What equipment was involved in the war. Military equipment of the Great Patriotic War

Military equipment from the Great Patriotic War, installed as monuments and museum exhibits in St. Petersburg.

Wall newspapers of the charitable educational project "Briefly and clearly about the most interesting" (website website) are intended for schoolchildren, parents and teachers of St. Petersburg. They ship for free to most educational institutions, as well as to a number of hospitals, orphanages and other institutions of the city. The publications of the project do not contain any advertising (only logos of the founders), politically and religiously neutral, written in easy language, well illustrated. They are conceived as an information "slowdown" of students, the awakening of cognitive activity and the desire to read. Authors and publishers, without claiming to be academically complete in the presentation of the material, publish Interesting Facts, illustrations, interviews with famous figures of science and culture and hope to thereby increase the interest of schoolchildren in the educational process. Please send comments and suggestions to: [email protected] We thank the Department of Education of the Administration of the Kirovsky District of St. Petersburg and everyone who selflessly helps in distributing our wall newspapers. We thank the project "Book of Memory", the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps, the Museum and Exhibition Complex "Sestroretsky Frontier" and Sergey Sharov for the materials provided in the issue. Many thanks to Alexei Shvarev and Denis Chaliapin for valuable comments.

This issue is dedicated to military equipment that fought on the fields of the Great Patriotic War, and is now installed as monuments on the territory of St. Petersburg. With the help of these tanks, ships, aircraft and guns, the Armed Forces Soviet Union won over Nazi Germany, driving the enemy from the territory of our country and freeing the peoples of Europe. These combat vehicles(and some of them remained in single copies) are worthy of being carefully preserved, studied, remembered and proud of them. The issue was prepared in cooperation with the "Book of Memory" project, whose task is to find and systematize all the monuments dedicated to the events of the Second World War of 1939-1945 in St. Petersburg and Leningrad region. “Behind the scenes” of the newspaper so far there are post-war monuments: the T-80 tank on the Oil Road, “ rocket train” at the Museum of Railway Engineering, the S-189 submarine on the Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment, the MIG-19 aircraft in the Aviator Park, the Triton-2M submarine in Kronstadt and some others. And we plan to devote a separate newspaper to the military equipment installed on pedestals in the Leningrad Region. Also in a separate issue we will talk about the extensive collection of the Artillery Museum on Kronverksky Island.

Admiralteisky district

1. 305 mm railway artillery mount

Photo: Vitaly V. Kuzmin

The Museum of Railway Technology at the former Varshavsky railway station exhibits many unique exhibits. One of the most interesting is a huge weapon. The explanatory plate says: “Railway artillery installation TM-3-12. Gun caliber - 305 mm. Maximum range shooting - 30 km. Rate of fire - 2 shots per minute. Weight - 340 tons. Built at the Nikolaev State Plant in 1938. In total, 3 installations of this type were built, while guns dismantled from the battleship Empress Maria were used. Participated in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. From June to December 1941, they took part in the defense of the Soviet naval base on the Hanko Peninsula (Finland). Disabled by Soviet sailors during the evacuation of the base, subsequently restored by Finnish specialists using the guns of the Russian battleship Alexander III. They were in service until 1991, decommissioned in 1999. The installation arrived at the museum in February 2000.” The same artillery transporter is in the Moscow Museum on Poklonnaya Hill. Address: Obvodny Canal Embankment, 118, Museum of Railway Engineering.

2. Railway armored platform

This 22-ton armored platform was made in 1935. During the Great Patriotic War, such armored platforms equipped with anti-aircraft guns or machine guns were used to protect trains from attacks by enemy aircraft. Address: Obvodny Canal Embankment, 118, Museum of Railway Engineering.

Vasileostrovskiy district

3. Icebreaker "Krasin"

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

The icebreaker "Krasin" (until 1927 - "Svyatogor") was built in 1916 in England by order of the Russian government. For several decades, it was the most powerful Arctic icebreaker in the world. In 1928, the Krasin rescued the surviving members of the expedition to the North Pole on the airship Italia, which crashed off the coast of Svalbard. After that, "Krasin" became known throughout the world. During the Second World War, the famous icebreaker acquired naval artillery and paved the way for the "polar convoys". That was the name of the caravans of ships with military and civilian cargo that our allies (USA and Great Britain) sent to the USSR. Dozens of ships led "Krasin" through the ice of the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea and the White Sea. Over 300 Krasinsk residents received government awards for courage and bravery shown during the escort during the war years. Since 2004, the icebreaker has been a branch of the Museum of the World Ocean. Address: Lieutenant Schmidt embankment near the 23rd line of Vasilyevsky Island.

4. Towers of the main caliber of the cruiser "Kirov"

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

The Soviet light artillery cruiser "Kirov" was built at the Baltic Shipyard No. 189 in Leningrad and launched in 1936. On the very first day of the war, it repelled an air raid on Riga with an anti-aircraft caliber, then massive air raids on the Main Base of the Baltic Fleet in Tallinn. After the relocation of the Baltic Fleet squadron to Kronstadt and until the end of the war, the Kirov remained the flagship (this is the name of the ship on which the commander is located). Actively participated in the defense of Leningrad. In total, during the war, "Kirov" repelled the attacks of 347 enemy aircraft. In 1942-44, he occupied a position mainly between the Palace Bridge and the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge, from where he conducted live firing. At the end of the war, with his main caliber, he supported offensive operations our army. 100-kilogram shells fired from triple guns 10 meters long hit the target at a record distance of 40 kilometers for those times. More than a thousand crew members were awarded government awards for heroism and courage. In 1961, the Kirov was retrained as a training ship and regularly made trips with cadets along Baltic Sea. After the ship was excluded from the lists of the fleet in 1974, it was decided to install its two bow 180-mm towers and propellers as a Memorial to the feat of the sailors of the Baltic Fleet. Installed in 1990. Address: Sea embankment, 15-17.

5. Torpedo boat project "Komsomolets"

Photo: lenww2.ru, Leonid Maslov

Although this boat on a granite pedestal is post-war, it was installed in memory of the feat of sailors torpedo boats Red Banner Baltic Fleet in the Great Patriotic War. Similar torpedo boats of the Komsomolets project of the Baltic Fleet sank 119 enemy ships and vessels during the war years. Installed in 1973. Address: Harbour, the territory of the exhibition complex "Lenexpo", Bolshoy Prospekt Vasilievsky Island, 103.

6. Submarine "Narodovolets"

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

This diesel-electric torpedo submarine was built at the Baltic Shipyard No. 189 in Leningrad in 1929. At first, such boats were called "Narodovolets", then they were renamed "D-2" (according to the first letter of the name of the lead ship - "Decembrist"). The boat took a direct part in the battles of the Great Patriotic War. The first ships sunk by her were a transport with a cargo of coal and a sea ferry. After the end of the war, the boat continued to serve in the Baltic Fleet, and then was based in Kronstadt as a training station. In 1989, after restoration work, the boat was installed on the shore as a monument to the heroic submariners, scientists, designers and shipbuilders of the Great Patriotic War. The Submarine Museum opened in 1994. Address: Shkiperskiy protok, 10.

Vyborgsky district

7. "Katyusha"

This legendary "Katyusha" (reactive system salvo fire on the basis of a 6-wheeled 4-ton off-road truck "ZIS-6") - a monument of military and labor glory of the Karl Marx Machine-Building Association, on whose territory it was installed. At the enterprise, which traditionally produced spinning machines for cotton and wool, with the beginning of the war they began to make ammunition and weapons, including Katyushas. On a granite pedestal there is an inscription: "To you who left here for the front, to you who remained to forge the weapons of Victory, to the soldiers and workers of the Great Patriotic War, this monument will be erected." To the right and left behind the car are bronze groups of soldiers and workers. The monument was opened in 1985. Address: Bolshoi Sampsonievsky prospect, 68.

8. Cannon "ZIS-3" on Courage Square

Photo: lenww2.ru, Olga Isaeva

A memorial composition consisting of the legendary ZIS-3 cannon of the 1942 model and four anti-tank "hedgehogs". The flowers on the pedestal are planted in the form of the inscription "Remember". The 76-mm ZIS-3 divisional gun became the most massive Soviet artillery gun produced during the Great Patriotic War (a total of 103,000 guns were produced). This gun is also recognized by experts as one of the best guns of the entire Second World War due to its outstanding qualities, economy and simplicity. In the post-war period, the ZIS-3 was in service with the Soviet Army for a long time, and was also actively exported to a number of countries, in some of which it is still in service. The memorial was opened in 2011. Address: Courage Square.

