T-44

Genesis By the end of 1940, when production of the T-34 started, there were already plans to improve the vehicle's reliability and operational capabilities by adopting more modern technology. This design project was designated T-34M. The bow machine gun and driver's hatch switched positions on the glacis plate. In addition to six smaller wheels, It had a new 8-speed transmission system. Prototypes First generation In the autumn of 1943 the design bureau of the Stalin Ural Tank Factory No. 183, located in Nizhny Tagil (in the Ural Mountains, where most of the Soviet tank industry had been evacuated after Operation Barbarossa in 1941), started working on a vehicle that would have improvement opportunities in the future, under a direct order from Joseph Stalin. The intention was to retain the high mobility of the T-34 and provide it with heavier armour protection against modern tank guns. In November 1943, the chief designer, A. A. Morozov, presented the overall design of the vehicle and a model of the tank, which received the designation T-44 (Ob'yekt 136). The first prototype was completed by January 1944 and two more were completed in February. The first two prototypes were armed with 85mm D-5T guns and received the designation T-44-85, while the third prototype was armed with the 122mm D-25-44T tank gun and received the designation T-44-122. The D-25-44T tank gun was very similar to the basic D-25 field gun, but differed in some minor details including fixed single-piece ammunition to increase the rate of fire and a double-baffle muzzle brake. The penetration of the gun is disputed over whether the in battle or tested under conditions results should be used but in battle the penetration like previous model the T-34 the gun was unable to penetrate the expected amount of armor due to the powder used in the shells. What allowed fitting such powerful armament in a medium tank weighing 30 tonnes was the construction of the hull with an innovative placement of the engine. Unlike most tanks, in the T-44 the engine was placed perpendicular to the axis of the tank. The hull was designed without sponsons. It was also much wider which made the crew compartment bigger and allowed the turret to be placed over the center part of the vehicle. It was believed that putting a high-speed 12-cylinder engine with a working displacement of almost 40 liters perpendicular to the direction of travel would cause problems, including breaking the connecting rods. to the center of the hull, increased the accuracy of the main gun These cylindrical fuel tanks were later used on Soviet main battle tanks as additional fuel tanks. Further development of the T-44 was canceled and all the attention was directed towards the development of the new T-54 main battle tank. ==Description==

The T-44 had a typical tank layout: the driving compartment at the front, the fighting compartment in the middle and the engine compartment in the rear. The original intention was to retain the high mobility and speed of a T-34 and to provide the T-44 with heavier armour protection against large-caliber tank guns. This was accomplished by adding thicker armour but reducing the internal volume of the hull. The T-44 had a lower profile than the T-34, and was potentially simpler to manufacture. Although the T-44 used many components of the T-34, it had a new hull, and a modified model V-2 diesel engine, suspension and transmission. The extensive machine gun firing port in the glacis plate (which was present in the T-34 medium tank) was a weak spot in the armour. and an improved fuel system which increased its power output, side slopes and 60° gradients and ford 1.3 m deep water obstacles without preparation. Because driver's hatch was moved from the glacis plate and positioned so that he exited the vehicle perpendicularly instead of crawling out of the hatch, his seat received an elevating mechanism. While in a relatively safe area the driver could elevate his seat to look outside of the tank, providing greater visibility and easier access to the controls. While in combat the driver lowered his seat back into the tank and had to rely on the vision slot protected by triplex (three-layer glass). While in this position the pedals of the main clutch, the fuel supply, and incline brake were positioned much higher and the levers of the steering clutch and gear shifting became inconvenient to operate. Early examples had transmission problems. While the driver was switching gears, two gears could engage simultaneously, which caused a broken gear pinion. This and other gearbox related problems were solved in a 1961 T-44M modernization with the introduction of a gearbox from the T-54 main battle tank. T-44A was armed with an 85mm ZiS-S-53 tank gun as well as two 7.62mm DTM light machine guns. One of these machine guns was mounted to fire through a tiny hole in the center of the glacis plate. Because the tank's crew did not include a radio operator/machine gunner, the driver operated this light machine gun. The gun was mounted in a fixed position and could only be aimed by turning the tank. The main gun was placed in a centrally placed turret along with a coaxially mounted 7.62 mm DTM light machine gun. The ZiS-S-53 tank gun could penetrate around 100 mm of armour at range of 1000 m. The gun could be elevated or depressed between -5° and +25°. It wasn't stabilized. Like in the T-34 and the SU-76 SPG, hot cartridge-cases were rolling under the feet of the crew. The crew was also subjected to gases from the main gun every time after it was fired. The tank carried 58 rounds for the 85 mm ZiS-S-53 tank gun and 1890 rounds for 7.62 mm DTM light machine guns. The turret was cast, with a prominent horizontal casting seam, shaped like an elongated hexagon, with sloped sides and overhang all around. It resembled a longer, better armoured T-34-85 turret. It had a cast gun mantlet with a small but prominent ring/collar around the base of the tank gun tube. The turret roof had a raised commander's cupola on the left and loader's hatch on the right with a low dome-shaped ventilator behind it. The turret was moved with an electric motor. The front armour of the turret was 120 mm thick while the side armour was 75 mm thick. The hull was made of rolled welded steel. The glacis plate was 90 mm thick while the side armour was 75 mm and the bottom armour was 20 mm thick. T-44 tanks could be fitted with additional 30 mm thick armour plates on the sides of the hull and the turret. Additional spaced armour panels could be fitted to the sides of the hull. The T-44A could be fitted with the PT-3 mine clearing device. It had a radio in the back of the turret with an antenna at the center of the left side of the turret. The vehicle was equipped with a submachine gun. The vehicle lacked an NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) protection system and a night vision device. ==Production history==

