| T34 heavy tank | |
|---|---|
 The T34 heavy tank in the U.S. Army Armor & Cavalry Collection, 2021 | |
| Type | Heavy tank |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | Trials only |
| Used by | United States Army |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1945-1948 |
| No. built | 2 prototypes [1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 158,512 lb (71.900 t) combat loaded |
| Length | 37.5 ft (11.4 m) gun forward 25 ft (7.6 m) gun aft |
| Width | 12.46 ft (3.80 m) over sand shields |
| Height | 10.49 ft (3.20 m) over cupola |
| Crew | 6 (driver, gunner, loader, assistant loader, commander, assistant driver) |
| Armor | hull front 102 mm (4.0 in) @ 54°=228 mm (9.0 in) Side 76 mm (3.0 in) Rear 51 mm (2.0 in) turret front 203–305 mm (8.0–12.0 in) Side 158 mm (6.2 in) Rear 204 mm (8.0 in)[2] |
Main armament | 120 mm T53 L/60 rifled gun (34 rounds) |
Secondary armament | 2 x .50 in (12.7mm) M2HB AA (1,500 rounds), coaxial & pintle-mounted 1 x .30 in (7.6 mm) Browning M1919A4, bow (2,500 rounds) |
| Engine | 1,649 cu in (27.02 L) Continental AV-1790-5A air-cooled 810 hp (600 kW) net at 2800 rpm |
| Power/weight | 11.26 hp/t (8.40 kW/t) |
| Transmission | General Motors CD-850-1 crossdrive, three speeds (two forward, one reverse) |
| Suspension | torsion-bar |
| Fuel capacity | 350 US gal (290 imp gal; 1,300 L) |
| Maximum speed | 26 mph (42 km/h) (on road) 23 mph (37 km/h) (off-road) |
The T34 heavy tank was an American design for a heavy tank. It evolved from the T29 heavy tank and T30 heavy tank in 1945, using the same chassis, but sporting a 120 mm (4.72 in) modified 120 mm gun M1 anti-aircraft gun.[3] Extra armor plating was applied to the rear of the turret bustle as a counterweight for the heavier 120 mm T53[4][1] main gun. No production orders were placed for the T34, which was felt to be too heavy.[5]
- ^ a b Hunnicutt 1988, p. 94.
- ^ Hunnicutt 1988, p. 197.
- ^ Thearmoredpatrol.com: The 120 mm T53 (Retrieved 2021-12-22)
- ^ Sirchby (2018-01-20). "The 120 mm T53". The Armored Patrol. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- ^ "Heavy Tank T34". www.historyofwar.org. Retrieved 2019-04-23.