85-mm tank gun model 1943 (D-5)

This term has other meanings, see D-5.
D-5

— A family of tank artillery systems of 85 mm caliber, developed by design bureau No. 9 of artillery plant No. 9 under the leadership of F. F. Petrov in accordance with GKO decree No. 3289 of May 5, 1943.

History of creation

The gun was developed on the basis of the U-12 tank gun designed by V. N. Sidorenko and differed from the prototype in the semi-automatic copy-type mechanism, borrowed from the ZIS-5 gun, as well as some units of the recoil brake and retractor.[1]

The prototype, in the D-5S version (for installation on the SU-85), was presented by June 14, 1943.

By Decree of the State Defense Committee No. 3891, dated August 8, 1943, the KV-85 heavy tank, with a D-5T cannon, was adopted. On August 21-23, 1943, during tests at the Gorokhovets artillery range, the D-5T cannon, on heavy tanks KV-85 and IS-1, in comparison with the S-31 cannon, developed by TsAKB, under the leadership of V. G. Grabin, installed on the KV-85g heavy tank, showed its advantage: less vibration after a shot; smaller dimensions and weight due to the absence of bulky balancing weights; great strength; easier to maintain.

“Second wave” under 85 mm

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With the removal from their posts of the chief of armaments, deputy people's commissar of defense Marshal Tukhachevsky and (along with many other “associates”) his like-minded person in the field of artillery, the head of the GAU RKKA corps commander Efimov, the idol of domestic artillery finally collapsed (allegedly!) - a three-inch caliber and began LATE development of 85-mm anti-aircraft, divisional and tank guns, with significantly higher performance characteristics.

It would seem - well, finally - catch up with the long-gone train, rearm at an accelerated pace and rejoice! It's 1937, and there's still time to sculpt who knows what. But, what is it! New people, having barely established themselves in high positions, went to the other extreme. They suddenly desperately wanted “revolutionary” 107 mm guns in addition to the cute and familiar 76 mm. And, instead of an organized transition to the 85-mm caliber, the process of using all kinds of three-inch guns continued, in addition to which active work began on 107-mm guns - tank, caponier and even anti-tank. So what has changed? What if we change this topic a bit?

As everyone remembers, in 1938 a very good 85-mm 52-K anti-aircraft gun was adopted.

Naturally, there immediately began to be heard, certainly reasonable, proposals for the development of divisional and tank guns of the same caliber. Later, a very creative idea appeared to create a heavy anti-tank gun of 85 mm caliber.

So, why not start developing this entire set in a comprehensive manner, giving this topic due priority? Moreover, before that ever-memorable 37th, the Red Army did not have much artillery at all, and replacing outdated calibers with new, more effective ones did not promise any “strategic” problems. (As an example, the same howitzers. On January 1, 1937, the Red Army had the same number of the most popular 122-mm howitzers as were produced only in 39 and 40! That is, until the end of 1937, the Red Army in principle, I could completely painlessly begin the process of replacing any old artillery systems with new ones, losing practically nothing (unless, of course, we plan to double the army by the end of the 30s!) There are not so many old ones and they can be shot for training purposes or to live out their lives in unimportant districts, and by the early 40s the new ones would definitely be in the decisive majority.

All this applies to the transition to 85 mm caliber.

In the end, what prevents us from doing all this quickly, efficiently and, most importantly, not expensively, if we already have a good 85-mm anti-aircraft gun and a 122-mm light howitzer M-30 developed in the same year of 1937 with a less good gun carriage?

No, I do not at all mean the “duplex” proposed by individual, truly “advanced” designers in the form of a 122 mm howitzer and an 85 mm divisional gun on a single carriage. No. But by putting a rocking arm from an 85-mm 52K anti-aircraft gun on the M-30 carriage and developing a new, heavier and more powerful OFS for it, with “little loss” we will get a powerful divisional gun in the same weight category as the 122-mm howitzer itself - for the same means of traction - even a banal agricultural tracked tractor STZ-3, or a special, high-speed artillery tractor STZ-5, or a ZiS-5 truck (or better yet, a ZiS-6), or even 10 draft horses (6 drag the actual gun with an empty front end and another 4 – charging box in a separate harness). Of course, it’s a bit heavy compared to previous artillery systems, but there is no progress (in the sense of a significant improvement in performance characteristics) without increasing mass. “If you like to ride, you also like to carry a sled” (I mean, I came up with a “cool thing” - have something to carry it with!).

(The 85 mm U-10 divisional gun is the rocker for the 85 mm 52K anti-aircraft gun on a carriage for the 122 mm M-30 howitzer)

What about the howitzer? Patience. More on the howitzer later.

The 85-mm tank cannon, in principle, can be considered already existing - it (in the sense of the Grabin F-30) just needs to be brought to mind and, without giving a damn about all sorts of three-inch misunderstandings (which is good for a medium tank, for a heavy one it’s a “firecracker” unworthy of an expensive chassis). , start producing heavy tanks for armament. Let me remind you that we are in 1937, and what our new heavy tank will be like is still not clear. But, with due attention to this topic, by the time the KV appears on the scene, a new powerful 85-mm cannon will already be ready for it - after all, work on it will begin earlier.

