T-34/76

Yes, I'm biased toward German armour but one must tip their hat to the Russian's tank development, especially the emergence of the T-34/76 which at the time of it's introduction was the best in the world. In June 1940, the first T-34's rolled off the assembly line and by the time the Germans invaded Russia approximately a year later on June 22, 1941, 1200 had been built. The T-34/76 had many good features,

1. The brilliantly all around sloped armour.
2. Large road wheels and a track design which made for easy maintenance and repair.
3. A reliable diesel engine.
4. Superb cross-country performance.
5. Easily mass produced.
6. It's potent 76.2mm gun was capable of firing an HE or AP round.

The impressive appearance of the T-34/76 made the Germans take notice and they quickly set out to recapture the technical edge. Most German AFV's main armament was either a 20, 37 or 50mm gun at the time the Germans launced Operation Barbarrossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.
Not all features of the T-34 was original, much of it's design was copied, for example American engineer J. Walter Christie¹ whose huge contribution to tank development was the suspension, large road wheels and sloped armour. Two concepts that shaped tank design for years to come. Due to a lack of finances caused by the Great Depression and Christie being a difficult business man, his ideas were abandoned by the U.S.Army and then adopted by the Russian's and in due time the British.

¹ J. Walter Christie's other impressive contribution was his amphibious vehicles which would later be developed by others into landing vehicles (tracked)(LVT) which from 1942 spearheaded many allied invasions.

SPECIFICATIONS: T-34/76

T-34/85

In response to the German's Tiger and Panther tanks the Russian's improved upon the T-34/76 to produce the T-34/85. Some improvements worth listing are;

1. The addition of a commander's cupola.
2. Redesign of the turret from a two man crew to a three man crew.
3. An electric traverse for the turret.
4. Up-gunned from a 76.2 to an 85mm gun.
5. Increasing it's over all armour thickness, especially in the front hull.

SPECIFICATIONS: T-34/85