[Skybird]

I always considered the T34 to be what I would call a "pack-tank", in the meaning of that it is the tank pack of many tanks that spell disaster for the enemy, with the fame and ability of the tank as an individual vehicle being overestimated. Jim probably has it right when comparing it'S role to that of the Sherman. Above all, both tanks symbolize what really decided the war, more than any other singular factor, probably: industrial power and the ability to produce high numbers in short time.

Without the industrial overkill capacity of the US, the war in Europe maybe, probably, likely would have ended slightly different. And the war in Russia maybe as well - who knows. The Russians acted like they acted because by quantities of material they could afford it, and in the early and medium phase of the war, they desperately needed lend-and-lease material and planes from Britain. Without these two, the war maybe would have come to a decision against them before their industrial capacity could start to play a role. And a huge group of soldiers without material tools to fight, is not so much a group of soldiers, but rather cannon fodder.

Nice to finally read an assessment on the T34 that agrees with me. Usually I got kicked when on some rare occasions questioned its value. It is a holy icon for many, it seems. In Berlin, it still has its own monument. If you stand close to it, you realize how small these things are, and how ugly they look.