russian heavy tank with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.43. The T-35 has the distinction in-game as the vehicle with the most crew members (10 total). While the armour may not provide great protection against enemies even at Rank I, the large crew count makes up in part for the tank's survivability in combat.

The T-35 is large. It has five turrets on top too, but only three should be taken into consideration, the one in the middle, the one front right from the middle, and the one bottom left from middle due to the armaments able to destroy tanks. However, don't be deceived by its size, the T-35's armour is barely more than 30 mm thick, so even with a Rank I standard gun, you may be able to penetrate its armour.

Despite the huge ammo reserve for the secondary turrets, the total ammo is split between the two turrets. This means that if one 45 mm cannon fires more than the other, it will run out and be unable to fire until resupplied.

The T-35 is the largest tank among the Rank I vehicles. With a multi-turreted platform of two 45 mm cannons and one 76.2 mm cannon, the tank could combat enemies at an almost 360° angle. However, the armour is quite thin for a vehicle of its size so one should not play this vehicle like a typical heavy tank later down the rank. Though the speed is decent for a vehicle of its size, so it is possible to catch the enemies off guard by attacking from an area they least expect.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 30 mm (20°) Front plate
24 mm (77°) Front glacis
30 mm (18-63°) Lower glacis
11 + 23 mm 10 mm (20-77°) Top
20 mm (12-63°) Bottom
10 mm
Main Turret 20 mm Turret front
20 mm (0-7°) Gun mantlet
20 mm 21 mm 15 mm
Secondary Turret 17 mm (0-84°) Turret front
17 mm (1-32°) Gun mantlet
25 mm (0-1°) 15 mm 10 mm
Machine gun Turret 22 mm (1°) 23 mm (0-1°) 10 mm 10 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons)
Max speed (km/h)
52.0 N/A 29.8 (AB)
28.0 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 646 795
Realistic/Simulator 442 500
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 12.42 15.29
Realistic/Simulator 8.50 9.61

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: KT-28 (76 mm)
76 mm KT-28
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
96 -5°/+25° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 13.40 18.50 __.__ __.__ __.__
Realistic 13.40 15.80 __.__ __.__ __.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
5.2 __.__ __.__ __.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
SH-353 Shrapnel 27 25 21 19 16 12
BR-350A APHEBC 35 34 32 29 27 23
OF-350M HE 10 10 10 10 10 10
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
Normalization At 30°
from horizontal:
Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
SH-353 Shrapnel 381 6.2 0.5 8.0 85 +0° 62° 69° 73°
BR-350A APHEBC 370 6.3 0.15 10.0 155 +4° 48° 63° 71°
OF-350M HE 387 6.2 0.05 0.1 710 +0° 79° 80° 81°
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the T-35.
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
7th
rack empty
8th
rack empty
9th
rack empty
10th
rack empty
11th
rack empty
12th
rack empty
13th
rack empty
14th
rack empty
15th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
96 87 (+9) 77 (+19) 72 (+24) 67 (+29) 57 (+39) 46 (+50) 41 (+55) 33 (+63) 25 (+71) 21 (+75) 18 (+78) 13 (+83) 10 (+86) (+90) (+95) Yes

Side walls empty: 46 (+50)

Additional armament

Main article: 20-К (45 mm)
45 mm 20-K
Front right turret mount
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
113 -8°/+32° -50°/+132° N/A
Rear left turret mount
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
113 -8°/+32° -48°/+117° N/A
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert Qualif. Prior + Ace Qualif.
3.80 __.__ __.__ __.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
BR-240 APHEBC 62 59 45 35 29 26
BR-240SP AP 73 68 51 35 25 17
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
Normalization At 30°
from horizontal:
Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
BR-240 APHEBC 760 1.4 1.2 15 32.3 +4° 48° 63° 71°
BR-240SP AP 757 1.4 N/A N/A N/A -1° 47° 60° 65°
Ammo racks
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
226 115 (+111) (+224) no

Rear turret empty: 115 (+111)

Machine guns

Main article: DT (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm DT
Main Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
1,260 (63) 600 ±15° ±15°
Turret coaxial mount (x2)
Capacity (Belt capacity each) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
2,520 (63) 600 N/A N/A
Front left turret mount
Capacity (Belt capacity each) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
1,260 (63) 600 ±15° -130°/+10°
Rear right turret mount
Capacity (Belt capacity each) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
1,260 (63) 600 ±15° -140°/+20°

Usage in battles

The T-35 is nothing short of an absolute beast, being able to take more penetrating hits than any tank at 1.3 and beyond. With great survivability, firepower and size, the T-35 is the perfect tank to lead an assault, a good T-35 can change the outcome of a game with no problem.'

