T-34/76 1940

  Unit Properties in Men of War General Information
 * Nation:     Russia
 * Category:   Tanks
 * Class:      Medium tank
 * Role:       Infantry/Tank Support
 * Primary Armament: 76 mm
 * Secondary Armament: 2 x DT-29 Machinegun Hull + Turret
 * Armor:     45-20mm
 * Crew:       4(8)


 * MP price:   17
 * Speed:      34
 * Fuel:       ?

Arguably one of the most succesfull tanks of World War II, the Soviet T-34 series was revolutionary; they combined the sloped armor, a decent gun and superb mobility in one tank. The '''T-34-76 obr. 1940 g.''' was the first in the bloodline, sporting the 76 mm L-11 gun. While not a particularly good anti-tank weapon, it was good enough against the early German tanks, and could also fire a relatively powerful HE round. Just entering service around the time of Operation Barbarossa in 1941, it was a tremendous surprise to the Germans. However, they were usually badly handled and could be beaten off by the Germans with their superior tactics. However, they achieved one of their greatest successes during the Battle of Mtsensk, where General Mikhail Katukov used the T-34 in mass for the first time to bloody the nose of Guderian's Panzergruppe 2 during the Defense of Moscow.

In-game
The T-34-76 is an excellent, well-balanced medium tank, more than capable of holding its own against other medium tanks in the world at that time. Its relatively weak 76 mm L-11 gun is its only real weakness, but its superior mobility allows it to quickly flank and/or close the distance between German tanks for maximum effectiveness. It's thick, sloped frontal armor will shrug off most medium anti-tank rounds, unless they get a lucky hit. Beware of German 88 mm Flak guns and heavy artillery, however. The reload time for the gun is somewhat slow, too.


 * This tank has the same gun penetration as the KV-1