Kalininsky district

9. Cannon "ZIS-3" on Metallistov Avenue

Photo: lenww2.ru, Olga Isaeva

During the war years, in the building of the North-West Regional Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Relief), there was a school of MPVO (local air defense) and artillery courses. In honor of this, a 76-mm ZIS-3 cannon was installed on a granite slab in the park in front of the building, which participated in the defense of Leningrad. Eight stars are drawn on the shield of the gun - according to the number of enemy aircraft shot down. To the left of the gun, on a separate granite pedestal, there is a symbolic open book, on the pages of which is depicted Saint Isaac's Cathedral in the days of the Blockade and the Victory salute. Address: Metallistov Avenue, 119.

Kirovsky district

10. Tank "IS-2" on the territory of the Kirov plant

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

On the territory of the Kirovsky Zavod association there is an IS-2 tank, produced at the end of the war in Chelyabinsk. On a pedestal of granite blocks there is a bronze plaque with the text: “1941–1945. This heavy tank was installed here in memory of the glorious deeds of the tank builders of the Kirov Plant. "IS-2" was the most powerful and most armored of the Soviet serial tanks of the war period and one of the strongest tanks at that time in the world. These tanks have been produced since 1943 at the Chelyabinsk Kirov plant, created in the shortest possible time on the basis of equipment evacuated from Leningrad. Tanks of this type played a big role in the battles of 1944-1945, especially distinguishing themselves during the storming of cities. After the end of the war, the IS-2s were modernized and were in service with the Soviet and Russian army up until 1995. The memorial was opened in 1952. Address: Stachek Avenue, 47.

11. KV-85 tank on Stachek Avenue

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

This copy (one of the two known surviving ones) of the KV-85 tank was installed in 1951 at the initiative of the tank designer Joseph Kotin. "Tank-winner" is part of the Kirovsky Val memorial, which is part of the "Green Belt of Glory of Leningrad". The heavy tank "KV" ("Klim Voroshilov") was produced at the Chelyabinsk Tank Plant from 1939 to 1942 and had no equal for a long time. Index "85" means the caliber of the gun in millimeters. Shells fired from standard German anti-tank guns bounced off him, leaving no damage to his armor. It was produced only in August-October 1943. A total of 148 machines of this type were manufactured. The forerunner of the IS heavy tank. Address: Stachek Avenue, 106-108.

12. Izhora Tower on Korabelnaya Street

Near the well-preserved bunker (Long-term firing point), the so-called Izhora Tower was installed - a machine-gun armored turret for the Maxim heavy machine gun of the 1910-1930 model. The tower was found by search engines on the Karelian Isthmus near the Yatka River. Armor thickness - 3 centimeters, weight about 500 kilograms. Such machine-gun armored turrets were produced by the Izhora plant and were actively used on the defense lines of Leningrad. The memorial appeared here in 2011 with the support of the administration of the Kirovsky district. Address: Korabelnaya street, in the square at the intersection with Kronstadtskaya street.

Kolpinsky district

13. "Izhora Tower" in Kolpino

Photo: lenww2.ru, Alexey Sedelnikov

The same armored tower was installed in Kolpino as part of the memorial "To the Armored Workers of the Izhora Plants". The armored tower had lain in the Sinyavino swamps for more than 50 years and was found by the Zvezda search team. It has marks from artillery shell fragments. The inscriptions on the stone, also brought from Sinyavino, read: “A low bow to all the creators of Russian armor at the Izhora factories” and “A memorial sign to the Armored Workers of the Izhora factories” was installed in the year of the 100th anniversary of the birth of M.I. Koshkin, the general designer of the tank “ T-34"". Mikhail Koshkin insisted that the turret of his famous tank should also be made of heavy-duty armor cast using the Izhora technology. The memorial was erected in 1998. Address: Kolpino, at the intersection of Proletarskaya Street and Tankistov Street.

Krasnogvardeisky district

14. 406-mm gun at the Rzhev range

The barrel length of this unique B-37 cannon is 16 meters, a two-meter projectile for it weighs more than a ton, and the firing range is 45 kilometers. A plate is attached to the armored turret: “406-mm gun mount of the Navy USSR. This weapon of the Red Banner NIMAP (Scientific and Testing Naval Artillery Range) from August 29, 1941 to June 10, 1944 took an active part in the defense of Leningrad and the defeat of the enemy. With well-aimed fire, it destroyed powerful strongholds and centers of resistance, destroyed military equipment and manpower of the enemy, supported the actions of the Red Army units of the Leningrad Front and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet in the Nevsky, Kolpinsky, Uritsko-Pushkinsky, Krasnoselsky and Karelian directions. Clarification from the NIMAP website: “In January 1944, during the breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad, 33 shells were fired at the enemy from this gun. One of the shells hit the building of power plant No. 8, occupied by the enemy. As a result of the hit, the building was completely destroyed. A crater from a 406-mm projectile with a diameter of 12 m and a depth of 3 m was found nearby. This experimental installation was the most powerful Soviet artillery system used during the Second World War. It was planned to equip four Sovetsky Soyuz-type battleships laid down in 1939–1940 with such guns in three-gun turrets. In connection with the outbreak of war, none of the ships of this project could not be built.

15. 305-mm gun at the Rzhev range

Photo: aroundspb.ru, Sergey Sharov

This naval cannon was made at the Obukhov plant in 1914 on a Zhuravl-type proving ground. Four of these guns were one of the batteries of the Krasnaya Gorka fort during the Great Patriotic War. Two such former Russian guns are today in Finland, and only one has survived in Russia - this. Text on the memorial plaque: "305-mm naval gun mount from August 29, 1941 to June 10, 1944 fired at the Nazi troops during the defense of Leningrad." The most powerful weapon ever mass-produced on ships of the Russian or Soviet navy. The Rzhev test site called "experimental artillery battery" was established more than a century and a half ago with the aim of testing new types of guns. Over time, the battery turned into the main artillery range of Tsarist Russia, and then the Soviet Union. The Scientific and Testing Naval Artillery Range (NIMAP) today occupies a significant area northeast of St. Petersburg. Unique artillery pieces that participated in the defense of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War are stored here. So far, the territory of the landfill is closed to the public, but the issue of assigning the status of monuments of history and culture of the Russian Federation to these famous guns is being discussed.

16. Anti-aircraft gun "52-K"

Photo: lenww2.ru, Alexey Sedelnikov

85 mm anti-aircraft gun sample 1939 "52-K" - an exhibit of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. This blockade military weapon, together with the memorial sign "Regulator" is part of the memorial complex "Road of Life - 1st kilometer". The memorial was erected in 2010. Address: Ryabovskoe highway, near the house 129.

Krasnoselsky district

17. Aircraft, tank and anti-aircraft guns in the village of Khvoyny

Photo: lenww2.ru, Alexey Sedelnikov

The village of Khvoyny is a "piece" of the Krasnoselsky district of St. Petersburg, surrounded on all sides by the territory of the Gatchinsky district of the Leningrad region. This is an active military unit, but the passage to the memorial is free. On the stele with a bas-relief depicting besieged Leningrad, there is a quote from the speech of L.I. Brezhnev (the leader of the USSR in 1966-1982) when Leningrad was awarded the "Gold Star of the Hero": "... Legends of gray antiquity and tragic pages of the not so distant past pale before that an incomparable epic of human courage, steadfastness and selfless patriotism, which was the heroic 900-day defense of besieged Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War. It was one of the most outstanding, most amazing mass feats of the people and the army in the entire history of wars on earth. Nearby on the site there is a T-34/85 tank (1944) with the inscription "For the Motherland", a 130-mm anti-aircraft gun KS-30 (1948) and a model of the Yak-50P aircraft. Under the anti-aircraft gun there is a memorial plaque with the inscription: “To the anti-aircraft gunners who defended Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945. Leningrad was saved by the courage of the brave. Eternal glory to the heroes."

