Soviet five-turret heavy tank T-35: history of creation, technical characteristics, main weapons, advantages and disadvantages

Restored T-35 heavy tank The very first tanks were created in England, and they were developed by naval officers who were members of the Land Ships Committee of the British War Cabinet. Cannon sponsons, and then rotating gun turrets, which became an integral part of armored fighting vehicles - all this was not invented out of nowhere, but came straight from the navy. It is not surprising that the idea soon arose of equipping tanks with not one, but several turrets, bringing the “land battleships” as close as possible to real, sea-going ones. Many countries tried to implement this concept, and in the Soviet Union, for some time, the creation of such vehicles was perhaps the main line of development of armored vehicles. It was in the USSR that the T-35 tank appeared - perhaps the most impressive example of a multi-turret armored vehicle. In the 30s of the last century, this machine was the main symbol of the military power of the Red Army.

History of creation

On April 11, 1929, an extended meeting of the Council of People's Commissars was held, during which prospects for the development of domestic tank building were discussed. By that time, the Soviet troops already had the T-18 light tank (aka MS-1), but this was clearly not enough. In particular, such vehicles were not suitable for breaking through heavily fortified defensive lines, while the experience of the First World War indicated that attempts to break through the front with infantry alone inevitably led to huge losses.

Thus, a much more powerful combat vehicle was required. The meeting participants, discussing this issue, came to the conclusion that a “positional tank” (the term “heavy” was not yet used) should have the following characteristics:

• Artillery armament of one 76-mm divisional gun and several 37-mm guns (from one to three);
• At least four machine guns;
• Weight is about 40 tons.

A modern model of the two-turret Soviet medium tank T-12.
Also in 1929, an experimental T-12 medium tank was assembled at the Kharkov Locomotive Plant (construction was completed in October). It was this vehicle that was considered at the meeting of the Council of People's Commissars as a “starting point” for the design of more powerful armored vehicles. There was, however, an alternative “standard” - the French double-turret heavy tank Char 2C.

Meanwhile, the process of industrialization of the country was just beginning in 1929, and the capabilities of industry remained extremely modest. Therefore, at first, “positional tanks” were not included in the list of combat vehicles needed for the Red Army. During a meeting of the Revolutionary Military Council, held in July of the same 1929, it was decided to temporarily limit ourselves to theoretical research in this direction.

Realizing that in the USSR there are still very few experienced engineers and even fewer designers, I. Khalepsky, head of the Mechanization and Motorization Directorate (UMM) of the Red Army (today this department is called the Main Armored Directorate), proposed using foreign experience in tank development. S. Ordzhonikidze also spoke in support of this initiative.

It was planned to act in two directions: firstly, to invite foreign designers to the Soviet Union, and secondly, to send a delegation of specialists abroad to familiarize themselves with the best examples of new military equipment (with the possibility of their subsequent acquisition).

Five-turret experimental tank A1E1 Independent, created by the British
In March 1930, German engineers arrived in the USSR led by Edward Grotte, who had already gained some fame as a designer of armored vehicles. A few months later, in October, a delegation from the Department of Mechanization and Motorization in England had the opportunity to get acquainted with the experimental British multi-turreted tank A1E1 Independent, created by engineers. Both of these events are directly related to the subsequent appearance of the T-35.

The Independent's layout was radically different from the T-12. The Soviet vehicle had a small machine gun turret mounted on the roof of a larger gun turret. The designers of the A1E1 did something completely different, placing low turrets with machine guns around a high cannon turret. Thus, the tank was able to fire with its “main caliber” not from the first, but from the second tier, that is, from a more advantageous position.

In November 1930, a joint board of UMM and GUVP (Main Directorate of Military Industry) was held, during which a report on the British tank was considered. During the discussions, proposals were made to acquire Independent, but ultimately this decision was not made. In the end, the tank existed in a single copy, was not mass-produced and therefore was not suitable for the Red Army.

In addition, the A1E1's armament was considered insufficient - its only gun had a caliber of only 47 mm. According to the general opinion of representatives of the UMM and GUVP, the new Soviet tank should have been equipped with at least two, and better yet, four guns with a caliber of 45 to 76 mm, as well as five machine guns. And if the Independent had a mass of 30 tons, then Soviet designers were allowed to increase the weight of the new combat vehicle to 75 tons.

A prototype of the Grotte tank (TG) during sea trials. On the sides of the main turret turned into a wheelhouse are Maxim machine guns.

The design of tanks with these characteristics was carried out during the years 1930-1932. Future combat vehicles were assigned the indexes T-30 and T-32. The lack of practical experience in creating and fine-tuning such equipment did not allow Soviet engineers to advance beyond the construction of wooden models of tanks, but still their work was not in vain - a number of design and layout solutions were used subsequently.

Meanwhile, the “Grotte group” began work on creating a new tank back in April 1935. The list of requirements for this vehicle limited its weight to thirty tons, and the armament had to include two guns - one with a caliber of 76.2 mm, and the other with a caliber of 37 mm. The thickness of the armor was separately specified, which according to the original design was 20 mm. The “Tank Grotte”, or simply TG, was considered medium, not heavy.

The prototype TG was manufactured with some delay from the plan, caused by the unavailability of the new engine of the original design. For testing, an M-6 aircraft engine was installed instead. “Tank Grotte” in its layout was closer to the T-12 than to the Independent - the 76.2 mm gun was located “on the ground floor”, in the lower turret, and the 37 mm gun was in the upper turret. At the same time, due to mistakes made at the initial stage of manufacturing the machine, the lower turret had to be turned into a wheelhouse, tightly welded to the shoulder strap.

In general, the TG was a much more “solid” project than the T-30 and T-32. This tank had a very reliable transmission and a completely welded hull, which was a technological novelty in those years.

Project of the super-heavy multi-turreted tank TG-5, proposed by Grotte. Rejected due to obvious fantastic nature

In addition, the chassis performed well during testing - the movement was smooth and smooth even when driving over rough terrain. The presence of a pneumatic drive made operating the machine quite simple and did not require significant physical effort.

The main reason why the TG tank was not put into service was its excessively high cost. The construction of a prototype cost the USSR one and a half million rubles, almost 30 times more expensive than the production of light tanks of those years. Therefore, the contract with the German engineers was terminated, and they went back to Germany.

The Soviet specialists who worked together with Edward Grotte were given a new task - they had to join the group of designers who had previously worked on the creation of heavy tanks T-30 and T-32 and begin designing a new vehicle. It was supposed to combine the layout of the turrets and the composition of the T-32 weapons with the chassis, transmission and power plant of the TG. This “hybrid” tank was named T-35 from the very beginning.

