The Country With 200 WWII-Era Tanks
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- Опубликовано: 18 апр 2023
- Can you guess which Asian nation still has over 200 WWII-era tanks in service?
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA, is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
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Sources:
www.warhistoryonline.com/feat...
www.thevintagenews.com/2016/0...
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; KCK66; Tyg728
Sources:
- 'T-34-85 in Democratic People's Republic of Korea Service' by Arturo Guisti, Tank Encyclopaedia, 2021
- 'Tanks of North Korea', Wikipedia
North Korea is the pinnacle of creative anachronism: 21st-century ICBMs, WW2 era tanks, Bronze Age agriculture, and a leader who looks like he just crawled up on land from the primordial sea.
Hey, please do not insult the Dear Comrade...
@@Trek001you mean Dear Leader?
😂 What a funny way to express the state of NK!
Such a great statement
19th century economic ideas.
Been inside a North Korean T-34 a few years ago - after assuring the offical guides that I was not an American spy - surprisingly well maintained inside and quite comfortable with a primitive version of the British BV installed on some of the later T-34 versions. Sitting on the outside of a North Korean tank pelting it down the main road has to be amongst the most bizarre moments of my life so far
YOU are a better Person than me. I live in Atlanta GA, USA, over 18,000 KM’s away, and I STILL think I’m too close to North Korea.
@@vblake530530 emasculated fruit basket you are
@@vblake530530 don't be so worried about North Korea and its army and look at the kids in your town. They and their careless parents make easy for them to take a gun and kill other people at the school, the mall or anywhere else.
Believe me, it's easier to get shot by another US citizen than by a North Korean soldier.
But are you really not an American spy ? ?
mannn i wanna do that
North Korea is the world's largest military museum.
I remember about 15 years ago, you could buy a T-34 for about 10k. There are so many of them, it is an inexpensive way to arm a small group of fighters.
No way. Not even close. They were usually quite more $$$ than T-55 / 54. Maybe you mixed your tank types.
I saw quotes of 150k for one and many places banned their sale - so price can only go up - maybe 250k now.
@@tomk3732 He's making fun of the Mosin Nagat enthusiasts lol
No I remember when I was a kid I saw decommissioned Sherman's for 20gs online in Texas so I can see it
An rpg costs way less though.
inexpensive way to get blown up you mean
If I had to chose between being backed up by nothing, or being backed up by T-34s, I’ll ride that dinosaur🦖
Wouldnt ride it if I were you, infantry fire support sure, better that than nothing but riding it would get you killed if spotted
Fair enough lol. South Korea does have T-80s(!) they use for OPFOR training though.
At some point it’s too much of a liability aka death trap like being backed by horses or WW1 Tanks but hey guess it hurts to try but isn’t the worst option
Yup. Still requires heavy weapons to take out, still death to most vehicles and infantry. Still can obliterate structures. That's really the thing. You still need an anti-tank capable weapon to take one out. And at that point you're still dealing with a weapon that can kill a modern tank so it doesn't hugely matter; any armored vehicle hit by that is going to die.
@@Channel-23s See my reply. Still way better than nothing. Their vulnerability to modern heavy weapons doesn't diminish their threat value against anything other than modern tank-grade armor.
It's interesting to see T 34 85 in great condition. The only times I've seen T 34s look so good is in private collections and top of the line war museums
You also see them in numbers during Russian military parades(they aren’t in service in Russia, but it’s tradition to drive T34s through the red square for military parades. Especially in the Victory Day parade).
@@tetraxis3011 You're right but even the Russian T 34s aren't in this kinda condition. Those NK T 34s look practically new
It’s easy when you have slave labor to maintain them every day
Remember, "That any tank is better than no tank", the Chieftain.
Mark Felton saying "interweb" was very unexpectedly funny
Tall blonde white aliens exist. I'm very sincere about that.
I was going to joke that they still use biplanes in military service. Then Mark has a video showing an Antonov AN2 biplane still in service. I wouldn't be surprised now if some of their infantry use bow and arrows.
