This is big news in T-34 world....big news.

was this a real tank option with all this extra armor?

The additional armour really changes the appearance of the T-34; this iteration is quite appealing to a non Allied / T-34 modeller.

Apparently, the spaced armour was an experiment at Factory 112 that didn't enter production, conducted in 1943. I suppose the "E" in T-34E stands for ekhranamy, at least that's what the spaced armour was called on the KV-1.

The test versions appear to have been used in combat (and got taken out) so it did technically see service I suppose. Matt

Nice, thats one variant I'd really like to build. Some reading about knocked out "T-34E''s in combat: http://www.tankarchives.ca/2013/10/up-armoured-t-34s.html

Interesting. I've never seen this before and find that its resemblance to a Panther side-on interesting. Saw combat, did it? Wonder where, etc.