T-43

T-43 (Stock)

Totals

1355000 Price

1000 Hit Points

33.05 / 34 kgWeight

Crew

1. Commander

Armor

75/75/75Hull Armor(front/sides/rear, mm)

80/80/60Turret Armor(front/sides/rear, mm)

Maneuver

520 h.p.Engine Power

51 km/hSpeed Limit

36 deg/secTraverse Speed

Firepower

160 Standard Shell Damage

126 mmStandard Shell Penetration

5 Time for Complete Loading

48 deg/secTurret Traverse Speed

Communication

360 mView Range

325 mSignal Range

T-34-85KV-13

T-43

T-44

VII

1355000

Designed as a replacement for the T-34 in the spring of 1942. The T-43 was recommended for service, but never entered mass production.

Designed to replace the T-34, and actually historically predating the T-34-85, the T-43 features increased hull armor and a new torsion bar suspension replacing the T-34's Christie suspension, but retains the same weapons as the T-34-85 and has similar turret protection. As a Tier 7 medium tank, the T-43 is expected to face Tier 9 tanks using the same gun that the T-34-85 had at Tier 6, which can be frustrating at times, to say the least.

• T-43-85
• T-43 M1943
• T-43-122
• T-43M
• T-43/44
• T-43-85

T-43-85

Stock

T-43 M1943 T-43-122

	Level	Turret	Weight (t)	Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm)	Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s)	View Range (m)
	VI	T-43 mod. 1942	7000	80/80/60	48	360

	Level	Gun	Weight (t)	Average Penetration (mm)		Rate of Fire	Dispersion at 100 m	Aiming Time
	VI	85 mm ZiS S-53	1550	126/167/43	160/160/280	12	0.42	2.9

	Level	Engine	Weight (t)	Engine Power (h.p.)	Chance of Fire on Impact
	VI	V-2-34M	750	520	15

	Level	Suspension	Weight (t)	Load Limit	Traverse Speed (deg/s)
	VI	T-43	6400	34	36

	Level	Radio	Weight (t)	Signal Range (m)
	IV	9R	0	325

T-43 M1943

Health

T-43M T-43-85

	Level	Turret	Weight (t)	Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm)	Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s)	View Range (m)
	VII	T-43 mod. 1943	8400	90/90/90	46	370

	Level	Gun	Weight (t)	Average Penetration (mm)		Rate of Fire	Dispersion at 100 m	Aiming Time
	VI	85 mm ZiS S-53	1550	126/167/43	160/160/280	12.5	0.42	2.3

	Level	Engine	Weight (t)	Engine Power (h.p.)	Chance of Fire on Impact
	VI	V-2-34M	750	520	15

	Level	Suspension	Weight (t)	Load Limit	Traverse Speed (deg/s)
	VII	T-43 mod. 1943	6400	37.3	38

	Level	Radio	Weight (t)	Signal Range (m)
	VIII	9RM	0	525

T-43-122

Attack

	Level	Turret	Weight (t)	Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm)	Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s)	View Range (m)
	VII	T-43 mod. 1943	8400	90/90/90	46	370

	Level	Gun	Weight (t)	Average Penetration (mm)		Rate of Fire	Dispersion at 100 m	Aiming Time
	V	122 mm U-11	1600	61/140/43	450/370/280	5.36	0.57	2.9

	Level	Engine	Weight (t)	Engine Power (h.p.)	Chance of Fire on Impact
	VIII	V-2-44	750	560	12

	Level	Suspension	Weight (t)	Load Limit	Traverse Speed (deg/s)
	VII	T-43 mod. 1943	6400	37.3	38

	Level	Radio	Weight (t)	Signal Range (m)
	VIII	9RM	0	525

T-43M

Speed

T-43/44 T-44

	Level	Turret	Weight (t)	Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm)	Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s)	View Range (m)
	VII	T-43 mod. 1943	8400	90/90/90	46	370

	Level	Gun	Weight (t)	Average Penetration (mm)		Rate of Fire	Dispersion at 100 m	Aiming Time
	VII	85 mm D5T-85BM	1850	144/194/44	180/180/300	11.11	0.37	2.3

	Level	Engine	Weight (t)	Engine Power (h.p.)	Chance of Fire on Impact
	VIII	V-2-44	750	560	12

	Level	Suspension	Weight (t)	Load Limit	Traverse Speed (deg/s)
	VII	T-43 mod. 1943	6400	37.3	38

	Level	Radio	Weight (t)	Signal Range (m)
	VIII	9RM	0	525

T-43/44

Speed

	Level	Turret	Weight (t)	Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm)	Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s)	View Range (m)
	VII	T-43 mod. 1943	8400	90/90/90	46	370

	Level	Gun	Weight (t)	Average Penetration (mm)		Rate of Fire	Dispersion at 100 m	Aiming Time
	VII	85 mm D5T-85BM	1850	144/194/44	180/180/300	11.11	0.37	2.3