On August 20, 1932, the assembly of the T-35-1 prototype (the additional number only indicated that this vehicle was the first) was completed. A week and a half later, the tank was inspected by representatives of the Department of Mechanization and Motorization of the Red Army. Their reviews, sent to the People's Commissar of Defense Voroshilov, were extremely favorable, which was largely due to the impressive appearance of the T-35 and its powerful weapons.

It should be noted that the design of the chassis and transmission of the new tank only at this first stage coincided with the TG. Already during the design of the second prototype, T-35-2, pneumatic control was removed.

T-35-1 prototype during the parade on May 1, 1933

The main goal was to simplify and reduce the cost of the combat vehicle. For the same purpose, it was planned to install not a hemispherical, but a cylindrical main turret on the second experimental tank.

Subsequently, the design of the transmission was completely changed, which was partly due to the transition to a new, more powerful M-17 engine. In addition, the tank received the same main turret as the T-28 medium tank. It is interesting that the idea of ​​this unification belongs personally to I.V. Stalin, who showed great interest in the T-35.

Both prototypes of the heavy tank were demonstrated during the military parade on May 1, 1933. T-35-2 passed through Palace Square (then Uritsky Square) in Leningrad, and T-35-1 through Red Square in Moscow.

Simultaneously with the production of the second prototype, the design of the next modification, designated T-35A, was carried out. These machines were no longer considered as experimental ones - they were to be built in a large series. The tank has undergone significant changes:

• The chassis has become longer - an additional trolley has appeared;
• The “medium” turrets became larger - this made it possible to place new guns in them;
• The guns in the “medium” turrets have been replaced. From this point on, 45 mm guns were used;
• A number of amendments were made to the hull configuration.

Serial production of the T-35A was entrusted to the Kharkov Locomotive Plant (KhPZ). Production of the “debut” vehicle began on October 18, 1933, and on November 7, the finished tank was already included in the festive parade held in Kharkov. He moved accompanied by several T-27s, which with their tiny size further emphasized the power of the new combat vehicle.

The first production copy of the T-35A, accompanied by T-27 tankettes. The photo was taken on November 7, 1933 in Kharkov

Establishing mass production was quite difficult. In particular, the government task, which provided for the assembly of the first five T-35s by January 1934, was disrupted. Meanwhile, throughout 1934, the KhPZ plant had to transfer ten more such vehicles to the troops. The difficulties were caused by both structural defects discovered during the practical operation of the tank and the lack of necessary materials, for example, the so-called Hatfield steel from which the tracks were made.

Ultimately, it was possible to resolve the issue of mastering the smelting of the required type of metal (however, this happened only in 1935), but the “finishing” of the tank was delayed. In addition to completely objective reasons for this phenomenon, there were also subjective ones - the KhPZ management treated the T-35 as a “stepson”. The plant director openly said that the unwanted five-turret vehicle was simply forced upon him. This sentiment was passed on to many of the company’s engineers.

Throughout 1935, active refinement of the T-35 design was carried out. Unreliable parts were simplified and strengthened, but subsequent tests showed again and again that the measures taken were not enough - the tanks spent much more time in repairs than on the march. The transmission elements (especially final drives), as well as the engine and its cooling system, proved to be the most unreliable. The number of complaints received from Red Army units reached a critical point by the beginning of 1936.

As a result, it was decided to subject one of the mass-produced tanks to particularly in-depth tests. They continued until the beginning of July 1937 and led to significant changes in the design of many components of the combat vehicle. Modernized tanks have become more reliable.

Another parade, November 7, 1935. The rear artillery turret of the T-35 is clearly visible

In particular, the “overhaul” mileage was increased to two thousand kilometers. A side effect of increasing the reliability of the T-35 was an increase in its weight to 52 tons.

The designers of the design bureau of the Kharkov Locomotive Plant planned to lighten the tank, but before they began work, the government received instructions to increase the security of the T-35 by equipping it with thicker ballistic armor. The immediate reason for this order was the experience gained during the fighting in Spain.

As you know, there was a civil war in this country just in those years. In this conflict, the USSR sided with the republican government. A lot of Soviet military equipment was sent to Spain, including tanks (T-26 and BT-5). It quickly became clear that they were quite easily knocked out by small-caliber, rapid-fire cannons. Meanwhile, the T-35's armor was not much stronger, which meant that it could also become easy prey for anti-tank artillery.

It was planned to increase the protection of a heavy tank by increasing the thickness of the armor, primarily in the frontal projection. In addition, the task was set to install new conical turrets on the T-35. It is more difficult to hit an inclined sheet of armor than a vertical one, so this measure also increased the tank’s chances of survival.

The KhPZ designers managed to complete this task at the very end of 1938. The problem was only partially solved - the towers actually became conical, but their armor was no more than 25 mm. During this period, the frontal plate reached 70 millimeters, which already provided protection from 37-45 mm anti-tank guns. The plant managed to produce six modernized T-35A, after which an order was received to cease serial production. This happened on June 8, 1939.

Upgraded T-35 with conical turrets

The main reason for this decision was the completion of the main stage of work on the creation of new heavy tanks T-100 and SMK. Both of these vehicles had significant superiority over the T-35, which led to the choice in their favor. As you know, the QMS later became the basis that made it possible to develop an even more successful heavy tank.

The total number of serial T-35As by the time their production ceased was 61 units. In addition, both prototypes – T-35-1 and T-35-2 – were preserved. Projects to equip a five-turret tank with a diesel engine and new types of artillery pieces remained unfulfilled for a number of reasons.

Stories about weapons. Tank T-35. The most useless person in the world?

Well, thanks to the Museum of Military Equipment in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, the turn has come to the T-35. Indeed, on the one hand, the car is epoch-making and remarkable; it will not leave anyone indifferent who happens to be nearby. On the other hand, without even being a specialist, you understand that this monster, if capable, is not capable of much.

Finding myself next to this monster, I caught approximately these feelings. This was back in Kubinka. There the T-35 is completely pushed into a corner, you can’t even get around it. But you can just take a photo. Which is exactly what I did.

Well, I received a package of emotions for free. The tank is truly impressive in size.

And here is the second meeting with the T-35, although not 100% consistent with history, but still in use. In general, in the museum in Verkhnyaya Pyshma this T-35 is called a “running mock-up”. That is, it corresponds externally, but not internally. But on the go. It can take part in parades, which, in fact, was the main task of this tank.

