Re: M4 vs. T-34?

Rich Rostrom wrote:
"Tero P. Mustalahti" <termusta@xxxxxx> wrote:

Rich Rostrom wrote:

The last use of T-34s in combat was in 1979!
That is not correct, I am afraid. The last confirmed use of T-34-85 in combat was in former Yugoslavia somewhere around 1995 or so.

Wow. Not absolutely surprising, but still -- to have a weapon system still functional and useful
after 40+ years...

Well, there are still plenty of T-54 and T-55 tanks still functional and useful around the world, many of them made in the 1950's. Most of them are in the third world countries, but for example the Finnish army still operated a small number of T-54 tanks in the late 1990s, which were disposed of as targets only few years ago. The US early 1950s tank M47 is still in use in some countries and Taiwan has modernized M41 light tanks.

Even WW2 tanks were still in service only a while ago: until fairly recently some Central and South American countries still had WW2 era US tanks in service, including Stuarts and Shermans. Some of them were modernized, some were not. The Norwegian NM-116, which was an M24 Chaffee upgraded with a French 90mm medium pressure gun and more modern fire control system, was phased out of service in 1993. In addition to the T-34-85, M18 and M36, also the SU-100 was used in the wars of former Yugoslavia. Mongolia had T-34-85s still nominally in service just a few years ago, although their true condition is unknown.

So, in general about 50 years is not a rare operational life for tanks and other armored fighting vehicles. Keeping the older tanks up to T-62 and M48 functional is not very difficult and requires no advanced high tech skills as long as spare parts are reasonably available. Usefulness is dictated by conditions: the T-34-85 or M4 Sherman would still be very useful as fire support platform against poorly equipped light infantry or irregular forces.


Tero P. Mustalahti



Tero P. Mustalahti

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