	Level	Engine	Weight (t)	Engine Power (h.p.)	Chance of Fire on Impact
	VIII	V-54K	750	600	12

	Level	Suspension	Weight (t)	Load Limit	Traverse Speed (deg/s)
	VII	T-43 mod. 1943	6400	37.3	38

	Level	Radio	Weight (t)	Signal Range (m)
	VIII	9RM	0	525

T-43-85

Attack

T-44

	Level	Turret	Weight (t)	Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm)	Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s)	View Range (m)
	VII	T-43 mod. 1943	8400	90/90/90	46	370

	Level	Gun	Weight (t)	Average Penetration (mm)		Rate of Fire	Dispersion at 100 m	Aiming Time
	VII	85 mm D5T-85BM	1850	144/194/44	180/180/300	11.11	0.37	2.3

	Level	Engine	Weight (t)	Engine Power (h.p.)	Chance of Fire on Impact
	VI	V-2-34M	750	520	15

	Level	Suspension	Weight (t)	Load Limit	Traverse Speed (deg/s)
	VII	T-43 mod. 1943	6400	37.3	38

	Level	Radio	Weight (t)	Signal Range (m)
	VIII	9RM	0	525

Compatible Equipment

Compatible Consumables

Player Opinion

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Excellent DPM.
• Good top speed and maneuverability.
• Good gun depression and elevation for a Soviet tank.
• Well sloped, and armored top turret
• Sloped armor, can offer lucky bounces with angle

Cons:

• Rather weak armor on all sides.
• Disappointing top gun, lowest penetration for a medium of its tier.
• Disappointing stock grind after the T-34-85.
• Very exposed fuel tank and can easily catch fire from the front

Performance

The T-43 plays the same as the T-34-85, and is generally considered the mid runner of the Tier 7 medium tanks, much like how the T-34-85 was also the mid runner among the Tier 6 medium tanks. It generally does not have any particularly outstanding features, but will perform most roles competently, if unremarkably.

Armament-wise, the T-43 retains the same guns as the T-34-85, but most disappointing is that the T-43 cannot mount the top gun, the 85 mm D5T-85BM, right from the start. Though once mounted, it has a higher rate-of-fire on the T-43 than on the T-34-85. It has good damage-per-minute for a Tier 7 medium tank gun, inferior only to the Comet's OQF 77 mm Gun. Like the Comet, however, this is countered by the gun's fairly low penetration, which means that outside of Tier 7 matches the T-43 will have trouble penetrating nearly all tanks from the front, and many from the sides.

Mobility-wise, the T-43 is fairly decent, but unremarkable. Being heavier than the T-34-85 while using the same engine, it has a lower power-to-weight ratio, and hence accelerates more sluggishly. Having said that, the top speed is fairly decent, and it will have no problems relocating to other flanks as needed. Maneuverability is, though not outstanding, good enough for a medium that is primarily a flanker.

The T-43 does have better hull armor than the T-34-85, but must now face Tier 8 and 9 tanks on a regular basis, so it is not actually that much of an improvement. It is useful against lower tier tanks, and angling will yield some lucky ricochets, but the armor should generally not be relied upon to protect it beyond its well sloped turret. The module layout, combined with the generally more powerful guns that the T-43 faces regularly, means that even if it can survive the hits, it risks being crippled with modules or crew members knocked out.

With all this in mind, the T-43 generally performs best as a second-line support tank or flanking medium. It simply does not have the penetration and accuracy of the Pz.Kpfw. V Panther to perform as a sniper, nor does it have the armor or agility to engage in close combat with enemy tanks without taking heavy damage and/or crippled modules. Picking your targets wisely should be a primary goal. As the tanks great DPM, great alpha (for a DPM oriented cannon), strong turret armor and sloped armor can give weaker tanks a tough time. Exploiting weaker enemies will also allow your team to take on tougher targets.

Specific mention should be made about the T-43's fuel tank, which is placed right next to the driver to his left. Hits to the front can damage the fuel tank, and if destroyed, the fuel tank will cause the T-43 to catch fire. It is very important to be mindful of this. There is also an ammo rack on the hull floor and on the rear right side of the second turret.