Kronstadt district

18. Torpedo boat project "Komsomolets"

Photo: wikipedia.org, Vasyatka1

Post-war torpedo boat of the Komsomolets project, similar to the one installed in Gavan. Here, in the area of ​​the former Litke base, torpedo boats were based during the war. The armament of the boat is clearly visible - two 450-mm torpedo tubes and aft twin installation of 14.5-mm machine guns. "To sailors-katerniks of the Baltic" - it is written on the plate. A square was laid out around the monument, lindens were planted. History reference newspapers "Kronstadt Vestnik": "During the Great Patriotic War, in the fighting of surface ships in the waters of the shallow Gulf of Finland, which was completely littered with mines, the Baltic boat crews of torpedo boat brigades mainly participated. They were fearless and daring, and their attacks inflicted great damage on the enemy. And many commanders of these small but formidable ships became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Both during the war and decades after it, minesweeping brigades worked in the Gulf of Finland, stuffed with mines, which included special flat-bottomed boats - minesweepers. More than ten such ships and more than a hundred sailors perished in the course of operations to clear the fairways. In memory of the courage and dedication of boat sailors, this sign is established. The memorial was opened in 2009. Address: Kronstadt, Gidrostroiteley street, 10.

19. Artillery installation of the battleship "Gangut"

Photo: lenww2.ru, Oleg Ivanov

76-mm two-gun artillery mount 81-K of the battleship "Gangut" (after 1925 the battleship was called " October Revolution"). "Gangut" was laid down in 1909 at the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg under the leadership of the outstanding Russian shipbuilder A.N. Krylov. He took part in the First World War. During the Great Patriotic War, he participated in the defense of Leningrad, was damaged by German artillery fire and aviation. Since 1954 she was used as a training ship, in 1956 she was expelled from the Navy and dismantled. The text of the plate on the gun: "Two-gun installation of foreman of the 1st class Ivan Tambasov." The monument was opened in 1957. Address: Kronstadt, Kommunisticheskaya street, intersection with Obvodny Canal. Nearby are two anchors of the famous battleship.

20. Cutting the submarine "Narodovolets"

Photo: lenww2.ru, Leonid Kharitonov

Part of the fencing of the cabin of a diesel-electric torpedo submarine of the Narodovolets (D-2) series. Text on the memorial plaque: “The firstborn of the Soviet submarine shipbuilding. Laid down in 1927 in Leningrad. Entered service in 1931. From 1933 to 1939 she was part of the Northern Military Flotilla. From 1941 to 1945 she led active fighting against the fascist invaders at the KBF (Red Banner Baltic Fleet). During the war, she sank 5 enemy ships with a total displacement of 40,000 tons. It is located in the closed territory of the 123rd Red Banner Submarine Brigade.

resort area

21. Artillery semi-caponier "Elephant"

Photo: lenww2.ru, Olga Isaeva

Caponier (from the French word "deepening") - a defensive structure for conducting flank (side) fire in both directions. Accordingly, the semi-caponier is designed to fire at the enemy in only one direction along the fortress wall. In the photo - artillery semi-caponier No. 1 (call sign - "Elephant") of the Forward Line of the Karelian fortified area ("KaUR"), built to protect the old Soviet-Finnish border. Caponier is the main exhibit of the Sestroretsky Frontier Museum and Exhibition Complex. During the Great Patriotic War, the "Elephant" shot through the lowland from the Kurort to Beloostrov, the approaches to the Sestra River and the railway bridge with artillery fire. The interior of the semi-caponier has been restored in the museum, and a collection of search finds has been placed. The outdoor exposition includes various types of small fortifications: two reinforced concrete firing points delivered from the area of ​​Beloostrov and Mednoye Lake, the Izhora tower already known to us, an observation tower of the 1938 model, firing points based on the towers of the tanks T-28, KV -1", "T-70", "BT-2", Finnish machine-gun armored cap, gouges, hedgehogs, barriers and other interesting exhibits. Address: Sestroretsky Frontier Museum and Exhibition Complex, Sestroretsk, not far from the intersection of the Primorskoye Highway with the Kurort-Beloostrov railway.

22. Firing point from the body of the tank "T-28"

Photo: lenww2.ru, Olga Isaeva

This is a copy of the firing point discovered by search engines on the Karelian Isthmus. It was built from the hull of a three-turreted T-28 medium tank, produced in 1933–1940 at the Kirov Plant in Leningrad. The tank was turned over, placed on a wooden foundation and covered with earth. The entrance was through the removed grille. This procedure was described in the book "Manual for Engineers: Fortifications" in the chapter "Using an inverted tank hull to set up a machine-gun blockhouse." Museum and Exhibition Complex "Sestroretsky Frontier".

23. Firing point with the tower of the tank "KV-1"

Photo: Sergey Sharov

This is a copy of the turret of the KV-1 tank, which was installed on a concrete casemate built in 1943 on the Karelian Isthmus. Such turret artillery mounts with 76-mm cannons mounted in the turrets of KV tanks were intended to strengthen the anti-tank defense of fortified areas. Museum and Exhibition Complex "Sestroretsky Frontier".

24. Defensive-offensive armor sliders

Photo: Sergey Sharov

Two armored sliders are on display at the Sestroretsky Frontier Museum and Exhibition Complex. It is known about one of them that he was armed with a casemate artillery mount based on a 76-mm tank gun of the 1938 model of the year and had the call sign "Halva" (in the photo he is in the background). In the book of B.V. Bychevsky “City-Front” there is such a description: “... The creation of the so-called “armor belt” around Leningrad began. We have developed a technology for the mass production of various types of prefabricated pillboxes. Somehow they brought a front-line machine gunner to the Izhora plant to check the newly made squat structure of armor plates. The machine gunner climbed under the cap, examined it inside and got out. “You know what, friend,” he turned to the welder, “let's cut a wider hole in the bottom. We will make a frame of logs for this thing and put it right on the trench.” “Or maybe weld a towing hook to the wall? suggested the welder. - Go on the offensive and take it with you. A tractor or a tank will boldly drag it!” “And that’s true,” the machine gunner rejoiced. “It will be kind of like a slider for us: both for defense and for the offensive.” That is how we christened this structure that day - “defensive-offensive armored slider”. Under this name she acquired wide popularity on the entire Leningrad front. Museum and Exhibition Complex "Sestroretsky Frontier".

Moskovsky district

25. T-34-85 tanks of the Pulkovsky Frontier memorial

Photo: lenww2.ru, Alexey Sedelnikov

The Pulkovsky Frontier memorial is included in the Green Belt of Glory. It was here that in 1941-1944 the front line of the defense of Leningrad passed. The memorial includes a mosaic panel dedicated to the combat and labor exploits of Leningraders, a birch alley and concrete anti-tank gouges. On both sides of the memorial there are two T-34-85 tanks with tail numbers 112 and 113. The T-34-85 is a Soviet medium tank of the Great Patriotic War period, put into service in 1944 and forming the basis of the tank forces of the Soviet Army up until the mid 1950s. The installation of a more powerful 85 mm gun significantly increased combat effectiveness tank compared to its predecessor "T-34-76". The memorial was opened in 1967. Address: 20th kilometer of Pulkovskoye Highway.

Nevsky district

26. Tank "T-34-85" on the territory of the plant "Zvezda"

Photo: lenww2.ru, Olga Isaeva

The T-34-85 tank was installed on the territory of the Zvezda machine-building plant, which until recently bore the name of K.E. Voroshilov. A bronze plaque was fixed on the pedestal: "In memory of the military and labor feat of the Voroshilovites." It was founded in 1932 in Leningrad on the basis of the Machine-Building Department of the oldest enterprise in the country - the Bolshevik plant (now the Obukhovsky Plant) and initially specialized in the production of tanks. In the pre-war period and during the Great Patriotic War, the plant produced about 14.5 thousand tanks. During the war, evacuated factory workers created almost 6,000 T-34 tanks in Omsk and more than 10,000 tank engines in Barnaul. In the shops of the plant in besieged Leningrad, tanks were repaired, mines and armored shields were produced. The monument was opened in 1975. Address: Babushkina street, 123, on the territory of OAO Zvezda.

27. Firing point with the tower of the tank "KV-1"

A model of the turret of the KV tank was installed at the bunker of the Izhora defensive line. As the press service of the city administration reported, “during the war, a similar tower was located in the same place, as evidenced by the tank’s rotary mechanism built into the upper part of the pillbox. Enthusiasts, relying on historical drawings, restored the tank's turret, returning the pillbox to its original appearance. The memorial was restored in 2013. Address: Rybatskoye, Murzinskaya street, not far from the intersection with Obukhovskoy oborony avenue.

