Video: IS-3 in 1945
The IS-3 entered production shortly before Germany surrendered, but how well would it have fought if VE Day was postponed by a few months? Check out my latest video to find out.
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German predecessor to the Soviet Gun Carrier
The Germans had the most diverse self propelled artillery branch of all belligerents in the Second World War. Even if it wasn't the most numerous, there were many different types from tank destroyers...
View ArticleVideo: Soviet Optics vs German Optics
Just how good were Soviet optics? Would a Soviet tank struggle to hit the broad side of a barn, or could Soviet glass go toe to toe with German-made lenses? I whip out my vintage camera collection to...
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BA-10 at the Height of Power
It was not a surprise that armoured cars quickly made way for tanks in the food chain of the battlefield. The problem with an armoured car is its chassis. Even the best car falls short of a tank,...
View ArticleVideo: The Myth of the Disposable T-34
You often hear that the T-34 was a disposable tank that was never intended to survive for very long on the battlefield, so there was no reason to make it particularly reliable, but how true is that...
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Pz.Kpfw.I Weak Spots
"Brief characteristics:Armour: front, side, and turret armour is 13 mm thick.Engine: gasoline.Length: 3.7 m, width: 2.1 m, height: 1.8 mArmament: 2 machine guns, 2 smoke launchers Vulnerable range:For...
View ArticleVideo: T-54 in 1945
The T-54 is best known as a Cold War era tank, but if the war unfolded a little differently it could have seen battle in WW2. Check out my latest video to see when the T-54 was ready for battle and why...
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A Paper Alternative to the Panzer IV/70
The performance of German armoured vehicles is often overestimated, particularly of those that remained on paper. It can be anywhere between interesting and sad to watch an attempt to turn a doodle on...
View ArticleVideo: Soviet Super-powered Tank Destroyers
If the Maus or E-100 reached the battlefield during the Second World War, it would not be anywhere as invincible as it might have appeared. The Soviets had four prospective tank destroyers going...
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Tank Archives on Bluesky
Numbers don't lie, and the numbers haven't been in favour of my Twitter account for quite some time. Despite an increase in content, growth has plateaued and the effort hasn't been worth it....
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Track Bashing
Changing tracks on T-34 and T-34-85 tanks at the Museum of National Military HistoryAs the saying goes, there is no such thing as a light tank. Many operations that seem quite simple are actually very...
View ArticleTank Archives on the big screen
My reenacting group sometimes acts as extras in war movies, but we also decided to make our own! The audio is in Russian, but English subtitles are available.
View ArticleVideo: Historically Accurate Panzer '46 - Heavy Tank M26 Pershing
The Americans were the first to get their next generation tank to the battlefield in 1945. How did it fare and what upgrades did they test out that could have been applied to the design had the war...
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Armour vs Time
The battle of the sword and shield raged since time immemorial. The sword got an edge once, which led to the end of the era of knights clad in armour. However, history repeats itself, and the idea of...
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2024 in Review
With 2024 coming to an end, it's time to look back on my achievements in military history over the course of the past year. 2024 was a major year for books. Thanks to several release dates coinciding,...
View ArticleVideo: Was the Tiger tank overengineered?
The term "overengineered" is used a lot when talking about German tanks, but what does it mean and is it really applicable? Check out my latest video where look at the T-34, Sherman, and Tiger tank...
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Porche’s X-shaped engine
German tank development followed a very predictable course. This included engine development. After experiments in the 1920s and early 1930s, German tanks settled on the Maybach V-shaped series. These...
View ArticleVideo: Lend Lease Tier List Part 1
Lend Lease reviews can be a thorny topic. Did the Red Army like any foreign tanks at all? Watch my latest video and find out.
View ArticleBuggy Americans
"To Deputy Chief of the Engineering Department of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade, comrade RyavchenkoI report preliminary data regarding defects of American tanks based on use in...
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Tractors and Prime Movers
A maneuver war requires a large fleet of motorized vehicles, including artillery tractors. This lesson was learned back during the First World War. It is no wonder that the Red Army cared about...
View ArticleVideo: 76 mm HE vs German Armour
We know how effective 152 mm high explosive shells were against German tank armour, but what about slightly smaller ones? Check out my latest video to find out.
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The Oldest IS
It often so happens that a truly unique tank stands in shadow, unknown to those around it. There are many examples. For instance, the T-34 tank "Kantemirovets" on display at the Road of Life exhibit is...
View ArticleVideo: KV-1 with Applique Armour
The KV-1 was the heaviest and best protected heavy tank in the world, but the Red Army still wanted even more armour! Find out why and how effective this add-on armour was in my latest video.
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Book Review: Tank by Mark Urban
When I'm asked to review books, they are usually written by tank historians for tank historians. They bristle with technical details, tables of organization, unit numbers, millimeters and kilograms,...
View ArticleVideo: Three Way Heavy Tank Contest
In 1939, the Red Army had not one, not two, but three whole heavy tank designs. Find out how they competed and who the winner was in my latest video.
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