T-34/85 btu

[Pibwl]

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

Some of this came up in 2012 for Poland from guess who? Not me...
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/archi...p/t-48222.html

You got me

I wasn't researching a subject of dozer tanks until now, so I apparently assumed, that if T-34/76 in dozer variant is available from 1946, then T-34/85 should do as well

However, there are no tank dozers known to be used or developed by the USSR during WWII, so it's improbable, that they emerged in 1946. The first one known by name is BTU, developed apparently for T-54, so it must have been some 1949 at least.

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

However I'm starting to feel the T-34/85 BTU was a "rare bird" and maybe even possibly a "local" modification similar to the SHERMAN tanks equipped with the hedge grow blades in Normandy. This ref. under the engineering units doesn't list the T-35/85 BTU or just BTU. I hope I didn't miss it.
http://www.testofbattle.com/upload/b...TOB%20list.pdf

I guess it was an attempt to provide older tank companies (still used in big numbers) with newest technology, developed for T-54. According to http://saper.isnet.ru/texnica/bty.html, there was one BTU per company. And obviously it was more universal tool, than hedgerow cutters, used mostly for digging tank dugouts. After T-55, there disappeared tank dozers, replaced by special engineer tanks, and by small folding blades fitted eg. to each T-72 underneath its lower front plate.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Don't worry it wasn't a "gotcha", actually it came up in one of about four different google word searches concerning the T-34/85. You would be surprised how often that can happen. I've even found me trying to find more data to support a thread I very recently posted. They however can be very useful if it applies to what your working on, concerning refs. etc. etc.

Besides I wouldn't do that to anyone!?!

Regards,
Pat