Russian Tanks 1900 1970

At the start of the campaign on the Eastern Front, in the earliest days of Operation Barbarossa, it was the German armour that swept all in front of it as the Wehrmacht drove eastwards in an unrelenting advance on Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad. The ill-prepared and under-resourced Russian forces were forced to retreat. Gradually, the balance of the war swung in favour of the Russian forces, whose strength both in numbers and equipment proved decisive in the ultimate defeat of the German forces in the east. Critical in the Soviet victory was its armour; tanks such as the T-34 proving the equal, if not better than, some of the tanks available to the Germans. This authoritative history of the Soviet forces before and during World War 2, reveals the development of their tactics in the early post-revolutionary era right through to the ultimate victory in Berlin in May 1945. The dramatic struggle of the tank crews against the German advance is told through some 200 contemporary photographs, many of which have never been seen before.The photographs include images of tank training in the 1920s and 1930s, on active service, and many compelling pictures from some of the major tank battles of the day. Over the past five years, aided by the opening up of archives in Russia previously closed to western experts, there has been a massive growth in interest in the events that occurred on the Eastern Front. Russian Tanks is an important addition to the literature currently available, exploring as it does, the vitally important Soviet armour of the period.

From an internationally acclaimed expert in the field comes a detailed, analytical and comprehensive account of the worldwide evolution of tanks, from their inception a century ago to the present day. With new ideas stemming from the latest academic research, this study presents a reappraisal of the development of tanks and their evolution during World War I and how the surge in technological development during World War II and the subsequent Cold War drove developments in armour in Europe and America, transforming tanks into fast, resilient and powerful fighting machines. From the primitive, bizarre-looking Mark V to the Matilda and from the menacing King Tiger to the superlative M1 Abrams, Professor Ogorkiewicz shows how tanks gradually acquired the enhanced capabilities that enabled them to become what they are today – the core of combined-arms, mechanized warfare.

About the evolution of the Soviet offensive doctrine during World War II. Where did this doctrine and armored formations that takes practice arise?. Why was the USSR as a nation which in 1940 developed a tank as advanced as the T-34?. 100 pages trying to answer these and other questions with a description of the principal armored vehicles and the formations in which were integrated from its beginnings in the Russian Empire until June 22, 1941.

There has been nothing published outside of Russia concerning the activities of its motor industry, by 1937 the Soviets had become the largest producers of motor vehicles in Europe, albeit with the help of Henry Ford The author decided to concentrate on the work of the pioneers in Czarist Russia, for their efforts were more diverse than those of their counterparts in the Soviet era. However, one Soviet motor car which was an indigenous product has been included to illustrate how the industry might have evolved if Henry Ford had not been approached. This is a comprehensive overview of all facets of vehicle production from the early days to the final demise of the Soviet Union. All the manufacturers of motor vehicles, certain accessories, military machines, and even aero engines are recorded in this unique book.

There are several historical instances of the problems caused when equipment is rushed in production and fielded too soon. A great example of this was the German rush to field the new Panther tank before the Battle of Kursk during the Second World War. Unlike the U. S. Army today, the Germans were trying to develop, test and field a major weapon system while fighting a war. It can be argued that the Panther tank was the finest tank built during the Second World War, but it certainly did not make its appearance on the battlefield with great distinction. The study of the Panther tank shows the dangers the U. S. Army faces today as the Army tests equipment that will digitize the battlefield. The Panther clearly shows three potential pitfalls of new equipment. These pitfalls are: •the user of the equipment must have input to the design and development, •new tactics were not formulated to capture the advantage of the new equipment, •logistics required for fielding the new equipment must be in place. Each of these pitfalls caused significant problems for the Panther tank. They can cause significantly more problems for the Army as the equipment being tested and fielded today will be used largely for command and control. Today’s U.S. Army has the potential to experience the pitfalls of the Panther. As the Army moves to digitize the battlefield it will use information technologies that it hopes will produce disproportional lethality...If we do not pay attention to the lessons learned from past fielding of equipment, and more importantly, the possible consequences of introducing equipment not yet fully tested to the field, the Army will create more problems for itself with the new technologies used in Force XXI.

The magazine of mobile warfare.

This deluxe 100+ page color guide includes Soviet WWII color profiles and a section with real photographs. This is a must have reference for the WWII Soviet Armor enthusiast. This book is complimented with a separate Soviet Vehicle Camouflage acrylic paint set (AK 561).