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Posted on 06/20/2005 10:40:33 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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 The T-44 medium tank wasn't in large-scale production like the T-26 or so widespread in use like the T-34, also it wasn't the main battle tank for the post-war period like the T-54/55, but it took a worthy place in the history of Soviet tank development. From the end of 1943 on, work on the new project T-44 started from the design bureau of the factory #183 (Chief engineer A.A.Morozov). Of course many elements of the famous T-34 were used for the new T-44 tank, but simultaneously two another tanks influenced the T-44 design: the T-34M and the T-43.  The prototype of the T-44. The new project "Object 136" was undertaken by Morozov's design bureau. Later, this tank did receive the T-44 designation. Besides torsion bar suspension and perpendicular engine layout there were some other technical inventions applied. Had these features been applied on several different vehicles separately, they had not been so effective. The revolutionary design of the T-44 has defined the whole Soviet tank development for the next several decades. The height of the engine compartment was lowered by relocating the air-filter. By the way, the V-44 engine was equipped with an improved fuel system thus it's power was increased from 500 to 520 h.p. Besides this, the tank had an improved cooling system, a new 5-speed gearbox and side clutches taken from the T-34. It had a new turret fitted with the ZIS-S-53 gun. The turret was relocated from the front to the center of vehicle, making shooting more accurate. The frontal armor was increased to 120 mm.  The prototype of the T-44 and the captured Panther after the comparative trials. To increase the strength of the hull's frontal armor (glacis), the driver's hatch was relocated from the frontal plate to the roof and the bow machine-gun was completely removed. The T-44-85 prototype had a distance between the first and the second road wheel, on production T-44's between the second and the third road wheel. In 1944, the tank successfully passed all trials and was accepted for service. The T-44 was mass produced by the factory #75 in Kharkov. From the end of 1944 through 1945, 965 tanks were manufactured. The T-44 didn't take part in any battle of the Second World War because the Red Army was not ready to accept a new tank; In case of lack of sufficient supplies, inexperienced tankcrews and technical specialists, who could repair and maintain the new tanks.  The T-44-85. The third prototype of the T-44 during trials at Kubinka. On this vehicle, the driver's hatch was moved entirely to the top of the hull roof. Summer 1944. The end of the war was close, our army was successfully advancing, so the Soviet High Command delayed introduction of the T-44; but known, that three tanks were added to the "Special Tank Company #100" and tested on the Eastern Front. The production tank was preceded by several prototypes: the T-44-85 armed with the 85 mm D-5T gun (build before the ZIS-S-53 was accepted) and the T-44-122 armed with the 122 mm D-25T gun. After the tests it became clear that 122 mm guns were not for medium tanks, rather for heavy ones.  The prototype of the T-44. In 1945, a new turret was developed to accept a 100 mm D-10T gun or an LB-1 (abbreviation "LB" means Lavrenty Beria). Over the loader's hatch a 12.7 mm DShK AAMG was installed. The sides and chassis of the T-44 were protected with 6 mm anti-HEAT skirts. In 1946, after the introduction of the T-54, which was the "direct descendant", the further development of the T-44 was canceled, though it remained in service. It was in mass production until 1947. In 1961 the main parts of the T-44 (engine, transmission, chassis, etc.) were unified with the T-54, and in 1966 the T-44 was equipped with a gun stabilizer.  The T-44-100 experimental tank The modernised T-44M and T-44S served in the Soviet Army up to the end of 1970's. There were many vehicles which were based on the T-44M: artillery and tank tractors, engineer tanks, etc. Also, it went down in history of Soviet tank development as the predecessor of a large family of T-54/55 and T-62 main battle tanks as well as... movie actor! It played a T-34's role in the movie "Soldier's father" and played even a Tiger's role in the movie "Act by situation".  The T-44 in the Tiger's "skin". The third prototype T-44-2 was armed with the 122 mm Tank Gun D-25-44T. This gun was very similar to its basic model D-25 but distinguished itself with some minor details.  The T-44-122 armed with the 122 mm D-25-44T and the second prototype T-44 armed with the 85 mm D-5T. Comparative trials. The only new feature that was included was: the gun used cartridge loading shots instead of separate loading. Expecting that cartridge loading would increase the rate of fire. The first trials were in February-March 1944 but were unsuccessful due to gun failure. The gun was returned to the factory #9 for repair and improvement of the revealed drawback. In April-May 1944 the trials were resumed, however the practical ROF didn't increase and still remained 2-3 shots per minute. The tank's turret was too cramped to operate with such long and heavy ammunition and besides the T-44-2 had limited ammunition stowage - only 24 rounds, being insufficient for a medium tank. After it was realized, trials were stopped all further work was cancelled.
