y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 1 41年苏军机械化军的装备很厉害呀，相当于德军的一个坦克集团军，一个整编机械化军
大约有1000辆坦克，整体质量优于德军：
KV 〉4型
T-34 〉3型
BT-7/T-26 〉1/2型
看来德军的失败是必然的。
2nd Mechanised Corps
Tanks of the corps were transferred to Kotovsk. Corps number of tanks: 10 KV
, 46 T-34, 275 BT-7, 38 T-26, 9 KhT (Flame throwers), 13 T-37/38. 15th
Motorised Division was subordinated to the 48th Rifle Corps (till July, 18).
On 22 June 1941 3rd Mechanised Corps had 31,975 men & 651 Tanks (110 New T-
34 & Kv-1s).[4]
on July 1, 1941, the operational strength of the 8th Mechanized Corps, now
comprising the 12th Tank and 7th Motorized Divisions, amounted to 19,000 men
, 21 armored cars and 207 tanks, including 43 KVs, 31 T-34s, 69 BT-7s, 57 T-
26s and 7 T-40s
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/rkkaww2/formation/mechcorps/2mk.
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/rkkaww2/formation/mechcorps/tabl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Mechanised_Corps_%28Soviet_Uni | H****r
发帖数: 16240 | 2 ……打旗语联络的装甲兵
41年正好所有的45炮都暴露出穿甲弹质量问题，正焦头烂额中
跟你说了去买一套cmbb回来玩玩
立马就体会到多少毫米装甲多少毫米口径这些数字之外的东西了
KV
).
【在 y****i 的大作中提到】
: 41年苏军机械化军的装备很厉害呀，相当于德军的一个坦克集团军，一个整编机械化军
: 大约有1000辆坦克，整体质量优于德军：
: KV 〉4型
: T-34 〉3型
: BT-7/T-26 〉1/2型
: 看来德军的失败是必然的。
: 2nd Mechanised Corps
: Tanks of the corps were transferred to Kotovsk. Corps number of tanks: 10 KV
: , 46 T-34, 275 BT-7, 38 T-26, 9 KhT (Flame throwers), 13 T-37/38. 15th
: Motorised Division was subordinated to the 48th Rifle Corps (till July, 18).
| y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 3 有意思，
这些数字之外的东西 是神马？
【在 H****r 的大作中提到】
: ……打旗语联络的装甲兵
: 41年正好所有的45炮都暴露出穿甲弹质量问题，正焦头烂额中
: 跟你说了去买一套cmbb回来玩玩
: 立马就体会到多少毫米装甲多少毫米口径这些数字之外的东西了
:
: KV
: ).
| H****r
发帖数: 16240 | | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | | c****g
发帖数: 37081 | | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 8 德军没有flak88的时候，kv算神话吧
【在 c****g 的大作中提到】
: kv就是个失败的典型。
| H****r
发帖数: 16240 | 9 跟你说了让你自己去试试
【在 y****i 的大作中提到】
: 不过对kv系列来说，这些好像都可有可无，有木有？
| c****g
发帖数: 37081 | 10 啥神话。坦克是防御、火力、机动的综合。KV, 虎是练了葵花宝典。T34才是真正的经
典。
【在 y****i 的大作中提到】
: 德军没有flak88的时候，kv算神话吧
| | | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 11 KV, 虎轻挑T34
【在 c****g 的大作中提到】
: 啥神话。坦克是防御、火力、机动的综合。KV, 虎是练了葵花宝典。T34才是真正的经
: 典。
| c****g
发帖数: 37081 | 12 你不懂就甭出来现了。
【在 y****i 的大作中提到】
: KV, 虎轻挑T34
| T*****n
发帖数: 18811 | 13 这不瞎扯吗？这么厉害还会被德国人打个稀烂？
尤其是T-26那类玩意儿，打打日本人还凑活
碰到德国人，完全就是活棺材
几百辆几百辆地往火坑里填
KV
).
【在 y****i 的大作中提到】
: 41年苏军机械化军的装备很厉害呀，相当于德军的一个坦克集团军，一个整编机械化军
: 大约有1000辆坦克，整体质量优于德军：
: KV 〉4型
: T-34 〉3型
: BT-7/T-26 〉1/2型
: 看来德军的失败是必然的。
: 2nd Mechanised Corps
: Tanks of the corps were transferred to Kotovsk. Corps number of tanks: 10 KV
: , 46 T-34, 275 BT-7, 38 T-26, 9 KhT (Flame throwers), 13 T-37/38. 15th
: Motorised Division was subordinated to the 48th Rifle Corps (till July, 18).
| y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 14 KV是同国的，战例没有，只是从性能上说, 虎轻挑T34，例子很多，
呵呵，你不要太悲愤诺
【在 c****g 的大作中提到】
: 你不懂就甭出来现了。
| y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 15 没见同级比吗？
BT-7/T-26轻挑1/2型 | c****g
发帖数: 37081 | 16 从国家的角度，用虎做主要装备是北卡。想赢战争，T34才是王道。
【在 y****i 的大作中提到】
: KV是同国的，战例没有，只是从性能上说, 虎轻挑T34，例子很多，
: 呵呵，你不要太悲愤诺
| y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 17 如果德军后来还是有空优，虎王可以轻易挡住东西两线的钢铁洪流。
【在 c****g 的大作中提到】
: 从国家的角度，用虎做主要装备是北卡。想赢战争，T34才是王道。
| y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 18 但是苏联飞机都被炸了，德军有空优。
【在 T*****n 的大作中提到】
: 这不瞎扯吗？这么厉害还会被德国人打个稀烂？
: 尤其是T-26那类玩意儿，打打日本人还凑活
: 碰到德国人，完全就是活棺材
: 几百辆几百辆地往火坑里填
:
: KV
: ).
