Hey boys,
Building a late war T-34 (86?). Wondering about if the Russians used zimmerit. Never seen a photo, or model with it applied. Was it ever used?

- Ziggy

AFAIK never.

The Russians simplified their tank manufacture as much as possible. In their eyes it would have been a complete waste of time.

Here's an interesting idea though, what about a captured T-34 that has had it applied by the Germans? Some zimmertit was applied in the field I beleive so it is possible. Or it could be a tank sent back to german factories for re-conditioning.
very implausible but not impossible!

I think thats the only way you'd ever see a Russian tank with zimmerit.

Cheers,

James

P.S. do you mean T-34/76 or T-34/85? I dont think there was a T-34/86

Didn't they weld no a wire mesh over the hull to act as a field fix for the problem. I'm no expert but I thought I've seen a chiken wire type of thing welded on the areas a mag. mine would be placed.

Yes indeeed they did use a type of mesh, know commonly as Bedsprings.

See Ron Goins (how does he find the time to do all these, and so well, every time)
build https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/1458

We have the kit by Dragon

http://www.dragon-models.com/html/6266poster.htm

Alan

That is so frickin' cool... Thats what im doing, so, i will post pics in a couple weeks....

-ziggy

The 'bedspring' armour was a russian version of shurzen (think late panzer IV) to protect from hollow-charge (panzerfaust) weapons.
It is not a form of zimmerit.
Zimmerit was designed to stop magnetic mines from being placed directly on the hull. (you could still place a magnetic mine behind the bedspring armour for instance).

James

the bedspring armor was used to predetonate panzerchrecks (sp) and panzerfausts (sp). zimmerit was used against magnetic mines and grenades... the germans developed and employed it, yet they were the only ones with magnetic mines and grendades!

the bedspring armor is similar to the stuff our guys are using in iraq against RPGs and AT4s. it is hoped that the warhead detonates upon contact with the mesh screen causing less damage than if, say, it made hull contact. the soviets had the right idea when they started using the stuff. it is quite effective.


-Mike

Hi

I don't think Ziggy 1 is to worried about absolutes, although you are entirely correct in your definitions of what the bedspring attachments were used against.

I was going on the idea that mesh was attached to T34's and remembered the bedsprings stuff rather than what they were used for.

As a follow on to the mention of mesh , I doubt if wire mesh directly on the hull would have served much purpose in stopping magnetic mines, it would have been metal after all, rather than the Zimmerit which was a compound. I'd say it was there for another purpose such as attaching camo foliage or maybe extra grip for the tank riders the Russians used to great effect, getting on and off.

I think he (Ziggy1) just wanted to add a different look and by the sounds of his post he's found what he wants to do.

Alan

No, Zimmerit was a product of the Zimmer Paint and Chemical Company in Berlin, and the Russians had no equivalent product. In any case, while the Germans issued magnetic mines to engineers, the development of the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck meant that hollow charge warheads could be delivered from a safe distance, and troops didn't have to use virtually suicidal tactics to attach a mine directly to a manned enemy tank.
The Japanese (who had no problem with suicidal tactics) made some use of magnetic mines in the Pacific, but US tankers defeated these by applying oak planks to the exteriors of their tanks.
However, the British captured over 100 tons of Zimmerit at the end of the war and did some experiments with it in the postwar period, applying it to several vehicles (Henschel's chief engineer found their fascination with it amusing). They even found a way to thin it sufficiently that it could be sprayed on. However, there was no follow up, as nobody was using magnetic mines, anymore.