Two overturned Matilda II tanks near Volokolamsk, 1 December 1941. Allied Lend-Lease tanks played a significant role in armoured operations on the Eastern Front in 1941–42, even though post-war Russian historians have down-played the impact of military aid from the Western Allies. (RIAN Novosti, #881048)
A T-34 tank moving at speed in deep snow. The T-34 had been developed to operate in winter conditions and could maneuver through areas that German tanks could not operate in. (Author)
The crew of a Pz.III tank from the 14.Panzer-Division watch German infantry clearing a village, mid-1942. German tank commanders were trained to operate ‘unbuttoned’ as much as possible, in order to improve situational awareness. This was feasible on the steppe, but not in cities or heavily wooded areas. (Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-748–0088–02A, Foto: Schmidt/Geyer)
The interior of Hube’s command vehicle, 16.Panzer-Division. The real secret of the panzer-division’s power was based upon the use of radios for effective command and control, which repeatedly enabled them to out-fight numerically-superior foes. (Author)
A Pz.III tank from 11.Panzer-Division in action during the opening stages of Operation Blau, 28–30 June 1942. This photo gives a good impression of a ‘tanker’s-eye’ view on the open steppe and the difficulty of spotting armoured vehicles in tall grass. (Author)
An 8.8cm flak gun employing direct fire against Soviet armour. Note that the flak gun is still limbered, which increases its height, but enables it to come into action more clearly. Unlike the British army, which eventually discovered that the best way to counter the deadly 8.8-cm flak gun was to smother it with indirect fire, Soviet armoured units had very limited organic artillery support in 1941–42. (Author)
A Pz.IV tank destroyed during the Second Battle of Kharkov in May 1942. This tank, which has suffered an internal explosion, would be listed as ‘totalausfall’, but many tanks that were knocked out were repairable. German panzer units were expert at battlefield recovery. (Ian Barter)
The introduction of the Pz.III Ausf J with long 5cm gun provided the panzer-divisions with a much-needed boost in antitank firepower. However, most of these improved models were concentrated in the units sent to Stalingrad, which misused them in urban combat. (Ian Barter)
An American-built Lend-Lease M3 Lee tank, shattered by 8.8cm anti-tank fire. The Red Army did not like the high-silhouette Lee tank, which was easily spotted by German anti-tank gunners. (Ian Barter)
The Germans introduced the Tiger I heavy tank in August 1942, but it was only available in token numbers and initially had no significant impact on operations. The Tiger I began a trend of new German armoured fighting vehicles sacrificing mobility in favor of increased firepower and protection – which gradually deprived the panzer divisions of their ability to move long distances on their own tracks. (Ian Barter)
A T-34 tank moving over rough terrain with infantry in desant role. At the tactical level, the Red Army was beginning to learn and implement better tank-infantry cooperation in late 1942, although true combined arms warfare was still beyond the capability of all but Guards Armoured units. (Author)
The arrival of the Pz.IV Ausf G with long 7.5cm cannon in mid-1942 was a game-changer for armoured warfare on the Eastern Front. After a year of having a major firepower disadvantage against the T-34, the panzer-divisions finally had a tank that could engage the best Soviet armour with confidence. (Author)
A KV-1 heavy tank that overran a German reconnaissance car at the Battle of Ostrov. Soviet heavy tank units aggressively plowed into German formations, with a sense of invincibility, but often came to grief against the simplest obstacles. (Author)
A German Tauchpanzer III in testing. These diving tanks had been developed for use in Operation Sea Lion in 1940, but they were used in the assault crossing of the Bug River in the opening hours of Barbarossa. (Author)
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—— Barbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk, 10 July–10 September 1941 (Solihull, UK: Helion & Co. Ltd, 2010).
—— From the Don to the Dnepr (London: Frank Cass, 1991).
—— The Initial Period of War on the Eastern Front, 22 June–August 1941 (London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd, 1993).
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