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Austin WhiteMrs. ScrivnerEngl.128; 3815Final5.4.16

The B-17 and the T-34:

The Fundamental Change of WWII

On May 7, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally in Reims, France. This

surrender successfully brought WWII to an end in Europe. With Nazi Germany freed from

Hitler’s reign, it seemed that everything war related was over, and over for good. But they were

wrong. In many respects, the implications that WWII had on the development of war strategy

had fundamentally changed the idea of war. War during WWII was different from any other war

in human history before 1939 when the war started. The Second World War proved that war

would no longer be fought with small-scale bombings and ineffective military strategy and

machinery. In order to win the biggest war in human history, Countries had to come up with

advances in war machines that would fundamentally alter the way war was fought in the air and

on the ground. In April 1938, The United States first introduced the Boeing B-17 Flying fortress.

Created by the Boeing Company, the B-17 was designed to be a heavy bomber that could be

used by Allied forces in the fight against the Axis powers. In a short period of time, the B-17

proved to be one of the most effective bombers of the war with its ability to control the air. Over

12,700 B-17 had been produced by the end of the war (Liberty Foundation, 2013, para.3). While

the U.S developed the B-17 bomber that would redefine war in the air, across the pond, Soviet

Union developed the T-34 tank. The T-34 tank was the Soviet Union’s response to the German

aggressions on the eastern front in Europe. The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank that incorporated

some of the times most advanced technology in order to stand up against some of the most

The B-17 and the T-34 1

powerful tanks in the history of war. Over 22,000 units were made by mid-1941, more than all

other tanks in the world combined at that time (Huard, 2015, para.13). World War II changed the

way countries conduct war today. World War II was the first war where aspects such as

technological advances in military weaponry had a profound effect on the tide of war. No longer

was the use of trench warfare effective in Europe because of the advancement of weapons such

as the tank. War had evolved to a point where military tactics that were once highly effective

became obsolete during the Second World War. War on the ground became heavily influenced

by war in the air. Air Superiority became crucial to winning major battles. Maneuvering

Warfare, which is warfare that is fought with high mobility and superior position, became

essential to winning wars on the ground. The Boeing B-17 Bomber and the T-34 used various

parts and multiple systems. The use of these Fundamentally changed WWII.

The B-17 Changed WWII

First of all, the Boeing B-17 allowed for the Bombing of Berlin. The .50 Browning

machine gun allowed for the bombings to occur. The .50 Browning machine gun is a heavy

machine gun. The Browning machine gun was the standard machine gun used by the United

States Army during WWII. The guns .50 caliber firing capability allowed the gun to be used as

an antiaircraft weapon in the B-17s. This meant that the .50 Browning machine gun was a perfect

weapon in shooting down enemy fighter planes such as the German Focke-Wulf Fw 190. The

M2HB air-cooling barrel is the barrel that was installed on the .50 Browning machine gun. The

barrel was much heavier than the average browning machine gun of the time because it was air-

cooled. Using an air-cooled system allowed the Browning machine gun to fire .50 caliber rounds

rapidly at a rate of 800-1200 rounds a minute (Captain Jack, 2016, para.4). This meant that .50

Browning machine gun users could fire continuously at the enemy without the gun becoming


defective due to overheating. The B-17 allowed for the bombing of Berlin to occur with its

superior defense system. When the B-17’s first entered Berlin in March 1944 to conduct

bombings over Berlin, the bombers were met with enemy fighter planes such as the German

Dornier Do 17s. The B-17’s defense system was able to fight off German fighters due to the air-

cooled machine gun barrel used by the .50 Browning by being able to fire continuously without

fail. This meant that the B-17’s bombing of Berlin could be successfully completed because the

planes advanced defense system was able to protect the plane throughout the mission. The

Boeing B-17 allowed for the Bombings of Berlin. The bombings of Berlin was a series of

bombing raids conducted over Berlin between 1940 and 1945. These raids were conducted to

destroy German war factories specifically to pressure the German army into surrendering. The B-

17’s defense system gave the bomber the needed firepower in order to gain supremacy in the air.