Petrogradsky district

28. Cruiser "Aurora"

Photo: wikipedia.org, George Shuklin

Avrora, a cruiser of the 1st rank of the Baltic Fleet, was launched in 1900 at the New Admiralty shipyard, one of the oldest shipbuilding enterprises in Russia. Emperor Nicholas II ordered the name of the ship "Aurora" (the Roman goddess of dawn) in honor of the sailing frigate "Aurora", which became famous during the defense of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky during the Crimean War of 1853-1856. During the Great Patriotic War, the cruiser was in Oranienbaum and defended Kronstadt from air raids. Nine 130-mm guns removed from the cruiser (along with part of the crew) became part of the Duderhof battery, which heroically fought against German tanks. Monuments and memorials included in the "Green Belt of Glory" were erected on the positions of the guns of the Aurora battery. Since 1948, the Aurora has been permanently moored at the Nakhimov Naval School. In 2010, the cruiser was withdrawn from the Navy and is a branch of the Central Naval Museum. In September 2014, the Aurora was towed to the repair dock of the Kronstadt Marine Plant, where it will remain until 2016.

29. "Three-inch" of the late XIX century in the Artillery Museum

Photo: VIMAIViVS

3-inch (76-mm) experimental rapid-fire field gun model 1898 in the outdoor display of the Artillery Museum. This is one of the first famous "three-inch", famous as one of best guns of his time. Previously, guns were loaded from the muzzle, which was long and inefficient. Thanks to the efforts of outstanding Russian artillery scientists, a completely new gun was developed at the Putilov plant in St. Petersburg. So, for the first time in these guns, a quick-acting piston valve with locking, impact and ejection mechanisms and a fuse, an elastic carriage and opener, a recoil brake and a protractor were used for the first time. The excellent qualities of the new gun were confirmed on the fields of the Russian-Japanese (1904-1905) and the First World War (1914-1918). After modernization in 1930, these guns were actively used throughout the Great Patriotic War, proving to be an effective means of fighting German light tanks. Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

30. Guns of the 1930s in the Artillery Museum

Photo: Sergey Sharov

305 mm howitzer model 1939 (foreground) and 210 mm gun model 1939. These powerful guns were created by the famous Soviet designer Ilya Ivanov. The collection of cannons of the 1930s of the Artillery Museum is of particular interest - with these guns, so familiar to us from war films, the Red Army entered the Great Patriotic War. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they were created in record time. Among the guns of the same period, it should be noted the famous divisional (76-mm guns of the model of 1936 and 1939, chief designer Vasily Grabin), and corps, army guns (107-mm gun of the model of 1940 and 152-mm howitzer-gun of the model of 1937, chief designer Fedor Petrov). There is also a gun here (a 122-mm howitzer of the 1938 model), which was in service with our country until the 1980s. Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

31. Artillery 1941-1945 in the Artillery Museum

Photo: Sergey Sharov

These systems were created directly during the Great Patriotic War. During this period, excellent samples were made using the high-speed method, taking into account the experience of the combat use of artillery. Many of them are associated with the name of the famous Soviet designer Fyodor Petrov. The photograph shows one of his developments, a 152-mm howitzer of the 1943 model D-1. It is hard to imagine, but it took less than three weeks to create it, and it was in service for more than thirty years. The first powerful 100-, 122- and 152-mm self-propelled artillery mounts adjoin it - a thunderstorm of German tanks and self-propelled guns. Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

Photo: Sergey Sharov

The 57-mm anti-tank gun of the 1943 model "ZIS-2" (left) is the most powerful weapon of this caliber during the Great Patriotic War. This gun had the ability to penetrate 145 mm of armor, so it could hit all German tanks. A special place among the guns of the war years is occupied by the 76-mm divisional gun of the 1942 model - the famous ZIS-3 (in the center). It became more compact and as much as 400 kg lighter, and also significantly surpassed its predecessor of the 1939 model in all other respects. In it, for the first time, a muzzle brake was used for divisional guns - a special device that made it possible to reduce the recoil of the barrel. Guns of this design were cheap to manufacture (three times cheaper than before). They were very maneuverable and reliable. All this has found clear confirmation in combat conditions. The formidable and beautiful cannon earned respect even from enemies. Wolff, Hitler's artillery consultant, considered it to be the best gun of World War II, "one of the most ingenious designs in the history of cannon artillery." Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

Photo: Sergey Sharov

It will be interesting to know that Soviet anti-aircraft artillery successfully hit not only air, but also ground targets, including tanks. This 14.5-mm quadruple anti-aircraft machine gun mount designed by Leshchinsky "ZPU-4" destroyed both aircraft (at altitudes up to 2000 meters), and lightly armored ground targets and enemy manpower. Its rate of fire is 600 rounds per minute. Almost all anti-aircraft guns created and in service in the pre-war and war years are presented in the courtyard of the museum. These are 25- and 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft guns of the model of 1940 and 1939 and an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun of the model of 1939, which proved themselves well during the Great Patriotic War. Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

Photo: pomnite-nas.ru, Dmitry Panov

Heavy self-propelled artillery mount based on the IS tank - ISU-152 model 1943. The main armament of the self-propelled gun was the 152-mm howitzer-gun "ML-20", the firepower of which made it easy to deal with the "Tigers" and "Panthers" - the main enemy tanks. For this, the famous self-propelled gun received the nickname "St. John's wort". In the post-war period, the ISU-152 underwent modernization and was in service with the Soviet army for a long time. The development of the ISU-152 was led by Joseph Kotin, chief designer of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant, built on the basis of the evacuated Leningrad Kirov Plant. Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

32. Historical tools in the Peter and Paul Fortress

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

152-mm howitzers of the 1937 model "ML-20" in Peter and Paul Fortress on the square near the Naryshkin bastion. “These howitzers in 1992-2002 served as signal guns for the Peter and Paul Fortress and fired the traditional midday shot every day,” the information plate says. Every Saturday (from the end of May to October) five minutes before noon, a guard of honor ceremony is held here. The ML-20 howitzer occupies an honorable place among the best cannon artillery designs. It was these guns that were installed on the "St. John's Wort" - powerful self-propelled artillery mounts. Address: Peter and Paul Fortress.

Frunze district

33. Firing point with the tower of the tank "KV-1"

Photo: kupsilla.ru, Denis Chaliapin

In the summer of 2014, a firing point covered with earth and construction debris was accidentally discovered by a local resident. Historians became interested in the find, achieved the assignment of the status of a monument to the fortification and raised money for its restoration. An exact copy of the turret of the KV-1 heavy tank was made, which was solemnly installed in its original place. This bunker was part of the Izhora defensive line built in 1943. Local historian Denis Chaliapin of Kupchinsky commented on the opening of the monument: “A tank tower mounted on a concrete casemate (which in itself is a rare case) on one of the central thoroughfares of the city will be noticed by absolutely everyone passing along the avenue. Thus, Kupchino will receive a unique monument that can rightfully become one of the symbols of the region.” The monument was opened in 2015. Address: Glory Avenue, opposite the house 30.

A sharp jump in the development of weapons and military equipment occurred during the Second World War. “The influence of scientific and technological advances on the nature of this war was enormous and multifaceted. Simply put, until 1918 military operations were conducted in two dimensions (on land and at sea) within the limits of mere visibility with weapons of short range and lethal force. During the war of 1939-1945. gigantic changes took place - the third dimension (air), the ability to "see" the enemy at a distance (radar), the spaces in which battles were fought, the power of weapons were added. To this must be added all sorts of countermeasures. The greatest influence on the fighting in the war of 1939-1945. provided air power. It revolutionized the strategy and tactics of war on land and at sea.

On fig. 89 aircraft of the period of the Second World War are presented.

The aviation of different countries was armed with air bombs weighing from 1 kg to 9 thousand kg, small-caliber automatic guns (20-47 mm), heavy machine guns (11.35-13.2 mm),

rocket projectiles.

Rice. 89.

