T34 Heavy Tank

This article is about the American heavy tank. For the Soviet medium tank, see T-34. For other uses, see T34.

Heavy tank

T34 Heavy Tank

The T34 heavy tank (left) and the T30 heavy tank (right) in the U.S. Army Armor & Cavalry Collection

Type| Heavy tank
Place of origin| United States
Service history
In service| Trials only
Used by| United States Army
Production history
Designed| 1945-1948
No. built| 2 prototypes [1]
Specifications
Mass| 65.1 t
Length| 43 ft 3 in (13.18 m) gun forward
32 ft 10 in (10.01 m) gun aft
Width| 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m) over sand shields
Height| 10 ft 7 in (3.23 m) over cupola
Crew| 6 (driver, gunner, loader, assistant loader, commander, assistant driver)

* * *

Armor| hull front 102–203 mm (4.0–8.0 in) maximum
gun shield 279 mm (11.0 in) maximum
turret front 303 mm (11.9 in) [2]

Main
armament

| 120 mm T53 L/60 rifled gun (34 rounds)

Secondary
armament

| 2 x .50 in (12.7mm) M2HB AA (1,500 rounds), coaxial & pintle-mounted
1 x .30 in (7.6 mm) Browning M1919A4, bow & coaxial (2,500 rounds)
Engine| 1,649 cu in (27.02 L) Continental AV-1790-3A1 air-cooled
810 hp (600 kW) net at 2800 rpm
Transmission| General Motors CD-850-1 crossdrive, three speeds (two forward, one reverse)
Suspension| torsion-bar
Fuel capacity| 350 US gal (290 imp gal; 1,300 L)
Maximum speed | 22 mph (35 km/h) (on road)

The T34 Heavy Tank was an American design for a heavy tank. It evolved from the T29 Heavy Tank and T30 Heavy Tank in 1945, using the same chassis, but sporting a 120 mm (4.72 in) modified 120 mm Gun M1 anti-aircraft gun.[3] Extra armor plating was applied to the rear of the turret bustle as a counterweight for the heavier 120mm T53[4][5] main gun. No production orders were placed for the T34, which was felt to be too heavy.[6]

## Development[edit]

In 1945, encounters with German heavy tanks and tank destroyers such as the Tiger II and Jagdtiger led to a new project to create a vehicle that could counter these new threats. The result were the T29, armed with a 105mm gun, and the T30 armed with a 155mm gun. Both were built around a lengthened version of the T26E3 chassis,[4] and apart from the different use of guns and engines, they were originally almost identical.

Early in 1945 the Ordnance Department began work on turning the 120mm anti-aircraft gun into a tank gun. It soon became clear that this gun would have better armour piercing abilities than the high velocity 105mm gun of the T29 or the lower velocity 155mm gun of the T30, and in May 1945 the Ordnance Department recommended that two of the T30 pilots be armed with the 120mm gun instead, as the Heavy Tank T34.

The two pilot models of the T34 were not delivered until 1947, and they went for tests at Fort Knox and the Aberdeen Proving Ground. However, the 120mm gun was found to be problematic due to the powder gases which leaked into the turret. This problem was addressed by the installation of an aspirator type bore evacuator.[6]

Despite solving the problems with the gun, the tank was deemed too heavy for the US Army and the Marine Corps requirements, so no production orders were placed. However, in 1948 a work began on lightened version of the design, the Heavy Tank T43, which later entered production as the M103 Heavy Tank.

## Survivors[edit]

There is at least one surviving example on display in the National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Fort Moore, Georgia.[7][8]

## References[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to T34 Heavy Tank.

1. ^ Hunnicutt, R.P. (1988). Firepower: A History of the American Heavy Tank. Presidio Pr. pp. 94. ISBN 978-0891413042.
2. ^ Hunnicutt, Firepower, p.197.
3. ^ Thearmoredpatrol.com: The 120 mm T53 (Retrieved 2021-12-22)
4. ^ a b Sirchby (2018-01-20). "The 120 mm T53". The Armored Patrol. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
5. ^ Hunnicutt, R.P. (March 1, 1988). Firepower: A History of the American Heavy Tank. Presidio Pr. p. 94\. ISBN 978-0891413042.
6. ^ a b "Heavy Tank T34". www.historyofwar.org. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
7. ^ Holloway, Mark (2018-08-23), T34 Heavy Tank, retrieved 2019-11-22
8. ^ "The museum where the Army's tanks never die, they just get repainted (Photos)". Guns.com. 2018-05-25. Retrieved 2019-12-02.

