T-34 Russian Battle Tank, The

One of World War II's most important military vehicles was the Russian T-34, a tank that was instrumental in the defeat of Germany on the Eastern Front and, thus, ultimate Allied victory in Europe. As the author points out, the T-34 was an innovative yet simple design, whose mobility and armor represented a leap forward in fighting tanks. Examined and fully illustrated are all aspects of T-34 development and service histories, including sections on design, variants, armaments, powerplants, crews, and armor. Specification tables offer design drawings and comparisons to T-34 contemporaries which were, in most cases, far inferior to the Russian tank.