Soviet aircraft: 1 - MiG-3 fighter; 2 - La-5 fighter;

3 - Yak-3 fighter; 4 - front-line dive bomber Pe-2; 5 - front-line bomber Tu-2; 6 - attack aircraft Il-2; 7 - long-range bomber Il-4; 8 - long-range bomber Pe-2 (TB-7). Foreign aircraft: 9 - Me-109E fighter (Germany); 10 - dive bomber Ju-87 (Germany); 11 - bomber Ju-88 (Germany); 12 - fighter "Spitfire" (Great Britain); 13 - fighter "Ercobra" (USA); 14 - Mosquito bomber (Great Britain); 15 - strategic bomber "Lancaster" (Great Britain); 16 - B-29 strategic bomber (USA).

The most important role in World War II was played by tanks (Fig. 90). Nazi Germany entered World War II armed with the following tanks: light T-1 and T-II, medium T-Sh and T-IV.

However, already at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet T-34 and KV tanks showed complete superiority over Nazi tanks. In 1942, the Nazi command modernized medium tanks - the T-Sh was equipped with a 50-mm cannon instead of the 37-mm one, and the T-IV received a long-barreled 75-mm cannon instead of the short-barreled one, and the thickness of the armor increased. In 1943, heavy tanks - the T-V "Panther" and the T-VI "Tiger" - entered service with the Nazi army. However, these tanks were inferior to the Soviet T-34 tank in terms of maneuverability, and the IS-2 tank in terms of weapon power.

During the Great Patriotic War, the main Soviet tank was the famous T-34. During the war, it was repeatedly modernized - in 1942 the thickness of the armor was increased, the design was simplified, a commander's cupola was introduced, the four-speed gearbox was replaced with a five-speed one, and the capacity of the fuel tanks was increased. In the second half of 1943, the T-34-85 with an 85 mm gun entered service. In the autumn of 1941, the KV-1C tank was launched to replace the KV tank, in which, by reducing the mass due to armor, the speed increased from 35 to 42 km/h. In the summer of 1943, a more powerful 85 mm gun in a cast turret was installed on this tank - new car received the name KV-85. In 1943, a new heavy tank IS-1 was created, armed with an 85 mm cannon. Already in December of this year, a 122-mm cannon was installed on the tank. The new tank - IS-2 and its further modification IS-3 were rightfully considered the most powerful tanks World War II. Light tanks in the USSR, as in other countries, did not receive much development. On the basis of the T-40 amphibious tank with machine-gun armament, by September 1941, light tank T-60 with 20 mm gun and reinforced armor. On the basis of the T-60 tank, at the beginning of 1942, the T-70 tank was developed, armed with a 45-mm cannon. However, in the second half of the war, light tanks turned out to be ineffective, and from 1943 their production ceased.

Rice. 90.

• 1 - heavy tank KV-2 (USSR); 2 - heavy tank IS-2 (USSR);
• 3 - medium tank T-34 (USSR); 4 - heavy T-V tank I "Tiger" (Germany); 5 - heavy tank T-V "Panther" (Germany);
• 6 - medium tank "Sherman" (USA); 7 - light tank "Locast" (USA);
• 8 - infantry tank (UK).

In the development of the tanks of the main belligerent armies, medium tanks were most widely used. However, since 1943 there has been a tendency to create new types of heavy tanks and increase their output. Medium and heavy tanks of the Second World War were single-turret, with anti-cannon armor, armed with 50-122-mm guns.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Soviet troops fired the first salvo from combat vehicles rocket artillery("Katyusha") (Fig. 91). During the Second World War, rocket weapons were also used by the Nazi, British and American armies. In 1943, the first large-caliber breech-loading 160-mm mortar entered service with the Soviet troops. Self-propelled artillery mounts (ACS) became widespread in World War II (Fig. 92): in the Soviet Army with 76, 85, 100, 122 and 152 mm caliber guns; in the fascist German army - 75-150 mm; in the British and American armies - 75-203 mm.

Rice. 91.

Rice. 92.

1 - SU-100 (USSR); 2 - 88-mm anti-tank self-propelled artillery "Ferdinand" (Germany); 3 - English 76-mm self-propelled artillery mount "Archer"; 4 - American 155-mm self-propelled artillery M41.

Further development during the Second World War received small arms automatic weapon(especially vending machines and submachine guns), flamethrowers of various types, incendiary ammunition, cumulative and sub-caliber shells, mine-explosive weapons.

During the Second World War, ships of various classes were used in the fight on sea and ocean theaters (Fig. 93). At the same time, aircraft carriers and submarines became the main striking force of the fleet. Anti-submarine defense ships (sloops, corvettes, frigates, etc.) have received significant development. Many landing ships (vessels) were built. During the war years, a large number of destroyers were built, but they only in some cases carried out torpedo attacks, and were mainly used for anti-aircraft defense and air defense purposes. The main types of naval weapons were various artillery systems, advanced torpedoes, mines and depth charges. Of great importance for increasing the combat effectiveness of ships was the widespread use of radar and hydroacoustic equipment.

Rice. 93.

• 1 - cruiser "Kirov" (USSR); 2- battleship(United Kingdom);
• 3 battleship "Bismarck" (Germany); 4 - battleship "Yamato" (Japan); 5 - liner "Wilhelm Gustloff" (Germany), torpedoed by the Soviet submarine S-13 under the command of A.I. Marinesko; 6 - liner "Queen Mary" (Great Britain);
• 7 - submarine type "Sch" (USSR); 8 - American ships.

In 1944, the fascist German army used V-1 guided missiles and ballistic missiles V-2.

• B.L. Montgomery. Short story military battles. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2004. - S. 446.

Technique of the USSR

Tank of the USSR: T-34 (or "thirty-four")

The tank was put into service on December 19, 1939. This is the only tank in the world that retained its combat capability and was in serial production until the end of the Great Patriotic War. The T-34 tank deservedly enjoyed the love of soldiers and officers of the Red Army, was the best vehicle in the world tank fleet. He played a decisive role in the battles near Moscow, Stalingrad, on the Kursk Bulge, near Berlin and other military operations.

Soviet technology of World War II

Tank of the USSR: IS - 2 "Joseph Stalin"

IS-2 is a Soviet heavy tank of the Great Patriotic War period. The abbreviation IS means "Joseph Stalin" - official name serial Soviet heavy tanks produced in 1943-1953. Index 2 corresponds to the second serial model of the tank of this family. During the Great Patriotic War, along with the designation IS-2, the name IS-122 was used equally, in this case, the index 122 means the caliber of the main armament of the vehicle.

Weapons of the USSR: 76-mm divisional gun model 1942
ZIS-3 became the most massive Soviet artillery gun produced during the Great Patriotic War. Due to its outstanding combat, operational and technological qualities, this weapon is recognized by experts as one of the best weapons of the Second World War. In the post-war period, the ZIS-3 was in service with the Soviet Army for a long time, and was also actively exported to a number of countries, in some of which it is still in service.

Military equipment of the USSR: Katyusha
Katyusha is the unofficial collective name for the BM-8 (82 mm), BM-13 (132 mm) and BM-31 (310 mm) rocket artillery combat vehicles. Such installations were actively used by the USSR during World War II.

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Introduction

During the Second World War, for the first time in the history of mankind, the largest clashes of military equipment took place, which largely determined the outcome of the military confrontation. From the point of view of the quality of tank forces, their material support and control, the Great Patriotic War is both the past and, in part, the present. The fragments of that war and that era are still flying and injuring people, so the issues raised by military historians are of interest to modern society.

Many are still concerned about the question of which tank was the best tank of the Second World War. Some carefully compare tables of performance characteristics (TTX), talk about the thickness of the armor, the armor penetration of shells, and many other figures from the TTX tables. Different sources give different figures, so disputes begin about the reliability of the sources. Behind these disputes, it is forgotten that the numbers in the tables themselves do not mean anything. Tanks are not designed to duel with their own kind in perfectly identical conditions.

I have long been interested in armored vehicles of the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, in my work, I would like to systematize all the information received, dwell in more detail on the characteristics of medium and heavy armored vehicles of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, analyze and compare the collected data. In my work, I mainly refer to the book by Mernikov A.G. "The Armed Forces of the USSR and Germany in 1939 - 1945" and the electronic resource "Tanks yesterday, today, tomorrow".

After I got acquainted with the literature, where I learned the history of tank building, analyzed the quantitative and tactical - specifications tanks from the Great Patriotic War, learned about many technical innovations of the leading countries, I decided to conduct a sociological study. A survey was conducted, the participants of the survey were students of my 5 "B" class. Respondents had to answer the questions: “What tanks of the Great Patriotic War do you know? What tanks were used in the battle on the Kursk Bulge? What tank was considered the best in the Soviet Union? What tank was created by the Germans to surpass the T-34? (Appendix A). The survey showed that more than half of my classmates do not know which tanks participated in the Kursk Bulge (57%) (Appendix B Diagram 2), many do not know which tank was created by the Germans to surpass the T-34 (71%) (Appendix B Diagram 4).

