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VK 36.01: Half a Step from the Tiger
Henschel's tank program looked somewhat comical in late 1941 and early 1942. The company was working on three heavy tanks at the same time. The lifeline of one of them, the VK 30.01(H), was just about...
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Tanks in the Snow
Crossing of the snow obstacle by the German PzIII tankPhoto #25: Crossing the snow obstacles. The PzIII tank punches through the first obstacle.Photo #26: Crossing the snow obstacles. The PzIII tank...
View ArticleSpare Parts
"Order of the People's Commissar of Medium Machinebuilding of the USSR #320ssMoscowJuly 12th, 1941To ensure timely delivery of spare parts for KV and T-34 tanks to their destinations and reduction of...
View ArticleLethality in Berlin
Some interesting data from the 2nd Guards Tank Army gathered during their fighting in Berlin. Analysis of tanks that were badly damaged enough to have to be written off from their unit was performed at...
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Reconnaissance Cats
The last light tank of the traditional variety produced in Germany, the PzII Ausf. F, was removed from production in July of 1942. Nevertheless, light tanks continued to exist within the Third Reich....
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A Timely Purchase
Soviet trials of the PzIII medium tank, purchased in the summer of 1940, are frequently discussed by military history enthusiasts. The conclusions that various authors make from these trials seem...
View ArticleAnti-tank Infantry
"Order of the People's Commissar of Defense #0052On reinforcing the infantry core and anti-tank defenses of rifle divisionsMarch 16th, 1942In order to reinforce the infantry core and anti-tank defenses...
View ArticleHomegrown
"Order of the People's Commissar of Defense #0580On direction of tanks built by the Stalingrad Tractor Factory to the Stalingrad and North Caucasus FrontsJuly 30th, 1942Mandate that the GABTU send all...
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Night Witches
"Order of the People's Commissar of Defense #0099October 8th, 1941MoscowContents: on the formation of female aircraft regiments of the Red Army VVSIn order to utilize female pilots and technical ranks,...
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High Caliber Beast Killers
The acceptance of the KV-14 SPG, better known as the SU-152 "Beast Killer", didn't mean that further development of its design ceased. The use of an ML-20 gun-howitzer was, in a way, a compromise, and...
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Cheating at Statistics: Coverup at Kovyagi
If there's one trend with SS armour units, it's that their successes seem to be accompanied by sudden and unpredictable failures. Whenever a unit fails to take an objective or is pushed off their...
View ArticleMastery Badge
"Order of the People's Commissar of Defense #72On Establishing Classes of Tank DriversNovember 18th, 1942Experience shows that successful tank actions depend, first and foremost, on their drivers....
View ArticleChristmas Present
"Order of the People's Commissar of Defense #050Â On rearming one regiment in independent anti-tank artillery brigades of the Reserve of the Supreme Command with 100 mm gunsDecember 25th, 1944In order...
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Well Aged Browning
The reviews of the Nagant revolver were not particularly thrilling by the end of WWII, and even its replacement, the TT, was no longer adequate. In the search for a new pistol, the Soviets saw a...
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The Birth of the Three-Line Rifle
The history of the Russian model 1891 bolt action rifle, better known as the Mosin rifle or the "mosinka" has spanned over 100 years, but this weapon still fights, and doesn't just collect dust in...
View ArticleRepair Rewards
"Order of the People's Commissar of DefenseOn rewards for personnel of armoured units for quick and high quality repair of tanks#0140February 25th, 1942In order to accelerate repair and restoration of...
View ArticleTiger Defender
"Award OrderName: Agafonov Yakov GrigoryevichRank: Senior SergeantPosition, unit: Gun commander, 1st battery, 1840th Tank Destroyer Artillery Regiment, 28th Independent Tank Destroyer BrigadeIs...
View ArticleSherman Tracks
"To the Chief of the GBTU Tank Directorate, Engineer-Colonel comrade BlagonravovI additionally report on the issue of quality of M4A2 tanks with modernized suspension. After informing the Americans...
View ArticleSuper T-50
"Calculations of mass of the hull and turret according to technical requirements of the GBTU TU for 1945On the increase of mass of the T-50 due to thickening the armour (calculations are approximate,...
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Personal Artillery for a Downed Pilot
Attempts to increase the firepower of an infantryman on the battlefield have been made since time immemorial. From time to time, various compact types of weapons were invented, well made or otherwise....
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