Next we have (as usual, however) a detective story! And the answer to the question: “Why would it be at all?”

To begin with, let’s ignore the fairy tale about the Soviet penchant for gigantomania. It didn’t exist in the mid-20s, believe it or not. There was no reason to be gigantic. For there was nothing in the young Land of the Soviets. No modern factories, no personnel.

There was a particular shortage of engineers. Those who were, not all of them managed to emigrate, but those who remained... Well, some of them managed to regret it. But this doesn't change the problem.

The only thing the country had was ambition. And desires to realize, if not all, then almost all.

Naturally, Soviet “specialists” looked to Europe with all their eyes. And this is quite justified, considering that the Tsar Father did not give us a single tank due to their complete absence.

And at that time almost everyone was involved in the creation of multi-tower monsters. Fashion was like this, worldwide, so there was where such a trend could come from. The fact that not everyone was able to implement it is another question.

In the tank classifications of almost all major countries of that time, there were heavy tanks, whose task was to break through the enemy’s heavily fortified defensive lines. Such vehicles were supposed to have powerful protection (ideally anti-ballistic) and powerful weapons; they were supposed to directly accompany the infantry during an attack on enemy positions and methodically suppress enemy firing points.

At the end of the 20s, the Red Army, at the very least, acquired its own light tank. We talked about it, this is a T-18 based on Renault.

But something had to be done with the heavy tank. And to someone.

The development of the first Soviet heavy tank is closely connected with the name of the German designer Edward Grotte. Some call him talented, personally I think he was even a genius. And, like all geniuses, he was a little... on the verge of losing reality.

But nevertheless, at the beginning of 1930, Grotte and a group of engineers sat down to create a tank. It seems to be average, but... We know this masterpiece as the TG-1 or simply the “Grotte tank”.

However, despite many really interesting technical solutions used to create the TG-1, it was never put into wide production.

Failed. And Grotte, in principle, has nothing to do with it. His tank was really difficult for our industry. And for the budget, that is, I translate: it turned out to be very complicated and very expensive.

And then it happened that the upset Grotte was completely carried away. And this was expressed in the project of a heavy tank weighing 100 tons, with a number of turrets from 3 to 5.

In general, Grotte was sent back to Germany, where he continued to breed monsters without success, and our engineers, who gained experience from Grotte, began creating their own heavy tank - the T-35.

To begin with, as was customary then, we went for a ride to England. The British showed their own monster, the Independent tank, a prototype of which was built in 1929, but did not go into production.

How much influence this had on Soviet designers is unknown, but our T-35 is very similar to the British one.

In 1931, the T-35-1 prototype was created, which weighed 42 tons, was armed with three guns (one 76 mm and two 37 mm) and three machine guns.

The T-35-1 crew consisted of ten people, the vehicle had an engine (aviation M-11) of 500 hp. s., which allowed her to reach speeds of up to 28 km/h. The maximum armor thickness reached 40 mm, and the range was 150 km.

In 1933, the next modification of the tank was made - T-35-2, it even managed to take part in the parade on Red Square. However, already at this moment the designers were developing the T-35A - a new tank, which went into mass production.

The T-35A was very different from the prototypes, the length and shape of the hull changed, turrets of a different design and size were installed on the tank, and there were also changes in the chassis. In fact, it was a different tank altogether.

In 1933, the T-35A was put into service. Production was established at the Kharkov Locomotive Plant, due to the appropriate dimensions. In 1934, the T-35 began to enter service with the troops.

Performance characteristics of the T-35 heavy tank

Main characteristics: Combat weight, tons: 54 Crew, people: 10

Dimensions, mm: Length: 9720 Width: 3200 Height: 3740 Ground clearance: 570

Armor thickness, mm: front inclined plate: 70 upper inclined plate: 20 frontal plate: 20 hull sides, turret box: 25 large turret side: 25 large turret roof: 15 middle turret side: 20 middle turret roof: 10 small turret side: 20 small tower roof: 10

Engine: M-11, 500 hp Maximum speed, km/h: on the highway: 28.9 on the country road: 14

Cruising range, km: on the highway: 120 on the country road: 80-90 Fuel tank capacity, l: 910

Obstacles to be overcome: ascent, degree: 20 vertical wall, m: 1.2 ford depth, m: 1 ditch, m: 3.5

Armament KT-28 gun, pcs.: 1 Caliber, mm: 76.2 Vertical pointing angle, deg: -5…+25 Horizontal pointing angle, deg: 360 Ammunition, pcs.: 96

Gun 20K, pcs: 2 Caliber, mm: 45 Vertical guidance angle, deg: -6…+22 Horizontal guidance angle, deg: 94 Ammunition, pcs: 226

DT machine gun, pcs.: 5 Caliber, mm: 7.62 Ammunition, pcs.: 10,080

A total of 59 T-35 units were produced.

An interesting nuance regarding the crew. In general, I think it would be appropriate to give a complete breakdown of the T-35 crew, because some moments will amuse everyone.

1. Vehicle commander. Senior Lieutenant. In general, the senior leader at that time commanded a tank company, but here almost everything is normal. In terms of the number of guns and crew members, the T-35 fell just short of the T-26 company.

The commander sat in the main turret and, in addition to commanding the tank and issuing target designations, loaded it together with the radio operator and fired from the main (76 mm) gun.

Would you like to be in his place? Honestly? I am not for any price.

2. Deputy tank commander. Lieutenant. He was in turret No. 2 (the front one with a 45 mm cannon) along with a machine gunner. He fired the gun and was responsible for all the tank's armament.

3. Tank technician. Military technician 2nd rank. He controlled the tank in motion and was responsible for the technical condition of the vehicle.

4. Driver. Sergeant major. Was in turret No. 3 (front machine gun). He fired from a machine gun and, if necessary, replaced the technician, since he was the deputy driver of the tank.

5. Commander of the main tower. Assistant platoon commander (this is a position or rank, in short, three triangles in a buttonhole). He fired from a 76-mm gun and was responsible for all the armament of the main turret.

6. Commander of tower No. 2. Squad leader (two triangles in buttonhole). He was responsible for arming the turret and was a 45-mm cannon loader under the deputy tank commander.

7. Commander of turret No. 4 (rear cannon). Part-commander. He fired from a 45-mm cannon and was the deputy commander of the main turret.

8. Junior mechanic-driver. Part-commander. He was in turret No. 4 and acted as a loader. Responsibilities included caring for the engine and transmission group of the tank.

