CMBB v CMAK

[Mad Russian]

Please read up once more, how many new model tanks and how many older model tanks were present in Soviet Army in June 1941. I will help you: from 10349 up to about 11000 in 19 mechanised corps in Western regions of USSR according to different sources. You can add on top tanks from cavalry divisions and (according to June 1, 1941) you will receive figure of 12 782. So I suggest you should revise your statements about the backbone of Soviet tank forces avalibale at the front.

T-34 became the main workhorse of Soviet army only in 1943, comprising about 2/3ds of the soviet produced tanks, present in Kursk battle.

In English the backbone means the hard part. Not necessarily the most numerous part. The hard part of the Soviet tank force were the T-34 and KV-1's. They were, as you have pointed out, at times, not the most numerous part.

From January 1941 through May 1945 the T-34 was the workhorse of the Soviet Army. It was the tank the Soviets intended to fight the war with and when the factories outproduced losses it was the one that they built their inventory around.

T-34 production figures before you claim it becomes the Red Army workhorse are:

1940 - 117

1941 - 3014

1942 - 12,553

By the time you claim the T-34 becomes the workhorse of the Soviet Army it was produced in greater numbers than the entire German tank force for the whole war!! I don't think that's a reasonable assumption to make.

The Soviets intended on the T-34 being the tank they would fight with and they started it's production before the war. They continually upgraded it and then produced more T-34's than any other tank in the war.

After the destruction of the obsolete models, in mid to late 1941, the T-34 was never less than half of the TO&E strengths for their tank brigades. While there were times, when this wasn't accomplished, the intent was still there.

Good Hunting.

MR