Secondly, the B-17 allowed for the bombing of Dresden to occur. The Wright R-1820-97

radial engine allowed for the bombings to take place. The Wright R-1820-97 Radial Engine was

the B-17’s engine. The Wright R-1820-97 Radial Engine was a turbocharged radial type engine

built by Studebaker that had an above average power-to-weight ratio do to its radial design. The

four engines in the plane provided a massive 1,200horsepower each (Smithsonian Institute,

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 19361, para.1). The massive amount of

horsepower that the engines created allowed the B-17 to climb to record altitudes where enemy

anti-aircraft flak couldn’t hit the planes. A Radial Piston is a type of piston used in the Wright R-

1820-97 radial engine. A radial Piston unlike an inline piston, which moves up in down in a row

of pistons, is placed around a crankshaft and moves back and forth in a star pattern. This radial

piston does the same as an inline piston to move the crankshaft but has a larger displacement

when in motion (Integrated Publishing, 2016, para.1). This means that the radial piston setup

1 While this information is past the APA cutoff date, it is still valid.


produces more power than the original inline piston setup that was used for some of the original

bombers. The B-17’s radial engine provided enough power to the bomber to fly at altitudes of up

to 20,000ft. The B-17’s were able to protect themselves better because of their ability to climb

higher than most bombers of the time. The B-17’s motor system was able to fly the plane above

the German anti-aircraft flak guns such as the 3.7cm flak 37 that had an effective range of

only15, 000ft. This meant that the B-17s could safely fly over German anti-aircraft flak and

successfully drop their bomb loads. The B-17s allowed for the bombing of Dresden. The

Bombing of Dresden was a series of air raids that happened from February 13 to February 15,

1945 in the city of Dresden, Germany (History.com Staff, 200922, para.1). The Allied Forces

bombed the city in an attempt to force the German army into surrender. The superior motor

system in the B-17 gave the bombers the air supremacy needed to successfully carry out the

Bombing of Dresden.

Thirdly, the Boeing B-17 allowed for the Second Bombing of Schweinfurt. The Self-

Sealing Fuel Tank allowed for the bombing to succeed. A Self-Sealing fuel tank is a metal

container that holds a plane’s fuel. The Self-Sealing Fuel Tank is a fuel container that was

designed to take bullet piercings. The Fuel tanks shell expands when pierced allowing a blockage

of the leak where the tank was pierced by a bullet. This means that the B-17 wouldn’t explode if

enemy bullets pierced the fuel tank. The Two-Layered Rubber Fuel Tank Shell is a part of the

Self-Sealing Fuel Tank. A Two-Layered Rubber Fuel Tank Shell is a tank shell that is lined on

the inside with two layers of thick rubber. The rubber lining in the fuel tank self-heals the tank

when enemy bullets pierce the fuel tank’s shell by swelling when the rubber comes in contact

with gasoline (Warring, 2011, para.2). This means that the Fuel tank can take multiple piercings

from bullets and still hold the fuel needed to keep the bomber airborne. The Two-Layered



Rubber Fuel Tank Shell allowed the bombings to be successful. The B-17’s Rubber lined shell

gave the plane durability and strengthened the defense system. The Rubber lined shell allowed

the fuel system to take multiple hits from enemy fighters without loosing the planes fuel. This

means that the B-17s could incur bullets from enemy forces and not have to worry about the fuel

system failing unlike conventional fuel tank shells in other bombers like the German Heinkel He

177. The B-17 allowed for the Second Bombing of Schweinfurt. The Second Bombing of

Schweinfurt was a bombing raid conducted by the American Eighth Air Force against the

German city of Schweinfurt on October 14, 1943. The 229 fully loaded Boeing B-17s attacked

the heavily fortified ball bearing factories in Schweinfurt that were believed to be driving the

German economy (Crawford, 200933, para.5). Without the B-17s durable fuel system, the

bombers wouldn’t have been able to control the sky while fighting off an estimated 300 German

fighters that day.