Due to shortages of ammo, many NK "soldiers" are only trained to use bayonets. Bows and arrows would be an upgrade.
I am german, Brittas boyfriend. In a ( not to thrustworty) german military magazine, i read, russian armed forces collect all in Russia still existing Antonov biplanes, to ( my english is limited) betray somehow modern Radar systems. Of course, i can' t say, if this is true.
Those AN2s are actually pretty useful, however primitive they seem to be.
Wait till you hear about soldiers who still use knives. Lmao, so primitive!
Fr
I think the most interesting thing about the T34 is its iconic design, a perfect meld of both form and functionality. Amazingly it still looks "modern" today in a way that most of its contemporaries don't. Compare it to the Char B, the Valentine, even the Sherman.
I feel like it also surpasses the Tiger I in this regard. The sloped armor really gives it a more modern look compared to the flat box that the Tiger was. But the most future looking tank had to be the Centurian Mark 1. Although it was sent to Germany in WW2, it didn't see battle.
@Dwigit Shroom- Assistant YT CEO Agreed. I left out the Centurion since it was, as you say, too late for WW2. The T34 was certainly an influence on the Panther while the Tigers were a continuation of the "blocky" German designs.
Actually... the T-34 got knocked out in huge numbers by the Germans in the 40's because the T34 lacked functionality in terms of ergonomics, communication and poor manufacturing (when you just need numbers on the frontlines and you don't expect them to live long, quality control is not the highest priority).
The T-34-85 solved some issues by having a bigger turret and more crew, reducing the workload on the commander.
What certainly is not modern are the sloped sides. Not enough armor for protection, but the sloping comes at a huge cost of internal space. It's very backward. By contrast, the Sherman doesn't have that issue. Note that there have been huge modernization programs for the M4's and those included bigger and better guns.
Visually the main difference between the T-34 and M4 is low profile versus high profile. Given how well Soviet tanks perform on a battlefield, let alone against NATO tanks, going low profile might have helped a bit in getting hit _less_ (less being the important word here) ... but all that means is that NATO tanks just have to aim better. Look at all the tech they got just to do that.
A T-34 looks low tech, naively designed and ancient.
@@FrancisFjordCupolaat least it's not the t-28 or bt-7 anymore though.
North Korea rockin' the white walls on their T34-85s 😂
about 2 decades ago vietnam deployed some t-34 to our islands in the spratlys for used as anti-landing mobile artillery
few years ago, they began to break down from the harsh salty, humid & corrosive oceanic conditions, so the turrets are refitted onto concrete pillboxes
edit: the t-34 also has a limited operational range due to its old engine, which isnt a problem anymore on a small island
along with t-34, there were also pt-76 & its chinese copy type 63 amphibious tank, who fared much better than t-34 thanks to being water-tight & purposely designed for maritime operation
They're still also using su-100s as well which essentially is just t-34 hull with a 100mm
Lasting even that long in those conditions is a testament to their durability.
I can see them used as static defense. 76 or 85 mm main gun, can still dish out the damage.
@@davidcox3076 they are mostly t-34-85 btw
Vietnam still use T-34/85 for the defense of few islands
Russia: "We must re-equip and redeploy old tanks to replace our losses."
North Korea: "Amateurs!"
To be fair, for a country were military is an ideology and not really bound by cost-efficiency it makes sense to keep those tanks, they are still self propelled guns with some armor protection after all.
If Ukraine had well kept T-34 they would probably make good use of them now to beef up defensive positions, but it just wouldn't make sense for a normal country to waste money for maintenance and storage during peace times.
I heard the heroic Ukrainians captured 1000's of Russian tanks....
@@daviddoran3673 The Ukrainian farmers did... ;-)
Although, that was more Grand Theft Military...
My point was merely using the Russian situation to draw a comic parallel. You're the one taking it seriously.
@@daviddoran3673 I mean they have been visually confirmed to have captured more than 500 and to have destroyed almost 2k tanks.
Russia: "It is time to re-deploy the T34s!"
Kim: "RE-deploy?"
