Combat history T-35

german troops posing on captured t-35, unknown date

the t-35 served 5th separate heavy tank brigade in moscow, parade duties, 1935 until 1940. in june 1940, question raised whether withdraw t-35s frontline service, option either convert them heavy self-propelled artillery, or assign them various military academies. choice made use them in combat instead , surviving vehicles collected 67th , 68th tank regiments of 34th tank division, served 8th mechanized corps in kiev special military district.

during operation barbarossa, ninety percent of t-35s lost 67th , 68th tank regiments lost not enemy action through either mechanical failure or because abandoned , destroyed crews. common causes of breakdown transmission-related. last recorded action of t-35 took place during stages of battle of moscow. @ least 1 captured t-35 shipped germany evaluation @ kummersdorf military proving ground.

the t-35 cited having participated in winter war against finland, according soviet sources did not. in fact, 2 other prototypes of multi-turreted heavy tanks had been sent front testing: t-100 , smk. single turret kv-1s took part in same test @ battle of summa. smk tank disabled finnish land mine , attempts recover 55-ton behemoth failed. finnish photographs of unknown tank mistakenly designated t-35c german intelligence.