We all say that we are patriots of our country. But is it patriotism when a schoolboy cannot name which tanks were used in the battle on the Kursk Bulge. I hope that with my project, I encouraged my classmates to research activities related to the Great Patriotic War. Create the same works, and, perhaps, in the near future all the gaps, secrets and ambiguities of this war will be open and available to everyone!

The relevance of this work lies in the fact that tanks during the world wars played a huge role. And we must remember these machines, their creators. AT modern world people forget about the terrible days of these wars. My scientific work is aimed at remembering these military pages.

Purpose of the work: comparison of the quantitative and performance characteristics of Soviet and German tanks during the Great Patriotic War.

Tasks: 1. Conduct a comparative analysis of medium and heavy tanks of the USSR and Germany during the Great Patriotic War.

2. Systematize the information received about the medium and heavy tanks of the USSR and Germany during the Great Patriotic War in the form of tables.

3. Assemble the model of the T-34 tank.

Object of study: tanks of the Great Patriotic War.

Subject of study: medium and heavy tanks of the Soviet Union and Germany during the Great Patriotic War.

Hypothesis: there is a version that Soviet tanks of the Great Patriotic War had no analogues.

problem-search;

research;

practical;

The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that the younger generation, to which I belong, and my peers, do not forget about the role of tanks, with the help of which our country stood against the fascist occupation. So that our generation will never allow hostilities on our Earth.

Chapter 1. Comparative characteristics of medium tanks of the USSR and Germany during the Great Patriotic War

A light tank is a tank that falls into the corresponding category of combat vehicles according to one of the classification criteria (mass or armament). When classifying by mass, a light tank is considered to be a combat vehicle no heavier than the conditional boundary value between the categories of light and medium tanks. When classifying according to armament, all tanks armed with automatic cannons (or machine guns) up to 20 mm caliber inclusive (or non-automatic up to 50 mm), regardless of weight or armor, fall into the category of light vehicles.

Different approaches to the classification of tanks led to the fact that in different countries the same vehicles were considered to belong to different classes. The main purpose of light tanks was considered to be reconnaissance, communications, direct support of infantry on the battlefield, and counter-guerrilla warfare.

Medium tanks included tanks with a combat weight of up to 30 tons and armed with a large-caliber cannon and machine guns. Medium tanks were intended to reinforce the infantry when breaking through a heavily fortified enemy defensive line. Medium tanks included T-28, T-34, T-44, T-111, Pz Kpfw III, Pz Kpfw IV and others.

Heavy tanks included tanks with a combat weight of more than 30 tons and armed with large-caliber guns and machine guns. Heavy tanks were intended to reinforce combined-arms formations when breaking through heavily fortified enemy defenses and attacking his fortified areas. Heavy tanks included all modifications of the KV, IS-2, Pz Kpfw V "Panther", Pz Kpfw VI "Tiger", Pz Kpfw VI Ausf B "King Tiger" and others.

The Panzerkampfwagen III is a German medium tank of the Second World War, mass-produced from 1938 to 1943. The abbreviated names of this tank were PzKpfw III, Panzer III, Pz III.

These combat vehicles were used by the Wehrmacht from the first day of World War II. Latest posts about combat use PzKpfw III in the regular composition of the Wehrmacht units date back to the middle of 1944, single tanks fought until the surrender of Germany. From mid-1941 to early 1943, the PzKpfw III was the basis of the armored forces of the Wehrmacht (Panzerwaffe) and, despite the relative weakness compared to contemporary tanks of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, made a significant contribution to the successes of the Wehrmacht of that period. Tanks of this type were supplied to the armies of Germany's Axis allies. Captured PzKpfw IIIs good results used by the Red Army and the Allies.

Panzerkamfwagen IV - surprisingly, this tank was not the main tank of the Wehrmacht, although it was the most massive (8686 vehicles were made). The creator of the T-IV (as it was called in the Soviet Union) was Alfred Krupp, the great man of Germany. He provided a lot of jobs for people, but that's not the point. It was mass-produced from 1936 to 1945, but began to be used only from 1939. This tank was constantly upgraded, armor increased, more and more powerful guns were installed, etc., which allowed it to withstand enemy tanks (even against the T-34). At first, it was armed with the KwK 37 L/24 gun, later, in 1942, with the KwK 40 L/43 and in 1943 with the Kwk 40 L/47.

T-34 is a well-known tank. My personal opinion: handsome, and probably everyone shares this opinion with me. It was created at the Kharkov plant No. 183, under the leadership of M. I. Koshkin in 1940. An interesting feature of this tank was that it had a V-2 aircraft engine. Thanks to this, he could accelerate to 56 km / h, for tanks this is a lot but, to be honest, he is not the fastest tank. The T-34 was the main tank of the USSR and was the most massive tank of the Second World War, from 1940 to 1956 84,000 tanks were made, 55,000 of which were made during the war (for comparison: German T-IVs, tigers and panthers were made from strength 16000). The T-34 was created with the L-11 76mm gun, a year later it was equipped with the F-34 76mm, and in 1944 the S-53 85mm.

From the very first hours of the war, T-34 tanks took part in the battles and showed unsurpassed fighting qualities. The enemy, not knowing anything about our new tanks, was not ready to meet them. His main tanks T-III and T-IV could not fight with thirty-fours. The guns did not penetrate the armor of the T-34, while the latter could shoot enemy vehicles from the extreme distances of a direct shot. A year passed before the Germans countered them with more or less equivalent fire power and armored vehicles.

Our answer to the panther - T-34-85 - the best tank of the Great Patriotic War. I can add that in this modification an extended turret and the S-53 gun were installed. And that's it, there is nothing more to add, the corps did not change throughout the war. From 1944 to 1945, 20,000 tanks were made (this is 57 tanks per day).

Mobility is the ability of a tank to overcome a given distance in a certain time without additional means of support (Appendix C, table 1).

The T-34-76 is the best tank in the MOBILITY category.

Security is the ability of a tank to keep the crew and equipment of the tank when hit by shells, fragments, large-caliber bullets (Appendix C, table 2).

T-34-85 is the best tank in the category - "SECURITY".

German Pz. IV designs 1943-1945 the best tank in the category - "Firepower" (Appendix C, table 3).

Analyzing the technical characteristics of medium tanks, we can conclude that our medium tanks have superiority over German tanks in terms of speed, caliber, ammunition (Appendix C, table 4) .

T-34 is the best medium tank of World War II.

Chapter 2. Comparative characteristics of heavy tanks of the USSR and Germany during the Great Patriotic War

The Panther is the main heavy tank of the Wehrmacht, created by MAN in 1943 and is one of the best tanks of that time (but the T-34 cannot be surpassed). Visually, it is somewhat similar to the T-34 and not surprising. In 1942, a commission was assembled to study Soviet tanks. Having collected all the pros and cons of our tanks, they assembled their version of the T-34. If Daimler-Benz, sorry, stupidly copied our beauty, then MAN made a truly German tank (engine at the back, transmission at the front, rollers in a checkerboard pattern) and only added a couple of little things. At least tilted the armor. The first time the panther was used in the Battle of Kursk, after which it was used in all "theaters of war". Serially produced from 1943 to 1945. About 6000 tanks were made. All panthers had a KwK 42 L/70 75mm gun.

Tiger - the first heavy tank of the Wehrmacht. The Tiger was the most non-mass tank (1354 vehicles were made from 1942 to 1944). There are two possible reasons such a small production. Either Germany could not afford more tanks, one tiger cost 1 million Reichsmarks (about 22,000,000 rubles). Which was twice as expensive as any German tank.

Requirements for a tank weighing 45 tons were received in 1941 by two well-known companies, namely Henschel (Erwin Aders) and Porsche (Ferdinand Porsche) and prototypes were ready by 1942. Unfortunately for Hitler, Ferdinand's project was not accepted for service due to the need for scarce materials for production. The design of Aders was taken into service, but the tower was borrowed from Ferdinand for two reasons. Firstly, the Henschel tank turret was only in development, and secondly, the Porsche turret had a more powerful KwK 36 L / 56 88mm gun, in common “eight eight”. The first 4 tigers without any test and without any crew training were sent to the Leningrad Front (they wanted to test during the battle), I think it’s easy to guess what happened to them ... Heavy vehicles got stuck in a swamp.

