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Late in 1942, the Design Bureau, along with re-developing the T-43 tank,
which was actually a comprehensive upgrade of the T-34 tank, started concept studies
for an entirely new tank. This tank was being designed in three versions: with either 122 mm or 100 mm or 85 mm gun.
Apart from artillery armament, the designed tank (later
on it was designated the T-44) differed
from the T-34 by the following design features:
- the engine was mounted perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the
vehicle; this made it possible to reduce the volume of the power pack
compartment;
- the turret was moved towards the rear; this made it possible to make the
vehicle shorter;
- overall height of the tank was reduced by 300
mm;
- armour protection of the hull front part was
improved by increasing the thickness of the front glacis plate
and by removing the driver's hatch from the hull glacis plate to
the hull roof;
- torsion bar suspension was introduced;
- radio operator/machine gunner was excluded from
the crew in order to increase the number of rounds carried by
the tank.
Design of the tank was essentially
completed by the end of 1943. The first prototypes of the tank were
completed in the first half of 1944. Tests of the prototypes
showed clearly that for a number of reasons guns of increased
calibre (122 mm and 100 mm) were unacceptable for the T-44 tank, and
further development work on these ceased.
Throughout 1944 the T-44 tank fitted with a 85mm gun derived from the
T-34/85 was further tested and refined and by the end of the year it the tests had
been successfully completed. A new medium tank emerged.
T-44-122
and T-V Panter tanks during comparative evaluation trials |
