- Yes
- No
- History T-34-85 in Poland: As with any T-34 in European service, the history starts in WW2. T-34s first saw service with Polish regiments in the Soviet Union, where T-34 M1941, M1942, and T-34-85 M1943 and M1944 were used. The LWP also had T-34E STZ upgraded tanks. Alas after the war, the Polish inventory was pretty lackluster, with some 300 T-34-85, and other vehicles like IS-2 and ISU-152. To remedy this in 1951 after some time of begging, Poland acquired the license to manufacture T-34-85s. Production started in 1952 and was ridden with issues: metal contamination, faulty W-2-34 engines, etc. Eventually it got sorted out and tanks were produced. In 1954-55 research began on modernization of the T-34-85 in Polish service, as it was starting to become heavily outdated, and additionally to keep up with the new T-54A being brought into PRL service. The goals and trial systems were: a new motor heater, improved air filters for W-2-34, self entrenchment device, night/fog viewing system, napalm protection, gun stabilization, and a range-finder. Unfortunately, some of the more war thunder relevant features like gun stabilizer and rangefinder would be cancelled. Alas, two sets of upgrades would be carried out, the T-34-85M1 and the T-34-85M2. The M1 focused more on general upgrade, whilst the M2 focused on fording and river crossing capability. The tanks officially were both designated “czołg średni T-34-85M”, and a manual was written for them in 1962. After a long service, they were retired in the mid 1980s. As a side note, they are often compared to Soviet M1960 and M1969, which both came much later and although are similar to the Polish programs, had slightly different focus.
Disclaimer: This suggestion is for the T-34-85M1 variant. The M2 variant can be found here: T-34-85M (Late service, Poland)
- T-34-85M1:
Spoiler
Though of course modernization was carried out, with the first stage T-34-85M1 starting upgrades in 1958. T-34-85M1 included the engine motor for winter, improved engine air filters, the ability to use different fuel types on the engine, better steering system, enlarged fuel tanks increasing range. increased ammunition stowage 56 → 57 shells and and 31 → 37 magazines of 7.62mm (2400 rounds). The increased stowage was put in the now vacant area of the hull machine gunner, who had been removed and his DTM machine was put in a fixed position and operated by the driver-mechanic. Lastly, the turret rotation speed was increased and radios were brought to modern R113 and R120 standard.
Color photo of the one below, in unique camouflage. Has a unique jettisonable fuel tank system on the rear of the tank.
T-34-85M1, sometime between 1960-1980s due to turned checkerboard symbol.
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Visual Differences:
- Generally, the T-34-85M1 had very minimal differences, as most differences were on the interior. The appearance will look like a T-34-85 M1945 (very similiar to the T-34-85 STP, which is a M1946) The Polish one will have the skeleton wheels on ventilators on the back of the turret.
- Wooden water wading device on the hull may or may not be present, some M1s had it and some did not. Generally most didn’t have this.
- Personal tanker equipment in form of some bags on the rear of the turret.
- Log on right side of tank.
- Unique jettisonable fuel tank system on rear of tank (similiar to Valentine II). This was rare and ingame would harm the tank as it would not be able to be used, and would block the smoke grenades.
- Specifications:
Spoiler
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Armament:
- Primary: 85mm ZIS-S-53 (57 shells)
- Secondary: 1x 7.62mm DTM coaxial, 1x 7.62mm DTM hull-arrested. (2400 rounds)
- Sight: TSz-16, 4x zoom (Also TWN-1a could be used as a stretch to give 5x zoom)
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Ammunition:
Can use any 85×629mmR round from USSR. The ammunition selection that I propose here is just to represent the T-34-85M1 in late 1950s, early 1960s service, and also ingame it should have a higher BR and better post-war ammunition to represent this.-
BR-365A APCR (Reserve mod)
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O-367A HE (Reserve mod)
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BR-367 APCBC (Rank 1 mod)
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BR-367P APCR (Rank 3 mod)
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3BK-2M HEAT-FS (Rank 4 mod), this also can be removed
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Can have the experimental WITU Model 1962 85mm APDS, but I think that should go the the M2 variant and that be the most advanced Polish T-34-85.
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Side note: can and did carry all previous types of ammunition, but due to its modernized nature and other stuff, in war thunder I would see this at a 6.0 or 6.3 BR with better ammunition, akin to US M-46 or Japanese ST-A1/2/3.
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Armor:
- Same as previous T-34-85s, 45mm on the hull and 90mm on the front turret.
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Drive:
- Engine: 500hp W-2-34M @ 1800 rpm (official manual states it has a W-2-34M, but seems to be a Polish version not the 520hp Soviet V-2-34M)
- Suspension: Christie suspension, Polish modernization was to have better shock absorbers, never actually implemented
- Max speed: 55 km/h
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Crew:
- Gunner
- Loader
- Driver-Mechanic
- Commander
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Gadgets and Gizmos
- Sight TSz-16, 4x zoom
- 2x BDSz Smoke grenades
- Improved electric turret traverse, 30°/sec
- Commander gun override
- Unique jettisonable fuel tank system on rear of tank (similiar to Valentine II). This was rare and ingame would harm the tank as it would not be able to be used, and would block the smoke grenades.
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Conclusion: In conclusion, the Polish T-34-85 upgrades were one of the most ambitious and standardized upgrades. While the German T-34-85M or Czech T-34-85 had some better features like better engine, the Polish upgrades in the end saw the service and proved themselves as the backbone of the PRL in the 40s and 50s, and as a strong secondary from the 60s to 80s.
- In a future Polish tech tree, Id recommend that the T-34-85M2 be tech tree and the T-34-85M1 be a premium. In reality they had extremely similiar capability (as it relates to the game), and then the technically more advanced version could be tech tree.
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Sources:
- PRODUKCJA I MODERNIZACJA CZOŁGU T-34-85 W POLSCE
- T-34-85M - Polska modernizacja radzieckiego klasyka.
- Instrukcja techniczna wojsk pancernych. Czołg T-34-85M. Opis i użytkowanie, (1962)
- Początki przemysłu czołgowego w Polsce Ludowej (cz. 2)
- Czołg średni T-34-85
- CIA document