9. Commander of machine gun turret No. 5 (rear machine gun turret). Part-commander. Fired from a machine gun.

10. Radio operator-telegraph operator. Part-commander. He was in the main turret, working on the radio station, and in battle performed the duties of a 76-mm gun loader.

And each tank had 2 more crew members who did not go into battle, but were in the crew.

11. Senior driver mechanic. Assistant platoon commander. Provided care for the chassis and transmission. Deputy driver mechanic.

12. Motor mechanic. Junior technician. Serviced the engine.

Overall an interesting picture, right? There were no privates in the crew. But on the other hand, the T-35 from the heavy tank regiment of the Supreme High Command Reserve is not a tankette regiment. The layouts are different.

What can you add about the car itself?

The main turret of the T-35 and the turret of the T-28 tank of the first releases were identical in design, and when conical turrets were used, the difference was that the main turret of the T-35 did not have a standard ball mounting for the rear machine gun. The rest is completely identical.

The tower had a cylindrical shape and a developed aft niche. A 76-mm gun was mounted on trunnions in the front part, and a machine gun was placed to the right of it. For the convenience of the crew, the tower was equipped with a suspended floor.

The design of the middle turrets is identical to the turrets of the BT-5 tank, but without a rear niche so that the niche does not interfere with turning. The shape of the towers is cylindrical, with two hatches for crew access. A 45-mm cannon and a coaxial machine gun were installed in its front part.

The small machine gun turrets had the same design as the machine gun turrets of the T-28 tank, however, unlike them, they were equipped with ring eyelets used during dismantling.

If you do the math, the T-35 was armed as one T-28 medium tank and two T-26 light tanks. Which in reality was already approaching a company of light tanks in terms of the mass of the salvo.

However, 4 light tanks had significantly greater maneuverability and speed. This is indisputable, of course.

But even here there will be a mountain of nuances. Yes, of course, the first T-35s fully met the operational and technical requirements that were imposed on heavy tanks in the Red Army at that time.

Seriously, the firepower of the T-35 exceeded that of any tank in the world. Five machine guns and three cannons provided all-round massive fire in all directions simultaneously, which gave certain advantages when fighting enemy infantry in the depths of its defense.

However, it was impossible for the tank commander to actually control such (I’m not afraid of this word) structure. He, the commander, simply could not effectively control the fire. After all, in addition to target designation, he also had to tell the driver where to go, fire the cannon, and tell everyone else where to fire. Brad, of course.

I want to say a few words about the mechanical drive. He really had to be controlled, since he couldn’t see a damn thing from his place. The tracks, pushed far forward, simply blocked the entire lateral view and the driver could only look forward, in a very limited sector.

Plus, a breakthrough tank with such low speed and no maneuverability is simply an excellent target for the enemy. Although the armor, even by 1941, had claims to be anti-ballistic.

Thus, the T-35 was obsolete by 1941, but it was not removed from service. Really a “suitcase without a handle.” It's heavy, inconvenient, and it's a shame to throw it away. Everyone understood perfectly well that the days of this monster had ended long ago, but new tanks were still on the way, and they decided that the T-35 would still serve.

As of May 22, 1941, the Red Army had 48 T-35 tanks, which were in service with the 67th and 68th tank regiments of the 34th tank division of the Kyiv OVO.

The rest were scattered across testing sites and educational institutions.

All T-35s that the 34th Tank Division had at its disposal were in the Rava-Russkaya area at the beginning of the war and were almost immediately lost. At the same time, only 7 vehicles were lost directly in battles, 6 were under repair at the time of the outbreak of hostilities, and the other 35 failed due to malfunctions, broke down during the march and were destroyed or abandoned by the crews. The last use of two T-35s was recorded in the battle of Moscow.

Why did the tank that was honored to be depicted on the medal “For Courage” end its career so sadly?

It's simple. The T-35 was not originally designed for two things: marching and combat.

Interestingly, there are many photographs of abandoned T-35 tanks that the Germans took - the soldiers liked to take pictures near the “miracle of hostile technology.”

There are practically no memories of the combat use of the T-35. Simply because the T-35s actually did not reach the battlefields.

But there is also documentary evidence. And they are given in the book of Kolomiets and Svirin about the T-35 heavy tank. The authors were lucky to find a person who met the war on the T-35 and recorded his memories. Guard Senior Lieutenant Vasily Vikentievich Sazonov told the following:

“On the night of June 22, the tanks of our 34th division were withdrawn on alarm from Sadovaya Vishnya. That's for sure. But not everyone came out; several cars remained under repair. As I remember, we took the cartridges and spare parts they were carrying and went to Przemysl. Not reaching about halfway, they turned us to the East, and on the 23rd they again threw us to the West, and there was Lvov.

The first two days went slowly. They rushed from side to side and everyone was waiting for someone - either those who were lagging behind and lost, or those who had broken down and were being repaired. But on the 25th an order came out: “do not wait for those who are left behind,” since we did not have time to concentrate anywhere in time. Well, we immediately went faster, and began to lose our tanks. Everyone joked that there would be nothing to fight with. We’ll get to the German, and the tanks are all under repair. And so it happened.

On the first day, as they said, about twenty tanks were abandoned on the roads. The repairmen had to fix them, but it was a good wish. They didn’t really have anything, not even tractors. How much can you do on a semi-truck with a box of wrenches and copper soldering? I doubt.

The next day, not a single repaired tank caught up with us, and we threw about a dozen more. Well, by the end of the third day of the “five-tower” there was nothing left.

Our last fight was stupid. First they fired from the main towers across the river at some farm beyond Sitno, and then attacked it with the remnants of the infantry.

About fifty Van infantrymen took part in that attack, three “thirty-fifths” and four either BT or “twenty-sixths”, I don’t remember anymore.

The infantry, of course, fell behind as soon as the German bullets began to sing. I am completely silent about my artillery. That one has been stuck with us without shells and tractors for three days now. True, we didn’t see any German tanks there at all, there were only rumors about them - about “Rheinmetals” there, about different “groups”, each more terrible than the other. But I haven’t seen German tanks in battle yet, and there didn’t seem to be much of their infantry there either.

We went to attack the farm, and a German cannon opened fire on us from the left. I turned the tower there - I looked and looked, I didn’t see anything! On the tower - boom! And you can’t lean out of the tower. Bullets are sprinkled like peas, and it’s impossible in battle. The main tower will rip the skin off your head like a jester, and maybe even tear off your head. So I look through my periscope - I see nothing, only German trenches. And for us again: “Boom! Boom!!"