| y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 19 当时德国大量购买苏联自然资源，交换条件是最先进的武器，如果苏联军队整编完毕，
加上德国大量最先进的武器，苏联就会停止卖自然资源。德国就如同日本一样等死。其
实如果巴巴罗萨晚一年，苏军的机械化军就会有20个，还会有大量的新型坦克，那时苏
军发动突袭，德国陆军抗不住。 | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | | | | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 21 杜比萨河阻击战：一辆KV—2重型坦克的奇迹
在德国发动人侵苏联的“巴巴罗萨”计划的第二天，四41 年6 月23 日，苏军的KV 坦
克即在立陶宛境内和德军发生激战。当时驻守的苏联西北方面军司令F • 工库兹
涅佐夫上将手里有2 个兵力不足的机械化军：库尔金少将（Gen . MaJ . Kurkin ）的
第3 机械化军拥有Kv 一1 、KV 一2 坦克共52 辆，而谢斯特巴洛夫少将（Gen •
MaJ • shestopaiov ）的第12 机械化军没有重型坦克。因此第3 机械化军被分
为若干个战斗集群，有KV 重型坦克的第2 坦克师跟随第12 机械化军前往杜比萨河方向
（Dubissa river ）阻击正沿干道－一提尔西特• 绍利亚（刊sit 一shadiya ）
大街前进的德军，而第5 坦克师则急行军赶赴亚里多斯市郊。
E·N ·索利亚良金少将（Gen . MaJ . E . N . Solyaiyankin ）的第2 坦克师在绍利
亚大街和正在猛冲的德国第4 装甲集群属下第6 装甲师正面撞击，红军的80 辆BT 快速
坦克在20 辆KV 坦克（各型）和T 一34 坦克的支援下发起进攻，德军主力为35 ( t )
轻型坦克和装备短身管火炮、用作火力支援的早期IV 号坦克。
当时第6 装甲师的上司― 德国第41 装甲军军长莱因哈特将军事后回忆道：“这次迎击
战中，我军的100 辆坦克中有三分之一是IV 号坦克，我们的坦克向步步开上街道的怪
物（KV 坦克）进行三方向射击，根本没有用，我们的坦克象骨牌一样被打倒！”
被俄罗斯巨人们阻挡的我军坦克为了避免损失扩大，而开始后撤，俄国人的巨型坦克排
成梯形攻击队形继续向我们开来，其中一辆勉强越过湿地向我军坦克进行撞击。就在这
时我军的150 毫米榴弹炮（注：原文如此）才姗姗来迟，在遭到了一些损失之后我们的
炮兵才开始反击。”
德军开始调用炮兵轰击，但是KV 坦克仍步步紧逼，1 门德军150 毫米榴弹炮在100 米
距离击中1 辆KV 坦克（没有型号说明），它马上停下了，但是正当德军庆祝胜利时，
KV 坦克再次启动并且在目瞪口呆的德国炮兵面前压扁了榴弹炮，继续前进。德军35 (
t ）坦克的37 毫米炮等同于儿戏，而德军一直信赖的IV 号坦克的24 倍口径75 毫米火
炮也对KV 坦克不起作用，从这仗之后，37 毫米炮在德军中得到了“敲门砖－的谐称，
而工V 号坦克的短身管火炮被恼怒的德军坦克兵骂成是“木头桩子”。此次街道战斗中
，苏联第2 坦克师共摧毁40 辆德军坦克，压毁、击毁德军37 毫米和105 毫米以上火炮
共40 门，需要指出的是：红军第2 坦克师的一些KV 坦克事实上没有炮弹，开出来就是
专门压火炮的。
街头怪兽
为了和在拉斯叶尼亚（Rasieinyai ）北部的第12 机械化军会合，苏军第2 坦克师在正
午之前脱离战场，当时该师已经用完了几乎所有弹药、燃料，很多旧坦克由于过度的行
军路程而发生故障，为了分配备用燃料弹药和进行维修，需要一个相对安全的环境，为
了防止德国第6 装甲师的追赶，他们开始向杜比萨河上游行军。而德军第6 装甲师已占
领拉斯叶尼亚，并且在杜比萨河构筑了2 个以上的桥头堡。为了打破这些桥头堡，苏军
第2 坦克师准备进行反击，为了切断拉斯叶尼亚市内德军和河边德军的联系，师长索利
亚良金少将调拨1 辆带足弹药的KV 一2 坦克和一些步兵前往阻截。德军的1 个装甲营
位于留得维莱北部的桥头堡，而另1 个则在遥远的杜比萨河下游，都装备35 ( t ）轻
型坦克。6 月23 日下午，北部桥头堡的装甲营自作主张地认为红军会发起背后袭击，
调拨第41 坦克歼击营的一部分反坦克炮和第76 炮兵营的105 毫米炮防守自己的南侧。
这时KV 一2 插了进来，将这个营孤立在桥头堡一侧。
6 月24 日清晨，德军救援纵队从拉斯叶尼亚市出发企图和桥头堡联系，KV 一2 坦克首
先击毁12 辆德军卡车，挡住了通往两个桥头堡的道路，同时第2 坦克师主力正在和北
部桥头堡的德军发生血战，在得到KV 一2 坦克第一次阻击胜利的报告后，第2 坦克师
士气大涨，攻势进一步加强。德国第6 装甲师立即呼叫友邻王牌部队― 第1 装甲师对
阻挡道路的KV 一2 坦克进行侧面袭击。24 日下午，第1 装甲师派出6 门崭新的50 毫
