At the end of World War II, Soviet tank depots presented a unique sight. Among them, the T-34 medium tanks dominated, and they were an important part of the Soviet war. In addition to this, there were a small number of IS-2 and IS-3 heavy tanks, which played an important role in the war.
The T-34 family of tanks excelled in the war against Nazi Germany, and their mobility and firepower made them an indispensable force on the battlefield. However, despite the many advantages of the T-34 family of tanks, the USSR considered their leaf spring suspension devices and 85-mm guns to be outdated.
Under these conditions, the USSR began work on improving the T-34 family of tanks. They developed a new tank, called the T-44 tank. The T-44 tank received a new suspension system and a 100-mm gun, which made it more advanced than the T-34 family of tanks. In addition, the USSR developed another new tank, known as the T-54 tank. The T-54 tank further improved the design of the T-44 tank and became one of the mainstream tanks in the Soviet tank arsenal.
In 1944, the Soviet Union designed a new medium tank called the T-44. This tank was a modification of the earlier T-34 85 tank. However, despite the small series production carried out in 1945-1949, in practical service, the T-44 tank showed poor reliability.
The T-44 tank had a number of improvements, the most notable of which was the use of a torsion bar suspension system. This innovation made the tank smoother on the road and greatly improved maneuverability. At the same time, the transverse design of the engine and transmission is also a highlight, which makes the internal layout of the tank more reasonable and easy to maintain and operate. The shape of the hull has also been carefully designed to be smoother, which not only increases the speed of the tank, but also enhances its protection.
Compared to the earlier T-34 85 tanks, the number of crew members of the T-44 tank was reduced to 4 people, which meant that the internal space of the tank was used more efficiently. At the same time, the mechanical and electrical crew of the original tank was canceled, and the course machine gun was fixed to the hull, and the driver was responsible for controlling the firing. This design made the overall structure of the tank more compact and its combat effectiveness increased.
The turret of the T-44 tank was a modification of the turret of the T-34 85 tank, but, unlike the original, it did not have a protruding neck ring at the bottom. This design makes the turret smoother, reducing the probability of being spotted by the enemy and improving the concealment of the tank.
In the middle and late stages of World War II, as well as in the events in Hungary in 1956, the T-44 tank was put into service. It has not only demonstrated strong combat effectiveness on the battlefield, but also proved its ability to adapt to various complex environments. However, due to problems with its reliability, the T-44 tank was not put into service on a large scale.
As technology continued to advance, the T-44 tank underwent a series of improvements, culminating in the T-44M tank. This improved tank was still used in military training in the 70s of the 20th century, training a large number of excellent tankmen for the Soviet army.
The T-54 tank was a product of the Soviet Union in the late stages of World War II, and its predecessor was the T-44 tank. The first prototype of the T-54 tank was completed in 1946, and production began at the Kharkov Tank Plant in 1947. The appearance of such tanks greatly improved the armored strength of the Soviet Union.
The design concept of the T-54 tank is very advanced, and many new technologies and materials are adopted, which makes it a qualitative leap in terms of firepower, protection and mobility. Its main gun used an 85 mm caliber tank gun, which could fire armor-piercing and grenades, and had high firing accuracy and lethality. In addition, the T-54 tank was equipped with a new automatic reloading system, which made it possible to significantly increase its rate of fire.
The T-54 tank also had excellent protection, with composite armor, which made it effective against enemy shells and missiles. At the same time, the T-54 tank is also equipped with a new fire control system and night vision devices, which make its combat capabilities on the battlefield even better.
In the production of the T-54 tank, countries such as the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Poland were involved, and a total of about 50,000 T-54 T-55 tanks were produced, accounting for one-third of the world's total post-World War II tank production. Until 1981, the Soviet Omsk Tank Plant was still producing T-55 tanks, and by this time the T-62 tanks had long been discontinued. This is enough to explain the excellent performance and strong vitality of the T-54 T-55 tank.