German shells hit every 5 seconds, and not only hit the left side, but also fly into my turret. I saw a flash. Well, he aimed it there, opened fire, and sent ten shells. It seems like I got it, but maybe not. They're hitting us again.

We didn't reach the farm about fifty meters away - the caterpillar broke off. What to do? Leave the tank? It seems to be of no use. We shoot in all directions with everything we have! And again I don’t see anything. I shoot at the white light while there are shells. Ours have already crawled further. And it got even worse for us - they are hammering us from all sides. The engine has stalled, the cannon is jammed, and the main turret does not rotate. Then German soldiers appeared. They run towards the tank with some boxes, and I can only shoot at them with a revolver.

I realized that it was time to skedaddle. He crawled out of the tower and jumped from a height onto the road. It’s good that their machine gun fell silent. My loader jumped behind me and twisted his leg. I dragged him into a roadside hole with me. The engine driver followed us. They began to crawl away, and then our tank gasped. It was the Germans who tore him down. And we crawled through the ditch to the river.

Then three more people wandered towards us - the crew of the T-26. With them we went back to Sitno, but we found only about a dozen of our own there - the remnants of different crews. There are four of the “thirty-fifths” and all from different cars. One was rushed, just like us, one was blown up by a mine, one burned itself out. We left the encirclement with them five days later.

This is how the tank battle near Dubno ended for me. And I never saw the “thirty-fifths” in battle again. I think that they could have fought normally in '41. Tanks could. Tankers - not yet."

I draw your attention to the fact that all abandoned tanks do not have machine guns. They filmed and took away the cartridges. They were going to fight with whatever they had. In terms of morale, everything was fine in those days.

Actually, this is the verdict on the multi-tower, bulky scheme. But, I repeat, there was already an understanding of the changing situation and the need for new tanks. And there were KVs that really came to replace the T-35.

The T-35 simply was not a fighting vehicle. Yes, participating in parades under the attentive gaze of foreign soldiers is one thing, war is something else entirely.

Although there was one “not like that” parade... On November 7, 1941, two T-35 tanks took part in THAT parade. True, they say that they didn’t get to the front, but were sent to the rear. Out of harm's way.

A T-35 painted white, with a T-34 in the back on the streets of Moscow.

The only photo of the T-35 in a combat situation. They say the photo is staged. Quite possible.

And here is another photo. A photo of a T-35 that actually died in battle. Rarity…

What else can I say? Never mind. In order to judge, and without being judged, I recommend everyone to just look back. In 1917 we had no tanks at all. None. In 1933, the T-35 was adopted for service.

Are we using a calculator? 16 years. For 16 years, in conditions of such a shake-up as the revolution, the loss of personnel who died or went abroad, in enthusiastic and pitiful single factories...

And such a monster. T-35.

Yes, the concept is outdated, yes, the car was “not a fountain”, but, excuse me, it was. Developed by domestic designers, assembled from its own metal, with its own engine and weapons. Not bought with gold. Its.

So, if we talk about the achievements of design thought and industry, then 2 prototypes and 59 battle tanks are probably still a victory.

Do not forget that after the T-35 there were other heavy tanks. Which crushed half of Europe with caterpillars. But heavy tank building began with the T-35. Did the first pancake come out lumpy? Maybe. But he has the right to do so.

Source: Maxim Kolomiets, Mikhail Svirin. Heavy tank T-35. Land dreadnought of the Red Army.

Description of design

The main feature of the T-35 is, of course, its “multi-turret” design, which involves a “two-story” placement of machine guns and cannons. Thanks to this arrangement, the machine has truly enormous dimensions. For its time, the design of the tank was quite advanced, but the very concept of a “land cruiser” later showed its futility.

Tank body

If the TG was completely welded, then riveting was partially used in the manufacture of the T-35 hull. The thickness of the armor plates used to make this tank ranged from 10 to 50 millimeters (not counting the six most recent vehicles). Inside the case there are five compartments, delimited by four partitions and external walls:

1. Branch of the front towers. Includes a control post in which the driver is located;
2. Main Tower Branch;
3. Rear towers department;
4. Engine compartment;
5. Transmission compartment.

Diagram of the internal layout of the T-35 tank
The driver was seated through a hatch cut into the roof of the hull. Another hatch, used by the same crew member, was an inspection hatch. They cut it through the front armor plate. It was assumed that in battle the tank driver would look forward through a gap in the same hatch covered with bulletproof glass. On the march, the lid could be opened completely.

In the central part of the body there was a so-called “hexagon” - a kind of steel pedestal on which the largest of the towers was erected. At the rear of the car, another hatch was cut into the roof of the hull, using which one could get to the engine compartment. The air intake blinds were also located there. Another round hole at the stern was intended to accommodate a fan to cool the engine.

Tank turrets

In total, the combat vehicle had five turrets, of which three had mixed artillery and machine gun armament, and the other two had only machine gun armament. The largest of them (the main one) is located in. The remaining towers surround it on all sides - two in front and two in back. This arrangement allows for simultaneous firing in all directions or concentrated fire from two guns and three machine guns at once at the most important targets.

The largest of the T-35 turrets generally coincides in its shape and internal structure with the T-28 turret, a vehicle that is not a heavy, but a medium-weight armored vehicle. An additional machine gun can be installed in the rear of this turret. For this purpose, there is a vertical slot in the rear wall, equipped with an armored flap. The turrets of late T-35 models received a stern ball mount.

Model of the main turret of the T-35 tank. The ball mount of the machine gun, which is not coaxial with the gun, is clearly visible

There are two hatches on the roof - for the crew commander and the main gun gunner. The rotation mechanism of the main tower is three-speed. There are two drives - manual and electric. A full 360-degree turn can be completed in 7.4 seconds. Since the main tower is higher than the other four, it is equipped with a special blocking device. As soon as any of the top hatches available on other towers is opened, turning is prohibited. The gunner of the main gun has a special remote control, on which at this moment the signal lamp goes out.

The suspended floor, located under the largest tower, is attached to the shoulder strap using several brackets. Part of the ammunition is placed under the seats and between them - 24 shells and 6 discs for the DT machine gun. It should be noted that in this part of the tank, along with the crew commander and gunner, there was also a radio operator. His seat was attached to the suspended floor. The antenna of the radio station could be a whip or a handrail, and it was installed on the roof.

The medium-sized turrets are modeled after those that were equipped with the BT-5 tanks (unification with the BT-7 was made on the latest vehicles). The main difference is the simplified rear part, without a niche. Entry and exit is through a rectangular hatch in the roof. The turning mechanism is manual. Inside the turret there are two crew members - a gunner and a 45 mm gun loader. There is also ammo storage for shells and machine gun discs.