米PaK38 反坦克炮和精选炮手班组向KV 一2 隐蔽前进，在550 米距离架设阵地开炮猛
轰，德军共射击7 发，全部命中，但没有给KV 一2 造成任何损害。KV 一2 随后开火将
这6 门火炮全部摧毁。
德军决定使用更大的火炮，位于拉斯叶尼亚近郊的第298 高射炮营的1 「1 88 毫米炮
经过精心伪装后，由牵引车拖曳接近KV 一2 。为了隐藏自己，德国人躲在卡车残骸后
面慢慢前进，但是KV 一2 的乘员凭借直觉将炮塔一直跟随他们活动。在接近到900 米
时，德军炮兵开始布设阵地，此时KV 一2 连续两炮接连摧毁了德军火炮和牵引车。一
些德军冲上来试图拖回伤兵，但KV一2 的机枪火力使得他们无法接近。
日夜间，德军出动工兵第57 装甲工兵营的一个特遣队趁着夜幕葡旬前进，用双倍于通
常用量的炸药对KV 一2 车体进行爆破。KV 一2 没有被摧毁，反而机枪猛烈扫射，德军
无法抬头只得爬了回去，只有一个工兵前往确认爆炸效果，发现炸药虽然炸断了履带，
但是对装甲丝毫没起作用，他在离开前用小型炸药包对KV 一2 的152 毫米火炮进行爆
破，但同样收效甚微。
孤掌难鸣
有必要提一下红军主力的最后战斗：在德国第6 装甲师被一辆KV 一2 弄得团团转的同
时，扭回头赶来从西侧增援的德国第1 装甲师和苏联第12 机械化军、第2 坦克师在北
部沼泽地带发生开战以来列宁格勒战线最大规模的坦克战。第1 装甲师作为德国陆军精
英，装备较好的m 号、工v 号坦克，但是同样无法撼动KV 坦克的装甲。
该师第l 装甲团的一名士兵描述道：
" 6 月24 日，在通往列宁格勒的大路上遭遇可怕的KV 一1 和Kv 一2 坦克，我们连从
800 米距离开始射击，什么反应都没有。直到50 米距离，我们的炮弹还是被弹飞，KV
坦克根本不看我们，从我们身边开了过去攻击步兵。结果我们必须掉头在后面追赶！直
到30 米距离上，我们才能用PzGr40 钨芯穿甲弹从后面打破其中一些！"
但由于红军大多为老旧的BT 坦克和T 一26 坦克，加上德军第6 装甲师也在高地配置火
炮和35 ( t ）坦克进行夹击，红军最终在6 月24 日傍晚战败。德军调查后记录当地共
有29 辆KV 一1 和KV 一2 坦克被摧毁，但大多是陷进软湿地区等技术原因，其中一辆
被击中70 炮以上，无一贯穿！而德军第113 装甲掷弹团第37 坦克歼击营的37 毫米反
坦克炮全部被压毁。但这种直接冲撞当然不单是勇猛的表现，弹药的匾乏和训练情况的
恶劣致使许多红军车组无法对德军反坦克炮阵地进行有效的反击，而往往采取直接履带
碾压的方式解决。
由于北侧的红军已经失败，德第6 装甲师派出一个35 ( t ）坦克排在6 月25 日从桥头
堡出击，开到了那辆孤独的KV 一2 驻守的十字路口，并隐藏在灌木丛中。此时在十字
路口另一侧，德军从拉斯叶尼亚市再次运来1 门88 毫米高炮，为了分散苏联坦克兵的
注意力，35 ( t ）坦克排在后面不断地向它射击，正面的88 毫米炮趁机进人位置并连
续6 炮命中KV 一2 坦克。坦克并没有起火燃烧，而35 ( t ）上的德国坦克兵纷纷跳下
来确认战果，令他们大惊失色的是：6 枚88 毫米炮弹只有2 枚击穿了KV 一2 的装甲，
另外确认到7 个很浅的凹坑，这是50 毫米炮弹留下的。此时KV 一2 的炮塔开始转动，
最后随行的德军工兵撬开KV 一2 炮塔后部舱盖，投人几个手榴弹杀死了乘员。
仅仅1 辆KV 一2 坦克，竟然将德军2 个装甲师阻挡了整整48 小时，成功地拖住了德国
第4 装甲集群对列宁格勒的推进步伐，可以说这场战斗对德军心理上造成的巨大震撼更
甚于物质上的。
在杜比萨河阻击德军两个装甲师长达48 小时的传奇KV 一2 坦克，德军宣传部队（PK
部队）正在将详细情况摄制下来。 | l******a
发帖数: 3803 | 22 WIKI上的这个列宁格勒外围战斗也很NB!
五辆KV-1干掉43个德国坦克。
Krasnogvardeysk
On August 14, 1941, the vanguard of the German 8th Panzer Division
approached Krasnogvardeysk (Gatchina) near Leningrad (St Petersburg), and
the only Soviet force available at the time to attempt to stop the German
advance consisted of five well-hidden KV-1 tanks, dug in within a grove at
the edge of a swamp. KV-1 tank no. 864 was commanded by the leader of this
small force, Lieutenant Zinoviy Kolobanov.