And you can also react to disinformation about new German heavy tanks in approximately the same way as V.G. suggested in the Republic of Ingushetia. Grabin - creating a super-powerful 85-mm anti-tank gun. Not as much, of course, as V.G. proposed, but at least in the form of a forced rocking arm from the same 85-mm anti-aircraft gun or division, mounted on a significantly reinforced carriage of the same M-30 with a limited VN angle. Let me remind you that in the Republic of Ingushetia in 1944, a forced version of the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun was actually developed (called the KS-1 anti-aircraft gun). Its armor-piercing projectile penetrated 90 mm armor at a distance of 1 km, and from 500 m – 103 mm armor.

(85-mm anti-aircraft gun model 1944 KS-1 was obtained by placing a new barrel on the carriage of an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun 52-K model 1939)

Considering that the most thickly armored German heavy tanks, ALLEGEDLY adopted by the Panzerwaffe (according to the bullshit that intelligence “obtained” and which our leadership, completely incapable of analyzing incoming information, readily believed in, has long been accustomed to believing only in what it wanted to believe, without believing in anything else), had the same 90 mm armor - that heavy 85 mm anti-tank gun would be quite enough.

It is clear that some time will inevitably be required to develop these new 85-mm guns, and approximately the same time (preferably in parallel) to prepare artillery factories for their production. However, having started this work in the same 38th (immediately after the 52-K and M-30), all new 85-mm guns (except for the anti-tank gun) can already be produced at the turn of 38-39. – after all, the entire backlog is essentially already in place.

The 85-mm anti-tank gun will be launched into production by the summer of 1941, in an experimental batch, for military testing, debugging and fine-tuning, postponing mass production until REAL and FACE-TO-FACE acquaintance with the German fake “miracle tanks”. Moreover, the equipment for the production of 85-mm rifled barrel tubes will then be completely occupied by the mass production of divisional, anti-aircraft and tank guns.

As a result, the Red Army will receive not only an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun, but also an 85-mm divisional and tank gun and even an 85-mm heavy anti-tank gun (if necessary). Plus, of course, 85-mm caponier guns for guided missiles and special versions of 85-mm divisional, anti-aircraft and tank guns for arming ships and river flotillas.

The 76.2-mm caliber will remain in the regimental artillery, where it (in combination with mortars) is still sufficient, in service with medium tanks (also quite acceptable for that time) and in the form of anti-aircraft guns of the 3-K air defense of the internal districts.

But there are no rules without exceptions! And in this case, this exception is not only forced, but also extremely useful. Of course, we are talking about the ZiS-3 cannon - this masterpiece from V.G. Grabina, which our industry could produce in huge quantities, which was our “lifesaver” and formed the basis of divisional artillery when we could not afford to give the rifle divisions its main striking force - howitzers - in decent quantities. She was our “queen” of the battlefield, when troops almost everywhere used the ZiS-3 both as an anti-tank gun and as a regimental gun - fortunately, its weight, compactness and mobility fully allowed for this. And even as a self-propelled gun in the form of the SU-76M.

(“Masterpiece” ZiS-3 gun)

Moreover, in this AI, this exception is not at all forced and not at all forced, even with the transition in divisional artillery to the caliber of 85 mm guns.

The ZiS-3 was light and compact not at all because the GAU TTTs were such - the ZiS-3 was Grabin’s private initiative and it not only did not correspond, but, on the contrary, contradicted almost all the GAU TTTs.

Still would! This gun, in fact, is a carriage from the new, also developed by Grabin, REGIMENTAL gun F-24 mod. 39 with a barrel from the F-22USV divisional gun mod. '39

(Regimental gun F-24 model 39 (above) and divisional gun F-22 USV model 39 (below).

Fortunately, the carriage was at one time strengthened in order to replace the short-barreled rocker of the 76.2-mm regiment with a 57-mm long-barrel rocker PTP - this is how the PTP ZiS-2 was created.

Well, since the division’s power was excessive even for a reinforced carriage, an effective muzzle was screwed onto the USV barrel - something the GAU categorically did not want to see before the Second World War on any guns up to and including the divisional level. This is how the ZiS-3 turned out. Therefore, one should not be surprised that the ZiS-3 had an elevation angle of only 27 or 37 degrees. depending on the modification (despite the fact that the GAU, before the war, would never have adopted a divisional gun with less than 45), and the weight did not exceed 1200 kg.

That is, in terms of weight, the ZiS-3 was something intermediate between modern regimental and divisional guns and, accordingly, one should not be surprised that during the Second World War the ZiS-3 was used based on the combat situation both as a divisional, and as a regimental, and like an anti-tank gun. And even as a surrogate anti-aircraft gun!

And I don’t want to give up just such a wonderful gun. And that’s right - by the end of the 30s, the army already had quite a lot of divisional three-inch guns:

Ancient, arr. 1902 - just over 2 thousand and modernized, arr. 1902/30 - 2.4 thousand.

New, but not very successful, and therefore discontinued in the 39th, F-22 model 1936 - 2.8 thousand.

