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Several years ago, my Polish friend bestowed on me a book named T-34 Mityczna Broń (Mythical Weapon in Polish). Fully aware of the tank’s role in Poland’s military history, I believed it would be of the grand exploits of this vehicle in the areas of design, firepower, reliability, and longevity. Was I ever mistaken! Robert Michulec’s book is designed to put light on the myth of how good the wartime T-34 actually was and he has gathered data to back it up. This book is in a small format and has many archival photos along with a few color photos of contemporary tanks and color profiles.
The second volume arrived later and has a co-author, Mirosław Zientarzewski. This volume covers the use of the T-34 in the Polish armed forces and includes many illustrations from the manual, 1/35th scale plans, and detail photos of various museum pieces. Between both books, I was very pleased to see such attention to detail but the books were only available in Polish, until now.
Air Connection announced their plans to publish these volumes in English three years ago. During this time, a little more information was forthcoming and some errors in the original books were corrected. The book is now available so, the question to ask is was it worth the wait?
The English language volume is much larger than the Polish volumes. This new volume measures 8.5 inches by 12 inches and is quite heavy at 5.5 pounds (2.5Kg). Inside are 520 pages printed on high quality semi-matte paper with end papers in heavier matte sheets. This hardcover has a full color cover expertly rendered by Arkadiusz Wróbel. This compares to the 509 cumulative pages of the two previous volumes which each measured only 6.5 inches by 9.5 inches.
Newly added are several new photos, new illustrations, new 1/35th scale plans by Krzysztof Pałubicki, as well as 3D artwork by Dariusz A. Lipiński of Paperlab.
Krzysztof’s plans include T-34s from:
1. Factory 183 of 1940 manufacture
2. Factory 183 of 1940/41 manufacture
3. Factory 183 of early 1941 manufacture
4. Factory 183 of late 1941 manufacture
5. Factory 183 of late 1941 manufacture with 57mm gun
6. Factory 183 of 1941/42 manufacture
7. Factory 183 of mid 1942 manufacture
8. Factory 183 of summer 1942 manufacture
9. Factory 183 of fall 1942 manufacture
10. Factory 183 of 1943 manufacture
11. Factory 183 of spring 1944 manufacture
12. Factory 112 of spring/summer 1942 manufacture
13. Factory 112 of summer 1942 manufacture
14. Factory 112 of 1942/43 manufacture
15. Factory 112 of early 1944 manufacture
16. STZ Factory 1941 manufacture
17. STZ Factory spring 1942 manufacture
18. STZ Factory summer 1942 manufacture
19. OT-34 from Factory 183 late 1941
20. OT-34 from Factory 112 early 1943
21. T-34 mine roller (3 view plans)
22. OT-34 from Factory 112 of 1942 manufacture
23. OT-34 from Factory 112 of 1944 manufacture
24. Psychological Warfare T-34 from Factory 112 of 1943/44 manufacture
25. 85mm T-34 from Factory 183 of spring 1944 manufacture
26. 85mm T-34 from Factory 183 of fall 1944 manufacture
27. 85mm T-34 from Factory 112 of late 1944 manufacture
28. D-10 85mm T-34 from Factory 112 of early 1944 manufacture
29. 85mm T-34 from Factory 112 of 1944/45 manufacture
30. 85mm T-34 from Factory 174 of 1944 manufacture
Also by Krzysztof and Witold is a full page of additional armor plating variations based on Russian sources. This is followed by the 3D artwork which has a full page devoted to 23 different road wheels, half a page to idlers and drive wheels, four and a half pages of a stripped T-34-85 turret by Dariusz.
Now, let’s move on to describing the book in detail.
The first volume was translated by Leszek Erenfeicht and the second volume by J. J. Fedorowicz. The translation is very well done and the feel of the original is kept. By reading the foreword, one recognizes that Robert Michulic has a great disdain for this vehicle and the Russians. In the following 29 chapters, he brings forth much information to back up his claim that the wartime production T-34 was not what legends are made of, but explains how this myth was created. After explaining the myth, he covers the T-34 from design, to production, modernization, and appraisal. The postwar tank chapters are authored by Mirosław and cover the usage by the Polish armed forces. There is not much in this book for the historian but it is a brutally honest assessment of a vehicle many hold to high regard.