Small towers are single. Exactly the same turrets were installed on the T-28 and were also used for machine gun fire. Entry and exit is through the top hatch. Along with the discs, a spare machine gun is stored inside.

Engine and transmission

M-17T engine, installed on all T-35 tanks.
All built T-35 tanks were equipped with an M-17 aircraft engine. This is a V-shaped four-stroke engine with twelve cylinders. Initially, its maximum power, achieved at 1450 rpm, was 500 horsepower. After the engine design was updated and improved in 1937, this parameter was increased to 580 hp.

The M-17 was designed to use B-70 gasoline (KB-70 was also allowed). The total fuel supply in the three internal tanks reached 910 liters. There was a special device to simplify starting at low temperatures.

The gearbox is four-speed, with a separate reverse gear. In a common compartment (transmission) there are final drives, a main clutch, as well as a power take-off mechanism, which ensures the operation of the forced cooling fan.

Chassis

The chassis of the machine includes the following elements:

1. Conventional road wheels. Made with rubber. There are 16 of them in total - eight on each side;
2. Support rollers, front and top. Their number is, respectively, 2 and 12 (one and six per board). The front ones are useful when overcoming vertical obstacles;
3. Sloths (guide wheels). Equipped with a mechanism by which the caterpillar is tensioned;
4. Sprockets (drive wheels).

The rollers are installed not individually, but in twos, in special carts with two springs intended for suspension. The number of tracks in each caterpillar is 135. When moving, the supporting surface has a length of 6.3 meters and a width of 526 mm. To protect the chassis, a bulwark was used - an armor plate 10 mm thick.

One of the bogies that made up the chassis of the T-35 tank

Surveillance equipment and sights

To view the surrounding space, the tank commander could use the PTK device, which can be seen on the right side of the main turret. This device is a panoramic sight. The gunner sitting on the left side had two sights - TOP and PT-1. The first of them was a “telescope”, and the second was a “periscope”. The same sighting equipment was also available in the middle turrets. All optical instruments were protected by special armored caps.

At the same time, the main “observation means” were the most ordinary viewing slits. They were located on the sides of each of the towers and in the driver's hatch. The view from his place was very limited - the high tracks were in the way. To protect against shrapnel and bullets, all viewing slots were covered with armored glass.

Composition of weapons

T-35 tanks were equipped with the following types of weapons:

1. KT gun. Caliber – 76 mm. A similar weapon was used on other armored vehicles (for example, on the T-28). It was intended to destroy conventional enemy fortifications, built without the use of concrete, and provide fire support for infantry advances. The gun commander sometimes also had armor-piercing shells at his disposal, but their effectiveness was low;
2. Two 20K guns. Caliber – 45 mm. These guns were used on many Soviet tanks and armored vehicles. Their main purpose is to destroy all types of enemy armored vehicles. The initial speed of a projectile fired from 20K reached 760 meters per second;
3. Six (on some vehicles five) DT machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber. One diesel engine was installed in the medium and small towers, and two in the main one, with one of them mounted in the stern.

“Medium” T-35 turret with a 45-mm 20K gun and a coaxial DT machine gun.
The ammunition load for the main gun consisted of 96 unitary rounds. 48 of them were with high-explosive shells, 48 ​​with shrapnel. Some of the latter could be replaced with armor-piercing ammunition.

The 20K guns had 226 rounds - 113 each with armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation shells. The machine guns were fed from disc magazines containing 63 rounds. In total, the tank had 160 discs (10,080 rounds). It should also be noted that later T-35s could be equipped with an additional anti-aircraft machine gun mounted in a turret on the gunner's hatch of the main turret.

Armament

The T-35's weapons were housed in five towers arranged in two tiers. The central turret was equipped with a 76.2-mm KT-28 gun of the 27/32 model (it was planned that the PS-3 would be installed), which was a tank version of the regimental gun mod. 1927. Barrel 16.5 caliber long. The initial speed of the ammunition is 381 meters per second. A tank periscope mod. 1932 and telescopic sight mod. 1930. To the right of the gun, a DT machine gun was mounted in an independent ball mount. A slot was made in the turret niche for the yoke mounting of the second DT machine gun. The gap was closed with a special armored shutter. On some tanks, a standard ball mount was used to install the rear machine gun. Also, another diesel engine was installed on the turret hatch using a turret mount, used for firing at air targets.

A pair of 45-mm cannons 20K mod. 1932 was installed in small cannon turrets, which were located diagonally (right-front and left-rear). The initial speed of the armor-piercing projectile was 760 m/s. The guns, paired with DT machine guns, were mounted on trunnions in movable armor. In machine gun turrets located diagonally (left-front and right-back) they were used to install DT machine guns.

The ammunition consisted of: 96 rounds for a 76 mm cannon, 220 rounds for 45 mm cannons and 10 thousand rounds for machine guns.

Thus, the T-35 was armed approximately like one T-28 medium tank and two T-26 light tanks.

Performance characteristics

The main parameters of the T-35 heavy tank are as follows:

The characteristics of the last six T-35A tanks, assembled at the end of 1938 and the beginning of 1939, are shown in brackets in the table.

Separately, it is necessary to talk about the composition of the tank crew. It included ten people.

T-35 tank, equipped with headlights for shooting at night. You can see them at the top of the main tower

The titles of their staff positions do not quite correspond to the modern terminology used above. In particular, the tanker who controlled the movement of the combat vehicle was designated in the documents as a junior technician. Military technicians of the second rank were to be appointed to this position.

There were two tankers, called driver mechanics, in the crew - a senior and a junior. The first of them was located in the front small turret and was supposed to fire from a machine gun. His duties also included caring for the engine and assisting the junior technician (i.e. the driver). The junior driver was located in the rear middle turret. In fact, it was a loader with an additional function for servicing the chassis.

The crew commander was located in the main tower. Senior lieutenants were appointed to this position. In addition to his main duties, the commander had to fire the DT (a tank version of the DP-27 light machine gun) and supply shells for the cannon (together with the radiotelegraph operator located in the same turret).

In general, the system of job titles was quite confusing - either gunners or loaders became turret commanders. This approach probably made it much more difficult to practice joint actions.

The Red Army needs a heavy tank!