But the USV, successfully developed and tested in 1939, is NOT being released in this AI, since it is INSTEAD of it that the “intermediate” ZiS-3 is being developed immediately. Considering that both the F-24 carriage and the USV rocker in the 39th are already available, this is not difficult, not time-consuming and not expensive. The ZiS-3 will enter the army in 1940, as a replacement for worn-out three-inch models. 1902 in the SD formed BEFORE the start of implementation of this AI. Following the example of the Wehrmacht, I will call them “first wave” divisions.

All completely worn out three-inch guns mod. 1902 is written off in this case. Those with limited combat capability are transferred to the training category. And fully combat-ready (including after major repairs) guns mod. 02/30 are transferred to the SD, in which guns of this type make up the majority. It is precisely the SD artillery regiments of the “first wave” that are thus left without any old divisions at all and will receive brand new ZiS-3s as divisional ones. At the same time, the “nomenclature” problem is being solved, and each SD will have three-inch divisions of only one type.

Obviously too heavy and bulky (almost half a ton heavier than the ZiS-3), and also requiring two F-22 gunners. 36 g. for their rate of fire, range and high armor penetration are transferred to the armament/retrofitting of guided missiles.

Using them (as many have suggested) as anti-tank guns and for arming anti-tank self-propelled guns without serious modernization is problematic. I have a hard time imagining an anti-tank gun or self-propelled gun with two gunners - after all, the loss of any of them makes the F-22 uncombatable as an anti-tank gun. But a serious modernization, with boring the chamber for a powerful shot of a 3-K anti-aircraft gun and moving the guidance drives to one side for one gunner, is both time-consuming and expensive. Such modernization cannot be done in military units, and no one will distract the factories that are mastering the production of new guns, from which VAL, VAL and VAL again are required. Self-propelled guns (even those already built) need weapons “yesterday”, and the F-22 in its current, clumsy form is better suited to them than any other three-inch guns.

But all the rifle divisions of the “second wave” (which the Red Army will begin to form en masse after the start of WWII) will initially receive new 85-mm divisional guns. And those same mass-produced cheap ZiS-3s are already used as powerful regimental and division-level anti-tank guns.

I foresee protests from some colleagues - the ZiS-3 is too heavy for the regiment! But no! The F-24, the carriage of which was used in the ZiS-2 and ZiS-3, was developed precisely as a new regimental gun and it was an improved version of the first F-24 model, which had a quite comfortable weight - because, like the previous regimental model. 27, was single-beam! The military considered this an anachronism and the new version of the F-24 already had sliding frames, a carriage familiar to us from the ZiS-2 and ZiS-3 and... an appropriate weight. By the way, it's not that big. What made the ZiS-3 stand out was that it could be towed by anything - from a team of horses to a banal lorry. And the fact that the same ZiS-3 crew could easily roll onto the battlefield was shown by the experience of the Second World War. Yes, heavier and more difficult than the previous version. 27 g, weighing about a ton, but it’s possible. Moreover, at the very beginning of 1944, the anti-tank artillery of the Soviet Army (including the regimental one!) began to re-equip itself from the 45-mm anti-tank gun to the same 57-mm ZiS-2, which, by the way, weighed more than the ZiS-3 (1250 kg versus 1200). And rolling the ZiS-2 across the field with crews was not considered very problematic.

In general, the ZiS-3 in the “second wave” SD is a regimental gun. And at the divisional level, anti-tank divisions will be armed with it. But of course! Our leadership received information about 36- and 45-ton German tanks with 60 mm armor extremely nervously. There is no need to remind you about the shortage of 76.2 mm BBS. There is no such shortage in AI, since now, instead of a huge mass of three-inch high-explosive fragmentation cartridges (which have already been accumulated immeasurably), it is possible to significantly increase the production of BBS-s of the same caliber. There is no need to remind about the need to simultaneously produce 76- and 85-mm shells - 85-mm cartridges are becoming a priority, but the capabilities of all Soviet factories are constantly and continuously increasing. Accordingly, even the transition to an 85-mm caliber will not “kill” the possibility of firing a certain number of 76.2-mm rounds - especially since we need, first of all, BBS-s - i.e. in those limited volumes we focus on precisely that , what we are missing is on BBS.

Now let's return to howitzers. In the Republic of Ingushetia, the Red Army adopted a new 122-mm howitzer M-30.

In my opinion, this was a mistake (even without disputing all the advantages of the M-30 - and it really was a good weapon). But the weight of the M-30 was, for a formally light howitzer, too large (2.45 tons), and the caliber was unsuccessful. I have already spoken on this topic once, but I can repeat it - in order for a light howitzer to work as it should, the mighty 122-mm M-30 never had the required amount of ammunition. The 122-mm caliber could not also work as a heavy weapon - which was regularly required of it - due to the insufficient power of the ammunition. The target was a legitimate target of a heavy howitzer, which a normal heavy howitzer could destroy or at least disable with a relatively close hit due to the power of a landmine, which a 122mm shell could only neutralize with a direct hit. It’s difficult to demand what from a howitzer. Especially when there is a shortage of ammunition. In general: “neither fish nor fowl.”

