Clik here to view.
Tank Archives is now on Mastodon
With the current migration away from Twitter, I decided to cover all my bases and open an account on Mastodon. The content there will be similar to what I already post on Twitter, but the added benefit...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The AA Tank That Came Too Late
The story of a SPAAG on the T-60 chassis that was not fated to enter mass production.SPAAGs were a sore spot of the Soviet tank design program. It’s not that there weren’t any of them by the start of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
All the King's Horses
The heaviest mass produced tank of WWII appeared on the Eastern and Western Fronts almost simultaneously. Unlike the Tiger, which the Western Allies had a taste of in Africa, and the Panther,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
British Carrier as a Soviet Tractor
There is a common misconception that tankettes disappeared by the mid-1930s. On the contrary, some nations (for example Japan) continued to produce these vehicles even during WW2. There is also a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Elusive Maus
Great Britain and the USSR actively exchanged information on the enemy during WWII. The USSR even shared its trophies, for instance, Panther and Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.L tanks captured in the USSR were sent...
View ArticleVideo: Did T-34 tanks really carry transmissions on their back?
The myth that T-34 tanks had to carry spare transmissions on their back into battle is a persistent one. In this video, I take a look at what evidence is available to support this claim and the many...
View ArticleGoliath Demolition Vehicle
 "Artillery HQ, 49th ArmyAugust 12th, 1943#128/opTo Chiefs of Staff and Commanders of Artillery RegimentsIn order to combat our tanks, dugouts, and pillboxes on the Central and Volkhov Fronts, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Book Announcement: Designing the IS-2
I'm delighted to announce that my third book is now available! This is the first title released by the Military History Group, a new publisher created by notable historians Bernhard Kast (Military...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kirov Factory's Light Alternative
The appearance of Zhosef Yakovlevich Kotin as the chief of the Kirov factory's SKB-2 design bureau in 1937 launched a number of interesting processes. Under O.I. Ivanov before him, the bureau sat...
View ArticleBuilding KVs
 "Addendum to agreement #B1-081 signed between the GABTU and Kirov factory for the year 1941This addendum is signed on [rubbed out] June July 1941 between the GABTU (Customer) represented by Deputy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Book Review: Surviving World War Two Tanks in the Ardennes
A trip to a Second World War battlefield can be a very time consuming thing to plan. A tourist arriving in a foreign country armed only with a camera and the vague notion that a battle took place...
View ArticleStream with The Chieftain
Yesterday I participated in my first Q&A stream! The Chieftain asked me about how Tank Archives got started, whether or not the Sherman was better than the T-34, and of course about my new IS-2...
View ArticleClik here to view.
IS-2 AMA
As usual, I did an AMA on the Ask Historians subreddit to promote my newest book. This was the most popular one yet with over 1000 upvotes and over 20 top level questions answered. Check it out!
View ArticleVideo: Was the M4A2 Sherman an elite tank for Guards units?
I often hear that the Sherman was considered an elite tank in the Red Army and only given to the best Guards units. In my latest video, I take a look at how many units that received the Sherman were...
View ArticleClik here to view.
King Tiger Penetration
 "Approved by the Commander of Artillery of the 5th Guards ArmyGuards Major General of Artillery PolyektovSeptember 11th, 1944Results of penetration tests of the German Tiger B heavy tank (composed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Overrated Soviet Medium Tank
Soviet tank building began to fall behind worldwide trends in the early 1930s. In part, this was because even prospective tanks were designed based on mid-1920s ideas while the rest of the world moved...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tanks in Snow 1941-42
Winter is a difficult time for any kind of vehicle, including tanks. Since the Russian winter is long, the USSR paid a lot of attention to how tanks put up with it. This applied in full to mobility in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Porsche's White Elephant
Soviet tank designers began working on a number of countermeasures to the Ferdinand tank destroyer after its debut at the Battle of Kursk. These vehicles were expected to be the next step in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
T-34 as an Ersatz APC
The Red Army began to explore the issue of transporting infantry around the battlefield in special vehicles in the 1930s. A number of vehicles were developed for this purpose, primarily on the chassis...
View ArticleVideo: Matilda's Real Name
There are a lot of misconceptions commonly shared about popular WW2 tanks. Some are as fundamental as the vehicle's name. In today's video I look at something very simple: what is the name of the tank...
View Article