Compare the T34-85 - part two

The Imperial War Museum (London) is housed in the former Bethlem Royal Hospital in Southwark.

Amongst the objects on display is a post war T34-85 tank, manufactured in Czechoslovakia in the mid 1950's.

The tank was captured by the Israeli army (T34s are well travelled) and bought for the museum.

 Front view with the turret traversed. Note the difference in the lower turret profile with the downward bulge under the pistol port. The tank is missing its front mud guards.

 Waffle pattern track.

 Rear of turret and log carried as an unhitching beam.

 Road wheels. These are a different pattern to those on either the T34-76 and T34-85 manufactured by Rubicon.

 Rear idler.

 Turret rear and missing fuel drum.

 Rear right fuel drum. Note filled cap is at the front not in the centre of the can.

 Exhausts and circular transmission cover. No visible crank handle socket at top of hull rear.

 Note the reflector on the left hand rear under the left fuel drum.

 Towing hooks on the lower rear hull.

 Side view.

 The bulge on the left cheek of the turret (between the lifting hook and the pistol port) has been identified as a modification to the casting for the electric traverse.

The shallow vee shaped brackets are for the two man saw.

 Front plate showing the six mounting points for the spare track between the towing horns and the mounts for the splash guard shown on some IWM photographs of this tank.

 Driver's hatch

 Detail on the front glacis showing the various sheets welded together.

 Pistol port and view slit.

 The turret is missing the periscopes from the top plate.

 Rear deck view.

 Left fuel drum, again not the position of the filler cap.

 Detail of reflector housing.

 Front left tool box.

Detail of headlight and wiring.