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Czechoslovak T-34/85 “Model 1960”
My first suggestion covered the original Czechoslovak T-34-85 Model 1953, but I ultimately chose to suggest that vehicle for Syria because of its distinctive DShK-equipped turret. In doing so, however, I felt that I had robbed Czechoslovakia of an important part of its armored history. For that reason, I would like to dedicate this T-34-85 to Czechoslovakia itself, a country that not only produced large numbers of T-34-85s, but did so to a notably high manufacturing standard, arguably exceeding that of many wartime Soviet-built examples. Czechoslovak-produced tanks went on to equip numerous Warsaw Pact and export customers, becoming one of the most widely distributed postwar versions of the T-34-85. There is also a certain irony in the fact that Czechoslovak-built T-34/85s have appeared in modern Russian Victory Day parades, somewhat replacing even Russia’s own parade-prepared T-34-85 Model 1985 vehicles in ceremonial service.
Introduction:
The Czechoslovak T-34/85 Model 1960 represents one of the lesser-known Cold War developments of the famous T-34 family. Rather than being a newly produced variant, it was the result of general overhauls and modernization work carried out on existing Czechoslovak T-34/85s during the 1960s. The intention was not to transform the already ageing T-34 into a competitor to the new T-54 and T-55, but to extend its useful service life by servicing and improving some of its most outdated equipment. During the general overhauls in the 1960s, part of the Czechoslovak T-34/85 fleet received the TVN-1a infrared night-driving device which required the installation of a revised lighting arrangement, replacing the original Model 1953-style headlight with later units better suited to the upgraded night-driving system. The tank also received R-113 radio equipment.
Disclaimer: The designation “Model 1960” is used here primarily for convenience. Contemporary Czechoslovak documentation appears generally to have continued referring to these vehicles simply as T-34/85, rather than introducing a completely new type designation for the modernization. THIS IS NOT a Soviet T-34-85 Model 1960.
History:
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Following the Second World War, Czechoslovakia initially operated Soviet-supplied T-34s, but the rapidly expanding postwar army required a much larger armored force. In July 1949, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union signed an agreement providing Soviet technical documentation for licensed production of the T-34/85. By November of that year, most of the necessary construction and manufacturing documentation had been transferred. Production preparation was initially undertaken by ČKD Praha-Sokolovo, with major components supplied by several Czechoslovak factories. Škoda in Plzeň produced engines, SMZ Dubnica manufactured turrets and guns, while the J. V. Stalin Works at Martin produced hulls. The first Czechoslovak-built T-34/85 was completed on 1 September 1951, with full-scale production beginning during 1952. Production was subsequently transferred increasingly to the J. V. Stalin Works in Martin, where serial manufacture continued until December 1956. Czech VHÚ records that 2,736 T-34/85s were manufactured in Czechoslovakia between 1952 and 1956, including vehicles intended for export. The Slovak VHÚ records approximately 1,400 as having been produced specifically for the Czechoslovak armed forces.
During the 1950s the T-34/85 formed one of the principal armored vehicles of the Czechoslovak Army. Between 1952 and 1958 it equipped tank and mechanized divisions, tank regiments and several tank/self-propelled artillery formations. From 1959 onward, however, the increasingly available T-54A, T-55 and later T-55A gradually displaced it from the most important formations. This did not result in the immediate retirement of the T-34/85. Czechoslovakia possessed a large fleet of the vehicles, many of which still had considerable mechanical life remaining. Instead, part of the fleet underwent general overhaul and modernization during the 1960s. Czech military-maintenance records show that VOP 025 Nový Jičín was heavily involved in the repair and modernization of T-34/85s, while Opravárenský závod 026 Šternberk also performed T-34/85 overhaul work. By the end of 1970, approximately 780 T-34/85s still remained in ČSLA inventory. From 1971 they were increasingly concentrated in second-line Category B and C tank and motor-rifle divisions, while excess vehicles were sold abroad, particularly to customers in Asia and Africa. The type nevertheless proved remarkably long-lived. The final withdrawal of the remaining vehicles happened around the end of the 1980s or 1991.