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In 1944, when four factories of our country were producing tens of thousands of new T-34s the most mass produced tank in all the history of world-wide tank production, the designers under the leadership of A.A. Morozov created a new tank T-44. It contained a number of innovations. The main one was the transversal mounting of the engine. This bold design decision determined the construction of later modifications of the tank for many decades to come.
The decision did not come easy though. All the previous medium and heavy Soviet (and not just Soviet) tanks were assembled with the engine positioned longitudinally in the hull. In the T-34, the clutch was installed on the toe of the crankshaft together with an air turbine to cool the radiators. The power from the engine was transferred to the gearbox through a pair of conical gears. The exhaust gases escaped through the exhaust pipes out the back wall of the hull. On both sides of the hull there were two inclined radiators. The left-over space between the radiators and the engine was filled by accumulators. Those who never attempted changing the batteries on a T-34 have no idea what it was to like to install, secure and connect the terminals of four 64 kg wooden crates, all done in the dark and in the cramped confines of the engine compartment. They were inserted either through the cramped driver's hatch or by rope, through the top turret hatches.
The skeptics (who always did and will exist) said: you can't put a high-speed V-12 engine with a working displacement of almost 40 liters perpendicular to the direction of travel of the tank - this will inevitably cause problems that could be as severe as broken connecting rods. They also thought that decreasing the displacement of the engine compartment for the purpose of enlarging the battle compartment was unnecessary. Moving the turret rearward could limit the elevation angle. However, all of these were just unsubstantiated fear, a stubborn devotion to tradition. Rotating the engine resolved many problems. The significant decrease in the length of the engine compartment allowed the designers to shift the turret rearward, with its axis of rotation positioned in the center of the hull. It has also become possible to increase the thickness of frontal armor more than twice without disturbing the center of mass or increasing the mass of the tank. In the T-34 the thickness of armor was 45 mm all around, except for the bottom and the top. At the beginning of WWII this seemed like enough. Improvements made to the T-34 during WWII included increasing the caliber of the gun (from 76 to 85 mm), strengthening the armor of the turret and a host of other innovations. However, the hull of the tank remained weak. Increasing the battle compartment allowed the under-floor ammunition stowage to be removed (it was inconvenient because the used shells always got in the way) and be moved to the side stowage. Meanwhile, the height of the tank decreased by 300 mm, even though the turret remained essentially unchanged. Getting rid of the conical pair in the transmission permitted for a more compact gear box and for improved control of the brakes and the steering clutch. Handling the machine became much easier because now the driver's hatch was positioned on top of the turret, instead of in the front of the hull, providing the driver with great visibility and keeping him from getting splashed during fording. The drive train received torsion bar suspension, which resulted in smoother traversal of rough ground. The T-34's ride was rather stiff and harsh. The tracks of the new machine were borrowed from its predecessor.
The T-44 was the last Soviet medium tank with paddle-type tracks. However, the mechanism for tensioning them was significantly better on the T-44. On the T-34 to tension the tracks, you first had to loosen two lug-nuts on the crank and then pound it with a sledge-hammer in order to separate it from the hull. After tensioning the track you again had to use the sledge-hammer to set the crank back in its place. Only then could it be secured in its place. The process required up to three people and an expansive array of indecent expressions. On the T-44, the job could be easily done by one person, without the help of a sledge-hammer.