The chapters include:
1. Of Myths; Greek and Soviet
2. T-34 – The Alibi of the Wehrmacht
3. Soviet Reichswald
4. Summary and Conclusions
5. The Roots
6. Circumstance and the First Cut
7. The Real T-34
8. Modernization
9. Crisis
10. Stagnation
11. T-34-85
12. Production
13. Special Versions
14. Production of the Tank
15. An Appraisal of the Tank
16. The T-34 in the Polish Army
17. After the War
18. Polish T-34
19. Camouflage and Markings
20. What the T-34 is, Everyone Can See
21. The Hulls
22. Suspension and Wheels
23. Armament
24. Interiors
25. Turrets
26. Engine
27. T-34 Serial Numbers
28. T-34 Scale Plans
29. Colour Section
Modelers will most be interested in the illustrations, whether photos, plans, sketches, or profiles and this book will certainly please. With a few exceptions, the photos in the English version are larger than the previously published books. There are 894 photos, both gray tone and color covering period vehicles and postwar with a large selection of detail shots aimed at distinguishing variants. These are most useful to modelers. The captions are very well done however some notes can be added. Four maps are also included. The color section mostly shows side views but is well done.
Fifty eight pages of scale plans are also in the book, including the ones previously listed. An error which appeared in the Polish edition has been corrected. There are also several sketches to help identify the variants. Another interesting chapter is one on the serial numbers for the T-34 used by the Polish Armed Forces (ŁWP). These have been taken from Janusz Magnuski’s (James Grandsen’s) book.
Some notes I took include:
Page 33, top, lower photo- the damaged suspension springs, not the burnt off rubber, makes the vehicle look as though it is squatting.
Page 37- the periscopes on the top tank make it seem it is from the STZ Factory while the crushed tank is also noteworthy for having an early version of the hammerhead tow hooks with an early driver’s hatch.
Page 51- STZ manufacture with the early hammerhead tow hooks, early driver’s hatch, and all steel road wheels.
Page 56, bottom- These vehicles, shown in another view on page 57, bottom, are most likely STZ made. Following the rear plate of the right hand tank in the latter image, the rear notch is barely evident.
Page 60- Note the unusual small, centrally placed round hatch with only four bolts and one hinge.
Page 90- Note that the rear turret hatch on this STZ assembled vehicle is welded.
Page 92- This familiar photo of an STZ assembled tank clearly shows the interlocked top edge of the side plates. One is to either side of the turret, the second is below the vents (under the gun barrel’s shadow), and the last is right below and forward of the latches holding down the rear screen cover. Compare this to the sketch on page 100 and the scale plans on pages 480 and 481.
Page 102- This tank has a rear tow hook shaped like a Panzer IV’s and can currently be seen on another T-34 displayed in a Finnish museum.
Page 143- This is a road wheel, not an idler.
Page 156, top- Note that these tanks have drive sprockets without rollers. The pins are welded to the disks. Compare to the fourth drive sprocket shown on page 502.
Page 157, top- These armored exhaust covers are thicker than normal and required machining to clear the bolts on the sides.
Pages 445, 480 & 481- These plans miss out the three notches on the upper edge of the side plates as seen in the photo on page 92.
Pages 472 and 474- There are a dozen track types shown but are not drawn to 1/35th scale. On five of them, the end view of the connector plates (without guide teeth) is shown incorrectly. The track from STZ Factory, used from fall of 1941, (shown on page 472) has an end view with a high rib when it should be like the two shown on the lower left of page 474. On page 474, all end views other than the two previously mentioned, should have the high rib as was incorrectly shown for the STZ track on page 472!
Page 502- Idler number two was the first to eliminate the use of rubber while idler three was introduced at STZ and had alternating oval and round lightening holes. They are difficult to see because of the color used. Note also that alternating fins do not reach the outer ring. Idler number 4 is identical except that all the lightening holes are round (as found in Tamiya’s kits). Idlers 5 and 6 have full fins with 6 having a strengthening ridge to the round holes.
Drive wheels from number three on eliminated the rubber tire. Number four had the drive pins welded directly to the disk eliminating the bolts which allow the drive pins on all the other drive wheels to rotate.
Of course, we need to mention all the detail photos included in this book along with sketches and plans of the various turrets, hulls, and other details. Missing are the variations of the tow hooks, inclusion of all the types of rear plates, armored exhaust covers, and the three (so far identified) types of all steel road wheels.
In the end, this book is definitely worth the price for English speakers since it has everything that was available before in the Polish editions, some corrections and many additions. The price may put some off but the fact is that this book is of the same high quality as any Fedorowicz title.
It is recommended as the best all in one reference book on the T-34 tank available in the English language. It is a must have for the Trumpeter 1/16th scale and Hobby Boss 1/48th scale T-34s especially for the interior views. I thank Air Connection for the review sample which I was able to compare to the original books in my possession. Also, a hearty thanks to Nick Cortese for pointing out the new T-34 books from Frontline Illustrations.
See PMMS' review for another opinion:
http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/books/airconnection/arc01.htm
This book is available directly from Air Connection via their web site:
http://www.airconnection.on.ca
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