The armor of the "Tiger" turned out to be quite powerful - albeit without a slope, but 100 mm thick frontal sheets. The undercarriage consisted of eight staggered double rollers on one side on a torsion bar suspension, which ensured the smooth running of the tank. But, although the Germans, following the example of the KV and T-34s, used wide tracks, the specific pressure on the ground still turned out to be quite large, and on soft soil the Pz Kpfw VI burrowed into the ground (this is one of the disadvantages of this tank).

The Tigers suffered their first losses on January 14, 1943. On the Volkhov front, Soviet soldiers knocked out and then captured an enemy vehicle, after which it was sent to the training ground, where all its strengths and weaknesses were studied and instructions were developed to combat this "beast".

KV-1 (Klim Voroshilov), Soviet heavy tank. Initially, it was simply called KV (before the creation of KV-2). There was an erroneous opinion that the tank was created during the Finnish campaign to break through the Finnish long-term fortifications (Mannerheim Line). In fact, the design of the tank began as early as the end of 1938, when it was clear that the concept of multi-turreted tanks was a dead end. The KV was created in the late 1930s and was successfully tested in combat. Not a single enemy gun could penetrate the armor of the KV. For this, the KV-2 was created with a 152-mm M-10 howitzer. From 1940 to 1942, 2769 tanks were created.

IS-2 (Joseph Stalin) is a Soviet heavy tank designed to fight the German "beasts". The need for a tank more powerful than the KV was caused by the increased effectiveness of the German anti-tank defense and the expected mass appearance of heavy German tanks "Tiger" and "Panther" on the front. Work on the new model since the spring of 1942 was carried out by a special group of designers (lead designer N.F. Shashmurin), which included A.S. Ermolaev, L.E. Sychev and others.

In the fall of 1943, the project was completed and three prototypes of the machine were made. After testing, the commission of the State Defense Committee proposed to take the tank into service, in December 1943, its mass production began.

The tank had an 85-mm semi-automatic gun designed by F.F. Petrov and weighed a little more than the KV-1S (44 tons), but had thicker armor, rationally distributed over the hull and turret (differentiated armor thickness). The hull was welded from a cast frontal part and rolled sheets of sides, stern, bottom and roof. The tower is cast. Installation of small-sized planetary turning mechanisms designed by A.I. Blagonravova made it possible to reduce the width of the IS-1 hull by 18 cm compared to the KV-1S.

However, by that time, the 85-mm gun was also installed on the T-34-85. It was not practical to produce medium and heavy tanks with the same armament. The team led by F.F. Petrov, presented calculations and schemes for placing a 122-mm gun in a tank. Petrov took as a basis the 122-mm hull gun of the 1937 model with a slightly shortened barrel and installed it on the cradle of the 85-mm gun. At the end of December 1943, factory tests of the tank with the new gun began. After a number of improvements (including the replacement of a piston valve with a wedge to increase the rate of fire), the 122-mm tank semi-automatic gun of the 1943 model was put into service and installed in the IS-2.

Thanks to well-thought-out design solutions, its dimensions did not increase compared to the KV, and its speed and maneuverability turned out to be higher. The machine was distinguished by ease of operation and the ability to quickly replace units in the field.

The 122 mm cannon had 1.5 times more muzzle energy than the 88 mm Tiger cannon. The armor-piercing projectile weighed 25 kg, had an initial velocity of 790 m/s and pierced armor up to 140 mm thick at a distance of 500 m. The IS-2 received its baptism of fire in the Korsun-Shevchenko operation in February 1944.

In the second quarter of 1944, sighting devices were improved, and the gun mantlet was widened. From the middle of 1944, the IS-2 began to be produced with a modified hull - now its frontal part has become the same as that of the T-34. The driver, instead of the inspection hatch, received a viewing slot with a triplex. The tank was named IS-2M.

If we compare the IS-2 tank with the KV-1, then the IS-2 turned out to be faster, easier to operate and repair in the field. The IS-2 was equipped with the D-25T 122mm gun, which was 1.5 times superior to the German "eight-eight" in muzzle energy, and was more penetrating. But with poor speed.

The Germans, knowing in advance about the imminent appearance of new types of tanks in the Soviet Union, in 1942 began to design a new, more armored tank, which was the Königstiger (Tiger II) - the royal tiger, like the IS-2, is one of the most powerful serial heavy tanks and the last tank of Nazi Germany. The situation with its design is almost the same as with the first tiger. Only if in the first case the body was from Henschel, and the tower from Porsche, then in this case the royal tiger is the full merit of Aders. This monster was armed with a KwK 43 L / 71 gun, which was more penetrating than the Soviet D-25T. I would like to add that in the second tiger all the mistakes of the first were corrected. Produced from 1944 to 1945, only 489 tanks were made.

Analyzing the data (Appendix C, table 5) can be done following output that the tiger, compared to the KV-1, was better armored (with the exception of the bottom and roof), had better performance in speed and armament. But the KV was superior to the Tiger in the power reserve. The situation with Tiger 2 and IS is the same as with Tiger with HF. Therefore, I believe that the Tiger is the best heavy tank of the Second World War (as unpatriotic as it sounds).

Conclusion

Thus, with the words from the march of the tankers "The armor is strong, and our tanks are fast" I half agree. In the category of medium tanks, we have the superiority of the T-34 unconditionally. But in the category of heavy tanks, in my opinion, the best is the German P-VI Tiger.

Any war is a clash not only of troops, but also of the industrial and economic systems of the belligerents. This question must be remembered when trying to evaluate the merits of certain types of military equipment, as well as the successes of the troops achieved on this equipment. When evaluating the success or failure of a combat vehicle, one must clearly remember not only its technical characteristics, but also the costs that were invested in its production, the number of units produced, and so on. In other words, an integrated approach is important.

Second World War gave impetus to the development of tank building in all participating countries, and in particular the USSR, Germany and Great Britain. Tank troops were and remain the main strike force in ground operations. The best combination of mobility, security and firepower allows them to solve a wide range of tasks. All this means that tank forces not only will they not die out in the foreseeable future, but they will also actively develop. Now Russian tanks are among the best tanks in the world and are delivered in different countries peace.

List of references and sources

1. Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945. Events. People. Documents: Brief ist. Directory / Under the general. Ed. O. A. Rzheshevsky; Comp. E. K. Zhigunov. - M.: Politizdat, 1990. - 464 p.: ill., maps.

2. Guderian G., Memoirs of a soldier: trans. with him. / G. Guderian. - Smolensk: Rusich, 1999.-653 p.

3. History of military art: Textbook for higher military educational institutions / Ed. ed. I.Kh.Bagramyan. - M.: Military publishing house of the USSR Ministry of Defense, 1970. - 308 p.

4. Mernikov A.G. Armed forces of the USSR and Germany 1939-1945. / A.G. Mernikov-Minsk: Harvest, 2010.- 352 p.

5. The USSR in the Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945: A Brief Chronicle / I. G. Viktorov, A. P. Emelyanov, L. M. Eremeev and others; Ed. S. M. Klyatskina, A. M. Sinitsina. - 2nd ed. . - M.: Military Publishing, 1970. - 855 p.

6. Tank yesterday, today, tomorrow [electronic resource] / Encyclopedia of tanks. - 2010. Access mode http://de.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enc_tech/4239/ Tank, free. (Accessed: 03/10/2017)

7. Battle of Kursk [electronic resource] / Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia. Access mode https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle of Kursk#cite_ref-12, free. (Accessed: 03/10/2017)

8. Tank T-34 - from Moscow to Berlin [electronic resource]. Access mode http://ussr-kruto.ru/2014/03/14/tank-t-34-ot-moskvy-do-berlina/, free. (Accessed: 03/10/2017)

Annex A

QUESTIONNAIRE.

What tanks of the Great Patriotic War do you know? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What tanks were used in the battle on the Kursk Bulge?Battle on Kursk Bulge was July 12, 1943.

1. T-34, BT-7 and T-26 against Pz-3, Pz-2

   T-34, Churchill and KV-1 against Pz-5 "Panther" and Pz-6 "Tiger"

   A-20, T-43 and KV-2 against Pz4, Pz2

What tank was considered the best in the Soviet Union?