German tank vanguard attack plan and positions of three soviet KV-1 tanks
Soviet newspaper article of 1941
German forces attacked Krasnogvardeysk from three directions. Near Noviy
Uchkhoz settlement the geography favoured the Soviet defenders as the only
road in the region passed the swamp, and the defenders commanded this choke
point from their hidden position. Lieutenant Kolobanov had carefully studied
the situation and readied his detachment the day before. Each KV-1 tank
carried twice the normal amount of ammunition, two-thirds being armour-
piercing rounds. Kolobanov ordered his other commanders to hold their fire
and await orders. He did not want to reveal the total force, so only one
exposed tank at a time would engage the enemy.
On August 14, the German 8th Panzer Division's vanguard ventured directly
into the well-prepared Soviet ambush, with Kolobanov's tank knocking out the
lead German tank with its first shot. The Germans falsely assumed that their
lead tank had hit an anti-tank mine, and failed to realize that they had
been ambushed. The German column stopped, giving Kolobanov the opportunity
to destroy the second tank. Only then did the Germans realize they were
under attack, but they failed to find the source of the shots. While the
German tanks were firing blindly, Kolobanov knocked out the trailing German
tank, thus boxing in the entire column.
Although the Germans correctly guessed the direction of fire, they could
only spot Lieutenant Kolobanov's tank, and now attempted to engage an unseen
enemy. German tanks moving off the road bogged down in the surrounding soft
ground, becoming easy targets. 22 German tanks and 2 towed artillery pieces
fell victim to Kolobanov's No. 864 before it ran out of ammunition.
Kolobanov ordered in another KV-1, and 21 more German tanks were destroyed
before the half-hour battle ended. A total of 43 German tanks were destroyed
by just five Soviet KV-1s (two more remained in reserve).
After the battle, the crew of No. 864 counted a total of 135 hits on their
tank, none of which had penetrated the KV-1's armour. Lieutenant Kolobanov
was awarded the Order of Lenin, while his driver Usov was awarded the Order
of the Red Banner. Later on, former Captain Zinoviy Kolobanov was again
decorated by Soviet authorities, despite having been convicted and
downgraded after the Winter War for "fraternizing with the enemy." After the
end of World War II, Lieutenant Kolobanov served in the Soviet occupation
zone in East Germany, where he was convicted again when a subordinate
escaped to the British occupation zone, and was transferred to the reserves.
The battle for Krasnogvardeysk was covered up by Soviet propaganda. A
monument dedicated to this battle was installed in the village of Noviy
Uchkhoz in 1980, at the place where Kolobanov's KV-1 was dug in, due solely
to the demands of the villagers. Unfortunately it was impossible to find a
KV-1 tank, so an IS-2 heavy tank was installed there instead.[14]
The Soviet victory was the result of a well-planned ambush in advantageous
ground and of technical superiority. Most of the German tanks in this battle
were Panzer IIs, armed with 20 mm guns, and a few Panzer IIIs armed with 37
mm KwK 36 L/46.5 guns. The German tank guns had neither the range nor the
power of the 76 mm main gun of a KV-1, and the narrower track width of the
German tanks caused them to become trapped in the swampy ground. | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 23 其实只用了两辆，其余是预备队
【在 l******a 的大作中提到】
: WIKI上的这个列宁格勒外围战斗也很NB!
: 五辆KV-1干掉43个德国坦克。
: Krasnogvardeysk
: On August 14, 1941, the vanguard of the German 8th Panzer Division
: approached Krasnogvardeysk (Gatchina) near Leningrad (St Petersburg), and
: the only Soviet force available at the time to attempt to stop the German
: advance consisted of five well-hidden KV-1 tanks, dug in within a grove at
: the edge of a swamp. KV-1 tank no. 864 was commanded by the leader of this
: small force, Lieutenant Zinoviy Kolobanov.
: German tank vanguard attack plan and positions of three soviet KV-1 tanks
| y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 24 The first appearance of the Tiger on the Eastern Front was unsuccessful. The
first Tigers were issued to the 1st platoon of the 502 Battalion of Heavy
Tanks (Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502). On the 29th of August 1942, the four
Tigers arrived at the Mga railway station near Leningrad. Early that day,
the tanks were unloaded and prepared for battle. At 11:00 AM, the Tigers
went into their battle positions. Major Richard Merker commanded the platoon
, which included four Tigers, six PzKpfw III Ausf. L and J, two infantry
companies and several trucks of the technical support unit. A representative
of the Henshel firm - Hans Franke accompanied this unit in a VW Kubelwagen
right behind the first Tiger. After the attack, the error in trying to use
the heavy Tiger in ground so soft was realized, for their maneuverability
was hampered.
The Russian infantry retreated, and their artillery opened heavy fire to
cover the troops. Major Merker’s unit, divided into two groups, started to
attack on two parallel side roads. Very soon the first Tiger was abandoned
because of transmission failure. The second one was abandoned a few minutes
later after engine failure. In spite of Russian fire, the Henschel
representative started to inspect the tanks, but very soon Merker came by
with his Tiger and said that the third tank was disabled because the
steering control failed. During the night, all three damaged Tigers were
evacuated using Sd Kfz 9 prime movers-three per tank. Fortunately for the
Germans, the Russians could not take any action to capture the disabled
tanks. After the inspection, spare parts for the Tigers were delivered by
plane from the Henshel plant in Kassel and on the 15th of September all four
Tigers were repaired and ready for action.
The second action of the Tigers was no better than the first. On the 22nd of
September, four Tigers, supported by PzKpfw III tanks, were to accompany
the 170th Infantry Division in attacking the 2nd Soviet Army. The terrain
was very bad, the ground was too soft after the rains, and Major Merker
opposed the use of Tigers in this operation. After a direct order from
Hitler, the Tigers went into battle. Very soon after the attack began, the
first Tiger received a direct hit in the front armor plate. The shell did
not penetrate, but the engine stopped and there was no time to restart it.
