Little History
(You can see a full version in here Tank Archives: Czech from Russia
By the end of the Second World War, T-34-85 tanks became one of the most common type of tank in the Czechoslovakian army. The first tanks of this type were received by the Czechoslovakian corps in early 1945, and up to 130 tanks of this type were received in total. They took part in the liberation of Prague and later became the backbone of the post-war Czechoslovakian army.
In July of 1949, Czechoslovakia received a license to produce T-34-85 tanks. The reasons why this tank, seemingly obsolete since 1945, was selected for production are quite simple. One was that the Czechoslovakian military was very familiar with the T-34-85. Second, even though it was far from the best tank, this was not critical in the late 1940s. Finally, the tank was easy to produce, and starting up production would not be difficult.
The first post-war tank did not go easy. The first tanks came out rather unpolished, which is common for new production. Many complaints came in about the clutch, transmission, and other components. This was mostly caused by the fact that the necessary level of quality was not immediately reached. It took time to fine-tune the technical processes.
The early T-34s were produced at the CKD Sokolovo factory from February 1952 to December 1953. The late version T-34 tanks were produced at the Martin factory from May 1952 until December 1956. After that, production of the T-54 tank began.
External distinguishing features of Czech-built T-34s versus foreign-built models.
Direct copy of german notek headlight. This headlight was installed on the early version of T-34 and SD-100(Czech SU-100).
wavy exhaust outlet. The reason for this design is purely speculative. Perhaps it was intended as a way to signify that the tank was Czech-made? However, some Czech T-34s were fitted with Soviet-style covers as well. This was because the bolt dimensions were identical, allowing replacement with surplus Soviet parts during major overhauls.
Early model of T-34s and SD-100 has guarded headlights.
But in late models of T-34(maybe 1954?), the design was changed and the Notek headlight was also removed.
One of the most distinctive features is the bell mounted at the rear of the vehicle. This was unique to Czech-produced T-34s and SD-100s, and cannot be found on tanks from other countries.
The method of operation was as follows: when a squad leader, platoon leader, or any other man pressed the bell, a ‘beep’ was transmitted to the tank commander’s helmet. The commander would then open the hatch and communicate directly with the infantry outside.
In a way, it was a rather primitive method. However, since it was never installed on later armored vehicles or tanks, it was abandoned as it proved to be of little practical use.
The American M4 Sherman and M47/48 Patton featured rear-mounted telephones for direct communication between infantry and the tank commander.
