T-44

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T-44
A restored T-44 tank
Type	Medium tank
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1944 – 1960s
Used by	Soviet Union
Wars	Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Production history
Designer	A.A. Morozov
Designed	1943–1944
Manufacturer	Factory No. 75, Kharkiv
Produced	1944–1947
No. built	1,823
Variants	T-44-100, T-44-122
Specifications (T-44A)
Mass	32 t (35 short tons; 31 long tons)
Length	6.07 m (19 ft 11 in) 7.65 m (25.1 ft) over gun
Width	3.25 m (10 ft 8 in)
Height	2.455 m (8 ft 0.7 in)
Crew	4
Armour	120 mm (4.7 in)
Main armament	85 mm ZiS-S-53 tank gun (58 rds.) 100-mm D-10T tank gun 100-mm LB-1 tank gun 122-mm D-25-44 tank gun
Secondary armament	2× 7.62 mm DTM machine gun or 1x 12.7mm DshK
Engine	Model V-44 12-cyl. 38.88 L diesel 520 hp (388 kW)
Power/weight	16.3 hp/tonne
Transmission	planetary 5-speed manual
Suspension	Torsion bar
Ground clearance	510 mm (20 in)
Fuel capacity	500 litres (110 imp gal; 130 US gal) 150 litres (33 imp gal; 40 US gal) external
Operational range	Road: 240–300 km (150–190 mi) Cross-country: 150–210 km (93–130 mi)[1]
Maximum speed	55 km/h (34 mph)

The T-44 was a medium tank developed and produced near the end of World War II by the Soviet Union. It was the successor to the T-34, offering an improved ride and cross-country performance, along with much greater armor. Designed to be equipped with an 85 mm main gun, by the time it was fully tested the T-34 had also moved to this weapon. Both tanks offered similar performance, so introducing the T-44 was not considered as important as increasing T-34 production. Fewer than 2,000 T-44s were built, compared to about 58,000 T-34s. Although the T-44 was available by the end of the war, it was not used in any battle. It was 1 ton lighter than the T-34-85 and slightly faster. The T-44 was heavily influential on the design of the T-54/55 main battle tank, most prominently lower hull and turret profiles. Also notable was the T-44-100, a 100mm D-10T-armed prototype, which would be the same 100mm gun mounted on the T-54/55, bar some minor changes.

Attempts were made to improve the T-44's armament with a new 122mm gun, but the turret proved to be very cramped and the rate of fire was poor, on the order of three rounds per minute. Design work on a slightly enlarged version of the T-44 began during the war and a prototype was produced in 1945. This newer design entered production in 1947 as the T-54/55 series of medium tanks, the most-produced tank series of all time.