Fourthly, the B-17 is one of few WWII bombers that could survive bombing raids against

Germany. The image to the right is a

representation of the

plane’s Defense

System. The B-17’s

Defense System

consists of Gunmen

and .50 Browning’s.

Six Gunmen are equipped with 13 .50 mounted Browning machine guns that are found in the

plane. The Gunmen are located around the plane and are in charge of shooting down any enemy

aircraft that provide a threat to the plane’s operations during a mission. These B-17 Gunmen are


Figure 1: The B-17’s Defense System


responsible for the success of the mission. In the figure above, the Flight Engineer is responsible

for manning the Top Turret. The Top Turret is a mounted turret on the B-17 that covers a

360degree radius around the plane. The Top Turret played a vital role because of its ability to

cover both the front and back and the sides of the aircraft from the middle on up (Lyman, 200344,

para.2). The Top Turret is essential to fending off attacks from the B-17’s most vulnerable

points. In the Figure above, the Tail Gunner has a crucial role in the planes defense system. The

tail gunner is a gunner directly operates in the back of the plane. The tail Gunner uses two .50

caliber Browning’s in order to defend the plane from enemy attacks coming from the rear of the

plane. The Tail Gunner prevented the B-17 from being shot down in the tail fins where the B-

17’s defense system is weak without the Tail Gunner. The B-17’s Defense System allowed the

B-17 to get to and from Germany without being shot down. Germany was heavily fortified by

German warplanes such as the Focke-Wulfe Fw 190’s. These German warplanes were

specifically designed to shoot down enemy war aircraft. Without the B-17’s use of the Top

Gunner and Tail Gunner in the Defense system, the plane and its crew would not have been able

to successfully complete bombing missions that took place in Germany.

Fifthly, although the B-17 was effective at carrying out bombing raids, the types of bombs

had a profound effect. The bombs dropped by the B-17 are known as General Purpose Bombs (or

Conventional Bombs). General Purpose Bombs are the most basic type of bombs. General

Purpose Bombs are unguided munitions that use gravity to reach their target (Banker, 2011, para.

1). These bombs provide conventional area bombing of desired targets. The an-m57 General-

Purpose Bomb was the most common bomb used by B-17’s in WWII. The an-M57 is a 250lb

general-purpose bomb that was largely utilized by the allied armies after 1941 (Overy, 2013, pp.

72 and 73). This bomb was dropped in sets by the b-17s in order to destroy vital enemy



resources. The use of these bombs helped the Allied forces win WWII. However, there are other

general-purpose bombs that were used and must be acknowledged:

a. an-M30 (100lbs)

b. an-M43 (500lbs)

c. an-M64 (500lbs)

d. an-M65 (1,000lbs)

e. an-M34 (2,000lbs)

f. an-M66 (2,000lbs)

Each one of these bombs played a role in bombing raids that occurred during WWII. These

bombs were dropped on enemy forces in order to get the enemy to concede defeat. As the

Liberty Foundation (2014) noted “during the war, B-17’s dropped 640,036 tons of bombs on

European targets in daylight raids (Para.3).” This meant that the B-17’s use of General Purpose

bombs had a profound effect on the Allied forces ability to win the war.

The T-34 Changed WWII

Sixthly, The T-34 Tank had superior mobility on soft terrain in Operation Barbarossa.

One reason is because of the mobility system’s use of 500mm metal Continuous Tracks.