The crew abandoned the Tiger and threw hand grenades into the fighting
compartment. The other three Tigers reached the Russian trenches, but very
soon were damaged by Russian artillery crossfire as they lost
maneuverability on the soft ground. Later on, the three Tigers were
evacuated, and German engineers destroyed the fourth in order to prevent its
capture.
Soviet SU-122 medium assault gun armed with 122mm howitzer.
General Guderian: "It was not only the heavy losses, it was the loss of
secrecy and suprise in the future".
The Tigers were successful in their third battle. On the 12th of January
1943, the 502nd supported the 96th Infantry Division opposing an attack of
Russian tanks. Four Tigers destroyed 12 T-34/76 tanks and the rest of the
Soviet tanks were forced to retreat.
On the 16th of January 1943, the Russians captured their first Tiger during
a German attack near the Shlisselburg on the Leningrad front. The captured
tank was immediately delivered to the Kubinka Proving Grounds and inspected
by Soviet Engineers. The Tiger was no longer a new secret weapon.
In early 1943, the Red Army had no weapon comparable to the firepower of the
Tiger’s 8.8cm KwK 36 L/56 gun or its heavy armor. For close combat, the
Red Army Infantry had the PTRD-41 and PTRS-41 anti-tank rifles which had a 1
.2 meter-long barrel firing 14.5 mm shells with tungsten cores. This weapon
was not able to knock out the Tiger, but, in the right hands, could destroy
the tank’s optic devices or damage the suspension. Nevertheless, it was
effectively useless against the heavy German tanks, and later on Soviet
troops used captured Panzerfausts.
Soviet IS-2 heavy tank armed with 122mm gun.
Artillery was the main weapon of the Red Army. Not all Russian cannon types
could penetrate Tiger’s armor, but concentrating the fire of all possible
guns on the tanks could heavily damage them, even to the point of stopping
the engine or detonating the ammunition. The 76.2mm ZIS-3 cannon, using anti
-tank shells, could penetrate Tiger side armor (at 300-400 meters) or
destroy the running gear, while it couldn’t penetrate the frontal armor.
Because of poor maneuverability, the Tiger could be an easy target for an
anti-tank gun in defense. Only the 85mm anti-aircraft gun and especially
122mm A-19 cannon could destroy the Tiger at extended ranges. The Soviets
made many anti-tank guns, up to 100mm in bore diameter, by the end of the
war.
Otto Carius: "Even the Americans, whom I would know very well on the Western
Front later on, can not be compared with Russians. The Ivans fired on our
positions with all kinds of artillery, from light mortars up to heavy
howitzers. We were not able to come out from our shelters in order to check
our Tigers. It is not strange that the Russians easily broke our front line
after such heavy fire".
Otto Carius: "The destruction of an anti-tank gun can cost a couple of tanks
, because they are small, well-covered and waiting for the tanks in ambush.
Usually it takes [just] the first shot. If the gunners are skilled, they can
knock out the Tiger. If they did not destroy your tank with the first shot-
you will have no more time to react before you receive the second shell.&
quot;
Michael Wittmann: "The anti-tank gun is more difficult to find than the tank
. The gun can fire several shots before I find it"
The Red Army’s field artillery provided the main antitank support for the
infantry.When the Tiger I first appeared on the Eastern Front, the Red Army
had the T-34/76 and different models of the KV-1. Until the autumn 1943, Red
Army had only two types of SP guns: the SU-122 Medium Assault Gun and the
SU-76 Light Self-Propelled Gun.None of these were effective against the
Tiger at ranges over 500 meters. The Tiger had a great advantage over long
distances. During the famous tank battle near Prokhorovka, the Soviet
commanders tried to take advantage of the greater mobility of the T-34 and
the assault guns by closing in to short ranges and shooting at the Tiger’s
thinner side armor. The result of the battle was that the new German tanks
were equal to older Soviet tanks because of the correct choice of the
battlefield. This was the great maneuver of Gen. Col. Rotmistrov and Gen
Leut. Zhadov. The battle ended with almost equal losses, but Soviets kept
more tanks in reserve for the counterattack, while Germans were unable to
continue with their offensive.
In February of 1944, T-34 was rearmed with the new long-barreled 85mm S-53
gun and then in mid-1944 with 85mm ZIS-S-53. This new gun could penetrate
the side armor of the Tiger I from a distance of 800 meters and the turret
side from a distance of 600 meters. It was not enough-as before, the Tiger
could destroy the T-34 from a distance of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. 85mm AA gun
was the anti-aircraft gun without any special modifications. The S-53 was a
modified version designed by the F.F.Petrov’s Design Bureau to be mounted
in the turret of T-34-85. The ZiS-S-53 was a modified S-53 designed by
Grabin’s Design Bureau in order to simplify the gun and reduce its price,
while ballistic of both guns were same.
Soviet ISU-152 heavy assault gun armed with 152mm howitzer.
From early 1943 to mid-1944, the main opponents of the Tiger on the Eastern
Front were the assault guns based on T-34 and KV-1 chassis. When it was
discovered that the existing SU-76 and SU-122 types could not penetrate the
Tiger’s armor at any distance under 1,000 meters, the Soviets decided to
create a new assault gun, the SU-85, armed with an adaptation of the 85mm
anti-aircraft gun. Production of the SU-122 was stopped and the SU-85 was
adopted in its place. It was later followed by the SU-100 medium assault gun
. In mid 1943, SU-152 heavy assault gun entered service. It was based on KV-
1 heavy tank and was armed 152mm howitzer.It was nicknamed Zveroboi (Animal
Killer). At the end of 1943, a new assault gun, the ISU-152, based on IS-2
heavy tank was produced. It was armed with a very powerful 152mm howitzer.