By the end of the 1920s, the heavy tank fleet of the Red Army was exhausted by vehicles from the First World War and the Civil War, mainly British “diamonds”, which had long since exhausted their entire service life and were morally obsolete. Meanwhile, the concept of providing the Red Army with tanks provided for the indispensable presence of heavy vehicles, the main task of which was to break through the fortified line of defense with the support of infantry and cavalry. It was necessary to build such vehicles in accordance with new global trends in tank building, and for this it was necessary to at least learn about these trends. That’s why they decided to take advantage of foreign experience, purchasing foreign models of tanks and inviting foreign specialists to work in the USSR.

Among the foreign specialists were the German engineer Edward Grotte and his fellow employees of the Rheinmetall concern. In March 1930, they were invited to the Soviet Union to provide technical assistance in the design of tanks. The interest was mutual: Soviet specialists received the experience they needed so much, the Red Army, if successful, received tanks, and designers returned to Germany who had acquired real skills in designing and building tanks, which the Germans were prohibited from producing under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

The Germans were sent to Leningrad, where Edward Grotte’s group, together with Soviet specialists, designed a medium (as it was also called in the documents “powerful medium”) tank TG-1 with two guns in less than a year. It was good, but for a number of reasons (including high production costs and an overly complex design) it never went into production. But in the process of working on this machine, a large group of Soviet designers gained the desired experience. And when by the end of 1931 it became clear that the TG would remain in a single copy with the “experimental” status, our designers were transferred to help colleagues who were developing the T-30 heavy tank.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main and perhaps the only real advantage that the T-35 tank had was its excellent firepower characteristics. For a long time, in this parameter it was the leader among all other combat vehicles. The tank was created taking into account the experience of the First World War - it was supposed to suppress any resistance from enemy infantry with the help of artillery and machine guns, ensuring a breakthrough of the enemy’s defenses.

T-35 during tactical exercises. Apparently, a late production machine with a sealed body is used

Within the framework of such a concept, the T-35 fully met its purpose - it was not difficult to imagine how the steel giants slowly crawled through trenches and wire fences, destroying bunkers and dugouts with their cannons and filling the trenches with a shower of bullets. The only problem was that such tactics had already become a thing of the past in the 30s - now much faster and more maneuverable vehicles were required.

In any case, the T-35 had a huge number of shortcomings. Here are just a few of them:

1. Low speed and poor maneuverability. The tank sometimes could not get out of a medium-sized puddle;
2. Large dimensions and weight. The enormous size of the T-35 made it an excellent target for artillery and also made it difficult to transport tanks by rail. The significant weight of the tank did not allow it to use many crossings that were not designed for such a load;
3. Weak reservation. The T-35 was heavy solely in terms of mass, its security left much to be desired and corresponded to the level of light tanks;
4. Difficulty managing five towers at once. It was almost impossible to organize their fire cooperation;
5. High price of the tank. With the money spent during the production of one T-35, it was possible to build at least nine much more practical BTs;
6. Lack of escape hatches and communication passages between tank compartments.

All these shortcomings were aggravated by a number of shortcomings. In particular, it was not possible to achieve reliable operation of the final drives and transmission as a whole. In fact, none of the T-35s built managed to become a truly combat-ready tank. In addition, its design was clearly outdated already in the second half of the 30s.

Image of the T-35 on the medal "For Courage"

It cannot be said, of course, that the T-35 did not bring any benefit. This vehicle became one of the milestones in the development of Soviet tank building. There was no way to bypass it - only in this way, by making mistakes and correcting mistakes, do designers move towards the ultimate goal - the creation of full-fledged and effective armored vehicles.

Five towers instead of three

“Thirty” was somewhat reminiscent of the TG-1 with its lower wide 76.2 mm “main caliber” turret and a turret with a 37 mm caliber gun located on it. In addition to them, the vehicle was armed with four machine guns. The design of the T-30 clearly showed a strong influence from the Grotte tank (although its fighting compartment was located almost at the stern), and a noticeable influence from the French Char 2C. But the matter never got beyond the wooden model: the T-30 tank project was considered unrealistic for mass production. The same thing happened with other heavy tank projects developed at Bolshevik based on the TG-1 model.

By this time, the leadership of the Red Army already had information about the three-turreted British A6 medium tank. They did not buy this vehicle for licensed production, but the concept was studied carefully, and it seemed the most promising for the first Soviet heavy tank. This made sense: the separate placement of all the tank’s weapons ensured guaranteed all-round fire. In addition, the separation of the “main” and “auxiliary” caliber guns into different turrets made it possible to relieve the tank commander, who was traditionally overloaded with responsibilities for Soviet pre-war tanks. When the T-35 was already put into service, there were sometimes claims that five turrets were too many for one commander. But the experience of the tankers who served on the “thirty-fifths” showed that in a competent crew, the commanders of the turrets with 45-mm guns made decisions about choosing targets independently.

At the beginning of 1932, work on all other heavy tank projects, except for the T-35 project (the tank received its index based on the projected weight of 35 tons), ceased. The designers devoted all their efforts to creating a five-turreted vehicle with spaced-out weapons. Since it was not created from scratch, work proceeded quickly, and by the end of August the first prototype was built, and on September 1 it was shown to representatives of the military, who were greatly impressed by the tank. The vehicle was sent for testing, following which it was required to be modified, primarily in terms of reducing the cost and simplifying the transmission and control drives that the T-35 inherited from the TG.

Comparison with analogues

A literal analogue of the T-35 was not created either in the USSR or in other countries of the world. Even the experimental British “double-deck” Independent cannot be equated with the Soviet “land cruiser”. Nevertheless, machines similar in concept still existed.

First of all, it’s worth remembering the French Char 2C. It was not even a heavy tank, but a super-heavy tank - its mass was 75 tons. Its length exceeded 10 meters (that is, it was longer than the T-35). The prototype of this combat vehicle appeared back in 1917, during the First World War. The Char 2C had only two turrets - one artillery and one machine gun, located at the stern. Additional firing points were installed on the sides of the tank.

In December 1939, the Char 2C was modernized, increasing the thickness of its frontal armor to 90 mm, and its side armor to 65 mm. Thus, the French designers, unlike the Soviet ones, managed to provide projectile protection. Nevertheless, these tanks did not play any role in the Second World War - they were let down by a drawback that was fully characteristic of the T-35, namely low mobility.

Char 2C – double-turret super-heavy French tank

Another approximate analogue of the T-35 can be considered the experienced British tank Vickers Medium Mark III. It was considered medium rather than heavy and had "only" three turrets. This car became a kind of prototype of the Soviet T-28. The latter overall proved to be much more successful than the T-35. Multi-turreted T-28 tanks, created in the USSR, were quite actively used in various armed conflicts, including at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War.