So here it is. Excessive weight, a shortage of suitable transport and a constant shortage of ammunition led to the fact that in the rifle divisions of the Red Army the number of light 122-mm howitzers was reduced to an indecent 8 pieces and only later, very gradually increased to 12–16 (in the Guards SD by the end of the Second World War to 20 ). At the same time, ALL heavy 152-mm howitzers were generally withdrawn from the SD staff, since they were unacceptably heavy (with an acute shortage of transport), there was little ammunition for them, and, as some people mistakenly thought, their function could be entrusted to “mighty” 122 mm howitzers. Sadness.

Accordingly, against 36 105- and 12 150-mm howitzers in each German infantry division, our WWII divisional artillery looked very pale. With corresponding consequences.

I propose another option.

If the SD artillery regiment already has quite powerful and very long-range 85-mm divisional guns, why do we even need those 122-mm “neither fish nor fowl” howitzers? Moreover, with the sour RI prospect of complete zeroing of heavy 152-mm howitzers, which are extremely important for infantry support.

In this AI, especially for the SD of the “second wave” (which, given the inevitable defeat of the SD of the first wave, will be decisive in the matter of “stopping the Nazis”), we are creating a new 152 mm howitzer by applying a modified barrel from the 152 mm M-10 howitzer arr. 38, again on a modified carriage from a light 122-mm howitzer M-30 mod. 38 g. Naturally, with an effective muzzle brake. This is how the remarkable 152-mm howitzer D-1 was obtained in 1943, which became one of the main heavy weapons of our artillery.

Yes, this 152mm howitzer will be a ton heavier than the 122mm M-30. But! At the same time, it is more than half a ton lighter than the same M-10 that was created for the SD, but which ultimately turned out to be unacceptably heavy for them.

The reinforced carriage from the M-30 will be used for both the 152-mm divisional howitzer and the heavy-duty 85-mm anti-tank gun. Considering that it will not be so radically different from the standard carriage developed for the 122 mm M-30 and in this AI re-sharpened purely for the 85 mm divisional gun, this will be a great “unification” benefit for our industry and the army itself.

So let’s imagine this option for arming the only SD artillery regiment of the “second wave”.

1st Division - 18 85 mm guns;

2nd division - 18 85 mm guns;

3rd Division - 12 howitzers of 152 mm caliber.

4th Division - 18 heavy anti-tank guns of 76.2 mm ZiS-3 caliber and specifically as heavy anti-tank guns.

Later, and only if necessary and possible, this division will be re-equipped either with the ZiS-2, or with a more powerful special 76.2-mm anti-tank gun (and this was also created in the Republic of Ingushetia), or even with a super powerful 85-mm anti-tank gun.

5th Division - 18 anti-aircraft guns of 37 mm caliber (61-K).

No separate anti-aircraft and anti-tank divisions. All artillery of divisional subordination is structurally included in one artillery regiment, fully provided with all support services from transport and communications to artillery reconnaissance and topography.

Logical questions:

1. What do we gain by replacing 122 mm howitzers with 85 mm guns, given that they will have similar weight, and the 85 mm gun will have less ammunition power?

2. What is the point of switching divisional guns from 4-gun batteries to 6-gun batteries?

I answer. They are changing not just 122-mm howitzers to 85-mm guns, but 122-mm howitzers AND 76.2-mm divisional guns to “single” 85-mm divisional guns. That is, instead of 20 76.2-mm divisional guns and 28 122-mm howitzers, the SD will only have 36 85-mm divisional guns. This simplifies logistics. Significantly increases range and accuracy compared to 122-mm howitzers, and ammunition power compared to “three-inch” howitzers. Significantly increases the anti-tank capabilities of the SD, since the 85-mm gun is essentially already super-duper anti-tank from the start. And the 122-mm howitzer, not only had rather mediocre shooting accuracy, it also had a significantly smaller ammunition ammo. That is, based on the combination of these factors, it is less effective, even taking into account a more powerful projectile. It’s not for nothing that the same British also preferred 87-mm guns to their 114-mm howitzers!

And further. The presence of 122-mm howitzers in the RI SD allowed the command “with a pure heart” to completely abandon 152-mm howitzers in SD artillery regiments, although they were not even close in power. And if the SD artillery regiment does not have 122-mm howitzers, but only 85-mm cannons, there is no longer any objective motivation to refuse the extremely necessary and damn useful 152-mm howitzers (especially those that are relatively light in weight).

In general, there are benefits all around.

As for 6-gun batteries and, accordingly, two divisions instead of three (with 4-gun batteries). Everything is simple here - firstly, the Red Army has a shortage of good command personnel and, accordingly, fewer commanders will be needed. And secondly, batteries and divisions suffer losses during combat operations, and a larger composition will allow them to maintain acceptable combat effectiveness longer.

As for transport. Since I have always preferred that, with limited “reserves” of specialized high-speed artillery tractors, ALL of them went together to mechanized units, then I consider the ideal option for the “second wave” SD to be equipping the only artillery regiment of the division with ONE type of tractor for the basis of its artillery - namely, medium-power civilian tractor STZ-3 (on the basis of which, in fact, the high-speed medium artillery tractor STZ-5 was developed).