The shell of this gun could penetrate any part of the Tiger’s armor and
even cut the turret from the hull. This assault gun was nicknamed "Animal
Hunter". The weight of the AP shell was 48kg, while HE shell was 41kg.
Otto Carius: "The shell cut the right part of the commander’s cupola. I was
not beheaded because I had bent down to light my cigarette. Suddenly the
Russian assault gun appeared and I gave an order to the gunner to open fire.
Kramer shot, and a second shell, from another assault gun, hit in the
turret. I can not remember which way I left the Tiger. The head phones-the
only thing I have from my destroyed Tiger".
Using assault guns to their maximum ability, the Red Army fought for the
time it needed to develop a new tank comparable to the Tiger. At the end of
1943, new heavy tank IS-1 was developed and the Red Army received first
tanks in February of 1944. It was followed by the famous IS-2 heavy tank.
The IS (for Iosif Stalin, for the Cyrillic alphabet does not have the
Western "J" for Joseph Stalin) tanks had a low profile-lower than the Tiger
or the Sherman. The turret and front armor plate were 100mm thick. The side
armor plates were 75mm. This tank was armed with a powerful 122mm D25T gun
that had a barrel five meters (16 feet) long. The IS tanks had a great
advantage in comparison to the Tiger because of their well-sloped armor
plates. With these tanks, the Red Army finally had armor that was better
then the Tiger I and equal to the King Tiger (Tiger II) in many ways. In
March of 1944, the first IS-2s were tested in action and proved their power.
More then 3,000 IS-2 tanks were built up to the end of the war. In the
opinion of Hasso von Manteuffel, it was the best tank of WW II.
During the war, the Soviet Union built more than 125,000 AFVs. Germany built
some 89,000 AFVs and only 2,000 of them were Tigers and King Tigers. There
was no chance for Germany to win the war on the Eastern Front against the
power of the Red Army.
Credits / Sources:
H. Guderian: "Memories of a Soldier", Moscow Voenizdat 1962;
F. Mellenthin: "Panzer Battles 1939-1945", Moscow, AST 1998;
E. Middeldorf: "Russian Campaign Tactics and Weapons", Moscow, AST 1999;
D. Crow: "Armored Fighting Vehicles of Germany", Chancellor Press,
London 1973;
J. Ledwoch: "Tiger", Wydawnictwo Militaria, Warsaw;
B. Culver: "Tiger in Action", Squadron Publication, London 1980;
M. Svirin: "IS Tanks", Moscow, Armada 1998;
Special thanks to Vasily Chobitok and his site: http://armor.kiev.ua/
Special thanks to Valera Potapov and his site: Russian Battlefield | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 25 The first appearance of the Tiger on the Eastern Front was unsuccessful. The
first Tigers were issued to the 1st platoon of the 502 Battalion of Heavy
Tanks (Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502). On the 29th of August 1942, the four
Tigers arrived at the Mga railway station near Leningrad. Early that day,
the tanks were unloaded and prepared for battle. At 11:00 AM, the Tigers
went into their battle positions. Major Richard Merker commanded the platoon
, which included four Tigers, six PzKpfw III Ausf. L and J, two infantry
companies and several trucks of the technical support unit. A representative
of the Henshel firm - Hans Franke accompanied this unit in a VW Kubelwagen
right behind the first Tiger. After the attack, the error in trying to use
the heavy Tiger in ground so soft was realized, for their maneuverability
was hampered.
The Russian infantry retreated, and their artillery opened heavy fire to
cover the troops. Major Merker’s unit, divided into two groups, started to
attack on two parallel side roads. Very soon the first Tiger was abandoned
because of transmission failure. The second one was abandoned a few minutes
later after engine failure. In spite of Russian fire, the Henschel
representative started to inspect the tanks, but very soon Merker came by
with his Tiger and said that the third tank was disabled because the
steering control failed. During the night, all three damaged Tigers were
evacuated using Sd Kfz 9 prime movers-three per tank. Fortunately for the
Germans, the Russians could not take any action to capture the disabled
tanks. After the inspection, spare parts for the Tigers were delivered by
plane from the Henshel plant in Kassel and on the 15th of September all four
Tigers were repaired and ready for action.
The second action of the Tigers was no better than the first. On the 22nd of
September, four Tigers, supported by PzKpfw III tanks, were to accompany
the 170th Infantry Division in attacking the 2nd Soviet Army. The terrain
was very bad, the ground was too soft after the rains, and Major Merker
opposed the use of Tigers in this operation. After a direct order from
Hitler, the Tigers went into battle. Very soon after the attack began, the
first Tiger received a direct hit in the front armor plate. The shell did
not penetrate, but the engine stopped and there was no time to restart it.
The crew abandoned the Tiger and threw hand grenades into the fighting
compartment. The other three Tigers reached the Russian trenches, but very
soon were damaged by Russian artillery crossfire as they lost
maneuverability on the soft ground. Later on, the three Tigers were
evacuated, and German engineers destroyed the fourth in order to prevent its
capture.
Soviet SU-122 medium assault gun armed with 122mm howitzer.
General Guderian: "It was not only the heavy losses, it was the loss of
secrecy and suprise in the future".
The Tigers were successful in their third battle. On the 12th of January
1943, the 502nd supported the 96th Infantry Division opposing an attack of
Russian tanks. Four Tigers destroyed 12 T-34/76 tanks and the rest of the
Soviet tanks were forced to retreat.