Continuous Tracks are a type of wheel that allows a tank to move. Continuous tracks use a band

of tread that moves continuously around the tanks wheels in order to move. These tracks allow

for better movement across different terrains. This means that the tanks can go through different

environmental terrains without getting stuck. 500mm Metal Continuous Tracks are the tracks

used by the T-34 Tank. 500mm Metal Continuous Tracks are a series of 74 steel track links that

go around the T-34’s wheel (All World Wars, 194255, para.107). The T-34’s steel Tracks contain

a metal tread on each link that cuts into the ground when the tank is moving to create traction



while the tank is going over off-road surfaces. This allowed the T-34 to be highly effective in

soft terrain environmental conditions. The 500mm Metal Continuous Tracks gave the T-34 a

superior mobility system. Northern and Eastern Europe contained soft terrain that war vehicles

got stuck in. During Operation Barbarossa, the T-34’s mobility system had an advantage over the

German Panther tanks due to the T-34’s 500mm Metal Continuous Tracks ability to gain traction

on soft terrain. This allowed the Soviet Union to fend off the German’s offensive against them at

Operation Barbarossa. Operation Barbarossa was the name for the Invasion of the Soviet Union

by Nazi Germany. The Invasion, starting on June 22, 1941, was intended to knock the Soviet

Union out of WWII (Global Russia, 2014, para.2). The German offensive pushed the Soviet

Union back behind their national boundary but was halted by the German’s inability to take into

account the Russian weather conditions. This allowed the Russians to make prime use of their

Armed Forces specifically their T-34 Tanks to change the tide of war.

Seventhly, the tank had superior mobility on flat lands in the Battle of Kursk. One reason

is because of the Mobility systems use of the V-2 Engine Cylinder. An Engine Cylinder is an

essential component to a motor. An Engine Cylinder is a cylindrical metal casing that contains

the piston. The Engine Cylinder holds the gas in an engine so that the engine can perform the

combustion process and allow the vehicle to move. The power of an engine is determined by the

amount of gas engines cylinders can hold, known as Engine Capacity. The V-2 Engine Cylinder

is the engine cylinder used in the T-34 Tank. The V-2 Engine Cylinder is a water-cooled diesel

engine cylinder that contains two gas inlet valves and two exhaust outlet valves (All World

Wars, 200. The twelve V-2 Engine Cylinders used in the engine had an engine capacity of

38.9liters (Haskew, 2012, p.28). This meant that the T-34 could reach max speeds of 33mph due

to the engine cylinders ability to produce an astonishing 500hp (Haskew, 2012). The tank had a


superior mobility on flat land. The Terrain in the battle of Kursk mainly consisted of flat land

that put no real strain on the tanks. Flat Land makes it easier for tanks to conduct war at top

speeds due to the lack of environmental hindrances. This meant that the T-34s mobility system,

with the V-2 Engine Cylinder’s 38.9L capacity, could out perform the Germans Panzer IV

Tank’s mobility system, which had an engine capacity of 11.9L. The Battle of Kursk was a battle

between the German Army and the Russian Army. The Battle of Kursk was an attempt by the

German Army to Counterattack the Russian “Red” Army after a decisive German Defeat in the

Battle of Stalingrad. The Battle of Kursk was one of the largest tank battles in world history with

2,451 German tanks versus 5,128 Soviet tanks (Clark, 201066, paras.17 and 19). This meant that

the side with the more mobile tank would claim victory to the battle.

Eighthly, the T-34 Tank had superior mobility on rough terrain in the Battle of Berlin.

One reason is because of the mobility systems use of a Bar Crank suspension spring. A

suspension spring is a coil that goes between a vehicles wheelbase and it’s chassis. The

Suspension spring is a thick metal coil that is put in a vehicle to absorb shock. When a vehicle is

driving on an uneven ground the suspension spring in the vehicle absorbs the stress that the

ground puts on the vehicle. This means that the vehicle can drive in unfavorable terrain

conditions without the vehicle breaking down from intense stress on the vehicles individual

parts. A Bar Crank Suspension Spring is the spring that was used by the T-34. The Bar Crank

Suspension Spring is a spring that is connected to the tank’s chassis and the wheel’s bar crank.

