The Unseen Evaluation of Soviet T-34 by the U.S. and U.K. During WWII
Here is a fun fact most people don’t know…. The Soviet T-34 was actually evaluated by the U.S. and U.K. for possible use during WWII.
Now despite what many a Soviet fanboys want to believe, the Soviet Union did receive billions in aid from both the United States and United Kingdom during World War II. This included aircraft, trucks, ammunition, boots/uniforms, and of course, tanks. Up to 4000 Sherman tanks found their way into Red Army Service, alongside British Valentines.
Interest in Soviet Tanks by Western Allies
But what most people don’t know, is that the Western Allies were interested in Soviet tanks as well. Specifically, the KV-1 and most interestingly of all, the T-34. They were seriously considering cloning the designs for use by their respective armies.
As a result, T-34 (specifically the T-34/76) were sent to both the UK and the US for evaluation. Almost immediately, the U.S. Army rejected the Soviet tank, as testing at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds showed that the T-34 and KV-1 were not suited to the Army’s needs. They saw the tanks as unreliable and having poor armor protection. This put them on the same level with the M4 Sherman, which despite its short comings, was more reliable, easier to produce, and maintain.
The British Perspective on Soviet Tanks
The British were a little kinder to the Soviet tanks and were more willing to locally produce the T-34s. They even went as far as to design new variants that would see the T-34 being fitted with either a 17-Pounder main gun, while the KV-1 would have been fitted with a six-inch howitzer. Both would have British-supplied engines and transmissions, making them a bit more robust than the original Soviet tanks.
However, they too abandoned the idea as the Soviet designs would have to be modified heavily to meet the requirements of the British Army. These modifications were believed to negatively affect the overall performance of the tanks.
Interestingly enough, the 17-Pounder which would have been used on the British T-34s, was later used on the Sherman Firefly.
~NC