North Korea could probably make some money with military tourism by letting tourists drive and shoot these old tanks. Or fly those old MiGs. I do hope the Norks upgraded the gearboxes though. T-34's were infamous for being very difficult to shift gears, often requiring the use of a hammer.
Man, that would be so cool.
Yes I've read the clutch required superhuman strength. Also T-34 gear boxes wore out just as fast as the Tiger gearboxes. But the T-34 is a much lighter tank. The gearbox only had a life expectancy of a few hundred kilometers. That was plenty during wartime, many were knocked out before they made it that far. During peacetime it would be a bigger problem.
Russia made some money during the 1990s by letting tourists take rides on their jets. These were the two-seat training versions, of course.
@@scottcharney1091 Also their space capsules.
I just checked. They don't have panzer 3 anymore. And no T-34. They have a Sherman, a T-54, T-55, Cheiftain, Centurian, IFVs, Abbot, APCs, half tracks, humvees, and a 5 ton truck you can drive. As well as a ton of machine guns and flame throwers.
At the end of the day, 85mm high-explosive is still gonna make anyone on the receiving end (be it on foot or in an IFV) have a significant emotional event.
I’m in hospital sence Sunday and won’t be getting home soon, it’s your videos that are keeping me going mark, thanks, liam from the west of Ireland
“I’m **at* **the* hospital **since* Sunday...”
Hope you feel better soon bud.
Please turn up the sound, help some folks learn while they pass the time ,,
@@JesusFriedChrist thank you, but you being a critic of my spelling is not helping me , but if it helps you feel better by picking on a sick man, well, the best of luck to your lonely life
I will have a pint for you *liam* Hope you are well soon mate.
@@Breca cheers Robert
It's impressive how they were able to keep these very old planes and tanks running. My country can't even keep some modern planes flying and other equipment working for a decade.
As mentioned this is low-tech. Less electronics means less chance to break down. See over-engineered WW2 German tanks.
It's much easier to maintain this old equipment to new equipment.
yep, not much to maintain when the thing is 99% steel. Just keep it from rusting is pretty much all you have to do.
Philippines?
@@NickThePilotUSA a certain place in America 🤣🤣
Mark, thank you for correcting all the nonsense and misinformation out there, just one of the many reasons you are one of favorite historians! I just finished reading Operation Swallow for the 2nd time, such a good book! Excellent video, as always!
I thought you were going to talk about Russia's parade tanks. Very informative as always, Dr Felton!
he did, at the start?
Yeah he did lol
Alltid intressant att lyssna på dig. Riktigt bra videos du gör.
It’s like they fully upgraded the tank in tier one and couldn’t access anything else
I have always been impressed with how North Korea keeps antique aircraft and equipment rolling and flying. Pretty crazy they still use them while we look at them in museums
Always some of the best shows out there, love it thank you Mark
T-54, which are being updated for use in Ukraine, dates from 1948. So not much younger that the T-34.
they're light years apart in design and firepower
Do you mean Romanian versions of T-54 /55 are being updated for use in Ukraine?
@@domino051970 Ukraine is using M-55S from Slovenia. Russia has been seen taking T-54Bs and other T-55s out of storage.
Mr Felton, always a pleasure to hear from you Sir. 🇬🇧 📚
Remember in the 1970's wars in Africa T-34's were sent with the Cubans to fight. US Generals and intell laughed at them saying a WW II tanks on the battlefield was a joke. First engagement the tanks appeared and the Africans dropped the weapons and ran. They had nothing to stop them until modern anti tank weapons were sent.
lmaoo
They are not a tank by 2023 standards. But an armored vehicle for infantry support. And or mobile artilery.
I would love to drive one of those old tanks. In the Army, I drove the M109A2 howitzer. Later, in the National guard I drove the M2 Bradley. Both had automatic transmissions with a steering yoke, not a wheel.
The T-34/85 still is a very beautiful tank.
IS-2 And Pershing
You have a quality channel Mark, thanks for all that you do! 😎
It's always great to watch and learn from from your programmes
Mr Felton , you do provide a very good and unbiased information
Amazing Job Mark as always keep up the great Videos love them !!!