(Civil tractor STZ-3 (top) and artillery tractor STZ-5 (bottom))

The power of this rather compact, inexpensive and mass-produced civilian tractor (produced just since 1937 at two giant factories - STZ and KhTZ) is quite enough to tow both 85-mm divisional guns and alternative 152-mm howitzers. And in terms of speed (max. 8 km/h), it is quite suitable for rifle divisions.

(STZ-3 at work)

The 76 mm ZiS-3 and 37 mm 61-K can also be towed by regular trucks (any available ones). Where their maneuverability is not enough, the same STZ-3 will help them!

In the final part, I will try to prove that it is quite possible to provide both materiel and transport for the “second wave” divisions. I will also outline my vision of the issues of structure, organization and formation of the “second wave” SD of this AI.

Ammunition

Compared to the wide range of ammunition for the 85-mm 52-K anti-aircraft gun, the cannon’s ancestor, the D-5’s ammunition load was significantly less varied. It included:[2][3]

• armor-piercing unitary shot weighing 16 kg with a blunt-headed armor-piercing tracer projectile with a 53-BR-365 ballistic tip weighing 9.2 kg (explosive mass - TNT or ammotol - 164 g) and a 54-G-365 charge weighing 2.48-2 .6 kg; initial speed 792 m/s;
• armor-piercing unitary shot weighing 16 kg with a sharp-headed armor-piercing tracer projectile 53-BR-365K weighing 9.2 kg (mass of explosive - TNT or ammotol - 48 g) and a G-365 charge weighing 2.48-2.6 kg; initial speed 792 m/s;
• armor-piercing unitary shot weighing 11.42 kg with a 53-BR-365P coil-type sub-caliber projectile weighing 5.0 kg and a 54-G-365 charge weighing 2.5-2.85 kg; initial speed 1050 m/s;
• fragmentation unitary shot weighing 14.95 kg with a 53-O-365 projectile with a total mass of 9.54 kg (mass of explosive - TNT or ammotol - 741 g) and a 54-G-365 charge weighing 2.6 kg; initial speed 785 m/s.

O-365 fragmentation shells had a large number of options and, when equipped with certain types of fuses, could be successfully used as high-explosive ones.

According to Soviet data, the BR-365 armor-piercing projectile normally penetrated an armor plate 111 mm thick at a distance of 500 m, and at twice the distance under the same conditions - 102 mm. The BR-365P sub-caliber projectile at a distance of 500 m along the normal pierced an armor plate 140 mm thick.[3] At an impact angle relative to the normal of 30°, when fired at point-blank range, the BR-365 projectile penetrated 98 mm, and at 600-1000 m - 88-83 mm of armor.[4]

Firepower

Firepower

Early T-34-85 tanks were equipped with an 85-mm D-5T (or D-5-T85) cannon with a barrel length of 51.6 calibers. Gun weight 1,530 kg. The maximum rollback length is 320 mm. The gun had a wedge breech, similar in design to the breech of the F-34 cannon, and a semi-automatic copy type. The recoil devices consisted of a hydraulic recoil brake and a hydropneumatic knurl and were located above the barrel: on the right side there was a knurl, on the left there was a recoil brake.

Internal view of the T-34-85 tank turret (front side):

1 – loader’s seat; 2 – sleeve catcher; 3 – gunner’s seat; 4 – turret rotation mechanism; 5 – capture of the turret ring; 6 – locking device for the opening for firing from personal weapons; 7 – button for turning on the backlight of the protractor; 8 – electrical panel of tower equipment; 9 – sight suspension; 10 – MK-4 observation devices; 11 – sight TSh-16; 12 – sight lighting shield; 13 – gun; 14 – tower lighting lamp; 15 – coaxial machine gun; 16 – stacking of machine gun magazines on the right side of the turret; 17 – tower stopper; 18 – device No. 1 TPU

Since March 1944, the T-34-85 tank was equipped with an 85-mm S-53 (and then ZIS-S-53) gun mod. 1944 with a barrel length of 54.6 calibers. The mass of the swinging part of the gun without armor is 1,150 kg. The maximum rollback length is 330 mm. Vertical aiming from –5° to +22°. The gun bolt is a vertical wedge with a semi-automatic copy type. The gun's trigger mechanism consisted of electric and mechanical (manual) triggers. The electric release lever was located on the handle of the lifting mechanism flywheel, and the manual release lever was located on the left shield of the gun fence.

For firing from 85-mm tank guns, standard ammunition from an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1939:

– a unitary cartridge with an armor-piercing blunt-head tracer projectile (BR-365) with a ballistic tip with MD-5 and MD-7 fuses;

– a unitary cartridge with an armor-piercing tracer sharp-headed projectile (BR-365K) with an MD-8 fuse;

– unitary cartridge with a fragmentation steel grenade (O-365K) with a KTM-1 fuse;

– a unitary cartridge with a sub-caliber armor-piercing tracer projectile BR-365P (put into service in February 1944).