The rotation of the engine slightly complicated the transmission by introducing an additional reduction gear - gear-train and fan drive. At the same time the accessibility to the engine-transmission bay improved. Its cover now turned along with the radiator and allowed easy access to the engine and its accessories, as well as to all the elements of the transmission and the accumulators. All in all, this was essentially a new machine. My first acquaintance with the tank took place in March 1945 at the Kazan' Senior Officer's Technical Armor School of the Red Army (KVOTBTShKA). The beautiful machine was located in a closed and guarded parking bay. You could only see it through the slits in the garage doors. Its grace and low stance were amazing and unusual for a medium tank. Just as captivating were the two highly raised headlights above the front armor plates, the hull machine gun and the circular array of spokes on the cast road wheels.
armoured.vif2.ru
By 1948, our vehicles amassed more than 2000 km. The authorities were impatient. With their silent consent, we started running the tanks on a stretch of a snow covered Minsk highway between Golitsyn and Mozhaisk. In the test protocol, the nature of the road was described as "a winter, snow covered road without ditches and sharp turns." In two weeks the signs of testing became noticeably more prominent. Paddle-type tracks quickly became worn out. At high speeds, which at times reached 60 km/h, the upper segments of the tracks, severely bashed on the drive wheels, creating excessive stress in the drive train. The driving was conducted only during the night, when the number of cars was relatively few.  The prototype of the T-44. The T-44 tank was not equipped with the night vision equipment at the time. This equipment was demonstrated to us by its developers during one of the training days, which were organized 1-2 times a month. That device was highly secret. It was set up in the auditorium of the club. On the outside, the building was heavily guarded by armed soldiers from the headquarters defense company. Each officer was given a chance to look through the device at those present in the auditorium. Finally, it was my turn. I started looking around through the rows of officers. In the green-blue light I recognized the features of engineer-colonel Skvortsov. I knew that it was Skvortsov by his high forehead and glasses. Then there was Major Krementulo, sleeping in the dark room, agape with his head tilted back. Then - Lenochka from the chemical laboratory (Lenochka is a female name - Valera). Even the distorted image of the night vision scope could not detract from her beauty. We were all shocked by the capabilities of that device. Unfortunately, track testing soon ended, and ended too bad. When one of the tanks from our group tried to pass a slow-moving truck, it collided head-on with an approaching truck, smashed it to pieces and killed the two people inside. Having torn off the cabin with its gun, the vehicle dragged it almost all the way to the park. The vehicle was a self-propelled "100" artillery gun (means SU-100 - Valera), which was used for testing motor oil additives. Its commander was a young and cheerful lieutenant Kalinin. During the field court trial, his superior, engineer-colonel I…, nick-named "Sperokheta blednaya" (a Russian coarse, means somewhat like "pallid sperm" - Valera), denied any involvement in the incident, even though he was fully aware of where and how the "100" was being tested. Kalinin got a two-year prison sentence and was deprived of all decorations. After that, the testing moved back to the deteriorated track. In February Kaplinskiy crossed over to the other side of Moscow river in search of a better track and found a suitable route. Its main advantage was that there were no villages nearby. On the return trip, his tank fell through the ice up to its turret. Fortunately, the water in that place was not deep. The attempt to pull the tank out without additional help was unsuccessful and the second engine went out of line.  The T-44-100 The testing continued. After a certain number of kilometers, the tanks had to conduct field firing with live rounds: 10 shots with the turret parallel to the hull and 10 shots with the turret - perpendicular. During the trip from the park to the firing range, my driver became ill, and so I had to drive the tank myself. The number of kilometers accumulated by me and Gorbanets was about the same. After lowering the seat into the combat position, I was ready to carry out orders of the two artillery officers in charge of the shelling. Kalistratov and Vedeneev stepped out of the vehicle into a shelter. Having found myself in the cramped position of the driver I was amazed at how difficult controlling the machine has become. The pedals of the main clutch, the fuel supply, and incline brake all were now positioned much higher. The levers of the steering clutch and gear shifting became inconvenient to operate. The visibility was limited. The shelling lasted for 15-20 minutes. Hot cartridges were rolling underfoot, just like in a T-34 or an SU-76. I was deafened and choked by the gases from the gun. After we finished firing, I started the engine, not without some difficulty, and drove in reverse out of the firing range. Taking a rest, I thought: how would the driver feel in this tank during a real battle? The three-year old war was still fresh in my mind. The ambition to accumulate mileage was replaced by a more rigorous examination of various junctions and mechanisms of the tank. The trouble-shooting and problem analysis became stricter. It was discovered that falling-home of the road wheels appeared sooner than anticipated. To increase the service life of the road wheel drive train, the new tank was set up with a slight camber of the paired road wheels. However, this resulted in greater stress on the outer rollers. As the run progressed, camber disappeared, and both wheels - the outer and the inner were loaded equally. The last stage of the run proceeded with the falling-home of the road wheel, where the inner wheel became more loaded. On our tanks, falling-home began to appear after 2500 km. To successfully complete a 6000 km run, it was necessary to replace expensive parts of the drive train.  