Video: Hetzer in Action

The Jagdpanzer 38(t) "Hetzer" tank destroyer at the Ontario Regiment Museum has been under restoration for the past several years. This year, the museum crew put the finishing touches on this vehicle and it was finally able to take part in the Aquino Tank Weekend event. Like many Hetzers in museums today, this is a post-war G-13, but thanks to a thorough restoration process it is nearly indistinguishable from the real deal.

Armoured Confusion: Victorious '45

There are many misconceptions about the use of tanks in 1945, same as any other period of the Great Patriotic War. These myths muddle the characteristics of tanks, their application, and sometimes even introduce tanks that were not there at all. The final chapter in the series dedicated to myths on Soviet armour in the Great Patriotic War is dedicated to this period.

Aquino Tank Weekend 2021

Aquino Tank Weekend at the Ontario Regiment Museum is back, and with it another fresh set of reenactments. This year's was a little bit different than before, featuring a newcomer: the Red Army with a T-34-85 tank!

Repair Crews

 "Order of the People's Commissar of Tank Production of the USSR #438s
Moscow
June 6th, 1942

For rapid repairs of hulls and turrets of T-34 tanks in front line conditions, I order that:

1. A repair base must be organized at the factory #37 branch in Moscow.
2. Acting Chief of the 3rd Directorate of the NKTP comrade Habahapashev must provide for technical repair organizations and ensure timely repairs according to requirements from the front and from the BTU.

Long Living IS

Production of the IS-2 ended in June of 1945. The IS-3 replaced it in production. The IS-3 was supposed to replace it in service as well, and many considered the IS-3 to be a temporary tank as well. However, plans and reality are often different. Like its successor, the IS-2 stuck around for decades after the end of its production, undergoing two waves of modernization, which will be covered in this article.

IS-4 Green Light

"State Committee of Defense Decree #5583ss
Moscow, Kremlin
April 8th, 1944

On production of experimental prototypes of a new heavy tank at the Kirov factory of the NKTP

The State Committee of Defense decrees that:

1. The NKTP is permitted to produce two prototypes of a new heavy tank and one hull at the Kirov factory in April of 1944 and conduct trials of the tanks and penetration trials of the hull jointly with the GBTU.

Video: Sherman Tanks of the Red Army Q&A

A few months ago, I did an AMA on Reddit dedicated to my new book, Sherman Tanks of the Red Army. Some questions came up repeatedly, so I decided to make a video about them. Enjoy!

Armoured Confusion: Mid-war

The history of Soviet wartime armoured vehicles bore several misconceptions. There are many reasons for this. A number of myths came from a lack of information. Sometimes historians' own guesses that had little to do with reality were interpreted as fact. Unfortunately, the authors of some myths are still considered experts to this day and these exercises in fiction are still cited as fact. Initially the author planned on two articles dedicated to misconceptions about the Great Patriotic War, but there were too many misconceptions for 1942-1943, and so the second article won't be the last.

Warspot Article: Shermans at Kursk

 The M4A2 tanks began arriving in the USSR in late 1942, but for various reasons they did not see action until the summer of 1943. The Battle of Kursk was one of the first major engagements these tanks were used in. Read how well they did in my latest article on Warspot.

85 mm for Dummies

 Death to German occupants!

Areas of

GERMAN TANKS

vulnerable to the 85 mm gun

Directorate of the Commander of the Armoured and Mechanized Forces of the Red Army
Military publisher of the USSR NKO, Moscow, 1944