and only the PT-4-7 sight could be used for 360° viewing
(which allowed viewing only within a very narrow sector
of 26°). The sight devices at the sides of the turrets were
inconveniently located, too, and in the cramped turret
one would have needed to be able to twist oneself
around in order to make use of them. Moreover, up to
1942 these devices, and also those for the driver, were
tted with mirrors of polished steel, which gave a very
low image quality.
I
n 1940, the 360° sight device was installed to the rear
of the tank commander’s position in the turret hatch
cover on the right. Looking through the device was
dicult, while viewing was possible in a limited sector:
it oered a view along the horizon to the right, up to 120°,
with a blind spot of 15m. The restricted eld of view, as well
as the extremely awkward position one needed to adopt
when viewing, made this sight device completely unt for
its purpose. By the autumn of 1941 it had been removed,
STEP 27
ASSEMBLY GUIDE
THE T-34-85 IN DETAIL
The poor quality and location of the T-34’s sight devices was considered a major
shortcoming as early as 1940; by 1941 improvements were under way.
1
In 1942 SLR sight devices
in the T-34 were replaced
by prismatic ones, while
in the «improved» turret
there were already vision
slits with triplex glass
blocks.
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