Placement of ammunition racks in the tank:

1 – placement of artillery rounds on the right side of the tower; 2 – placement of artillery rounds in the tower niche; 3 – placement of artillery rounds in the right corner of the fighting compartment; 4 – stowage of machine gun magazines to the left of the driver’s seat; 5 – placement of artillery rounds on the floor of the fighting compartment in boxes; 6 – placement of machine gun magazines on the lower bow plate of the hull; 7 – stowage of machine gun magazines in the control compartment to the right of the machine gunner’s seat; 8 – placement of artillery rounds in the control compartment; 9 – stacking of machine gun magazines on the right side of the turret

The gun's ammunition consisted of 55 artillery rounds (fragmentation rounds - 36, armor-piercing rounds - 14, sub-caliber rounds - 5) and was placed in the hull and turret of the tank in three types of stowage: rack, clamp and box.

The rack for 12 shots was located in the niche of the tower. It included shots with a fragmentation grenade.

The clamp racks were located: on the right side of the turret - for 4 artillery rounds; in the control compartment on the starboard side of the hull - for 2 artillery rounds; in the right rear corner of the fighting compartment - for 2 artillery rounds. On the right side of the turret shots with armor-piercing shells were stacked, and in the control and combat compartments - with sub-caliber shells. Thus, the T-34-85 had 20 artillery rounds in constant readiness to immediately open fire.

Six boxes located on the bottom of the fighting compartment contained 35 rounds, of which: 24 with a fragmentation grenade, 10 with an armor-piercing projectile and 1 with a sub-caliber one.

If we take the German heavy tank “Tiger” as a kind of calculation unit, then we can state that its frontal armor was pierced by 85-mm cannons at a range of 1000 m. When firing at the tank “Tiger” from a range of 1500 m, there remained in its frontal hull plate only a dent 39 mm deep, and at a distance of 800 m a gap measuring 350 by 230 mm formed in the side of the turret box. The 85-mm cannon of the Ferdinand self-propelled gun and the Royal Tiger heavy tank penetrated only the side and rear armor plates of the hull and turret. It should be noted that in terms of manufacturing quality, Soviet armor-piercing shells were somewhat inferior to German ones, which did not allow the full potential of tank guns to be used. At the same time, the comparison with German heavy tanks looks incorrect, since the T-34-85, being a massive tank of the Red Army, more often dealt with the Pz.IV and the Panther. The first was hit by an 85-mm armor-piercing projectile at almost all firing distances, while the situation with the second was much worse. The frontal plate of the Panther's hull was 85 mm thick and tilted to the horizon at 35°; the T-34-85 tank's gun could only penetrate it from a distance not exceeding 500 m.

T-34-85. An intermediate model that retained some of the characteristic details of early Sormovo cars: an external fuel tank shifted forward and eyelets made of rod

Compared to the T-34, the T-34-85 has significantly improved fire maneuvers. The turret rotation mechanism had a combined control of manual and electric drives, which greatly facilitated its use. Using an electric drive, the tower made a full rotation in 12-15 seconds.

For direct fire from the D-5T cannon, the TSh-15 telescopic sight and the PTK-5 periscopic sight were used, and from the S-53 and ZIS-S-53 cannons, the TSh-16 telescopic sight was used. For shooting from closed positions - a side level and a turret inclinometer.

Telescopic sights TSh-15 and TSh-16 had a 4x magnification and a field of view of 16°.

Both of them had an optical hinge consisting of four mirrors. The head part of the sight was rigidly mounted on the swinging part of the gun, and the eyepiece part was stationary, which significantly improved the gunner’s working conditions.

However, the T-34-85 has significantly improved working conditions for all crew members. For example, the width of the gunner’s workplace at the shoulders was 500 mm, that is, it became equal to that of the Pz.IV or Panther. The width of the loader's workplace was 500x900 mm and, again, was equal to the Panther. At the same time, the length of unitary cartridges for both tanks was approximately the same. The loader's workplace in the Pz.IV was smaller than in the T-34-85. Only the Tiger was superior to the “thirty-four” in all these indicators.

D-5-S-85BM and D-5-T-85BM

At the end of 1943, the GAU turned to the design bureau of plant No. 9 with a proposal to develop an anti-tank gun with ballistics similar to the ballistics of the German 88-mm KwK 43 tank gun. The modernized D-5 gun received a longer barrel, which made it possible to increase the muzzle velocity of the armor-piercing projectile to 920— 950 m/s due to an increase in the powder charge. At the same time, the gun could fire with conventional 85 mm ammunition.

The version of the gun intended for installation in a tank turret received the index D-5-T-85BM (BM - high power), and the version intended for installation in the wheelhouse of a self-propelled gun received the index D-5-S-85BM.

The prototype D-5-S-85BM was installed in the hull of the serial self-propelled gun SU-85, and the prototype D-5-T-85BM was installed in the IS-85 tank. The experimental self-propelled gun was designated SU-85BM, and the IS-85 tank was designated Object 244. After field tests that took place from January to March 1944, none of the vehicles were accepted for service.

