Gearing Up
"Commanders of the 5th Shock, 44th, 2nd Guards, 28th, 51st ArmiesFor the duration of the upcoming operation, establish the following norm for soldiers (sergeants).RiflemanRifle: 1Ammunition: 120...
View ArticleLead By Example
"Award OrderName: Ivan Mikhailovich HarlamovRank: Junior LieutenantPosition, unit: M4A2 tank commander, 2nd tank company, 53rd Tank Regiment, 69th Mechanized Brigade of the 9th Mechanized Corpsis...
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Sherman Tanks of the Red Army
I hinted at a big announcement in my annual status update a few days ago, and now it's official. I'm proud to announce that I'm writing another book, this time dedicated to the service of American M4...
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"Baby Doll", "Stovepipe", and Others
Due to the widespread use of the Faustpatrone, its name became shorthand for any German man-portable HEAT rocket launcher in the Red Army. However, German industry produced other anti-tank weapons for...
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Grosstraktor Amphibious Trials
"People's Commissar of Military and Naval AffairsChairman of the Revolutionary Military CouncilK. VoroshilovNovember 3rd, 1929#05752ssMoscow, 19 Frunze St.To: Comrade StalinI attach a report on testing...
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Book Review: German Army Regulation on the Medium Tank Company
Most of my readers are likely aware of the YouTube channel Military History Visualized (and its audio-only companion, Military History Not Visualized). Bernhard Kast, the man behind the scenes, teamed...
View ArticleTanks and Air
"Orders to the 4th Tank Army #019July 24th, 1943The Army Commander orders that:Friendly identification markings for aircraft consist of:For cabins of trucks and turrets of tanks: a white triangle at...
View ArticleOverkill
"To commanders of tank units and armoured trains_ July 1943Recent fighting showed that artillerymen and tankers leave tanks alone after the first penetration during enemy tank attacks. The enemy takes...
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Pershing on Steroids
The history of the American heavy tank building program during the years of WW2 is very messy. On one hand, there was a standardized Heavy Tank M6, which quickly became obsolete. On the other hand, a...
View ArticleT-34 Improvements
"Decree #1873ss of the State Committee of DefenseJune 5th, 1942On improvement of the T-34 tankThe State Committee of Defense decrees that the T-34 tank, having sufficient armour for a medium tank (45...
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Many Faces of the T-26
"Condition of SPGs and artillery systems on the T-26 chassisT-28-8: 37 mm AA gun on the T-26 chassis.According to instructions from the NKSM and tactical-technical requirements developed by the 20th...
View ArticleSherman Driver
"Award OrderName: Nikolai Dmitrievich VolnistiyRank: Senior SergeantPosition, unit: mechanic-driver, 53rd Tank Regiment, 69th Mechanized Rifle Brigade, 9th Mechanized Corpsis nominated for the state...
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"T-34-57"
Out of the many resilient myths that surround the T-34 tank, there are several that revolve around the rarest one of them all: the T-34 tank armed with the 57 mm ZIS-4 gun, specifically the four...
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In Search of an Ideal Weapon
The poor results of the Heavy Tank M6 program led to a lethargy in American heavy tank development by the first half of 1944. The success of American medium tanks in North Africa led the American...
View ArticleHEAT and APCR
"USSR NKOMain Artillery Directorate of the Red Army #11794sArtKomDecember 18th, 1943#800360sTo commanders of Fronts and ArmiesCopy for Leningrad Front onlyRE: using subcaliber and armour burning (HEAT)...
View ArticleCounteroffensive
"To the Commander of the South-Western Direction, Marshal of the Soviet Union, comrade TimoshenkoSeptember 16th, 1941I direct to you materials written by brigade commander comrade IvanovMember of the...
View ArticleKursk Experience
"70th Army HQAugust 25th, 1943#4025569Active armyTo the Chief of Staff of the Central FrontI attach summary #1 of the experience of the combat units and formations of the 70th Army in the offensive and...
View ArticlePerfidious Albion
"People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs10th DepartmentOutgoing #4490Received: 18:00 September 20th, 1942Sent: 19:20 September 20th, 1942Top Secret, copies forbiddenSpecialist number: 896To: London,...
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The First T-80
The T-70 tank, developed as a continuation of the T-60, had a large number of drawbacks, especially compared to the T-50 that was supposed to become the Red Army's main tank according to pre-war plans....
View ArticleLend Lease Review
"June 19th, 1945Report on use of tanks in combat by the 8th Guards Molodecheno Order of the Red Banner Mechanized Brigade in the Patriotic WarIn combat during 1943, the 44th Guards Tank Regiment, a...
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