Quality, nice to see them so well maintained. Good on them. . Thank you doctor Felton. 💛👊👍
Well done, Mark!!
“May kept ready for combat if needed” LMAO! 😂😂
They would be fine for combat against infantry armed with only light weapons.
The North Korean mark 6 *Snorkel, the tank with fur lined turrets and an adjustable draw string waist, available in navy blue and black. £14.99 @ Birkenhead Market weekdays. 👏
Very informative
Those white painted road wheels make an excellent aiming point for a gunner.
At 3:13 the tank appears to be T-34 - 1942 - equipped with 76mm gun.
Now that you mention it, yes I think you're right.
Always enjoyable, Mark!
They're brilliant aren't they, perfect length, quality, content and education. 👍 📚🇬🇧
Nice video
Thanks, Mark.
Comments are very interesting tonight.
The older tanks Russia has in Ukraine are being used as self propelled assault guns, directly supporting infantry, rather than for breakthrough missions. The older tanks have thicker armor than self propelled artillery.
There is another reason. Russia relies heavily on artillery superiority and that requires a lot of ammo. And Russia has millions of shells for t-55, and making use of them is simply cheaper than having tons of that equipment rusting in the warehouses.
I could see them being used as second line weapons, perhaps to move alongside light infantry formations as an assault gun. The gun is old, but its still enough to deal significant damage when used appropriately.
The 85MM is still a nightmare for infantry men. It doesn’t matter much whether it’s 120 MM or a 85 MM 1 HE shell is no joke for infantry.
thanks dr. felton!
Great job.
If all I had was small arms, no anti-tank weapons and no air support, a T-34 would be a major problem. Even an old armored car from World War One would be a problem against lightly armed people or civilians.
The T34 would be great for managing civilians in North Korea.
We Westerners sometimes fail to appreciate the virtues of old equipment. You use what you have to do what you need to do.
Would a T34 handle rioting civilians? Very nicely. A T34 with explosive or fragmentation rounds would be a headache. Its machine guns would cause a lot of harm.
Sensible people are frightened by armor.
Or Israelistan
@@yfelwulf Yeap. Don't tell them that though.... Israelis get touchy when you bring up rock throwing children.
Perfect for oppressing unarmed civilians.
It would pop open like a breeze against Javelins.
love this tank, legendary machine.
Go Dr Feltzie another great one for us to binge on woop woop
Thank you for sharing
🤗🙏🇺🇸🏆
Certain countries in Africa and South America still deploy Sherman's and m3 staurts although they have been upgraded.
Dr Felton, Supreme leader in video makings
Field Marshal of the Interweb.
In a nuclear war even British army would wish they had working Mark-1s.
The title is wrong......should say "The Country still using 200 WWII era tanks"..............Great content Mark, Thanks
cuz russia and america got more ww2 era tanks that they dont use
@@justacat2 Yah.....no insult here just proof that old the old guns still have a use......
I can see them being used in an Artillery role against fixed positions or convoys.
To be fair the T-34 can survive just as many Javelin or NLAW direct hits as a T-72 or T-90 tank.
And drones.
Without blowing its turret in the air, no autoloader.
The javelin would cost more than the tank
Javelin cost 10 time these tanks. But do you think that the javelins are everywhere during a war?
@@alerossi8564 They're not everywhere, but here is a wonderful business opportunity for someone who could make a cheaper anti-tank weapon. It doesn't have to make the turret fly high up in the air, it only has to make the guns incapable of being fired.
Also, I wonder how we should account for the costs. Should the cost of the Javelin (or a cheaper NLAW) be weighed only against the cost of the tank itself, or may we add in the cost of the damage the tank might do?
And, I think we can continue to produce Javelins and NLAWs, but can Russia still make these sorts of tanks?
Wow!
Thank you!
