I’ve been considering getting the Dragon T-34 with Bedspring Armor, and was wondering if anyone here can clear up what exactly the armor was for and how it worked. Everytime I google “Bedspring Armor”, all I get it links to pages selling the kit. Anyone know anything about it or have any links to pages that will allow me to better understand this odd form of defense?
Also…Anyone know anything about this particular kit? Recommend it? Loath it? It sounds great and I would just like a few more opinions.
The bed-spring armor was used as a deterrant against hollow-charged weapons such as the panzerfuast and panzerschrek. The idea is that the charge detonated on the springs, thus not penetrating the main armor.
I believe that Russians used it primarily in urban combat once they hit German cities. Not sure of the exact date.
I’ve been working on one in one of my decade long builds. Very nice kit. It’s one of Dragon’s ‘Smart Kits’ with excellent fit and a large selection of PE parts but designed so you can assemble a good looking model without using them as well. The bedspring armour itself comes on several good sized PE sheets and is nicely detailed. Personally I’d recommend the kit - it comes with several decal options that don’t use the bedspring armour and makes an excellent T34 without it as well.
I believe it was referred to as “bed spring” armour because there was a superficial resemblance to bed springs (the armour was not actually made from bed springs).
For more information about the kit, you may wish to read the PMMS review,
I’d like to apply the bedspring armor to my Trumpeter 1/16 T-34/85. Anyone know the measurements for the armor itself so that I could make it to scale? Thanks!
This was a improvised field applied idea. Exact measurements will be next to impossible to find unless of one particular vehicle. In fact this armor most likely varied from tank to tank coming out of the same field shop. If it looks right its close enough!
From what I heard, the bedsprings were used in 1945. You have to bear in mind many soviet soldiers were extremely poor people, some of them got their first shoes in the army, and also saw the bedsprings for the first time when they entered Poland or, more likely Germany. The idea first was to cause the Panzerfaust rounds (with maximum range of 50-100m) to bounce off. Just then it was found sometimes predetonating them also works. The idae could also have been born as the crews were camouflaging their tanks for urban combat with thrash found on the streets. Of course such experiences could lead to unit level or even factory modifications, but at first it was a field modification. So it would be OK to start with a matress with dimensions of 1800mm X 900mm or 2000mm X 900mm, some 150mm thick, covered with fabric, stuffed with sea grass or some other soft natural material, or burned out, so only the wires are left.