Distinguishing Features Brief:
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The vehicle was essentially a licence-built Czechoslovak version of the Soviet T-34-85 Model 1945/46, incorporating several postwar refinements over the earlier Model 1944. These included an improved engine, electric turret traverse, a new single-piece commander’s hatch, rear-mounted smoke canisters, and a number of smaller mechanical and production improvements.
The easiest way to distinguish a Czechoslovak-built T-34/85 from a standard Soviet-produced vehicle is to look for several characteristic external details. One of the most useful is the intercom/communication fitting mounted below the left rear external fuel tank, while Czechoslovak-built tanks also featured a different style of exhaust-pipe armor/cover compared with the original Soviet T-34-85. To distinguish an early Czechoslovak production vehicle from one that underwent the later 1960s modernization, the most obvious feature is the headlight arrangement. Early tanks retained the original Czechoslovak-style single headlight, whereas modernized vehicles received the later arrangement associated with the upgraded night-driving equipment. Another characteristic feature of Czechoslovak-built T-34/85s was the towing-cable stowage mounted along the left side of the hull. Czechoslovak-built T-34/85s were notable for their exceptionally smooth turret castings, reflecting the generally high manufacturing quality of postwar Czechoslovak production.
Some Czechoslovak-built T-34/85s can be seen fitted with T-55-style “starfish” road wheels. However, this configuration appears to be exceptionally rare on Czechoslovak- and Polish-built T-34-85s, making these examples particularly unusual compared with the more commonly encountered original and postwar T-54-style wheel types. The Russian parade-prepared T-34-85s were further simplified externally, with both the smoke-canister racks and the towing-cable stowage racks removed.
Modernization:
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Unlike the more extensive Soviet T-34-85 Model 1960/69 program, the documented Czechoslovak modernization appears to have concentrated primarily on night driving, communications and general refurbishment.
TVN-1a infrared night-driving system
The most significant operational improvement was the installation of the TVN-1a tank infrared night-driving device. The original T-34/85 had effectively been designed as a daylight fighting vehicle. Driving at night normally required visible headlights or the driver operating with his hatch open under extremely poor conditions. During the 1960s general-overhaul program, at least part of the Czechoslovak fleet was therefore equipped with the TVN-1a, giving the driver an active-infrared night-driving capability. The TVN-1a did not constitute thermal imaging and did not turn the T-34/85 into a fully night-capable fighting tank. It was primarily a driving aid. An infrared illuminator projected IR light ahead of the vehicle, which could then be detected through the driver’s electro-optical viewing device.
Externally, modernized Czechoslovak T-34/85s can therefore be encountered with a later paired headlights resembling that used on contemporary T-54-series vehicles, associated with the installation of infrared night-driving equipment. This makes the lighting arrangement one of the more noticeable differences between an original Czechoslovak-production T-34/85 and some vehicles subjected to later overhaul. The gunner, however, retained the conventional TŠ-16 telescopic sight. The TŠ-16 remained the standard direct-fire sight for the 85 mm gun and coaxial machine gun.
R-113 radio
The second major improvement was the installation of the R-113 VHF/FM tank radio, replacing the older communications equipment carried by the original Czechoslovak T-34/85. The R-113 had been designed specifically for armored and motorized forces and was widely installed in Soviet and Warsaw Pact armored vehicles of the 1950s and 1960s. It is a frequency-modulated VHF radio intended primarily for tank and motor-rifle troops. Fitting the R-113 was important because it allowed an ageing T-34/85 to remain compatible with the communications network of formations increasingly equipped with newer armored vehicles. It therefore addressed one of the major practical problems involved in retaining Second World War-era tanks in a Cold War army.
The fact that Czechoslovakia considered the R-113 worthwhile for ageing vehicles can also be seen elsewhere. The Czechoslovak VT-34 recovery tank likewise received the R-113 as a later communications installation, while Czechoslovak SD-100 self-propelled guns had their older RM-31-S communication sets replaced with R-113 equipment during general overhauls between 1967 and 1971. The R-113 itself was eventually superseded in newer ČSLA armored vehicles by the R-123, which offered a wider frequency range, greater power and four preset frequencies.
