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Eastern Block tank quality, numbers and stats for 1983

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Polish T-55A tanks on the streets during . Author: J. Żołnierkiewicz.

Polish T-55A tanks on the streets during Martial Law in Poland during 1981. Author: J. Żołnierkiewicz.

Some of 's captured Soviet T-34 Model 1943 tanks pressed into service with the Wehrmacht, January 1944. Accession number: Bild 101I-277-0836-04.

Some of Nazi Germany's captured Soviet T-34 Model 1943 tanks pressed into service with the Wehrmacht, January 1944. Accession number: Bild 101I-277-0836-04.

Two T-72B tanks at the Chebarkul training ground, , April 2017. Author: Ministry of Defence of the . Attribution: Mil.ru.

Two T-72B tanks at the Chebarkul training ground, Russia, April 2017. Author: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. Attribution: Mil.ru.

A Soviet T-34-85 in East Berlin on 17 June in the . Attribution: Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-F005191-0040 / CC-BY-SA 3.0.

A Soviet T-34-85 in East Berlin on 17 June in the June 16-17 East German uprising of 1953. Attribution: Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-F005191-0040 / CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Overview[]

Here is a list of the most plentiful tanks the Eastern Bloc could issue on mass for a war in Europe (including invading the Asian part of Turkey) as of about 1980-83. Yugoslavia and Albania had left the Soviet bloc by then, but may have been attacked if NATO wanted to take the war on communism to it's maximum existent.

Finland was neutral, but it was a Soviet vassal of most of the Cold War and the USA had a similar vassalage over neutral Sweden at the same time. A Cold War gone hot may have included both Finland and Sweden. Finland had only a few dozen tanks and no one class reached the threshold numbers.

The quality, quantity, maintenance levels and age of there tanks were a major issue for some nations.

The best use of the tanks[]

Never use tanks in mountainous terrain or forests since mobility is badly restricted. Urban warfare is dangerous since people can drop bombs trough open turret hatches. Tanks will sink in marshes and are to heavy too cross some types of bridges.

The list[]

To qualify for the list of heavy, medium and main battle tanks, an Eastern Bloc nation must have a substantial amount of a class of Soviet or Easter Block designed tanks (2,000 for the much bigger USSR, 500 for the GDR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania and 250 for puny Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland and Albania), or 100 or more of a native or Western design). Yugoslavia and Finland also had some old post WW2 Western designed and made imports to).

Eastern Block tank quality, age and stats.
Tank. Users Nation of origin. Designed. Produced. Operational range. Maximum speed. Ground clearance. Mass in tonnes. Thickest and thinnest armour plates.
The M-4 Sherman Yugoslavia USA
The T-10 USSR USSR
The T-10A USSR USSR
The T-10M USSR USSR
The T64A USSR USSR
The T64B USSR USSR
The PT-76 USSR USSR and Bulgaria 1949–1951 . . . 370 mm (14.6 in) . .
The T-72 Ural USSR USSR 1967–1973 1973 to date 460 km (290 mi), 700 km (430 mi) with fuel drums 60 to 75 km/h (37 to 47 mph) 0.49 m (19 in) 1.5 tonnes (45.7 short tons) N\A
The T-72 USSR, GDR USSR 1967–1973 1968- to date 460 km (290 mi), 700 km (430 mi) with fuel drums 60 to 75 km/h (37 to 47 mph) 0.49 m (19 in) 1.5 tonnes (45.7 short tons) N\A
The T-72A USSR USSR 1967-73 1968 to present date 460 km (290 mi), 700 km (430 mi) with fuel drums 60 to 75 km/h (37 to 47 mph) 0.49 m (19 in) 1.5 tonnes (45.7 short tons) N\A
The T-34-85 (1969 upgrade) Romania, Yugoslavia USSR 1942-43 + a 1969 upgrade 1944-53 + a 1969 upgrade On roads: 330 km (210 mi) Cross-country:200 km (120 mi) (1940-41 model) 53 km/h (33 mph) (1940-41 model) 0.4 m (16 in) (1940-41 model) 26.5 tonnes (29.2 short tons; 26.1 long tons) (1940-41 model) Hull front 47 mm /60° (upper part)and Turret top 16 mm (1940-41 model)
The T-34 (1940-41 model) USSR (they are mostly on the Chines border and used for driver training) USSR 1937-40 1940-58 On roads: 330 km (210 mi) Cross-country:200 km (120 mi) 53 km/h (33 mph) 0.4 m (16 in) 26.5 tonnes (29.2 short tons; 26.1 long tons) Hull front 47 mm /60° (upper part)and Turret top 16 mm
The Type 59 Albania PRC 1956-59 1959-1985 450 km, 600 km with external tanks 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) N/A 36 tonnes (35 long tons; 40 short tons) 20–203 mm
The TR-77-580 Romania (both tanks) Romania (both tanks) 1974-77 (TR-77-580) 1977-1985 (TR-77-580) 400 km (250 mi) (TR-85) 60 km/h (37 mph) (TR-85) N\A 50 tonnes (55.12 tons) (TR-85) turret: 320 + 20 mm add-on composite armour, hull: 200 mm composite armour (TR-85)
The T-55 USSR, Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Albania, GDR, Yugoslavia USSR, Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia 1954–1956 1958–1983 325 kilometres (202 mi), 610 kilometres (380 mi) with extra tanks (on unpaved roads) Maximum speed 51 kilometres per hour (32 mph) 0.425 m (16.7 in) 36 metric tons (35.4 long tons; 39.7 short tons) 205 mm turret front/20 mm hull bottom and hull lower sides
The T-62 USSR and Bulgaria USSR Late 1950s-1961 1961–1975 450 km (280 mi) on road (650 km (400 mi) with two 200 L (53 US gal; 44 imp gal) extra fuel tanks) 320 km (200 mi) cross-country (450 km (280 mi) with two 200-liter extra fuel tanks) Maximum speed 50 km/h (31 mph) (road), 40 km/h (25 mph) (cross country) 425 mm (16.7 in) 37 t (41 short tons; 36 long tons) 214 (242 after 1972) mm turret front, 15 mm hull lower sides
The T-54 USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, GDR, Albania USSR 1949-51 (T-54) 1954-57 (T-54) 325 kilometres (202 mi), 610 kilometres (380 mi) with extra tanks (on unpaved roads) (T-55) Maximum speed 51 kilometres per hour (32 mph) (T-55) 0.425 m (16.7 in) (T-55) 36 metric tons (35.4 long tons; 39.7 short tons) (T-55) 205 mm turret front/20 mm hull bottom and hull lower sides
The T-80 USSR USSR 1967–1975 (T-80B) 1975-2001 (T-80B) 335 km (208 mi) (road, without external tanks), 415 km (258 mi) (road, with external tanks) 80 km/h (50 mph) (T-80U), 48 km/h (30 mph) (cross country) 0.38 m (1.2 ft) (T-80B) 42.5 tons (T-80B) Hull 440–450 mm vs APFSDS 500–575 mm vs HEAT, Turret 500 mm vs APFSDS 650 mm vs HEAT (T-80B)

Also see[]

  1. Cold War
  2. Tank desant
  3. Warsaw Pact
  4. Seven days to the River Rhine (1979)

Sources[]

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