Notes

1. [legion.wplus.net/guide/army/ta/is1.shtml IS-1 heavy tank]
2. [www.battlefield.ru/content/view/149/65/lang,ru/ Fixed Ammunition]. The Russian Battlefield
   . [www.webcitation.org/65QfVsRnF Archived from the original on February 13, 2012].
3. ↑ 1 2 M. Baryatinsky.
   [armor.kiev.ua/Tanks/WWII/T34_85/t34_85_2.html Medium tank T-34-85. Design Description]. [www.webcitation.org/65QfYGCT1 Archived from the original on February 13, 2012].
4. Shmelev I.P.
   Armored vehicles of Germany 1934-1945: Illustrated reference book. - M.: Astrel, 2003. - P. 209. - ISBN 5-271-02455-5.

General characteristics of T-34-85 (D-5T)

• Country USSR
• Vehicle type Medium tank
• Rank 3

• Battle rating in arcade mode 5.3
• realistic mode 5.3
• simulator mode 5.3

More options

Advanced options

Arcade mode

• Weight 30.9 tons
• Price 150,000€
• Reward 100%
• Research bonus 154%
• Crew training price 43,000€
• Visibility 100%
• Reload time 10.8 s
• 10 free repairs
• Power 775 l. With. at 1800 rpm
• Max. speed 61 km/h
• Climbability 28°
• Repair price 1,590€
• Gun 85 mm D-5T cannon (Ammo: 55) 7.62 mm DT machine gun (Ammo: 1890)
• Turret rotation 23.8°/s
• armor_piercing_100 145 mm
• armor_piercing_500 142 mm
• armor_piercing_1000 125 mm
• Weapon sets 1
• Free repair time 1 day.
• Hull (stern) armor 45 mm
• Hull armor (side) 45 mm
• Hull armor (forehead) 45 mm
• Turret armor (stern) 52 mm
• Turret armor (side) 75 mm
• Vert. aiming angles (max) 28°
• Vert. aiming angles (min) -5°
• Turret armor (front) 90 mm

Realistic mode

• Weight 30.9 tons
• Price 150,000€
• Reward 140%
• Research bonus 154%
• Crew training price 43,000€
• Visibility 100%
• Reload time 10.8 s
• 10 free repairs
• Power 442 l. With. at 1800 rpm
• Max. speed 55 km/h
• Climbability 31°
• Repair price 2,180€
• Gun 85 mm D-5T cannon (Ammo: 55) 7.62 mm DT machine gun (Ammo: 1890)
• Turret rotation 14.9°/s
• armor_piercing_100 145 mm
• armor_piercing_500 142 mm
• armor_piercing_1000 125 mm
• Weapon sets 1
• Free repair time 2d. 01h.
• Hull (stern) armor 45 mm
• Hull armor (side) 45 mm
• Hull armor (forehead) 45 mm
• Turret armor (stern) 52 mm
• Turret armor (side) 75 mm
• Vert. aiming angles (max) 28°
• Vert. aiming angles (min) -5°
• Turret armor (front) 90 mm

Simulator mode

• Weight 30.9 tons
• Price 150,000€
• Reward 160%
• Research bonus 154%
• Crew training price 43,000€
• Visibility 100%
• Reload time 10.8 s
• 10 free repairs
• Power 442 l. With. at 1800 rpm
• Max. speed 55 km/h
• Climbability 31°
• Repair price 2,110€
• Gun 85 mm D-5T cannon (Ammo: 55) 7.62 mm DT machine gun (Ammo: 1890)
• Turret rotation 14.9°/s
• armor_piercing_100 145 mm
• armor_piercing_500 142 mm
• armor_piercing_1000 125 mm
• Weapon sets 1
• Free repair time 1 day. 22h.
• Hull (stern) armor 45 mm
• Hull armor (side) 45 mm
• Hull armor (forehead) 45 mm
• Turret armor (stern) 52 mm
• Turret armor (side) 75 mm
• Vert. aiming angles (max) 28°
• Vert. aiming angles (min) -5°
• Turret armor (front) 90 mm

Statistics on T-34-85 (D-5T) for 1 month

These statistics are collected on players who visited our site and cannot be used to point out problems to developers, as they are not complete. Arcade mode

• Number of battles 11564
• Win rate 61.27%
• Air frags per battle 0.1
• Air frags per death 0.1
• Ground frags per battle 2.91
• Ground frags per death 2.98

Realistic mode

• Number of battles 11826
• Win rate 57.54%
• Air frags per battle N/A
• Air frags per death N/A
• Ground frags per battle 2.36
• Ground frags per death 2

Simulator mode

• Number of battles 3
• Win percentage N/A
• Air frags per battle N/A
• Air frags per death N/A
• Ground frags per battle N/A
• Ground frags per death 1.67

An excerpt characterizing the 85-mm tank gun of the 1943 model (D-5)

