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The T-35 Heavy Tank was a massive five turreted tank developed in Leningrad early in the 1930s, but which was only produced in small numbers, and saw at best limited combat after the German invasion of 1941.
The T-35 was designed by a team led by N. Tsiets at OKMO (the Experimental Design Mechanical Section) at Leningrad, alongside a series of less successful designs.
Two prototypes were built in 1932-33. The first weighed fifty tons, and had five turrets – the main central turret carried a 76.2mm PS-3 gun based on a howitzer. Two of the smaller turrets carried 37mm guns and the other two machine guns. It needed a crew of ten. This was similar to the eventual production version of the tank. This first prototype was considered to be too expensive and unsuitable for mass production.
The second prototype was smaller. It had fewer turrets, a more powerful M-17 engine and needed a crew of seven. It had 35mm/ 1.3in armour at the front and 25mm/ 0.9in armour on the sides, rather thin for a heavy tank. Production of the T-35 was approved on 11 August 1933. It was built at the Kharkov Locomotive Works as the Leningrad works were busy.
The production version reverted to the five turret layout of the first prototype.
The T-35 was a very lengthy vehicle. Its hull was 31ft 10.7in long (compared to 22ft 2in) for the KV-1 Heavy Tank that followed it. It was only 10ft 6in wide, making it three times longer than wide. This was rather longer than the original design, and made it difficult to steer, with the very long tracks being too close together.
The main hull was entirely contained between the long tracks, with a flat top. The fighting compartment was built on top of the forward half of the tank. In the centre was a small superstructure topped with the main turret, armed with a short 76.2mm gun. This was the same turret and gun as on the T-28 medium tank, and had limited anti-tank performance.
The four secondary turrets were mounted in pairs in front and behind the central superstructure. They were asymmetrical. The front right and back left turrets were larger, and carried either 37mm or 45mm guns. The front left and back right turrets were smaller and armed with machine guns. The 45mm gun was designed for the T-26 and BT-5 tanks.
A total of 61 T-35s were built in 1935-39. Most followed the original design but the final batch introduced sloped armour on the turrets. Each T-35 cost the same to build as nine BT tanks, helping to explain the limited numbers.
There is some disagreement on how much the design of the T-35 owed to the British Vickers A1E1 Independent Tank of the 1920s. The general Soviet view was that it was an entirely independent design, owning nothing to the Independent, but the two vehicles do look remarkably similar, with a similar shaped hull, and the same layout of one central turret raised above four secondary turrets. It seems very unlikely that the Soviet designers weren’t at least aware of the Independent, but impossible to tell if there was any direct inspiration.
The T-35 was very difficult to steer. The five turrets were very hard to coordinate if the tank was moving, making it effectively a static bunker with thin armour. However it did look impressive, and was often used in parades in Red Square.
The T-35 served with three battalions of the 5th Separate Heavy Tank Brigade, and spend most of their time around Moscow. Its combat record after the German invasion is uncertain. Some appear to have been used as fixed strongpoints during the battle for Moscow. Others may have been used by the 67th and 68th Tank Regiments of the 34th Tank Division in the Ukraine in the summer of 1941.
Stats
Production:
Hull Length: 31ft 10.7in
Hull Width: 10ft 6in
Height: 11ft 3in
Crew: 11
Weight: 45 tonnes
Engine: 500hp M-17M V-12 petrol engine
Max Speed: 18.6mph (road)
Max Range: 93.2 miles (road)
Armament: One 76.2mm gun, two machine gun turrets, two secondary gun turrets with either 37mm or 45mm gun
Armour: 10-30mm