The T-44-122 on trials. Notice the cartridge loading shot on the vehicle. By the middle of the third thousand the tank became worn out. Boris Kaplinskiy, loyal to his negligence, ruined an engine by not submitting motor oil samples to the chemical analysis lab. This was his third engine. It has to be mentioned that the expert staff of the chemical lab could predict any problems an engine might have with a high degree of accuracy by analyzing the oil. After being reprimanded by his superiors and calming his grief, Kaplinskiy took me to the "Mukhran." That was the nickname of a blue-painted beer stand. The name was derived from captain Mukhrankiy's last name, because his wife worked at the stand. The captain played the role of both husband and rationer. He measured out the beer from barrels with the help of air cylinders used to start the tank. And if you were nice to his wife, she could pour you a hundred grams of the hard stuff. The engine of my machine got old and worn out and could no longer start properly. The oil pressure dropped to 2-3 atmospheres. Under heavy loads, it started smoking, spewing out black smog out the side. The tracks got ripped several times. The last rip could have ended quite tragically. On a rainy autumn day, Gorbanets was driving the machine on the track, and I, as usual, was boldly sitting on top of the hull next to the driver's hatch (this way it was more convenient to monitor the instrument panel) and taking notes in the issued notebook. We were required to record the revolutions of the crankshaft, oil pressure and temperature, and water temperature every 30 minutes. In one place the track passed pretty close to a steep Moscow river bank. To save me from getting splashed by mud, Gorbanets tried to circumnavigate a large puddle on the right and approached the bank at full speed. Just at the moment the left track ripped. I didn't realize it at first, but when the tank started pulling to the left, it finally hit me what had happened. The tank stopped, the engine died and it slowly started to slide toward the precipice. I quickly jumped to the ground and while trying to prevent the tank from sliding, started yelling to the driver to start pushing the tank. But the tank kept on sliding and even together with Kalistratov and Vedeneev, we couldn't possibly hang on to a 32-ton beast. The disaster was prevented by a lonely little tree growing on the edge of the bank. It strained and bent under the load, but the tank stopped. We secured the tank a much as we could with tow cables, dumped anything that we could get hold of under the drive wheels, and started waiting for the next machine to pass by. After 10 minutes or so, a "100" appeared and pulled us out to safety. At the department everybody understood that the results of testing were quite sufficient to develop a comprehensive picture of the machine's operational characteristics. Some of the test materials were sent to NTK (Technical Research Committee) and the Chief Directorate even before the testing ended. The machines had exhausted their resources and showed everything that they were capable of. It was clear that they could not run for 6000 km without major repairs. After 3000 km the testing ended. Shortly afterwards, a batch of T-54, guarded and covered by tarpaulin arrived from Nizhnij Tagil for testing. R.Ulanov |
Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.
Yea a day off, two more days of woek and then a long weekend, yea!!!
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Good morning All
Y'all have a great day, ya 'ere
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
But John did not waver in his commitment to be a godly witness in the business world. Although he was in a job that required accurate calculations, he had a weakness when it came to simple arithmetic. This forced him to depend more on Christ in everything, which enhanced his witness. John eventually became the company's top salesman, and God used him to win many colleagues to Christ. Later, as a branch manager, John and his team became the company's largest branch worldwide—all without compromising Christian integrity. Are you striving to live and work without compromise in a tough place? Are you doing your best, but your best is not enough? Colossians 1:29 reminds us that dependence on God's mighty power within us is what makes us effective. John, the businessman, summed it up like this: "God helps me do better than I can!" He will do the same for you. —Joanie Yoder
Let me feel my hand in Thine; Let me know the joy of walking In Thy strength and not in mine. —Sidebotham Boast not in what you do for Christ, but in what Christ does for you. |
Happy Treadhead Tuesday!
