Panzer III vs T-34: Eastern Front 1941 (Duel, 136)

History

Samsonov, Peter

Europe

Osprey_Publishing

Hetzer vs SU-76M: Hungary 1945 (Duel, 149)

When the German army launched Operation Barbarossa – the invasion of the Soviet Union – on June 22, 1941, it was expecting to face and easily defeat outdated and obsolete tanks and for the most part it did, but it also received a nasty shock when it came up against the T-34. With its powerful gun and sloped armor, the T-34 was more than a match for the best German tanks at that time and the Germans regarded it with awe. German Field Marshal von Kleist, who commanded the latter stages of Barbarossa, called it ‘the finest tank in the world’. Using original wartime documents author and historian Peter Samsonov, creator of the Tank Archives blog, explains how the Soviets came to develop what was arguably the war’s most revolutionary tank design.

Designing the T-34: Genesis of the Revolutionary Soviet Tank

Military

Gallantry

Product Description 
More than 4000 examples of the famous diesel-fueled M4A2 Sherman tank were sent to the Soviet Union during the Second World War under the Lead-Lease program. These American-built vehicles were operated by Red Army crews against the Germans during some of the bitterest fighting on the Eastern Front – yet despite serving with distinction and being well-liked by their crews, relatively little has been written about these vehicles until now. Tank expert Peter Samsonov looks at the origins of the M4A2 in Soviet service and the machines that were received from the US as well as providing a detailed assessment of how they fared in combat on the front line. 
 Review 
"...an important contribution to the literature on the Sherman in WW2. It is well-written, well-organized and best of all, well-researched."\nAMPS \n"...will be of interest to modelers planning on building a Sherman..."\nAMPS Indianapolis \n"Enjoyed it."\nHistorical Miniatures Gaming Society 
 About the Author 
Peter Samsonov is a Canadian tank historian who runs the renowned Tank Archives blog.

Sherman Tanks of the Red Army

The first encounter between British armour and the Red Army was not on friendly terms - with the British sending surplus tanks to reinforce the pro-monarchy White Army in the Russian Civil War. When the Reds won, war trophy Mark V heavy tanks as well as medium Mk.A Whippets and Mk.B Hornets entered service with the RKKA. As the political landscape changed during the 1920s, the Red Army assessed British designs available for export and a licensed copy of the Vickers Mk.E entered production in 1931 as the T-26. During the early days of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, armour losses were huge and the Red Army once again looked abroad to acquire new fighting vehicles. A large-scale programme of military aid to the USSR began in August 1941, with the US and Britain offering help under separate terms - though not for free. A deal was struck and Convoy PQ-1 with the first 20 British tanks for the Red Army left for Arkhangelsk on September 29, 1941. These tanks arrived in time to take place in the Battle of Moscow and as shipments continued, British armoured vehicles would remain in service with the Red Army until the conclusion of the Second World War nearly four years later. A wide range of British vehicles served under the Red flag during the war - ranging from Matildas and Valentines to Churchills and even Tetrarch light tanks. In British Tanks of the Red Army, tank expert Peter Samsonov presents a history of British tanks in the Soviet Union and provides a detailed account of their use on the battlefield, including what the Red Army tankers thought of them.

British Tanks of the Red Army

The IS-2 is the quintessential Soviet heavy tank from World War 2. Heavily armored and boasting a fearsome 122mm gun, this tank matched the German panzers on the Eastern front by more than just its fierce appearance. This tank’s history is told from the beginning of the Soviet heavy tank programme until the very end of World War 2, in the most detailed and complete account of its development, design and production available in English. Supported by extensive research of Russian language sources, this publication includes a comprehensive breakdown of prototypes, the Soviet analysis of weaknesses in German tanks including the Tiger and Panther, the development of the 122mm gun, the principles of the new tank’s armor layout and a wealth of technical data.

IS-2 - Development, Design & Production of Stalin's War Hammer

Military History Group

ACHTUNG TIGER!: How The Allies Defeated Germany’s Heavy Tank

Pöhlmann, Markus

Raths, Ralf

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