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • KT-28 cannon destroys anything it penetrates with a single hit
  • No less than three cannons available for use
  • Can have guns pointed towards the front and rear at the same time due to the number of usable weapons
  • High rate of fire with all weapons
  • Large ammunition capacity
  • Large frame which often can absorb more modular/crew damage than most other tanks
  • Crew of 10 makes it an almost impossible target to completely destroy without an experienced player at the wheel
  • Slowness and heaviness means that firing on the move is not a problem

Cons:

  • Slow and with poor manoeuvrability
  • Largest target currently among the ground forces
  • Poorly armoured despite the size
  • Complex armour structure creates many shot traps
  • Possible to run out of ammo for one secondary turret if it is used too long
  • Very long, can get stuck into difficult situations in close quarters
  • Tall and with poor gun depression
  • Ammo racks are strewn all over the centre compartment when carrying large amounts

History

Development

The T-35 concept began from the OKMO design bureau of the Bolshevik Factory in 1930 when work began on a heavy tank. Two teams were made for two competing designs, one was headed by German engineer Grotte and the other was headed by N. Tsiets. Grotte worked on a 100-ton four-turreted TG-5 tank, armed with a 107 mm naval gun, using pneumatic servo-controls and suspension, but this was cancelled. N. Tsiets worked on a design that may be inspired by the British tank design Vickers A1E1 Independent, which is a multi-turret tank using one main turret with a gun and smaller one's housing machine guns. This tank may also be the inspiration for the Soviet T-28 medium tank.

The development was completed with a prototype by July 1932. The prototype was about 35 tons, had a 76.2 mm main gun and four smaller turrets around it, two with a 37 mm gun and two with machine guns. There were many defects with the transmission design and the design was considered too complex for the manufacturing process, plus it was expensive. Work stopped for a simpler prototype to be produced. This simpler version had a new engine, gearbox, and an improved transmission over the previous prototype. Standardization on the turrets between the prototype and that on the T-28 medium tank was utilized so the small machine gun turret is the same between the two designs, the main gun turret was also nearly identical, but the one on the T-28 has a rear-facing machine gun. The design was approved for production on August 11, 1933, and was produced at the Kharkov Locomotive Factory with about 20 units produced.

The tank was upgraded again from experiences of the two prototypes, the chassis was made longer, the hull redesigned, and 45 mm gun turrets from the BT-5 light tanks used instead of a 37 mm gun. This was designated the T-35 Model 1935 and started production in 1935 and had 35 units built by 1938, with small improvements made throughout its production life. A final redesign made in 1938 had new turrets with sloping armour installed and modified side skirts for protecting the idler wheel, six of these Model 1938s were produced. The total production run from 1933 to 1938 produced a total of 61 T-35s for the Soviet Union, its high cost being the deciding factor that ended its production. A variant produced from the chassis was a self-propelled artillery mount called the SU-14, but only two were made and never reached production stages.

Design

The T-35 is the only five-turreted tank to ever enter production. The main turret in the centre and mounted high is equipped with a 76 mm KT-28 cannon, two secondary turrets mounted front right and back left had a 45 mm 20-K gun, and two more secondary turrets on the front left and back right had a 7.62 mm machine gun. Despite being a rather large tank, the interior was quite constricted for its crew. The crew of 11-12 men were crammed together and this directly affected their combat efficiency. The crew layout was a compartment for the driver, each machine gun turret had one man, two men in the turret with 45 mm guns, and three men in the main turret. It was typical for a couple of crewmen to serve outside the tank. A senior driver was responsible for the transmission and running gear. While a mechanic overlooked and took care of the engine. Construction of the T-35s armour was a mix of welds and rivets. The tank was powered by a 12-Cylinder Mikulin M-17M engine generating nearly 500 hp and was considered underpowered. The design had many reliability issues and even flaws, such as the main turret able to render escape hatches on the smaller turrets unable to be opened due to its gun mount.

Combat usage

The T-35 was issued to the 5th Separate Heavy Tank Brigade in Moscow and was involved in parades through the Red Square from 1935 until 1940. The T-35 was there to impress spectators as well as foreign observers rather than as a fighting piece. In June 1940, the T-35 was subjected to either be withdrawn from front-line duties, be converted into self-propelled artillery, or be sent to military academies for future studies. It was decided to keep them for combat purposes and the T-35s were issued to the 67th and 68th Tank Regiments in the 34th Tank Division in the 8th Mechanized Corps in the Kiev Special Military District. The T-35 then saw action against the German forces when Operation Barbarossa was commenced. Though the tanks actual combat history is not very well documented, the tank regiments they were assigned to report a loss of 90% of the vehicles, more to mechanical failures than to enemy combat. These broken down tanks were subsequently destroyed by their crews to avoid capture. The last reported use of these tanks was during the Battle of Moscow, where two T-35s were deployed and its performance went unrecorded. One such vehicle was captured by the Germans and sent to the Kummersdorf military proving grounds for evaluations. This captured T-35 may or may not be the same one the German used during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945.

