1:32 Forces of Valor Soviet Medium Tank T-34-85 (1944) 55th Guards Tank Bde.

Features Include:

• Diecast turret, hulll top, mantlet and gun barrel
• Engine compartment details
• Realistic landscape display 
• New tooled hull bottom, road wheels and caterpillars
• Open hatches
• Authentic weathering effect
• Highly detailed pad prints
• Moveable suspensions and spinning wheels

Although the German Military had known about the T-34 for quite a long time, it wasn't until they encountered it in combat that they realised how much of a step forward the Tank was compared to previous Soviet designs.

Most noticeable was the glacis Front plate of the Soviet T-34, which helped alleviate the impact from enemy weaponry. Even with these advances the T-34 was still outgunned and less damage resistant compared to its German counterparts, but the sheer quantity that they were able to produce the tank (almost 1200 a month at certain points in the war) gave the Soviets a massive advantage when it came to the number of tanks they could deploy at any one point. 

The initial version of the T-34s was equipped with a 76mm main gun, however it proved to be inefficient against their main rivals, in particular Tiger and Panther tanks. 

As a result, upgrading the firepower of the T-34s became essential to the Russians ability to fight back against the invading Germans.

Eventually the Military ordnance department upgraded the T-34 to a 85mm main gun which proved far more effective, and to distinguish the T-34s with different main guns it was named T-34-76 and T-34-85 respectively.