T-35

The T-35 was a Soviet multi-turreted heavy tank. It was designed as a heavy "breakthrough" tank for the Red Army because it saw the need for a vehicle that could break through heavy fortified defences. The T-35 was the only five-turreted heavy tank in the world to reach production. As it was mechanically unreliable and slow, the T-35 saw limited service and only 63 vehicles were built (2 prototypes and 61 production machines). Most of the T-35 tanks still operational at the time of Operation Barbarossa were lost due to mechanical failure rather than enemy action.

Production History

The T-35 was developed from a 1930 concept for a multi-turreted, heavy breakthrough tank of 50 tons, armed with a 76 mm gun and five machine guns. This project was later cancelled

Early 1932 a new project was started: a 35 ton tank, based partially on the Tank Grote project, with a 76.2 mm tank gun. The first prototype was further equiped with four smaller turrets, two with 37 mm guns and two with machineguns. This first prototype had severe defects in its transmission and was considered too complex and expensive for mass production. Work on it was therefore stopped and a new simpler prototype was built.

This new prototype received a new engine, new gearbox and improved transmission. The decision was also made to
standardise the turrets used on the T-35 with those used on the T-28, a three turret medium tank.

The experiences gained with these two prototypes were used for the production model T-35, the T-35A, which was
again improved from the second prototype, with a longer chassis, improved hull and smaller turrets. In general,
throughout its production run small improvements were made to the individual T-35A tanks. Production models had turrets similar to the ones on the BT-5. These were equipped with 45 mm guns. Some models had flamethrowers instead of one of the 45 mm guns.

Due to its high cost, the production run of the T-35A ended at just 61, bringing the total T-35 tanks produced to
63, including the two prototypes.

Combat History

The T-35 served with the 5th Separate Heavy Tank Brigade from 1935 until 1940. It is unclear whether the
T-35 saw action in the Winter War against Finland, but in June of 1940 already the question was raised
whether to withdraw the T-35 from frontline service, with the option to either convert them to heavy self propelled artillery, or to assign them to the various military academies. Instead, it was decided to collect
the surviving T-35 tanks into the 67th and 68th Tank Regiments of the 34th Tank Division, which served with the 8th Mechanized Corps in the Kiev Special Military District.

During Operation Barbarossa, most of the T-35s lost by the 67th and 68th tank regiments were lost not to enemy action but through either mechanical failure or because they were abandonded and destroyed by their crews. The last recored action of the T-35 took place during the early stages of the battle of Moscow.