Heavy Tanks vs Heavy Guns

Valeriy Lisyutin posted an interesting set of photos recently, one of which was a knocked out Tiger. These aren't particularly interesting on their own, but it had two things that are usually hard to find: a date and a place. I decided to investigate.

From Medium Assault Gun to Medium Tank Destroyer

Development of armoured vehicles in many nations proceeds in parallel. A clear example of this is the creation of German and Soviet medium SPGs. Initially, Soviet SPGs were built as tank destroyers. Later, under the influence of the German StuG III Ausf. B, the medium assault gun program was launched, which gave birth to the SU-122. By this time, the Germans had modernized the StuG III and transformed it into primarily a tank destroyer. This SPG was known as the StuG 40. In the USSR this process took longer, as there was no gun to combat German heavy tanks until the spring of 1943. That is when the SU-85 appeared, the most numerous Soviet medium SPG used in the war.

Up-Armoured T-34s

"Changes and simplifications of the hull and turret

On November 25th, 1941, the factory moved to a simplified hull. The mechanical cutting of the rabbets was simplified. The stamping of the lower rear plate (part 34.29.007) was also simplified. The full album of bluprints and technical requirements were sent out in the first few days of February.

According to the decree of the Committee of Defense the factory should have began building tanks with applique armour on the hulls and turrets by January 15th, 1942. In practice the first hull with applique armour was produced on February 25th, and the first turret on February 21st. In total there were 80 hulls and 109 turrets built with applique armour.

Situational Awareness

"Instructions for tank watchers

1. Tank watchers are selected from each battery to warn about the approach of tanks. They are placed in important directions no closer than 800-1000 meters to their positions.
   The tank watchers are subordinate to the battery commander and battery duty officer. 

British Demo

By the summer of 1941 the British were still struggling to equip their army with modern anti-tank weapons in the face of a German invasion, which was considered all but a certainty. This rush resulted in a number of weapons, from more conventional anti-tank cannons to rifle grenades and bombards. The comparison of the weapons' effectiveness is fairly predictable.

Tanks Review

"Exchange of experience in using tank weapons in the Patriotic War

The use of tanks in battle, especially in the winter offensive of 1943, showed several peculiarities of using tanks in battle, their advantages and disadvantages.

1. Typical distances for firing from a T-34 tank from standstill in defense or ambush is 1000 meters. When firing on the move or from short stops during offensive action the distance is the same.
   The practical rate of fire of the 45 mm gun is 3-4 RPM. For the DT it is one disk (63 rounds) per minute. From the 76 mm gun it is 16-17 RPM. In a cohesive crew the radio operator can help hand ammunition into the turret without being distracted from his work.
   

Long Awaited Tank Destroyer

History often moves in a spiral. The story of Soviet medium SPGs illustrates this fact well. In the summer of 1940, when development of SPGs on the T-34 chassis began, a tank destroyer was one of them. In the spring of 1942, the concept of the SPG changed, and the SU-122 was born. However, in May of 1943 a mobile means of defeating enemy tanks in the medium weight category was needed. On August 8th, 1943, more than three years after the request for a medium tank destroyer came through, the SU-85 was finally accepted into service with the Red Army. How well did Soviet industry deal with the vehicle that came to replace the SU-122, and how did it perform the tasks given to it on the battlefield?

Staples

Checking for tiny inaccuracies to detect forged documents is a pretty common phenomenon. Soviet counterintelligence had it down to an art. Forged documents confiscated from captured spies were analyzed for more signs to be used in the future.

"Party membership booklet: bright red cover with barely noticeable stripes. Rough and blurry font. The staples are made from stainless steel. The photo is printed on glossy paper."

Industrial Accident

"Unscheduled report of an extraordinary event

Unit: GBTU Scientific Research Proving Grounds

Region: MVO

Event: wound during trials

Time: 10:00 August 8th, 1944

Location: shooting range of the NIBT Proving Grounds, Kubinka station, Western Railroad

Victims:

Rank and position	Name	Year of birth	Nationality	Education	Social status	Party affiliation	Place of birth	Nature of wound
Sergeant Loader	Toldykin, Fedor Pavlovich	1924	Russian	7 grades	Kolkhoz farmer	VLKSM	Sorochkinsk, Chkalov oblast	Ragged forehead wound
Sr. Sergeant Gunner	Butorov, Ilya Innokentivich	1922	Russian	5 grades	Worker	VLKSM	Bysherovo, Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic	Minor head bruise

Description of the event:

On August 8th, 1944, at 10:00 when testing the effect of the D-25 122 mm gun (#266-44) installed on an experimental ISU-122 #249 against armoured hulls, the gun fired unexpectedly when loaded during the fourth shot, as a result of which the recoil of the gun wounded the loader Sergeant Toldykin (ragged forehead wound) and gunner Senior Sergeant Butorov, who received a minor bruise on the forehead."

CAMD RF 81-12038-312 p.373

Detailed Trials

"Approved by the Commander of Artillery of the 38th Army, Major-General of Artillery Likhachev

June 31st, 1944

Plan of firing trials demonstrating penetration ability against enemy T-4 and Panther tanks held by the 9th Guards Independent Kiev Order of Lenin Order of the Red Banner Tank Destroyer Artillery Brigade of the Supreme Command Reserve, as an element of the 38th Army

Held on June 4th, 5th, and 6th, 1944

Objective of the firing trials demonstration:

1. To illustrate to the NCO and private ranks the effectiveness of various types of shells fired from domestic weapons against enemy tanks.
2. To establish the penetration of weapons and the best distance from which to fire.
3. To inspire confidence in the power of our artillery against tanks.
4. To demonstrate the weak points of enemy tanks.
5. The demonstrate the effectiveness of dense fire of the small arms of an anti-tank battery against enemy submachinegunners that are advancing on the observation post.