On the 16th of January 1943, the Russians captured their first Tiger during
a German attack near the Shlisselburg on the Leningrad front. The captured
tank was immediately delivered to the Kubinka Proving Grounds and inspected
by Soviet Engineers. The Tiger was no longer a new secret weapon.
In early 1943, the Red Army had no weapon comparable to the firepower of the
Tiger’s 8.8cm KwK 36 L/56 gun or its heavy armor. For close combat, the
Red Army Infantry had the PTRD-41 and PTRS-41 anti-tank rifles which had a 1
.2 meter-long barrel firing 14.5 mm shells with tungsten cores. This weapon
was not able to knock out the Tiger, but, in the right hands, could destroy
the tank’s optic devices or damage the suspension. Nevertheless, it was
effectively useless against the heavy German tanks, and later on Soviet
troops used captured Panzerfausts.
Soviet IS-2 heavy tank armed with 122mm gun.
Artillery was the main weapon of the Red Army. Not all Russian cannon types
could penetrate Tiger’s armor, but concentrating the fire of all possible
guns on the tanks could heavily damage them, even to the point of stopping
the engine or detonating the ammunition. The 76.2mm ZIS-3 cannon, using anti
-tank shells, could penetrate Tiger side armor (at 300-400 meters) or
destroy the running gear, while it couldn’t penetrate the frontal armor.
Because of poor maneuverability, the Tiger could be an easy target for an
anti-tank gun in defense. Only the 85mm anti-aircraft gun and especially
122mm A-19 cannon could destroy the Tiger at extended ranges. The Soviets
made many anti-tank guns, up to 100mm in bore diameter, by the end of the
war.
Otto Carius: "Even the Americans, whom I would know very well on the Western
Front later on, can not be compared with Russians. The Ivans fired on our
positions with all kinds of artillery, from light mortars up to heavy
howitzers. We were not able to come out from our shelters in order to check
our Tigers. It is not strange that the Russians easily broke our front line
after such heavy fire".
Otto Carius: "The destruction of an anti-tank gun can cost a couple of tanks
, because they are small, well-covered and waiting for the tanks in ambush.
Usually it takes [just] the first shot. If the gunners are skilled, they can
knock out the Tiger. If they did not destroy your tank with the first shot-
you will have no more time to react before you receive the second shell.&
quot;
Michael Wittmann: "The anti-tank gun is more difficult to find than the tank
. The gun can fire several shots before I find it"
The Red Army’s field artillery provided the main antitank support for the
infantry.When the Tiger I first appeared on the Eastern Front, the Red Army
had the T-34/76 and different models of the KV-1. Until the autumn 1943, Red
Army had only two types of SP guns: the SU-122 Medium Assault Gun and the
SU-76 Light Self-Propelled Gun.None of these were effective against the
Tiger at ranges over 500 meters. The Tiger had a great advantage over long
distances. During the famous tank battle near Prokhorovka, the Soviet
commanders tried to take advantage of the greater mobility of the T-34 and
the assault guns by closing in to short ranges and shooting at the Tiger’s
thinner side armor. The result of the battle was that the new German tanks
were equal to older Soviet tanks because of the correct choice of the
battlefield. This was the great maneuver of Gen. Col. Rotmistrov and Gen
Leut. Zhadov. The battle ended with almost equal losses, but Soviets kept
more tanks in reserve for the counterattack, while Germans were unable to
continue with their offensive.
In February of 1944, T-34 was rearmed with the new long-barreled 85mm S-53
gun and then in mid-1944 with 85mm ZIS-S-53. This new gun could penetrate
the side armor of the Tiger I from a distance of 800 meters and the turret
side from a distance of 600 meters. It was not enough-as before, the Tiger
could destroy the T-34 from a distance of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. 85mm AA gun
was the anti-aircraft gun without any special modifications. The S-53 was a
modified version designed by the F.F.Petrov’s Design Bureau to be mounted
in the turret of T-34-85. The ZiS-S-53 was a modified S-53 designed by
Grabin’s Design Bureau in order to simplify the gun and reduce its price,
while ballistic of both guns were same.
Soviet ISU-152 heavy assault gun armed with 152mm howitzer.
From early 1943 to mid-1944, the main opponents of the Tiger on the Eastern
Front were the assault guns based on T-34 and KV-1 chassis. When it was
discovered that the existing SU-76 and SU-122 types could not penetrate the
Tiger’s armor at any distance under 1,000 meters, the Soviets decided to
create a new assault gun, the SU-85, armed with an adaptation of the 85mm
anti-aircraft gun. Production of the SU-122 was stopped and the SU-85 was
adopted in its place. It was later followed by the SU-100 medium assault gun
. In mid 1943, SU-152 heavy assault gun entered service. It was based on KV-
1 heavy tank and was armed 152mm howitzer.It was nicknamed Zveroboi (Animal
Killer). At the end of 1943, a new assault gun, the ISU-152, based on IS-2
heavy tank was produced. It was armed with a very powerful 152mm howitzer.
The shell of this gun could penetrate any part of the Tiger’s armor and
even cut the turret from the hull. This assault gun was nicknamed "Animal
Hunter". The weight of the AP shell was 48kg, while HE shell was 41kg.
Otto Carius: "The shell cut the right part of the commander’s cupola. I was
not beheaded because I had bent down to light my cigarette. Suddenly the
Russian assault gun appeared and I gave an order to the gunner to open fire.
Kramer shot, and a second shell, from another assault gun, hit in the
turret. I can not remember which way I left the Tiger. The head phones-the
only thing I have from my destroyed Tiger".