“Don’t talk nonsense...” said Prince Andrei, smiling and looking into Pierre’s eyes. “He loves me, I know,” Pierre shouted angrily. “No, listen,” said Prince Andrei, stopping him by the hand. – Do you know what situation I’m in? I need to tell everything to someone. “Well, well, say, I’m very glad,” said Pierre, and indeed his face changed, the wrinkles smoothed out, and he joyfully listened to Prince Andrei. Prince Andrei seemed and was a completely different, new person. Where was his melancholy, his contempt for life, his disappointment? Pierre was the only person to whom he dared to speak; but he expressed to him everything that was in his soul. Either he easily and boldly made plans for a long future, talked about how he could not sacrifice his happiness for the whim of his father, how he would force his father to agree to this marriage and love her or do without his consent, then he was surprised how something strange, alien, independent of him, influenced by the feeling that possessed him. “I wouldn’t believe anyone who told me that I could love like that,” said Prince Andrei. “This is not at all the feeling that I had before.” The whole world is divided for me into two halves: one - she and there is all the happiness of hope, light; the other half is everything where she is not, there is all despondency and darkness... “Darkness and gloom,” repeated Pierre, “yes, yes, I understand that.” – I can’t help but love the world, it’s not my fault. And I'm very happy. You understand me? I know you're happy for me. “Yes, yes,” Pierre confirmed, looking at his friend with tender and sad eyes. The brighter the fate of Prince Andrei seemed to him, the darker his own seemed. To get married, the consent of the father was needed, and for this, the next day, Prince Andrei went to his father. The father, with outward calm but inner anger, accepted his son’s message. He could not understand that anyone would want to change life, to introduce something new into it, when life was already ending for him. “If only they would let me live the way I want, and then we would do what we wanted,” the old man said to himself. With his son, however, he used the diplomacy that he used on important occasions. Taking a calm tone, he discussed the whole matter. Firstly, the marriage was not brilliant in terms of kinship, wealth and nobility. Secondly, Prince Andrei was not in his first youth and was in poor health (the old man was especially careful about this), and she was very young. Thirdly, there was a son whom it was a pity to give to the girl. Fourthly, finally,” said the father, looking mockingly at his son, “I ask you, postpone the matter for a year, go abroad, get treatment, find, as you want, a German for Prince Nikolai, and then, if it’s love, passion, stubbornness, whatever you want, so great, then get married. “And this is my last word, you know, my last...” the prince finished in a tone that showed that nothing would force him to change his decision. Prince Andrei clearly saw that the old man hoped that the feeling of him or his future bride would not withstand the test of the year, or that he himself, the old prince, would die by this time, and decided to fulfill his father’s will: to propose and postpone the wedding for a year. Three weeks after his last evening with the Rostovs, Prince Andrei returned to St. Petersburg. The next day after her explanation with her mother, Natasha waited the whole day for Bolkonsky, but he did not come. The next, third day the same thing happened. Pierre also did not come, and Natasha, not knowing that Prince Andrei had gone to his father, could not explain his absence. Three weeks passed like this. Natasha did not want to go anywhere and, like a shadow, idle and sad, she walked from room to room, cried secretly from everyone in the evening and did not appear to her mother in the evenings. She was constantly blushing and irritated. It seemed to her that everyone knew about her disappointment, laughed and felt sorry for her. With all the strength of her inner grief, this vain grief intensified her misfortune. One day she came to the countess, wanted to tell her something, and suddenly began to cry. Her tears were the tears of an offended child who himself does not know why he is being punished. The Countess began to calm Natasha down. Natasha, who had been listening at first to her mother’s words, suddenly interrupted her: “Stop it, mom, I don’t think, and I don’t want to think!” So, I traveled and stopped, and stopped... Her voice trembled, she almost cried, but she recovered and calmly continued: “And I don’t want to get married at all.” And I'm afraid of him; I have now completely, completely calmed down... The next day after this conversation, Natasha put on that old dress, which she was especially familiar with for the cheerfulness it brought in the morning, and in the morning she began her old way of life, from which she fell behind after the ball. After drinking tea, she went to the hall, which she especially loved for its strong resonance, and began to sing her solfeges (singing exercises). Having finished the first lesson, she stopped in the middle of the hall and repeated one musical phrase that she especially liked. She listened joyfully to the (as if unexpected for her) charm with which these shimmering sounds filled the entire emptiness of the hall and slowly froze, and she suddenly felt cheerful. “It’s good to think about it so much,” she said to herself and began to walk back and forth around the hall, not walking with simple steps on the ringing parquet floor, but at every step shifting from heel (she was wearing her new, favorite shoes) to toe, and just as joyfully as I listen to the sounds of my own voice, listening to this measured clatter of a heel and the creaking of a sock. Passing by the mirror, she looked into it. - "Here I am!" as if the expression on her face when she saw herself spoke. - “Well, that’s good. And I don’t need anyone.” The footman wanted to enter to clean something in the hall, but she did not let him in, again closing the door behind him, and continued her walk. This morning she returned again to her favorite state of self-love and admiration for herself. - “What a charm this Natasha is!” she said again to herself in the words of some third, collective, male person. - “She’s good, she has a voice, she’s young, and she doesn’t bother anyone, just leave her alone.” But no matter how much they left her alone, she could no longer be calm and she immediately felt it.