The T-34-57 (nickname: exterminator) is a fourth and early experimental variant of the T-34 medium tank family. The Soviet Army was looking for new and upgraded guns to be mounted on its latest tanks as early as 1940. On May 19, 1941, testing of the new 57 mm Zavod imeni Stalina (ZiS) 4 tank gun began. V.G. Grabin designed this gun, which was based on the 57 mm ZiS-2 gun. It was capable of firing a 3.14 kg warhead and could pierce 70 mm (2.76 in) of armour at a 30-degree angle at a range of 1000 m (1100 yd). The modified gun was fitted and tested in a T-34 (1941). Except for a longer barrel and a flat gun mantlet, it was nearly identical to a typical production T-34 (1941) variant. Despite some testing issues, the T-34-57 was approved for production in July 1941. Production of this T-34-57 early experimental variant began quickly but terminated in September after only 10 units were produced. The production run was cancelled due to a variety of problems, including insufficient manufacturing resources and a lack of armour-piercing ammunition for the 57 mm ZiS-4 tank gun. Most importantly, the RKKA did not want to disturb ongoing T-34 production variants. After all, the USSR had lost 20,000 tanks between June and September 1941. For the first and only time, the number of Soviet tanks went below that of the German tanks in October 1941. These tanks were referred to as "T-34 with ZIS-4" in Soviet records. However, after World War II, these tanks were renamed "Exterminator".
Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the T-34-57 offers unrivalled armour penetration capability compared to other early variants of the T-34 medium tank family (1940, 1941, 1942, E STZ, E). Long-distance engagements are a strength of the T-34-57, comparable to German late variants of the Panzer IV medium tank family (F2, G, H, J). The T-34-57, however, lacks the powerful post-damage of other tanks due to the smaller calibre of the 57 mm ZiS-4 tank gun. To completely destroy an opponent tank, players may need to fire many shots. Since the turret and hull chassis were identical, the T-34-57 early experimental variant has a comparable layout to the T-34 (1941) variant. Players who have already played earlier variants of the T-34 should have minimal challenge adjusting to this tank. Due to the similarities, the tank will undoubtedly inherit both the strengths and shortcomings of its ancestors. It should be remembered that armour is ineffective against most enemies of its ranks; therefore, using speed and agility to move rapidly, dodge enemy fire, and relocate from cover to cover will be helpful.
Ammunition | Type | Armor penetration (mm) at a distance: | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m | ||
APHEBC | 145 | 142 | 128 | 112 | 98 | 86 | |
HE | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | |
APHE | 145 | 140 | 118 | 95 | 77 | 62 |
Belt | Belt filling | Armor penetration (mm) at a distance: | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m | ||
AP-I/API-T | 13 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
Mobility | |
---|---|
Protection |
---|
Firepower | |
---|---|