1. What tank was created by the Germans to surpass the T-34?

   1. Pz-5"Panther"

Which tank do you think is the best?

1. Soviet tank T-34;

   german tank Pz-5 "Panther";

   Soviet tank KV - 2;

   German tank Pz-6 "Tiger";

   Soviet tank IS.

Annex B

SURVEY RESULTS.

Diagram 1.

Diagram 2.

Diagram 3.

Diagram 4.

Diagram 5.

Appendix C

Table 1

	Characteristics	Soviet medium tanks		german medium tanks
			T-34-85
	Crew (people)
reference	Weight (tons)	26 tons. 500 kg.		19 tons 500 kg.
	Engine type	diesel	diesel	petrol	petrol
	Engine, power (hp)
	Specific power (power to weight). How many hp accounted for one ton of tank weight.
	Maximum highway speed (km. per hour)
	Power reserve (km.)
	Specific ground pressure (grams per sq.cm)
Evaluation, points

Table 2.

	Characteristics	Soviet medium tanks		german medium tanks
			T-34-85
	Forehead of the tower, mm.
	Side of the tower, mm.
	Tower top, mm.				18
	Forehead of the hull, mm.
	Side wall body, mm.
	Bottom, mm.
	Height, see
	Width, see
	Length, cm.
	Target volume, cubic meters	49	66	40	45
Evaluation, points

Table 3

	Characteristics	Soviet medium tanks		german medium tanks
		T-34-76	T-34-85
	Tool name		ZIS-S-53
	Start of installation, year	since 1941	from March 1944	since 1941	since 1943	1937-1942	1942-1943	1943-1945
	Manufactured tanks during the war, pcs.	35 467	15 903	597	663	1 133	1 475	6 088
	Caliber, mm
	Barrel length, calibers
	Barrel length, m.
	Practical rate of fire, vys./m.
	Armor-piercing shells, angle of impact 60°
	at a distance of 100 meters, mm. armor
	at a distance of 500 meters, mm. armor
	at a distance of 1000 meters, mm. armor
	at a distance of 1500 meters, mm. armor
	at a distance of 2000 meters, mm. armor
	High-explosive fragmentation shells max. range, km
	number of fragments, pcs.
	damage radius, m
	quantity of explosive, gr.
	Full rotation of the tower, seconds
	telescopic sight	TMFD-7
	increase, times
	machine guns	2x7.62 mm	2x7.62 mm	2x7.92 mm	2x7.92 mm	2x7.92 mm	2x7.92 mm	2x7.92 mm
	Ammunition cartridges
	Ammunition shells
Evaluation, points

Table 4

Technical characteristics of medium tanks

Name	"Panther"	Pz.kpfw IV ausf H
	KwK 42 L/70 75 mm,	KwK 40 L/48 75mm
Ammunition	79 shots	87 shots	100 shots	60 shots
Booking	mask-110mm	forehead - 80mm board -30mm feed -20mm bottom -10mm forehead - 50mmboard - 30mmfeed -30mmroof -15mm	Hull and turret: Mask-40mm forehead - 45mmboard - 45mmfeed - 45mmroof -20mmbottom -20mm	feed -45mm bottom - 20mm mask-40mm forehead - 90mmboard - 75mmfeed -52mmroof-20mm
Engine
Speed
Power reserve

Table 5

Technical characteristics of heavy tanks

Name	"Panther"	Pz.kpfw VI Tiger II
	KwK 42 L/70 75 mm,	KwK 43 L/71 88mm
Ammunition	79 shots	84 shots	114 shots	28 shots
Booking	forehead - 80mmboard - 50mm feed - 40mm bottom - 17mm mask-110mm forehead - 110mmboard - 45mmfeed -45mmroof - 17mm	forehead - 150mmboard -80mmfeed -80mm bottom - 40mm mask-100mm forehead - 180mmboard -80mmfeed -80mmroof -40mm	forehead -75 mmboard -75mm feed -60mm bottom -40 mm mask-90mm forehead - 75mmboard -75mmfeed -75mmroof - 40mm	stern -60mm bottom -20 mm forehead -100 mmboard -90 mmfeed -90mmroof-30mm
Engine
Speed
Power reserve

A photo. Multi-purpose all-wheel drive army vehicle

Willys-MV (USA, 1942)

Weight without load 895kg. (2150lbs)

Liquid-cooled carburetor engine 42hp / 2500 rpm 4-cycle. 2200cm²

Gearbox: 3 speeds + 1 reverse

Maximum speed on the highway: 104 km / h.

Fuel consumption 14l/100kl.

Tank 57l.

A photo. Antitank gun. M-42. 45 mm. Caliber 45mm. Barrel length 3087mm. The maximum rate of fire is 15-30 rounds per minute.

A photo. Katyusha. Rocket mortar BM-13. Created in 1939 design bureau A. Kostyukov. Performance characteristics: Caliber: 132mm. Weight without shells: 7200kg. Number of guides: 16 Firing range: 7900m.

A photo. 122 mm. Howitzer. Model 1938 Created in 1938 F. Petrov's design team. Tactical and technical characteristics: Weight: in combat position 2400kg. Firing range: 11800m. Maximum elevation angle + 63.5°. Rate of fire 5-6 rds / min.

A photo. 76 mm. Divisional Cannon. Model 1942 Created in 1938-1942. design bureau V. Grabin. Tactical and technical characteristics: Weight: in combat position 1200kg. Firing range: 13290m. The maximum elevation angle is + 37°. Rate of fire 25 rds / min.

A photo. 57 mm. Anti-tank gun. Model 1943 Created in 1938-1942. design bureau V. Grabin. Tactical and technical characteristics: Weight: in combat position 1250kg. Firing range: 8400m. The maximum elevation angle is + 37°. Rate of fire 20-25 rds / min.

A photo. 85 mm. Anti-aircraft gun. Model 1939 Created in 1939 G. D. Dorokhin. Tactical and technical characteristics: Weight: in combat position 4300kg. Firing range in height: 10500m. Horizon: 15500m. Maximum elevation angle + 82°. Rate of fire 20 rds / min.

A photo. Barrel 203 mm. Howitzers. Model 1931 Designers F. F. Pender, Magdesnev, Gavrilov, Torbin. Tactical and technical characteristics: Weight: in combat position 17700kg. Firing range: 18000m. Maximum elevation angle + 60°. Rate of fire 0.5 rds / min.

A photo. 152 mm. Howitzer gun M-10. Model 1937 Created in 1937 design group of F. Petrov Tactical and technical characteristics: Weight: in combat position 7270kg. Firing range: 17230m. Maximum elevation angle + 65°. Rate of fire 3-4 rds / min

A photo. 152 mm. Howitzer D-1. Model 1943 Created in 1943 design group of F. Petrov Tactical and technical characteristics: Weight: in combat position 3600kg. Firing range: 12400m. Maximum elevation angle + 63.30°. Rate of fire 3-4 rds / min.

A photo. Field kitchen. KP-42 M.

A photo. Heavy Tank IS-2. Created in 1943 design group Zh. Ya. Kotina, NL Dukhov Tactical and technical characteristics: Combat weight: 46t. Booking: forehead of the hull; 120mm; side of the hull; 90mm; tower 110mm. Speed: 37km/h Highway range: 240km. Armament: 122mm gun; 3 machine guns 7.62mm; 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun Ammunition: 28 shells, 2331 cartridges Crew: 4 pers.

A photo. Heavy self-propelled artillery mount ISU-152 Created in 1944. Tactical and technical characteristics: Combat weight: 47t. Booking: forehead of the hull; 100mm; side of the hull; 90mm; cabin 90mm. Speed: 37km/h Highway range: 220km. Armament: 152mm gun-howitzer; 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun Ammunition: 20 rounds Crew: 5 people

A photo. Heavy Tank IS-3 Developed under the guidance of designer M. F. Blazhi. Adopted in 1945. Tactical and technical characteristics: Combat weight: 45.8 tons. Speed: 40 km/h Cruising range on the highway: 190 km. Power: 520hp Armament: 122mm gun D-25T model 1943. machine gun 7.62mm DT, machine gun 12.7mm DShK. Ammunition: 20 shells Crew: 4 people

Information from the Museum of the Battle of Stalingrad, in the city of Volgograd.