In addition, in different countries of the world, single copies of multi-turret tanks were manufactured, more or less similar in concept to the T-35. One of them was the Japanese Type 95 Ro-Go Heavy. This heavy tank was equipped with one gun and two machine-gun turrets and had good armor, but it never went into production.

In 1938-39, the USSR made another attempt to create a “land cruiser” - experimental Soviet heavy tanks SMK and T-100 were developed. Both of them were conceived as three-tower, but at the design stage the number of towers was reduced to two.

Unfortunately, even after this, J. Kotin, the chief designer of the Leningrad Kirov Plant, did not fully realize the futility of the “multi-tower” concept itself. As a result, on the eve of the war, a lot of time and effort was spent on developing another obviously useless three-turreted monster - the KV-5.

The era of land cruisers

The period between the two world wars became a time for tank builders around the world to search for optimal designs for armored tracked vehicles. We decided on the lungs pretty quickly. The model for them (and in terms of layout for the vast majority of tanks to this day) was the French Renault FT-17 - by many estimates the best tank of the First World War.

The idea of ​​​​the appearance of heavy tanks became a kind of attempt to combine the firepower of an entire lung compartment in one vehicle. If you think about it, it’s not difficult to understand the supporters of the idea of ​​multi-turret machines. But on one condition: continuing to consider tanks as a means of primarily supporting infantry and cavalry. What is most dangerous for an infantryman who goes on the attack? A well-entrenched enemy, fenced with rows of barbed wire and covering his flanks with machine guns in bunkers and bunkers. The infantryman advances only with a rifle in his hands, at best - with the support of his artillery, which still needs to have time to inform in which square the machine gun that is disrupting the attack is hidden. A light tank is also light because its armament is not always enough to suppress enemy firing points. And the heavy one is a fortress on tracks, a land cruiser that goes on the attack together with an infantryman! Against bunkers he has a field caliber cannon, or even more, against other tanks - smaller caliber cannons, and against enemy infantry - several machine guns firing in a circular manner. The beauty of power!

Fascinated by this beauty, French designers were the first to create the multi-turret heavy tank Char 2C. The ten-meter monster, which became the world's largest tank in service, had a 76-mm cannon in the main turret, a machine gun in the rear turret and three machine guns in the front and side plates. This provided the vehicle with all-round machine gun fire and protected it from enemy infantry. The tracks still covered the hull like the English Marks, but the turret now rose above them, like the FT-17, and was three-seater, which ensured balanced work for all its occupants. The speed of this tank was low, only 15 km/h, and only on the highway, but for the early 1920s, the 60-ton giant, late to the war, looked quite modern.

The British did not stand aside either, creating their own version of a multi-turreted tank in the late 1920s - early 1930s - the Vickers 16 tons, also known as the A6. True, unlike the Frenchman, who was considered super-heavy, the Briton was classified as medium-sized and had a combat weight of only 16 tons, as the name suggests. In addition, the gun in the main turret had a caliber of only 47 mm, but received a 360-degree firing sector, and the two front machine guns were each placed in their own rotating turret. However, the British army never made a large order for these vehicles, costing a batch of six units, three of which were prototypes.

Practical application of the T-35

After the serial production of T-35A tanks was established, they began to be transferred to the Red Army. The first military unit to receive these vehicles was the 5th separate tank regiment (later a brigade). This unit was located in Kharkov.

Heavy tank T-35, destroyed on June 30, 1941 in the battle of Brody

It quickly became clear that the T-35 was not suitable for practical use. The tank broke down too often and required special care and adherence to certain rules when driving across bridges.

Not too flattering reviews about the new machine came from the training units. And only at military parades did the heavy giants T-35 show their best side, successfully shocking military attaches from around the world. True, the reliability of the tank increased somewhat over time, which made it possible to use it in several exercises, but overall the T-35’s reputation remained unimportant.

Until June 22, 1941, none of these vehicles were used on the battlefield. There are sometimes claims that the Soviet T-35 heavy tank was used in the first attempt to break through the Mannerheim Line, but this is a misunderstanding. The fact is that in December 1939, Soviet troops introduced an experimental SMK tank into battle on the Karelian Isthmus. He hit a mine and was stuck for a long time deep in enemy positions. As a result, the Finns, having examined the tank, came to the conclusion that this was some new modification of the T-35. Information about the new vehicle also reached Germany, where the SMK was also erroneously designated as the T-35S.

In June 1941, the Red Army units had 59 T-35s, 51 of them in the 8th Mechanized Corps (Kiev Special Military District). 42 tanks were operational, and 9 were in need of repair. After the start of the war, 38 vehicles took part in battles against the advancing Wehrmacht units.

One of the T-35 tanks from the 34th Soviet Tank Division, abandoned on the road due to breakdowns

It would be more correct, however, to say that they tried to take part. For the T-35, the most dangerous enemy was always not the enemy’s guns, but long marches, which the transmission and engine could not withstand. By June 27, all of these tanks were lost, but only seven of them were killed in action. All the rest were victims of breakdowns or improper driving.

Unfortunately, most of the T-35 crew members did not survive to this day, and they left almost no memories. Therefore, there are very few details about the collisions of multi-turret tanks with German troops. It is known, for example, that in one of the battles the T-35 received many hits from a small-caliber anti-tank gun (presumably 37 mm), but none of the shells penetrated the armor. The tank had to be abandoned after all the ammunition was used up. No damage was reported to the enemy.

Most of the abandoned tanks were blown up by their crews, but the Germans still managed to capture several T-35s intact. One or two of them were even taken to Germany for further study.

T-35 in winter camouflage. This tank took part in the parade on November 7, 1941

Two more Soviet T-35s were featured in newsreels about the Battle of Moscow. On November 7, 1941, they took part in the famous parade on Red Square. In addition, these vehicles were used during tactical exercises of Soviet troops near Kazan. Most likely, they never made it to the front.

War

The first and only conflict of the T-35 was the Great Patriotic War. And here, of course, several factors came together at once. Firstly, the obsolescence of the giant itself. Insufficient armor plus the lack of reserves for modernization made it extremely vulnerable - at such and such a size! Secondly, the campaign itself in the summer of 1941 was extremely unpleasant for the Soviet Union - in such conditions, not only “thirty-fifths” burned en masse, but also the much more advanced T-34 and KV.

T-35 participates in a photo production for propaganda, November 1941 (https://armedman.ru)

T-35 participates in a photo production for propaganda, November 1941 (https://armedman.ru)