The T-44A officially entered service with the Red Army on 23 November 1944, the production having started in October. and development of a more advanced medium tank with a more powerful 100 mm gun proceeded. The relatively brief production run ended in 1947 with a total of 1,823 T-44A tanks built. The reasons for such a brief production run included mechanical teething problems, the end of the war which reduced the Red Army's need for a new tank, and the design's inability to successfully fit a 100 mm tank gun. It was replaced on the production lines by the T-54-1 main battle tank, which was more mechanically reliable and could mount a 100 mm gun. The superior T-54-2 would replace T-34 production at the Omsk Factory No. 183 in 1950, and the T-54/55 main battle tank series would remain in production until 1981. ==Service history==

The T-44 was issued to three tank brigades mustered on 15 September 1944 for training purposes, but these formations (6th Guards, 33rd Guards, and 63rd Guards Tank Brigades) were re-equipped with T-34-85 tanks prior to entering the Battle of Berlin and Prague Offensive. The T-44A was not used operationally during World War II in Europe for several reasons, including the fact that the Red Army was not ready to accept a new tank; Due to the Cold War, the USSR decided to keep the tank secret. It was never shown publicly during military parades nor during the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956, The Star, and Downfall. In the first, it was used to portray a T-34. , Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park. Some T-44As were given to military museums including one in Brest in today's Belarus, and one in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park. One of two T-44-100 prototypes are in the Kubinka Tank Museum near Moscow. In conjunction with the video game company Gaijin Entertainment, creators of the World War II multiplayer combat game War Thunder, and Kubinka Tank Museum, the T-44 tank number "221" was restored to full operating condition over the course of nearly six months, and given a parade paint scheme in the style of the T-44 "Znamenskiy" tank from the 29th Tank Corps of the 5th Guards Mechanized Army. This T-44 was one of the two T-44MS prototypes that had been stored outdoors at Kubinka for some time. The tank still carries its modified turret that was fitted with a two plane gun stabilizer. ==Variants==

