Hi all,
ORIGINAL: Subchaser
Apollo, look at VK 3002 Daimler-Benz prototypes of Panther
T-34 was actually copied and one of the main reasons why DB model wasn’t adopted was trivial -tank was ‘too copied’, from a distance Daimler Panther and Soviet tank had almost identical appearance.
You must have missed what I wrote in on the messages above (here is re-post)
> BTW, there was project VK3002(DB) - Panzerkampfwagen V by Daimler-Benz which
> started November 25th 1941.
>
> This tank was spitting image of T-34 including diesel engine (already
> existing Daimler-Benz diesel engine - MB507).
>
> This project even had almost produced prototype but was not chosen.
>
> Instead the new Panzerkampfwagen V "Panther" was MAN design - VK3002(MAN).
>
> The decision was made by Adolf Hitler on May 14th 1942 based on prints and
> statistics (there was no time for prototype match-out).
It’s very strange argument, “would not pass technical quality test”. They could rework design a bit and install german equipment. That wasn’t big problem.
Well... anecgdote is anecgdote...
What it meant was that germans would not directly copy T-34 because they ddidn't like the overall quality of T-34 (thouigh superbly suited for Russians and their mass production).
Of course, the Germans thought of making similar (but not same) tank - the Panther was direct result of that...
I also was inside T-34, in two T-34-76 and in one T-34-85 (operational), never was inside T-55, but I have an idea how post war soviet tanks interior looks like, IS-3, T-10, T-62. And I can tell you that it all depends on factory, export or import model, so-called ‘s-raw’ number and orders placed on a certain series, for what division type it was produced. T-34-76-zavod #100 machines produced in early ’43 were of really good quality, they had fully finished interior (according to T-34 production specifications) with safety protectors, comfortable work seats, RT canvas on interior surfaces, in addition they had ‘navy’ armor of very good quality, somewhat good optics produced by Moscow MNIIO optic factory, US radio stations. Two tanks of this series were used by germans and received good marks. Some other T-34s germans had, were poorly produced replicas of original design, because they were assembled on factories with unqualified personnel and in great hurry to keep up with production plan, only in 1945 shortage of skilled personnel on soviet tank factories became not so sheer as in ’41-’43.
T-62, inside of which I was, belonged to Taman Guard Division, still greatly inferior in terms of comfort to the western designs, it has remarkably good interior outfit for soviet tanks. The only problem that all those rubber protectors smell really awful.
Like I said in my original message... I was indeed appalled/aghast when I saw interior (of both T-34 and T-55) and exterior of T-34...
Sharp (very sharp) edges inside made wearing that ugly and smelly rubber protector a must (and they offered some small protection against noisy noisy noisy ventilators since firing gun made whole interior full of smoke that needed to be put out).
Outside the "seams" on T-34 (with 85 mm gun) were so poorly done as if some child molded it (don't know about steel quality but with rough interior full of sharp edges I think splinter would be flying inside very much).
Really don't know what factories made them but I wouldn't be caught dead to be fighting inside them... [:D]
Leo "Apollo11"
