From Each According to Ability
"32nd Tank RegimentJune 27th, 1944#0207To the ABT Chief of the 7th Guards Cavalry CorpsCommander of the 16th Guards Cavalry DivisionI report that out of the 10 MK-2 ("Matilda") tanks received by the...
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Overgrown Cricket
The Germans focused a lot of effort on mechanization of artillery. They were the first to use SPGs of all types in large numbers. The most common German fully tracked armoured vehicle was an SPG....
View ArticleVideo: What did the Germans think about the T-34?
The T-34's impact on the German army is rarely underestimated, but often misunderstood. In my latest video I describe impressions from German soldiers and more importantly German commanders, as well as...
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Warspot Article: British Tiger Trials
After having captured a running Tiger in North Africa, the British began a thorough study of this new German tank. Its performance was carefully evaluated in many trials that ran even after Germany's...
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From the Teplokhod AN to the MS-1
The 1920s were a transitional time for worldwide tank building. The end of the First World War resulted in a radical decrease of military budgets. Many vehicles were created as designers and commanders...
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Book Review: T-34 Shock
The T-34 is a quite interesting tank from a historiographical point of view. Despite being one of the most numerous tanks ever built with variants still in service in some remote parts of the world,...
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Weak Spots #3
As you've seen in previousarticles, diagrams showing weak areas of enemy tanks were pretty common in the Red Army. However, these diagrams were usually produced as a result of thorough study and live...
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Chief Designer of the 1930s
When one lists Soviet tank designers, M.I. Koshkin is usually remembered first as one of the main authors of the T-34. He is usually followed by A.A. Morozov, who succeeded Koshkin as the Chief...
View ArticleSupercharged KV
"State Committee of Defense decree #1220ssJanuary 30th, 1942On improving mobility of KV tanksThe People's Commissar of Tank Production comrade Malyshev and director of the Kirov factory comrade...
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Book Review: The Assault Platoon of the Grenadier-Company
The Assault Platoon of the Grenadier-Company November 1944 German Army Pamphlet - Merkblatt 25a/16 is the second book by Bernard Kast (Military History Visualized) and Christoph Bergs (Military...
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Light Turretless Artillery Tank
The first work on SPGs began in the USSR in the 1920s. They began as just projects, but prototypes began appearing in the early 1930s. The first such vehicles were built in 1931, generally light ones....
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Friend or Foe
Soviet armoured forces never established a uniform system of tactical markings, leaving individual commanders to create their own. When it came to friend or for markings, there was an even greater...
View Article85 mm Gun for the KV-1
"Order for the People's Commissariat of Tank Production of the USSRChelyabinskNovember 11th, 1941In order to widely use artillery systems that are being mass produced at the factories of the People's...
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Object 140: A Promising Loser
Soviet tank building appeared as one straight continuous line. The opening of the archives showed that there were many deviations from it, small and large branches leading to dead ends. The story of...
View ArticleNew Amphibious Tank
"January 9th, 19381st Department of factory #37To the Chief of the ABTU, Corps Commander PavlovCC: Chief of the 8th Main Directorate of the NKOP, Brigade Engineer SviridovRE: engine and armour for the...
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Winter Camo
"GABTU Scientific Research Proving GroundsApproved:Proving Grounds Chief Colonel Romanov, December 15th, 1941ApprovedProving Grounds Commissar, Regimental Commissar Dolgov, December 16th,...
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Temperamental Columbina
Even though the Red Army understood the need for a light SPG even before the war, the SU-76's road to the battlefield was long and difficult. Despite popular belief he USSR's manufacturing capabilities...
View ArticleT-34 Experience
"On the use of tanks in the 229th Tank Regiment of the 70th Proskurov Order of the Red Banner Order of Suvorov Order of Kutuzov 2nd class Mechanized Brigade during the Patriotic WarDuring the...
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Fine Vintage
"NoticeThe amount of artillery systems held at warehouse #727 that are fully equipped (sans breech blocks) is as follows:107 mm model 1877: 32 units or 8 batteries152 mm 2 tonners: 68 units or 17...
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Evolution and Revolution
March 29th, 1945, was an important date for Soviet tank building. The IS-3 tank, the result of a deep modernization of the IS-2 launched in April of 1944, was accepted into service on that day. The...
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