Instead of being compressed, the bar crank’s spring stretches using the tension created in the

spring from protuberances in the ground to move the tank in a vertical motion (Zagola, S. J., &

Sarson, P, 199677, p.10). This allowed the T-34s to travel long-distances on rough terrain without

6 While this information is past the APA cutoff date, it is still valid.7 While this information is past the APA cutoff date, it is still valid.


breaking down like the early BT series Russian tanks. The T-34 had superior mobility on rough

terrain in the Battle of Berlin. Many of the building structures that were in Berlin had been

bombed into rubble that lied in the streets. The Rubble that lied in the streets made it difficult for

the German Panzer IV tanks to launch an attack on the Russian Army with their use of

conventional suspension springs. This meant that the T-34 tanks could out perform the German

Panzer IV tanks landing the final blows to the German Army. The Battle of Berlin was the final

battle in Europe during WWII. The Battle of Berlin was a 14-day battle between the German

Army and the Russian Army. The battle was a street-to-street battle for complete control of the

German capital. This meant that superior tank mobility would allow for victory in Berlin.

Ninthly, the T-34 tank was able to withstand explosions from enemy tanks. This is because

of the tanks use of armor. Tank Armor is the exterior of the machine. Tank Armor consists of

metal plating of varying thicknesses that are attached around the tank. The armor is meant to

protect the tank from enemy anti-tank shells that are designed to penetrate the tanks exterior and

blow up the tank. This allows the tank to incur attacks from enemy forces and still function

properly. The main type of steel used on the T-34 is 45 mm Homogeneous Steel. 45 mm

homogeneous steel is used on the front and rear of the tank (Haskew, 2012, p.28). The armor is

the T-34’s defense from enemy shells penetrating the front of the rear and blowing up the tank.

This means that the effectiveness of the 45mm Homogeneous Armor is vital to the effectiveness

of the tank in battle. However. There are other types of armor that must be acknowledged:

a. 20 mm homogeneous steel

b. 30 mm homogeneous steel

c. 50 mm homogeneous steel

d. 85 mm homogeneous steel


Each one of these variations of steel plating plays a vital role to the tank. The different types of

plating are placed on different parts of the tank. The use of these parts provides the tanks defense

with the necessary protection needed for battle. Without these armor plates, the T-34 would not

be viable as a tank against the German army.

Tenthly, the T-34 could travel up to a 188 miles without refueling. The diagram to the

right is of the T-34’s Fuel System. In the

diagram, the first most important feature

is the fuel tanks. The T-34 contains 6 fuel

tanks labeled #5,6, and 7. These fuel

tanks contain are able to store a 140

gallons of diesel for the T-34’s engine

(Haskew, 2012, p.28). This allowed travel

188 miles without having to refuel. The

second most important part in the

diagram is the T-34’s Fuel Feed Pump

(#1). The Fuel Feed Pump is a small

device that is located near the engine. The

Fuel Feed Pump extracts the diesel from

the fuel tanks and sends the diesel to the engine (All World Wars, 194288, para.140). This allows

the engine a way to retrieve gas to keep the motor going. The third most important part in the

diagram is the T-34’s Fuel Injector Pump (#3). The Fuel Injector pump is a pump that is located

at the top of the V-2 Engine. The Fuel Injector Pump pumps the diesel into the cylinders where

the diesel goes through the combustion process. The Fuel Pump injects the engine with the fuel


Figure 2: T-34 Fuel System


needed to create kinetic energy and move the tank. This diagram demonstrates the process of

getting diesel to the motor. The T-34’s Fuel System effectively directs fuel into the engine of the

tank. Without adequate amounts of diesel being pumped into the engine, the tank wouldn’t work.

The T-34’s ability to travel 188 miles without refilling is all in part to the success of the tank’s

Fuel System.