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American armored fighting vehicles of World War II

Tanks|

| Light|

* M1 Combat Car
* M2 Light Tank
* M3 Stuart
* M22 Locust
* M24 Chaffee
* Marmon-Herrington CTLS

|

Medium|

* M2 Medium Tank
* M3 Lee
* M4 Sherman

Heavy|

* M26 Pershing

Self-propelled
artillery|

* M4 Mortar Carrier
* M21 Mortar Motor Carriage
* T30 Howitzer Motor Carriage
* M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage (Priest)
* M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage (Scott)
* M12 Gun Motor Carriage
* M40 Gun Motor Carriage
* M3 Gun Motor Carriage
* M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage
* T34 Rocket Launcher

Tank destroyers|

* T48 Gun Motor Carriage
* M3 Gun Motor Carriage
* M6 Gun Motor Carriage
* M10 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage
* M18 Gun Motor Carriage (Hellcat)
* M36 Gun Motor Carriage

Armored carriers|

* M2 half-track car
* M3 half-track
* M5 half-track
* M9 half-track
* M39 Armored Utility Vehicle

Amphibious vehicles|

* Landing Vehicle Tracked

Armored cars|

* M3 Scout Car
* M8 Light Armored Car
* M20 Armored Utility Car

Self-propelled
anti-aircraft guns|

* M13/M14 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage
* M15 Combination Gun Motor Carriage
* M16/M17 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage
* M19 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage

Experimental and
short production
run vehicles|

| Tanks|

* M6 heavy tank
* Light Tank T7/Medium Tank M7
* T14 Heavy Tank
* T20 Medium Tank
* T25 Medium Tank
* T28 Super Heavy Tank
* T29 Heavy Tank
* T30 Heavy Tank
* T32 Heavy Tank
* T34 Heavy Tank

|

Self-propelled
artillery|

* T54/T59 Gun Motor Carriage
* T24/T40/M9 Tank Destroyer
* T19 Howitzer Motor Carriage
* 8-inch Howitzer Motor Carriage T84
* T92/T93 Gun Motor Carriage
* T55E1 Motor Carriage
* T88 Gun Motor Carriage
* T18 Howitzer Motor Carriage

Armoured cars|

* M38 Wolfhound
* T17 Deerhound
* T18 Boarhound
* T27 Armored Car

Lend-Lease|

* T16 Universal Carrier
* T17E1 Staghound

American armored fighting vehicle production during World War II

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Prototype armoured fighting vehicles of World War II

Light tanks|

* Leichttraktor
* Kugelpanzer
* E-5
* "Chassis 160"
* Type 5 Ke-Ho
* Ku-Ro/So-Ra
* 4TP
* 9TP
* 10TP
* Verdeja
* Antonov A-40
* Schofield

Medium tanks|

* E-50 Standardpanzer
* Panther II
* Panther Ausf. F
* Carro Armato M Celere Sahariano
* Type 97 Chi-Ni
* Type 98 Chi-Ho
* Type 3 Ke-Ri
* Type 4 Chi-To
* Type 5 Chi-Ri
* R-3
* T-43
* KV-13
* T7/M7
* T20

Heavy tanks|

* E-75 Standardpanzer
* Neubaufahrzeug
* VK 4501 (P)
* VK 4502 (P)
* P43 tank
* Type 95
* T-100
* IS-6
* IS-7
* KV-4
* TOG1
* TOG2
* A20
* Excelsior (A33)
* M6
* T14
* T29
* T30
* T32

Super-heavy tanks|

* E-100
* Panzer VII Löwe
* Panzer VIII Maus
* Panzer IX and Panzer X
* Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte
* O-I

Infantry tanks|

* Valiant (A38)
* Black Prince (A43)

Self-propelled guns/Tank destroyers|

* E-10
* E-25
* Heuschrecke 10
* Geschützwagen Tiger
* Semovente da 149/40
* ATG Carrier So-To
* Type 5 Na-To
* Type 5 Ho-Ru
* Type 5 Ho-Ri
* Ka-To Sha 105 mm (4.1 in) SP AT Gun
* TKS-D
* Mareșal
* TACAM R-1
* TACAM T-38
* T40/M9
* Landkreuzer P. 1500 Monster
* Sturer Emil
* Heuschrecke 10
* Dicker Max
* Ji-Ro Sha 105 mm (4.1 in)
* Hi-Ro Sha 150 mm (5.9 in)
* Type 4 Ho-To
* Type 5 Na-To
* Naval 12 cm SPG
* TACAM T-38
* SU-100Y
* SU-14
* Alecto
* Tortoise (A39)
* T18
* T95/T28
* T92/T93

Anti-aircraft|

* Pz. Sfl. IVc
* Flakpanzer Coelian
* Semovente da 20/70 quadruplo
* Skink
* Type 98 Ta-Se
* Type 98 20 mm (0.79 in) AAG
* Flakpanzer Mareșal

Cruiser/Cavalry tanks|

* 14TP
* AC3 "Thunderbolt"
* AC4
* 10TP

Amphibious tanks|

* Type 5 To-Ku
* PZInż 130

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