CMBB v CMAK

[Mad Russian]

2 cents to add up. T-34s slopped armor was durectly influenced by Frnch designs, which were considered superior against ATGs compared to Russian ones. News about those tanks were delivered by a group of Russian tankers, returning from Spain war through France. Specifically, R-35, H-35 and FCM-36 were considered. All this (experience in Spain and new French designs) were the final argument to reconsider previous 1933-34 strategy of primacy of speed over armor.

Germans did not use the idea of slopped armor initially, because of conceptual differencies:
German approach was to separate functions of crew members and achieve good working conditions for each of them. They thought it was more important for combat efficiency at late 30ies. When you apply slopped armor, you are greatly reducing the working space inside and this was the problem of all French designs and Russian T-34s. You need to "sacrifice" one crew member and distribute his functions amongst remaining ones and still working compartment remained rather small. USA specialists refused to understand, how Russians were entering and exiting early model of T-34 during winter, when wearing winter clothes.
Small compartment has another serious drawback - crews had difficulties in exiting their tanks rapidly, which contributed to higher losses in trained specialists when tank was hit and burning.

Cramped turrets were a universal problem. It's one of the reasons that many Tank Destroyers were open topped. They had better vision and they had a much higher rate of fire since the turret wasn't as cramped.

Good Hunting.

MR