Crew Skills

• Due to the fact that the T-43 takes a lot of module damage, going ll Camouflage as the first skills is helpful to reduce the chances of being detected and getting hit in the first place. As with most medium tanks, going all Repair for the first skills is also viable.
• A more specialized set of first skills would be Situational Awareness (Commander), Snap Shot (Gunner), and Smooth Ride (Driver). The loader only has perks available, which are not useful until they have reached 100%, Repair or Camouflage are viable options for the loader, which may later be swapped out for his perks. The combination of Snap Shot and Smooth Ride act like a Vertical Stabilizer (which the T-43 does not have access to), reducing the accuracy penalties while moving in a straight line or turning the turret, and by extension, allowing the T-43 to get an accurate shot off faster after stopping. Situational Awareness increase the tank's decent 360 m view range further. Mentor may also be used instead of Situational Awareness if the emphasis is on getting the other crew members' skills up faster. Smooth Ride may be substituted with Off-Road Driving for improved overall mobility. Clutch Braking also a viable option for the driver.
• Upon reaching 100% on the first skills, dropping the commander's skill for Sixth Sense is highly advised, as it is one of the most important perks in the game, especially for a medium tank. The loader's skill is highly advised to be dropped in favor of Safe Stowage, due to the T-43's highly vulnerable ammunition racks.
• Brothers-in-Arms is a good perk to have on any tank, but requires all crew members to have it at 100% before it works. The bonus to crew skills is particularly noticeable when combined with Improved Ventilation. It improves nearly every aspect of the tank's performance, but is generally better saved for later in favor of more important skills and perks like Repair, Safe Stowage, and Sixth Sense.

Early Research

If coming from the T-34-85

• Most of the modules will have been unlocked on the T-34-85, including the top gun (the D5T-85BM) and engine (the V-54K), but mounting the gun requires second turret, which in turn requires the upgraded suspension, so the top priority is to unlock the T-43M suspension. The suspension also has better terrain passability which makes you accelerate much faster.
• Next, research the T-43 mod. 1943 turret in order to mount the D5T-85BM.
• It may be a good idea to use the enhanced suspension equipment first, thus allowing the top turret and gun to be mounted sooner.
• The V-2-44 is automatically unlocked when the T-44 is researched and can be ignored.

If coming from the KV-13,

• First, research the T-43M suspension.
• Second, research the T-43 mod. 1943 turret.
• Next, research the V-2-44 engine.
• Followed by the V-54K engine.

Note: It is possible to skip the engine upgrades in favor of simply moving on to the T-44, although this is not advised.

Historical Info

In 1942 the Soviet intelligence had information of the new German tanks Panther V and Tiger VI, and this resulted in a need of a new Russian tank to even the score in fire power and protection. At first it was planned to up-armour the T34 m/43, but instead a larger turret was put to the same chassis that was altered inside.

Two prototypes were built, known as T43 and they had a commander's cupola on top. At the beginning of 1943 they were tested and turned out to be just a little better in combat than T34. The decision was taken to start production, but after the battle of Kursk a few months later the it was obvious that a brand new heavy tank model was needed instead (it was to be IS-1) and thus the T43 project came to a close.

By the middle of the war it had become clear that the Red Army needed a new medium tank. The military demanded a tank with both maximum protection and minimum weight. These demands were implemented and the new medium tank project was completed by June 1943 under the name of T-43.

Development

The T-43 had a configuration like the T-34 Medium Tank; its glacis consisted of 75 mm of armor and its turret-front was 90 mm. The tank was armed with the 76.2 mm F-34 Tank Gun. However, the total length of the engine and transmission compartment was not reduced; therefore, the battle compartment remained very cramped. To increase internal space, Soviet designers applied a torsion bar suspension that was more compact then the original Christie «candle» suspension. It was the first time that a torsion bar suspension was used for medium tanks.

Beginning in March 1943, two T-43 prototypes (preceded by vehicle T-43-1, which was built at the end of 1942. It possessed a driver's vision hatch and had the commander's cupola displaced to the rear of the turret.) underwent trials. These included combat trials with the NKSM Independent Tank Company. These showed that the T-43, because of its increased 34.1 ton weight, was marginally inferior to the T-34 in its ability to maneuver (maximum speed was decreased to 48 km/h). It did, however, significantly surpass the latter in smoothness of ride. The replacement of the eight side fuel tanks (on the T-34) for a smaller capacity fuel tank in the bow resulted in almost a 100km decrease in the radius of action. Tank crews praised the crew compartment and greater ease in operating the armament. After trials, the T-43 tank was recommended for acceptance by the Red Army at the end of the summer of 1943, but the results of the Battle of Kursk significantly altered this plan.

The armor protection was superior, compared to the T-34, while its armament was similar to the KV-1S Heavy Tank. However, the T-43 had a ground pressure similar to heavy tanks that adversely affected its range and maneuverability. Even worse was its extreme construction: it didn't allow further modernization. As a result, when production T-34's were rearmed with the 85 mm gun, the T-43 became obsolete. However, experience with the T-43 was not lost. The T-43's tests (3,000 km race) had clearly proved the superiority of the torsion bar suspension over the Christie's.

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Sources and External Links

Sources

https://english.battlefield.ru/t-43.html https://www.nemo.nu/ibisportal/5pansar/5sidor/t43.htm

External Links

https://www.battlefield.ru/en/tank-development/32-experimental-vehicles/94-t43.html

USSR

Medium Tanks

ja:XBOX:T-43