Fact; Mongolia still has oldest third generation tanks, like t-72, t-55
No joke, the amount military hardware and software has developed since the T34 got designed is so immense, if there was an imaginary fight between 10 Apaches and 200 T34's, I'd take the Apaches any day of the week. Imagine what a SABOT round from an M1A2 would do to one 💀💀💀
Even the North Koreans aren't stupid enough to think they'd stand a chance against modern weaponry. They could still be effective in patrols behind their own lines. I saw someone else say they'd be used to counterattack raids by paratroopers on their airbases and stuff like that. In that role they could still be very effective.
Not a very good comparison. 200 t34s are still tanks. You could defeat an m1a2 with the 85mm as well
@@matthorrocks6517 Nope. The Abrams would kill a T-34 with every shot it took. Being faster, it would maintain distance. That 85mm sewer pipe would never even get in firing range. The Abrams would kill T-34s until it ran out of ammunition. Then it would leave.
A smoking hole in the ground would be about all that would be left.
When you really think about it a tank is still strong against infantry.
Not with modern ATGMs it ain’t
@@steveosborne2297 Its all about cost effective warfare, If the Weapon used was more expensive than the target, it would be better to use other cheaper alternative.
@@jameshailerthepostmaster4389 They’re also extremely vulnerable to the much cheaper RPG 7
@@steveosborne2297 That's why it is better to use cheaper weapons against the T-34 and all of its variants
Only if the tank has the ability to detect the enemy to keep the enemy far away from itself and has the ability to defeat the most common and cheapest threats amongst the enemy’s infantry.
Otherwise, what you’ve got is a mobile artillery piece at best.
Tanks a lot NK
:28 seconds in, I believe those are T-54/55's. The turret is facing the rear of the vehicle, but the muzzle breaks are a give away.
Next week:
North Koreas medival-aged Trebuchets still in service
Were those CRAGER RIMS on those tanks??
1:47 that gun sure moves around a lot
Marc Felton has his act down..his channel is awesome 👍
Mark is getting us prepared for the Second Korean War, coming Soon™
Technically the first one never ended.
@@scockery Technically WW2 never ended.
Technically it's open season on pedants
@@dziban303 I LOLed pedantically.
No tank is outdated when it pulls up to a battle where there are no other tanks.
There`s these things called NLAWs...Ukraine can teach you about them.
Infantry weapons evolved so much these are just rolling coffins ⚰️
The good part about waking up this morning was knowing that Master Kim Jong Un didn't kill me in my sleep.
Excellent
The fact that we get free videos on RUclips by Mark Felton is truly a gift. 👏👏👏
I have read that after the fall of Yugoslavia in Balkans in the 90's some T-34's were used in combat.
Along with M36 tank destroyers.
They were also used in the Yemen and Syria....
I've got an old French RAIDS magazine from 1992 that has an article about a Bosnian Army unit using Pakistan supplied ATGW against Bosnian Serb Army M84s and T-34s.
Imagin a modernisation with thermal imaging, stabiliser and powerful engine and tons of ERA
I heard Intraweb up front. Intraweb vs intranet??
My father (decorated for valor) fought them back then and we are still fighting with them now. At 93, he still believes that too many lost their lives for such a lost cause.
Fighting with them now where?
My grandfather, also decorated for valor (bronze star), fought with the 555th FA attached to the 5th RCT. He would have been 93 this year as well. We unfortunately lost him 5 years ago and he rarely wanted to talk about combat. Do you know anything about your dad's service in Korea?
I mean I wouldn't call the Korean war a lost cause. Vietnam and Afghanistan? Sure. But Korea? No.
My grandad was there and is 93 too. He did recon as a ranger and defended outpost Harry.
Ehh better to back the south then to live under a dictator for the Koreans it’s for a great cause for freedom and liberty and them threatening to Nuke America if he means them ready to fight then that’s a matter of them not giving up and something that’s a given freedom has a price.
I wonder if North Korea still possesses SU-100s and IS-2s as well?
I doubt they had enough of those by the end of the Korean war to make it worth setting up production lines for spare parts.
They still have SU-100s. But they never possessed heavy tanks, and the Chinese were the only Asian Communist regime to possess IS-2s (which were eventually returned to the USSR).