The T-35 was once mistaken for taking part in the Winter War against Finland, this is due to the deployment of the SMK, T-100s, and KV-1s prototypes into the battle as combat testing. The SMK was disabled by the Finnish and was documented in photographs, which the German intelligence designated it as the T-35C, despite being not anyway related to the T-35 tank.

Survivors

Today, only one T-35 is left not only in an intact state but still in running condition. This tank is held in the Kubinka Tank Museum at Moscow and only survived because it was used as a training facility rather than combat use. Kubinka also holds the second prototype of the aforementioned SU-14 self-propelled artillery gun.

In-game description

This tank came into service in 1933 and was mass-produced between 1933 and 1939. In total, around 60 of them were made. The vehicle had a classic layout: the driver's compartment was located in the front, the fighting compartment in the middle and the engine compartment in the rear. Its armament was installed in five turrets on two tiers. A 76.2 mm KT-28 cannon and a 7.62 mm DT machine gun were installed in the central rotating turret. Two 45 mm 20K Mod. 1932 cannons were diagonally mounted on the lower tier and could fire to the forward right and forward left. Two machine guns were also diagonally mounted next to the cannon turrets. The undercarriage was protected by add-on armour plates.

Between 1933 and 1939, numerous changes were introduced to the vehicle's basic structure. The 1935 model was longer and received a new turret with a 76.2 mm L-10 cannon. The hull sides were equipped with new add-on armour. The tank's mass grew to 55 tonnes, while the crew complement was reduced to 9. In 1938, turrets with sloping armour were installed on the last six tanks owing to the increased power of anti-tank artillery.

Most of these heavy tanks were lost in battle in the summer and autumn of 1941, mostly due to mechanical failures. Two T-35s were used in the Battle of Moscow. The tank was used in combat for the last time at the end of April 1945, when the Germans used a captured T-35 during the defence of Berlin.

This vehicle's firepower surpassed that of any other contemporary tank in the world. However, this complicated its structural system. The tank's traction and dynamic properties were insufficient, which was particularly noticeable when it turned. All these flaws in combination prevented the heavy tank from completing the tasks set before it. The high number of turrets resulted in the commander being unable to effectively control firing. The tank's weak armour meant that it was vulnerable to artillery, and its low mobility and huge size made it a perfect target.

Media

All the turrets shown on the T-35. The main turret is at centre, the secondary turrets with cannons are on the top left and bottom right, and the machine gun turrets are on the top right and bottom left.

Videos

See also

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;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


USSR medium tanks
T-28  T-28 (1938) · T-28 · T-28E
T-34-76  T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1940) · T-34 (1941) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34 (1942) · T-34E STZ · T-34E
T-34-57  T-34-57 · T-34-57 (1943)
T-34-85  T-34-85 (D-5T) · T-34-85 · T-34-85E
T-34-100  T-34-100
T-44  T-44 · T-44-100 · T-44-122
T-54  T-54 (1947) · T-54 (1949) · T-54 (1951)
T-55  TO-55 · T-55A · T-55AM-1 · T-55AMD-1
T-62  T-62 · T-62M-1
T-64  Object 435 · T-64A (1971) · T-64B
T-72  T-72A · T-72AV (TURMS-T) · T-72B · T-72B (1989) · T-72B3 · T-72M2 Moderna
T-80  T-80B · T-80U · T-80UD · T-80UK · T-80UM2 · T-80BVM · Object 292
T-90  Т-90А · T-90M
Trophies/Lend-Lease 
Germany  ▂T-III · ▂T-V
Great Britain  ▂МК-IX "Valentine"
USA  ▂M3 Medium · ▂M4A2

USSR premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  BA-11 · RBT-5 · BT-7A (F-32) · T-26 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-26E · T-126 · PT-76-57 · 2S38
Medium tanks  T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34E · T-34-57 (1943) · T-34-85E · T-34-100 · T-44-122 · TO-55 · T-55AM-1 · T-72AV (TURMS-T) · T-80UD
  ▂M3 Medium · ▂M4A2 · ▂T-III · ▂T-V · ▂МК-IX "Valentine"
Heavy tanks  SMK · T-35 · ▂MK-II "Matilda" · KV-1E · KV-2 (1940) · KV-2 (ZiS-6) · KV-122 · KV-220 · IS-2 "Revenge" · Object 248 · IS-6 · T-10A
Tank destroyers  BM-8-24 · BM-13N · BM-31-12
  SU-57 · SU-76D · SU-76M (5th Gv.Kav.Corps) · SU-85A · SU-100Y · SU-122P · Object 120
SPAA  ▂Phòng không T-34 · ZUT-37