• '''''' (1944) – Designation for two first generation prototypes armed with 85 mm D-5T tank gun and two second generation prototypes armed with 85 mm ZiS-S-53 tank gun. • '''''' (1944) – Designation for the third generation prototype and the production model. • '''''' (1966) – T-44A fitted with "Cyclone" two-plane gun stabilization system. • '''''' (1961) – T-44A modernization incorporating a drive train upgraded to match the one used in T-54 including the V-54 12-cylinder 38.88 liter water-cooled diesel engine developing 523 hp (390 kW), gearbox, tracks, 'starfish' road wheels and a conventional toothed drive sprocket, flush with the outer track edge. It had an increased ammunition stowage (from 58 rounds to 61 rounds), new R-113 and R-120 radio sets, a heater and infra-red night sight, TVN-2 night vision device for the driver as well as another fuel tank which increased the fuel capacity by 150 liters to 650 liters and 800 liters with additional fuel tanks. The maximal road operational range of the tank increased to 420 km - 440 km. The original fenders were replaced with T-54-style ones. The catwalk stowage was changed to the flat T-54 rectangular external fuel tanks with embossed circle and cross. Hence the T-44M had a different arrangement of additional fuel tanks and stowage boxes. There were four rectangular external fuel tanks as well as two smaller ones on the right fender and fastenings for four spare track chain links, one rectangular external fuel tank as well as two smaller ones and one stowage box. The tank received a mount for an antiaircraft machine gun. A T-54-style headlight cluster with two headlights was added to right hand side of the glacis plate and the T-34-style headlight on the left hand side of the hull was removed. • '''''' (1963) – T-44M converted into a command tank. Apart from standard T-44M equipment, it is equipped with R-112 radio set. The ammunition stowage was reduced by 15 rounds to 46 rounds. • '''''' (1966) - T-44M fitted with "Cyclone" two-plane gun stabilization system. It also has increased maximal operational range. • ' (1965) – T-44M converted into an armoured recovery vehicle. The turret has been removed. The vehicle was fitted with a stowage basket, a hoist and a small folding crane with a capacity of 3 tonnes and a snorkel. It was also known as BTS-4-44M'. • T-44 tanks converted into fixed fortifications. This process usually involved the removal of the engine and the gearbox while burying the tank up to the top of the hull and covering the turret in concrete to break up the outline and to give it a rock-like appearance. • '''''' (1944) – First generation prototype armed with D-25-44T 122 mm tank gun. It carried 24 rounds. • '''''' (1945) – Prototype fitted with a new modified turret which would allow fitting the 100 mm D-10T gun or 100 mm LB-1 gun. The tank carries 36 rounds for the 100 mm tank gun. This prototype had the 12.7 mm DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun fitted to the loader's hatch, 6 mm thick sideskirts protecting the sides and two cylindrical fuel tanks in the back giving it a fuel capacity of 1035L. The longer tank gun barrel increased the overall length of the vehicle to 8.04 m. The new turret, new armament and the sideskirts made the vehicle heavier as it weighed 34.55 tonnes. • SU-122-44 (1944) - Self-propelled gun prototype armed with a 122 mm gun. • Uralmash-1 (1944) - Self-propelled gun prototype armed with either 100 mm gun or 122 mm gun. Also known as SU-101 and SU-102. == Surviving vehicles ==

T-44 • Stalin Line Museum, Zaslawye, Belarus. • Rahachow, Belarus. • Caponier Club Collection, Moscow, Russia. • Vadim Zadorozhny Museum, Arhangelskoe, Russia. • UMMC Museum Complex, Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Russia. • Mosfilm Military And Technical Cinema Depot, Russia. Four vismod T-44s • Lemeshiv, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine. Turret only • Glusk, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. Turret only • Zviahel, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. Turret only • Ovruch, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. T-44 turret on T-34 hull • Unidentified fortification museum, Moscow. Turret only • State Military Technical Museum, Ivanovo, Russia. Two turrets T-44M • Brest Fortress, Brest, Belarus. • Kobryn, Brest Region, Belarus. • Stalin Line Museum, Zaslawye, Belarus. • Victory Park, Moscow, Russia. • Kubinka Tank Museum, Kubinka, Russia. Two T-44Ms • Museum of Russian Military History, Padikovo, Russia. • Sokolova Gora, Saratov, Russia. • Volsk, Saratov Oblast, Russia. • Petrovsk, Saratov Oblast, Russia. ==Operators==

Former operators • • : Used for ceremonial roles. ==See also==