Figure 1.--The Soviets during World War II are best known for their excellet T-34 tank, but the T-34 was only one of many varities of light, medium, and heavy tanks they produced during the War. This is the massive KV-2) made in small numbers at the Kirov Tank Works ion Lenningrad. We believe this photograph was taken in 1941, probably in the Ukraine. It violated many principles of tank design, most promanately offering a low profile to eneny gunners. It was designed as a bunker buster because of Soviet losses batterung through the Mannerheim Line in the Winter War with Finland (1939-40), but few survived Barbarossa.
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The Soviet Union had the largest Army in the world and massive sums wewre devoted to equipping it. One of the many weapon programs was armored vehicles. Ironically before the rise of the NAZIs, the Germans and Soviets through the Rapallo Treaty cooperated in developing armored vehicles and tactics. The Soviets built a wide range of light, medium, and heavy tanks. The light tanks were deployed in large numbers, but proved ineffective when the Germahns invaded (June 1941). Some of the heavy tanks proved virtually indestructable, but difficult to deploy. There were also special series like the massive KV-1s and KV-2s. It was, however, the T-34 medium tank that proved to be the perfect balance of mobility (wide tracks, excellent speed), firepower (76mm or 85mm cannon) and armour protection (low profile and inovative sloped armor) needed for mobile warfare. Many assessments of World War II focus on the German Panzers. The NAZIs assumed that the Soviet Union was a backward country incapable of producing the same high quality as Aryan supermen. The Germans were not impressed with the Soviet T-26s and other tanks they saw in Poland (September 1939).
The T-26 was based on an exported British designed Vickers 6-Ton tank that the British Army rejected. The production
runs were from 1929 to 1933 and they were used by many European countries in that era. While some bought them from Britain the Soviet ones were built domestically, but we do not know if they sold any. Ironically even Poland had some in their Army. German OKW based their assessment of Soviet armor based on what they saw up close in Poland/ OKW which ws rapidly upgrading their Panzer corpps apparently did not consuder that the Soviets might do the same.
The appearance of the T-34 tank on the battlefield was a shock to the Wehrmacht as it was in fact superior to the German Panzers. The T-34 tank in fact is considered by many to be the finest tank of the War. The Soviets adopted the T-34/76 medium tank (December 1939). The key innovation was designed to make the T-34 "shell proof" by welded 45mm frontal armor sloped at 60 degrees. The Soviets unlike the Germans designed their tanks aiming at simplicity so they could be mass-produced and easily maintain iand repaired in the field. This as much as the armor was critical on the battlefield. The Soviets had begun to produce the T-34 before the German invasion--about 1,200. And only a few were deployed. It was totally unknown to the Germans. The Whermacht were shocked at the effectiveness of the T-34 when they first encountered it. But because only a few were deployed and the Soviets had not perfected effective tabk tactics, it did not at first have a significant impact. It would, however, prove to be enormously effective. The T-34 tank was not a match for the German tanks, but in many ways supeior. In addition, it was relatively inexpensive to build and easily mantained. This was in sharp contrast to the much more complicated German tanks. Unbeknown to the Germans, even as the Wehrmacht was driving into the Soviet Union during the Summer of 1941, T-34 tanks ould be rolling out of Soviet production lines in far greater numbers than German tanks.
Background
The Soviet Union had the largest Army in the world and massive sums wewre devoted to equipping it. One of the many weapon programs was armored vehicles. Ironically before the rise of the NAZIs, the Germans and Soviets through the Rapallo Treaty cooperated in developing armored vehicles and tactics. The Soviet officers who worked closely with the Germans in Rapallo exchanges would be later targeted by Stalin in the Red Army Purges. This meant that many of the officers who had worked out effective armor tactics were arrested and often executed. Only a few were gotten out of the Gulag agfter the Germns invaded.
Types
The Soviets built a wide range of light, medium, and heavy tanks. The light tanks were deployed in large numbers, but proved ineffective when the Germans invaded (June 1941). Some of the heavy tanks proved virtually indestructable, but difficult to deploy. There were also special series like the massive KV-1s and KV-2s. It was, however, the T-34 medium tank that proved to be the perfect balance of mobility (wide tracks, excellent speed), firepower (76mm or 85mm cannon) and armour protection (low profile and inovative sloped armor) needed for mobile warfare. Many assessments of World War II focus on the German Panzers. The NAZIs assumed that the Soviet Union was a backward country incapable of producing the same high quality as Aryan supermen. The Germans were not impressed with the Soviet T-26s and other tanks they saw in Ploand (September 1939).
