"The Soviet T-74 [yes, 74]" Topic

It's a 72.

In the early eighties every time a new photograph came out of a T72 with a different feature, like a modification to the arour or stowage boxes, there was a major panic about a new vehicle and some rupert would try and give it a new designation.

It was like the difference between a chevrolet and a Pontiac.
Built at the same plant with the same chassis, engine, drive train and body. They differed only in decals and perhaps options like a bench seat in the chevy and a split seat in the pontiac.

If you Google 'Soviet T-74,' you'll find a number of
images of a vehicle ID'd as a T-74. You won't find a
Wiki article, as you will for the T-72.

Seems to be an EXPORT version of the T-72, but I wouldn't
swear to that.

T-72M1

Hello, Queen Catherine!
There was a only T-74 tank project (based on T-64A). But it's not even proven to the veneer layout (and, of course, it was not produced and was not supplied).

And the photo above is T-72A.

Hello, Queen Catherine!

In short, the T-74 tank was really being developed (the Kharkov Design Bureau in the early 1970s, as far as I remember), but:
1) it should look completely different (more like the T-64A about the move, and a completely different tower);
2) all the work about him was completed at the time when he was only on the drawings;
3) it was never produced. It's just "paper tank"
Here's the real T-74:
link

The fact that the GHQ calls the T-74, in fact, the T-72A (the location of smoke mortars, the frontal armored sheet, as you can see, is not strengthened, the location of the pipe of underwater driving equipment, etc.). GHQ is probably mistaken (well, or a typo).

I was under the impression that in the early days the "T-72" as recognized by NATO was a T-72 "Ural" & the T-74 was the T-72A.

Damon.

This was also known to the Intel wienies as the Dolly Parton variant of theT72 due to the extra frontal turret armor.

It was mistakenly thought to be an entirely new tank and not just a variant of the existing T72, hence the T74 designation.

The T74 that GHQ produced could also be what I call the T72-1976… There were two models that were produced. They were T72 hulls with turrets featuring "corundum" armor much like the T64. One model had a laser rangefinder. The other kept the SC range finder. Zaloga has several photos of these tanks that he published. I have also had direct confirmation from Soviet sources of their existence. The were evidently small test production runs.

They were abandoned for production of the T72A… which had an improved hull and a Turret with cheaper "sandbar" armor.

Please note that their are lots of odd versions of Soviet tanks. I have also IDed a T64 version that features the original T64 hull with a T64A turret… evidently an upgrade. Again, some of Zaloga's old publications have pictures.

Joe Collins

Yeah, GHQ's T-74 is some sort of T-72, probably based on some now out-dated NATO designation; what the Soviets considered a T-74 was a design concept.

YEs, as troopwo noted above, what was called the T-74 was in fact a T-72 variant that the west freaked out about in the 80s. It was a western designation. I still have old books that refer to it, though once NATO actually figured out what it was, those references were dropped.

I just wish GHQ would change the name of their pack, it messed me up for ages. I think I put it in my pile for the East Germans in the end.

Is anyone going to make a model of the actual T74 Usman linked? That's an interesting turret design!

This group of responders seems to be a fairly knowledgeable group so I will put forth this question. Since I'm getting close to completion to my WW2 to Present miniature wargame rules this would be invaluable! I hope to publish what will be an awesome, yet authentic set of rules by the end of 2018. I need to find armor thicknesses and A-T tank gun ballistics data on post-war/cold war armor starting with upgraded T-55's, T-64's, all major T-72/80 variants, as well as US M60A1/A3, M-1 thru M1-A2 variants and Leopard I and II variants. This is a tall order, but any good sources or leads for what is "believed" to be the "most accurate" info would be much appreciated.

A good source of comprehensive ballistic test and data points for the above tanks is super-critical for application to my game. There's tons of info on armor thicknesses, penetrations at progressive ranges per A-T round types for WW2, and I have the best sources for that currently available, but due to the classified nature of modern equipment comprehensive, and good estimated data is scarce. But, I know there are many Game authors out here in TMP that get their data from somewhere and I'm sure it's out there – somebody out there knows something better than the next guy?!? I hoping to find those people that can also communicate that to me. Anyone with the "holy grail" of good source information will deserve a major credit billing in my published ruleset when it is completed, and I'm serious about that. Thanks

Kindest Regards to all respondees,
Tibor

T-72, T-64 and T-80 use the same projectiles.
Armor penetration of shells for them, 2000 m, in millimeters:
3VBM-3 – 290 (In addition, it was exported)
3VBM-6 – 315 (In addition, it was exported)
3VBM-7 – 340
3VBM-8 – 330
3VBM-9 – 430
3VBM-11 – 450
3VBM 10 – 470
3VBM-13 – 560
3VBM-17 – 500

The 9M112M tank guided missile fired through the barrel has an armor penetration somewhere of 600-700 mm (flies to a distance of up to 5 km).