Our last visit brought us to Sharpsburg, Maryland and the battle of Antietam. While Sharpsburg does not get the frequency of visitors that Gettysburg or Manassas might, this place had a charm and country flavor that enhanced our visit. We were told that the battlefield looks about the same it did on Sept. 17, 1862. Much of the area is still private farming.
The morning phase of Antietam (6am to 9am).
At dawn (5:43AM) Gen. Hooker’s First Corps launched the initial attack from this point in the North Woods. That’s the Miller Farmhouse in front of the woods and “The Cornfield in the forground.
At 8AM Gen. Joseph Mansfield 12th Corps would advance into the right flank of the confederate army in the East Woods.
The focal point of repeated clashes as both armies sought to occupy and hold the high ground was the Dunker Church (the church of “the bloodiest battlefield in all American History"). Col. Stephen Lee positioned his batteries to repel Union attacks from Gen. Hooker in the North Woods through the Miller Cornfield and toward the Dunker Church.
As Hooker and Mansfield advanced more fighting took place here in the Miller cornfield. The battle lines swept back and forth across the field for three hours. This is Cornfield Road. Green’s Division, First Corps on the left; Hoods Division, Jackson’s Corps on the right.
Here at “The Cornfield” the 1st, 4th and 5th Texas Brigades helped blunt the attack of Mansfield's Corps almost alone. The Texas Brigades sealed a threatening gap in the cornfield line and in so doing the First Texas Infantry suffered a 82.3% casualty rate the greatest loss suffered by any infantry regiment north or south. 850 less 550.
Also into the “Jaws of Death” Union Gen. John Sedwicks’s division lost more than 2,200 men in less than half an hour in an ill-fated charge into the West Woods against Jackson’s Corps.
The Mumma Farmstead, where the Mumma house stood. The only property deliberately destroyed by the confederates to prevent a sharpshooter stronghold.
Midday Phase (9:30AM to 1PM).
Union troops under French and Richardson crossed these fields (Roulette Farm) on their way to meet the Confederates posted in the Sunken Road.
The Sunken Road (Bloody Lane). The Unions 2nd Corps appear atop the ridge. Longstreet's Corps of Georgians, Alabamians and North Carolinians occupy the road. For nearly 4 hours Union and Confederate infantry contested this sunken country raod, resulting in over 5000 casualties.
Panoramic shot from atop the memorial tower dedicated to the Irish Brigade. Running along the left side of the pic is The Sunken Road. On the left horizon (see the tiny memorial spire?) is the location of the Dunkers Church. Just to the left of the white roofed house (Roulette Farmhouse) is the “Bloody Cornfield”.
Afternoon Phase (1PM to 5:30PM).
The Lower Bridge (Burnside’s obsession). The fighting here was a key to McClellan’s failure at Antietam. 500 Georgian and South Carolinian riflemen kept the entire Union 9th on the far side of the bridge for 3hrs. Note the weed infested original rifle pit below.
From the Union position . . . Burnside would eventually take the bridge and march across.
After taking the lower bridge Burnside marched his men across these hills toward Sharpsburg, threatening to cut off Lee’s line of retreat. Just as the Federals reached this area, A.P. Hills Confederate division arrived from Harper’s Ferry and rolled up the last Union attack. The 9th Corps retreated to Antietam Creek and the battle was over.
That's it! One of the most memorable vacations and it was a pleasure sharing it with people who appreciate our history.
Be sure and drop by the gift shop on your way out . . .
Here is today's Flag-o-gram.
Oh well, I meant to make it clickable to get larger. I need coffee.
oops, I should have had my coffee earlier. I would have seen your lovely post!
An interesting medium tank with a 122mm gun...only the Russians.
You put alot of work into planning the trip, and executing it. The production with pictures and comments was awesome. In fact, when I revist the battlefields, I will consult you.
Many Thanks!
Morn'n snippy
That's some fierce soldiers digging in. What is the load time for a round? 3 per minute is a good rate? I can't remember
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When John became a salesman in a well-known insurance company years ago, his aim was to work effectively in his firm without compromising his Christian integrity. But there were those who considered him naive. In their view, one could possess either job security or Christian integrity—not both.