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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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On This Day In history
Birthdates which occurred on June 21:
1002 Leo IX, [Bruno count of Egesheim and Dagsburg], Pope (1049-54)
1596 Michael Fjodorovitsj, tsar of Russia (1613-45)/1st Romanov
1732 Martha Washington 1st, 1st lady
1774 Daniel D Tompkins (D-R), 6th US vice-president (1817-25)
1817 James Brewerton Ricketts, Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1887
1818 Joseph Abel Haskin, Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1874
1823 Edward Elmer Potter, Bvt Mjr General (Union volunteers), died in 1889
1839 John Decatur Barry, Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1867
1851 Daniel Carter Beard US, organized 1st boy scout troop
1882 Rockwell Kent artist/painter/illustrator (Canterbury Tales)
1884 Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck (8th Army)
1892 Reinhold Niebuhr US, theologian (Nature & Destiny of Man)
1901 Darkwing104 Lifer Extraordinaire and world famous connoisseur of SOS
"Thanks to modern medical advances such as antibiotics, nasal spray, and Diet Coke, it has become routine for people in the civilized world to pass the age of 40,....sometimes more than once."
1905 Jean-Paul Sartre France, philosopher/writer (Nobel 1964; declined)
1912 Mary McCarthy US, novelist (Group)
1921 Jane Russell Bemidji, MN, actress full-figured gal (The Outlaw)
1922 Judy Holliday NYC, comedienne/actress (Born Yesterday, Adam's Rib)
1925 Maureen Stapleton Troy NY, actress (All in the Family, Coccoon)
1927 Carl Stokes (Cleve-Mayor)
1928 V G Yershov, cosmonaut
1932 Lalo (Boris) Schifrin Buenos Aires Argentina, composer
1932 Ocie Lee "OC" Smith, US jazz singer (Little Green Apples)
1933 Bernie Kopell NYC, actor (Love Boat, Get Smart, That Girl)
1938 Ron Ely Hereford Tx, actor (Tarzan, Doc Savage)
1938 Dan Burton, (Rep-R-IN, 1983- )
1940 Joe Flaherty Pitts Pa, comedian (SCTV, Blue Monday)
1940 Mariette Hartley NYC, actress (Poloroid spokesperson, Marooned)
1944 "Crazy" Ray Davies singer/guitarist (The Kinks-Come Dancing)
1947 Meredith Baxter-Birney Ca, actr (Family Ties, Bridget loves Bernie)
1947 Michael Gross Chicago Ill, actor (Family Ties, Tremors)
1953 Benazir Bhutto 1st female leader of a Moslem nation (Pakistan)
1964 Kari Kennell Colorado Springs Co, playmate (Feb, 1988)
1967 Nicole Kidman, Honolulu Hawaii, actress (Dead Calm, Far and Away)
1982 Prince William of Wales Prince Chuck & Lady Di's baby
Nuttin wrong with 2 F-O-Gs, the more the merrier :-)
You probably didn't recognize it because it wasn't one of them newfangled flying devices, he he
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
I'm flattered. Given your knowledge of the CW and love for Dixie, I better stay sharp with my studies if I'm going to meet that "tall order". Thanks again for your thoughts.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. We walked those very grounds and it brought us to tears on more than one occassion. Visiting these places is as close as we'll ever get to living it. From the history we learn we are able to see in our minds eye more than the grass, trees and bridges. We can see the battlefield. Thank you so much sweetie for sharing with us.
P.S. It was good to talk to you this morning but Sam was a phone hog! :-)
P.S. It was good to talk to you this morning but Sam was a phone hog!
ROFLOL! Usually, he wants to get back to running the store . . . so, I have to be thankful he was willing to hog the phone for my call. ;^)
Thanks again for the pictures. I'm sure Antietam was a bittersweet visit, given how much blood was shed there.
Mornin' sb. Good to see you.
Thank you Mrs. PE. :-)
It's kinda eerie to read Soviet Union threads. FSU was such a central part of my service and life up to the time it broke up, but today's kids know little of it.
Interesting insight into Stalinist Russia.
Indeed. Almost a repeat of Gettysburg . . . you just can't hold back when you realize where you are standing.
And thank you for your thoughts.
Excellent stories. I especially liked the "I didn't have a spoon" story, the one about the stolen potatoes. Imagine an old soldier without a spoon! Amazing. Just as important as a good can opener!
It has been a spell since I carried a spoon at all times myself. Food and water is so darn regular these days, never ever go hungry or thirsty except on purpose. Odd to think back on the old days, when you had to eat whenever the opportunity arose, but always eating only the best available!! I suppose I was just a hungry all the time kid.
Interesting looking at the transition from T-34 to T-55.
Thanks alfa6.
From October 1940, after the death of M.I. Koshkin, Aleksandr A. Morozov was appointed the Chief Designer of the Design Bureau.At that time he was only 36 years old. When the war against the Nazi Germany broke out, the Design Bureau, together with the Plant, shifted to the town of Nizhny Tagil, in which tank production facilities were reestablished In October 1941, Aleksandr A. Morozov was appointed the Chief Designer of the Urals Tank Plant. In 1943, he was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labour for his outstanding achievements in arranging production, development and improvement of tanks.
The military insisted on enhancing the firepower of tanks, and the designers of the Design Bureau had to work hard to fulfil the requirement. Their efforts resulted in successful development of the T-34-85 tank,which was on a par with the new German heavy tanks as to their fighting capabilities. On 22 January 1945, Aleksandr A. Morozov was given the rank of Major General of Tank Engineer Corps by the Decision of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR for his efforts in development and continual improvement of the T-34 tank.
Towards the end of the Second World War, the Design Bureau, headed by Aleksandr A. Morozov, developed the T-44 medium Tank, with the T-54 tank being developed in the post-war period. Aleksandr A Morozov was given State Awards for his participation in the development of the afore-mentioned tanks. On 13 November 1951, Aleksandr A. Morozov was ordered by the Minister to move to Kharkiv to work at his native plant. In Kharkiv, Morozov immediately started to work on development of a new, more capable tank. As early as October 1963, these efforts resulted in the T-64 tank which was decades in advance of any other vehicles existing elsewhere in the world at the time.
The T-64 became the basis for subsequent development of other tanks including the T-72, the T-80, etc.
How big is your computer monitor? Some of the pictures don't display well for those of us with old, 17 inch monitors. For example, I have no idea what that 'training stand' would look like if I could see it all at once. Both it and the tank are 940 pixels wide. It would be more universally user friendly if the pictures were no larger than the old 640x480 format or at least 800 x 600, although most of us can handle larger larger displays now.
For autoresizing Windows offers this useful information:
For nearly 4 hours Union and Confederate infantry contested this sunken country road, resulting in over 5000 casualties.
1,700 KIA in 2+ YEARS in Iraq. Some people say this is too much. Some people need to get some perspective.
Great photos, thanks for sharing them
Thanks for the link, but for a long list of reasons, I generally don't use Internet Explorer. I can always shift my monitor display to 1024x768, but it generally does not display properly when I switch back to my usual resolution.
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