According to Wikipedia at least, they've still got 100 SU-100s in service.
@0:30: contrary to their labeling as T-62 tanks, these are T-54/55s with the turrets rotated to the rear.
Brilliant
As much as I want to berate NK, I gotta admit, their skills in preserving these relics are remarkable
Why berate them?
The US has invaded over 40 countries since ww2, how many have NK invaded?
When NK fires its missiles, they land in the water, when the US fires missiles, they land on innocent people.
Berate them for what? Lmao
I have heard the KPA intend to use their T-34-85 units to counterattack airbases in case of paratrooper attack or airlift infantry.
If that the case, it certainly effective in that role. Although paras certainly equipped with AT weapons, but tank like this will create psychological effect for attackers for sure
@@kidpagronprimsank05 They'd probably run out of AT weaponry before the North Koreans would run out of T34s. As ancient as the T34 is, it's still more than capable of ruining your day if you don't have the equipment to take it on.
@@kidpagronprimsank05 Local farmers (who are trained militia and often ex-regular professionals) are expected to pick up rifles and provide infantry support for them. This is in specific response to Gen Eric Shinseki's Stryker Brigade Combat Teams in case Stryker Brigades get airlifted into N Korean airbases and take them over, particularly if supported by paratroopers.
Freakin 80 yr old tanks...crazy.
Mark Felton! 🏰
Idk running into a t34 could still be terrifying as a infantry soldier. A tank is a tank after all! But if I was a American tanker looking at one through my optic i would feel sorry for the poor bastards I’m about to send to the afterlife!
Dr. Felton is the man!
What we're not seeing in those old T34 tanks in the parade are the 20 guys inside. Who are actually doing a Flintstones version of driving it by pedaling it along with their feet .
In all seriousness though, even an old tank like this when properly maintained is better than no tank at all if you are an infantryman out in the field.
Maybe as a mobile artillery piece. But not as a tank. The enemy’s defenses will have anti-armor options and if you can’t defeat the cheapest enemy anti-armor weapons, you may as well attack on foot.
Never change your intro music sir
Hello, great stories you share! I have a request…
Could you cover the battle(friendly fire) between France vs Great Britain and USA battle in Algeria during WW2. I tried to find information here on YT but very limited
Thank you!
1:46 Did anyone else notice how light/bouncy the armata-style tank barrels are? If there was a decent amount of weight to the barrel (in other words actually functional and not a facade): it wouldn't loosely wobble while the tank drives on flat asphalt, unlike the old T-34 barrels which don't wobble at all while in motion.
I thought that as well, they look far too light and shake around as though made of bamboo!
Yea, they almost seem to be made of cardboard 😂
@@benjimain6 Good tank for a paper tiger army.
@@scockery yea, haha
T-34-85 the coolest tank of WWII !
4:46: the tank is identified as a T34/76 but appears to have the T34/85 turret? The still photo at 3:12 does appear to show a T34/76 - the even older variant of the tank with a smaller turret and lighter weapon!
Today, a high-explosive projectile of 85 millimeters explodes as well as 70 years ago.
If today the t34-85, t54, t62 are used as artillery, then they are quite good machines, even without modernization.
Thing is, with a tank , they can’t be everywhere at once, and if you’re infantry facing a tank without ATGMs you’ll most likely have a very emotional experience. Older tank are very useful for airfield defence.
Or as Self Propelled Guns
Actually you are the first person I've heard bring up a rumor that Russia might be using T-34's in Ukraine. Until this video the oldest I'd heard about was T-54/55's.
1:45 - I’d like to know more about that ‘Armata-type’ tank.
Google NK 'M2020', not much known
@@frostedbutts4340 - Thanks for your help Alex. 👍
85 mm gun with improved optics and new type of ammo is still competetive, not versus main battle tanks but vs light armored vehicles
This is perfectly said.
Impressive
The DPRK does have some ancient WW2 tanks in service but the vast majority of their tanks are Chonma Ho T-62 related derivatives of various capability levels.
Mark has definitely been lurking on NCD. great vid 👌