Dysartian
Lancs Trip - T-34 Soviet Battle Tank
From our visit to the Imperial War Museum, Manchester. I was surprised at just how small these T-34 tanks were considering they successfully battled giant Nazi Tiger tanks in WWII. They came in to service in 1940 and were still in use in some armed services in the 1990's. They held a four man crew and were fast, but lightly protected and far outgunned by Tiger tanks. They defeated Nazi forces in the Battle of Kursk which was the largest tank-battle ever. They prevailed through valiant sacrifice (their Communist masters didn't care about anything except winning) and by sheer weight of numbers they wore down the world's best battle-tanks and signalled the end of the triumphant Nazi advance through the USSR. I recommend the superbly researched and very human novel, the Last Citadel, by David L. Robbins, to learn about the brave tank crews in this battle. He also tells about the heroic (and expendable) young girls who flew slow, unmanoueverable and highly flamable night-fighters, without parachutes, during this same conflict. The Nazis never stood a chance against their courage and superior numbers, coupled with the Russian winter.
These tanks were fairly primitive by the standards of the formidable German Panzers but were much easier to fix and cannibalise parts from. The commander stood up in the hatch and steered the tank by pushing the drivers shoulders with his feet to get him to turn in a direction. In the noise of battle and in the absence of radio communications, this was the quickest way to make a sudden turn and save the lives of you and your crew. The sloping armour helped to deflect shells hitting the tank, whereas the German Tigers had squarer, thicker and much heavier armour, hence they were slower and less mobile.
Lancs Trip - T-34 Soviet Battle Tank
From our visit to the Imperial War Museum, Manchester. I was surprised at just how small these T-34 tanks were considering they successfully battled giant Nazi Tiger tanks in WWII. They came in to service in 1940 and were still in use in some armed services in the 1990's. They held a four man crew and were fast, but lightly protected and far outgunned by Tiger tanks. They defeated Nazi forces in the Battle of Kursk which was the largest tank-battle ever. They prevailed through valiant sacrifice (their Communist masters didn't care about anything except winning) and by sheer weight of numbers they wore down the world's best battle-tanks and signalled the end of the triumphant Nazi advance through the USSR. I recommend the superbly researched and very human novel, the Last Citadel, by David L. Robbins, to learn about the brave tank crews in this battle. He also tells about the heroic (and expendable) young girls who flew slow, unmanoueverable and highly flamable night-fighters, without parachutes, during this same conflict. The Nazis never stood a chance against their courage and superior numbers, coupled with the Russian winter.
These tanks were fairly primitive by the standards of the formidable German Panzers but were much easier to fix and cannibalise parts from. The commander stood up in the hatch and steered the tank by pushing the drivers shoulders with his feet to get him to turn in a direction. In the noise of battle and in the absence of radio communications, this was the quickest way to make a sudden turn and save the lives of you and your crew. The sloping armour helped to deflect shells hitting the tank, whereas the German Tigers had squarer, thicker and much heavier armour, hence they were slower and less mobile.