CONCLUSION

The Boeing B-17 bomber and the T-34 tank fundamentally changed WWII. World War II

was the first war of its kind. War was not fought with conventional military tactics. War was no

longer fought with just men and guns. World War II became a war of creation, where weaponry

had to be redesigned in order to win important battles. These weapons had to be equipped with

the latest technology in order to have a lasting impact on the tides of war. During the course of

six years, over 60 million soldiers and civilians were killed in the war (The National WWII

Museum, 200099, p.1). The Boeing B-17 is no longer used in war. After World War II, the

production of B-17s stopped and the B-17 was quickly replaced by more advanced bombers such

as the Boeing B-52. While the B-17 is no longer in use, the future of Bomber aircraft like that of

the B-17 are unmanned drone bombers. These bombers will have capabilities such as that of the

B-17 but without the need for manned crew. This will reduce the risk of conducting war

specifically in the air. The T-34 is still being used today. Over 84,000 units were produced

between 1940-58 (Haskew, 2012, p.28). The design of the tank has not changed, however. The

future of tanks like the T-34 is Stealth Tanks. Stealth tanks are tanks that are built with

technology of that of the T-34s, but these tanks will be equipped with special armor that deflects

radio waves that are used by radars to find enemy vehicles. These tanks will also be using the

latest military technology such as new tracks in order to climb sloped terrain that previous tank



models can’t clear. There were a few things that could not be talked about. One of the parts that

could not be talked about was the B-17’s exterior design. While the B-17’s exterior was designed

to maximize its defense system while in air, the exterior mainly concerns the aerodynamics of

the plane. Another thing that could not be talked about was the T-34’s Wheels. The Wheels used

on the T-34 were highly important to the tanks mobility system. However, the T-34’s wheels

were not any different than the wheels used by the German Panzer tanks or the American M4

Sherman tanks.

References

All World Wars. (1942). T-34 service manual. Retrieved from http://www.allworldwars.com/

Bunker, (2011). Bombs, gravity. In S. Tucker (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the Vietnam war: A

political, Social, and military history. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Retrieved from

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%2Fcontent%2Fentry%2Fabcvw%2Fbombs_gravity%2F0


Captain Jack. (2016, April 20). Browning M2 (HMG) Multi-role Heavy Machine Gun. Military

Factory. Retrieved from http://www.militaryfactory.com/

Clark, L. (2010, December 1) The Battle of Kursk: Clash of the tanks. Historynet. Retrieved

from http://www.historynet.com/

Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona. (2016). Flight Engineer’s duties and

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Global Russia. (2014, Spring). T-34 Tank. In Russia Objectified. Retrieved from

http://globalrussia.cga.harvard.edu/exhibits/show/objects/politics/t34

Haskew, M. E. (2012) Tanks Inside & Out. New York, NY: Rosen.

History.com Staff. (2009). Bombing of Dresden. History.com Retrieved from

http://www.history.com/

Huard, P. R. (2015, September 20). The soviet T-34: the lethal tank that won world war II. The

National Interest. Retrieved from http://nationalinterest.org/

Integrated Publishing. (2016). Radial-Piston Motor. Retrieved from

http://enginemechanics.tpub.com/

Liberty Foundation. (2014). Boeing B-17 History. Retrieved from

http://www.libertyfoundation.org/

Lyman, T. (2003). Flight engineer. Retrieved from http://www.b17queenofthesky.com/

Overy, R. (2013). The Bombers and the bombed: Allied Air War over Europe, 1940-1945. New

York, NY: Penguin Group


Smithsonian Institute, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. (1936). Wright Cyclone R-

1820-97 (Studebaker), Radial 9 Engine. Washington, DC: Smithsonian. Retrieved from

http://airandspace.si.edu/

The National WWII Museum. (2000). By the numbers: worldwide deaths. Retrieved from

http://www.nationalww2museum.org/

Warring, H. (2011, May 18). Self-Sealing Fuel Tanks 1917!. Patriots Point. Retrieved from

http://www.patriotspoint.org/

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