Light
The light tanks were deployed in large numbers, but proved grossly ineffective when the Germans invaded (June 1941).
As World War II progressed, it became that it was the medium tank that would play the most effectuive battlefield role. It was the T-34 medium tank that proved to be the perfect balance of mobility (wide tracks, excellent speed), firepower (76mm or 85mm cannon) and armour protection (low profile and inovative sloped armor) needed for mobile warfare. Many assessments of World War II focus on the German Panzers. The NAZIs assumed that the Soviet Union was a backward country incapable of producing the same high quality as Aryan supermen. The Germans were not impressed with the Soviet T-26s and other tanks they saw in Poland (September 1939). The T-26 was based on an exported British designed Vickers 6-Ton tank that the British Army rejected. The production runs were from 1929 to 1933 and they were used by many European countries in that era. While some bought them from Britain the Soviet ones were built domestically, but we do not know if they sold any. Ironically even Poland had some in their Army. German OKW based their assessment of Soviet armor based on what they saw up close in Poland/ OKW which ws rapidly upgrading their Panzer corpps apparently did not consuder that the Soviets might do the same. The appearance of the T-34 tank on the battlefield was a shock to the Whermacht as it was in fact superior to the German Panzers. The T-34 tank in fact is considered by many to be the finest tank of the War. The Soviets adopted the T-34/76 medium tank (December 1939). The key innovation was designed to make the T-34 "shell proof" by welded 45mm frontal armor sloped at 60 degrees. The Soviets unlike the Germans designed their tanks aiming at simplicity so they could be mass-produced and easily maintain iand repaired in the field. This as much as the armor was critical on the battlefield. The Soviets had begun to produce the T-34 before the German invasion--about 1,200. And only a few were deployed. It was totally unknown to the Germans. The Wegrmacht were shocked at the effectiveness of the T-34 when they first encountered it. But because only a few wwre deployed and the Soviets had not perfected effectivectabk tactics, it did not at first have a significant impact. The T-34 tank was also relatively inexpensive to build and easily mantained. This was in sharp contrast to the much more complicated German tanks. Unbeknown to the Germans, even as the Wehrmacht was driving into the Soviet Union during the Summer of 1941, T-34 tanks were rolling out of production lines in far greater numbers than German tanks.
Some of the heavy tanks proved virtually indestructable, but difficult to deploy and maneuver. There were also special series like the massive KV-1s and KV-2s. The IS (Jodeph Stalin) series proved more effective. The IS series were heavy developed as an improvement on the KV tanks. It was entirely redesigned. The Soviets developed the IS series with notably thick, sloping armor to withstand the German 88 mm guns. Unike the KVs, he IS tanks despite the size and weight has surprising mobility. The IS tanks also had a main gun capable of engaging the German Panthers and even the fersome Tigers. It was used as a spearhead breakthrough tank, to punch a hole in German lines that the T-34 and Red Army infantory could than pour through. Th IS tanks were made in much smaller numbers hn the T-34s. Nearly 5,000 were built, but we are unsure of the number built during the war. The most succesful design was the IS-2 which first saw action in the final battles of the War (April 1944). In addition to antitank shells, it carried a heavy high-explosive shell that could be use to destroy bunkers, trenches, and other strong points. was useful against entrenchments and bunkers.
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Tactics
Many Soviet tanks were ineffective, especially the light tanks. This was, however, only part of the early prroblems. Other problems were poor tactical doctrine as well as Stalin's interference.
Red Army Purge
Radio Communication
A serious weakeness of the Soviet tank forces was poor communications. Many Soviet tanks did not have radios. They used flags for communictions. This was especially the case before the NAZI invasion (June 1941). Even many of the T-34s thst arived did not have rdios, except for the command tanks. This began to change with American Lend Lease. Communictions equipment was was an imprtnt part of Lend Lease deliveries. We are not sure yet about the tyoe of communications equipment delivered. It may have been primarily for aircraft. This we have to look into. The Soviets were not too impressed with the American Sherman tanks deiverrred. They were impressed with the communiction equipment that the Shermans had. The Shermans had the best communicationd equipment of any World War II tank.
Battles
Soviet and German tanks battled it out throughout the campaign in the East. There were three tank battles of particular importance. Two were foughtat the opening phase of Barbarossa , Raseiniai and Brody, (June 1941) and the other at Kursk (July 1943). The Wehrmacht were uncertain at first about Soviet armore, but the two Barbarossa bttles showed that the Sivit armor was poorly commanded and supported. The Germans were astionished, however, that the new T-34s that had begunn to reach armored forces were vurtually impervious to tabk fire. Brody and Kursk were borg in the Ukraine.
