T-34 no better than the M4 Sherman.

Now THAT'S interesting; I didn't know the Russians got Shermans that had been through the Upgrade Program...

 

Are there any records of comments by someone from the Red Army who had experiences with both tanks?

 

From what I have come across the Russians did not have a high opinion of Allied tanks sent to them via lend-lease , their own tanks were generally considered better and they didn't seem to have any problem producing them in quantity.
At best the Sherman , Churchill , Matildas that are ocasionally seen would have complicated their supply chain although keeping Allied supplied tanks in particular units would have stream lined any possible supply issues.
SlipD's question is valid - comments from crews who experienced both would provide a reasonable contrast from the users point of view.
I would think IMO that the T-34 would have had the edge on the Sherman , you have to ask what advantage the Sherman had over the T-34 from the Russian point of view and in view of what has come up so far in the thread I can't see any majoe advantage in the Russian use of the Sherman.

When you consider the range of armour the Russians were producing late war was the Sherman bringing anything new to them , I can't think that it did - they had produced their own range of heavy tanks which did provoke some concerns and admiration from the Allied commanders who saw them in Berlin.
JS , SU152 - did the Sherman compare , the medium sized tank hunters produced by Russia - did the Sherman offer anything new ?
Not running down the Sherman but the Russian tanks were more workmanlike and more suited to the needs of the Red Army - cross country preformance was their any tank which could beat the T-34 ?

 

Actually, I've read a long time ago that they liked the Valentine; there wers Vals in 2nd-line units right up to Berlin in 1945.

Not running down the Sherman but the Russian tanks were more workmanlike and more suited to the needs of the Red Army - cross country preformance was their any tank which could beat the T-34 ?


One of their other complaints was that they didn't like how the Sherman handled on iced-up roads - a combination of the high C-of-G, a bad track cleat design for ice, and its narrow tracks compared to "domestic". And given that it's Russia that's quite a percentage of the year!

 

P.King
Actually, I've read a long time ago that they liked the Valentine; there wers Vals in 2nd-line units right up to Berlin in 1945
One I was not aware off , thank you .

 

Are there any records of comments by someone from the Red Army who had experiences with both tanks?

Sure. This is well known: Amazon.com: Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks: The World War II Memoirs of Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitriy Loza: Dmitriy Loza, James F. Gebhardt: Books

 

Sure. This is well known: Amazon.com: Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks: The World War II Memoirs of Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitriy Loza: Dmitriy Loza, James F. Gebhardt: Books


Thanks Za. Talk about sticker shock $44. Have you perchance read the book?

 

And it doesn't get any cheaper in Abebooks!

I haven't read it, only excerpts here and there though it has sat on my wish list for too long

The young lieutenant (at the time) had a fine opinion of the M4s he dealt with.