T34 and crewmembers

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 9:16 am

Did the Russians ( and when ) add a sixth crewman to the T34?

gorbag · Post by **gorbag** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 2:02 pm

I don't think the T-34 ever had a sixth crewmember. The T-34/76 variants all had four crewmembers- commander/gun aimer, driver/mechanic, radio operator/hull MG gunner, and main gun loader. The T-34/85 increased the crew by one, adding a main gun aimer to free up the commander, but didn't see action until 1944 with the Guards tank formations. The KV-2 (assault gun variant) had a six man crew, but that was to handle the large howitzer rounds.

Hope that helps.

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 2:53 pm

whoops - I actually meant a 5th crewman -- you answered that anyway..
thanks !
Dale

Commissar D, the Evil · Sat Dec 07, 2002 5:58 pm

Just an interesting factoid, the very first T-34/85s issued did not have a 5th crewman. These were the T-34/85s mounting the D-5-T 85mm gun. When production shifted to mounting the Zis-S-53 85mm gun, the 5th crewman was added. However, there were many times when a shortage of crewmen forced T-34 crews to operate without the fifth man. Regards, David

Paul_9686 · Post by **Paul_9686** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:52 pm

According to Steven Zaloga in the Osprey New Vanguard book on the T-34/85, the T-34/85 was designed from the outset to utilize a five-man crew, Commissar. But for a good bit of the type's combat career with the Red Army, they made do with just four men, leaving the front machine gunner out because of a personnel shortage.

I've read that in the early part of the Korean War, the North Koreans used just three men in theirs--driver, commander/gunner/radio operator, and loader.

Yours,
Paul