Revised external lighting
The installation of night-driving equipment necessitated alterations to the tank’s external lighting. Early Czechoslovak-production T-34/85s are readily recognizable by their characteristic single large headlight mounted on the left side of the hull, enclosed in a protective cage guard, whereas 1960s-overhauled vehicles feature a later T-54-style paired lighting arrangement, including the infrared illumination required by the TVN-1a. This is therefore one of the more useful external recognition features of a modernized Czechoslovak vehicle.
General overhaul and refurbishment
The work was performed as part of general overhauls, during which the vehicle could be disassembled, inspected and refurbished before being returned to service. Czechoslovakia maintained dedicated military repair facilities for precisely this purpose. VOP 025 Nový Jičín performed medium and general tank repairs, accident repairs, component renovation, reconstruction and modernization, and specifically worked extensively on the T-34/85, T-54 and T-55 fleets. Consequently, a modernized T-34/85 could emerge from overhaul mechanically much healthier than its production date might suggest, despite retaining the basic wartime automotive design.
Specifications:
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General
Type: Medium tank
Country: Czechoslovakia
Configuration: Czechoslovak-produced T-34/85 subjected to 1960s general-overhaul modernization
Crew: 5 — commander, gunner, loader, driver, and hull machine-gunner/radio operator
Combat weight: approximately 32 tonnes
Length, gun forward: approximately 8.1 m
Hull length: approximately 6.1 m
Width: approximately 3.0 m
Height: approximately 2.7 m
Ground clearance: approximately 0.40 m .
Mobility
Engine: V-2-34M V-12 diesel
Displacement: 38.88 litres
Maximum output: 500 hp (368 kW) at 1,800 rpm
Maximum torque: approximately 2,200 Nm at 1,200 rpm
Cooling: liquid-cooled
Starting: electric starter with compressed-air auxiliary starting
Transmission: mechanical, 5 forward + 1 reverse .
The V-2-34M was a refined development of the wartime V-2-34. The Czechoslovak tanks also incorporated several improvements to the engine installation and supporting systems, including improved BTI-3 air cleaners with ejector dust removal, an enlarged 107-litre cooling system, and revised fuel-system components. These changes were intended primarily to improve reliability, servicing, and operation.
Maximum road speed: approximately 50 km/h
Average road speed: approximately 30 km/h
Average cross-country/field-road speed: approximately 20 km/h
Road range: approximately 420 km without additional fuel barrels
Cross-country range: approximately 270 km without additional fuel barrels.
Maximum gradient: approximately 30°
Maximum side slope: approximately 30°
Trench crossing: approximately 2.7 m
Vertical obstacle: approximately 0.8 m
Fording depth: approximately 1.4 m without preparation.
Turret Traverse and Gun Handling
Turret traverse: 360°
Traverse system: electromechanical powered traverse with manual backup
Maximum powered traverse rate: approximately 25–30°/s
Full 360° powered rotation: approximately 12–14.4 seconds at maximum traverse speed
Manual traverse: approximately 0.9° per handwheel revolution
Gun elevation: approximately +25°
Gun depression: approximately −5° .
Armament
Main armament:
1 × 85 mm tank gun vz. 44 , the Czechoslovak-produced counterpart of the Soviet ZiS-S-53
Main-gun ammunition: approximately 56 rounds , although some Czechoslovak documentation gives 56–60 rounds depending on stowage arrangement.
Documented Czechoslovak ammunition included:
- 85-JO-čs.TK 44 — high-explosive/fragmentation
- 85-JPSv-čs.TK 44 — armor-piercing tracer
- 85-JPpSv-TK 44 — sub-calibre armor-piercing tracer.
Secondary armament:
2 × 7.62 mm DTM machine guns — one coaxial with the main gun and one hull-mounted
Machine-gun ammunition: approximately 1,890 rounds .
Optics and Communications
Gunner’s sight: TŠ-16 telescopic sight
Hull machine-gun sight: PPU-8-T
Driver’s night equipment: TVN-1a active-infrared night-driving device
Radio: R-113 VHF/FM tank radio
Armor Protection
Upper hull front: 45 mm at approximately 60°
Hull sides: 45 mm
Turret front: approximately 90 mm
Turret sides: approximately 75 mm
Turret rear: approximately 52 mm
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