Using assault guns to their maximum ability, the Red Army fought for the
time it needed to develop a new tank comparable to the Tiger. At the end of
1943, new heavy tank IS-1 was developed and the Red Army received first
tanks in February of 1944. It was followed by the famous IS-2 heavy tank.
The IS (for Iosif Stalin, for the Cyrillic alphabet does not have the
Western "J" for Joseph Stalin) tanks had a low profile-lower than the Tiger
or the Sherman. The turret and front armor plate were 100mm thick. The side
armor plates were 75mm. This tank was armed with a powerful 122mm D25T gun
that had a barrel five meters (16 feet) long. The IS tanks had a great
advantage in comparison to the Tiger because of their well-sloped armor
plates. With these tanks, the Red Army finally had armor that was better
then the Tiger I and equal to the King Tiger (Tiger II) in many ways. In
March of 1944, the first IS-2s were tested in action and proved their power.
More then 3,000 IS-2 tanks were built up to the end of the war. In the
opinion of Hasso von Manteuffel, it was the best tank of WW II.
During the war, the Soviet Union built more than 125,000 AFVs. Germany built
some 89,000 AFVs and only 2,000 of them were Tigers and King Tigers. There
was no chance for Germany to win the war on the Eastern Front against the
power of the Red Army.
Credits / Sources:
H. Guderian: "Memories of a Soldier", Moscow Voenizdat 1962;
F. Mellenthin: "Panzer Battles 1939-1945", Moscow, AST 1998;
E. Middeldorf: "Russian Campaign Tactics and Weapons", Moscow, AST 1999;
D. Crow: "Armored Fighting Vehicles of Germany", Chancellor Press,
London 1973;
J. Ledwoch: "Tiger", Wydawnictwo Militaria, Warsaw;
B. Culver: "Tiger in Action", Squadron Publication, London 1980;
M. Svirin: "IS Tanks", Moscow, Armada 1998;
Special thanks to Vasily Chobitok and his site: http://armor.kiev.ua/
Special thanks to Valera Potapov and his site: Russian Battlefield | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 26 The first appearance of the Tiger on the Eastern Front was unsuccessful. The
first Tigers were issued to the 1st platoon of the 502 Battalion of Heavy
Tanks (Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502). On the 29th of August 1942, the four
Tigers arrived at the Mga railway station near Leningrad. Early that day,
the tanks were unloaded and prepared for battle. At 11:00 AM, the Tigers
went into their battle positions. Major Richard Merker commanded the platoon
, which included four Tigers, six PzKpfw III Ausf. L and J, two infantry
companies and several trucks of the technical support unit. A representative
of the Henshel firm - Hans Franke accompanied this unit in a VW Kubelwagen
right behind the first Tiger. After the attack, the error in trying to use
the heavy Tiger in ground so soft was realized, for their maneuverability
was hampered.
The Russian infantry retreated, and their artillery opened heavy fire to
cover the troops. Major Merker’s unit, divided into two groups, started to
attack on two parallel side roads. Very soon the first Tiger was abandoned
because of transmission failure. The second one was abandoned a few minutes
later after engine failure. In spite of Russian fire, the Henschel
representative started to inspect the tanks, but very soon Merker came by
with his Tiger and said that the third tank was disabled because the
steering control failed. During the night, all three damaged Tigers were
evacuated using Sd Kfz 9 prime movers-three per tank. Fortunately for the
Germans, the Russians could not take any action to capture the disabled
tanks. After the inspection, spare parts for the Tigers were delivered by
plane from the Henshel plant in Kassel and on the 15th of September all four
Tigers were repaired and ready for action.
The second action of the Tigers was no better than the first. On the 22nd of
September, four Tigers, supported by PzKpfw III tanks, were to accompany
the 170th Infantry Division in attacking the 2nd Soviet Army. The terrain
was very bad, the ground was too soft after the rains, and Major Merker
opposed the use of Tigers in this operation. After a direct order from
Hitler, the Tigers went into battle. Very soon after the attack began, the
first Tiger received a direct hit in the front armor plate. The shell did
not penetrate, but the engine stopped and there was no time to restart it.
The crew abandoned the Tiger and threw hand grenades into the fighting
compartment. The other three Tigers reached the Russian trenches, but very
soon were damaged by Russian artillery crossfire as they lost
maneuverability on the soft ground. Later on, the three Tigers were
evacuated, and German engineers destroyed the fourth in order to prevent its
capture.
Soviet SU-122 medium assault gun armed with 122mm howitzer.
General Guderian: "It was not only the heavy losses, it was the loss of
secrecy and suprise in the future".
The Tigers were successful in their third battle. On the 12th of January
1943, the 502nd supported the 96th Infantry Division opposing an attack of
Russian tanks. Four Tigers destroyed 12 T-34/76 tanks and the rest of the
Soviet tanks were forced to retreat.
On the 16th of January 1943, the Russians captured their first Tiger during
a German attack near the Shlisselburg on the Leningrad front. The captured
tank was immediately delivered to the Kubinka Proving Grounds and inspected
by Soviet Engineers. The Tiger was no longer a new secret weapon.
In early 1943, the Red Army had no weapon comparable to the firepower of the
Tiger’s 8.8cm KwK 36 L/56 gun or its heavy armor. For close combat, the
Red Army Infantry had the PTRD-41 and PTRS-41 anti-tank rifles which had a 1
.2 meter-long barrel firing 14.5 mm shells with tungsten cores. This weapon
was not able to knock out the Tiger, but, in the right hands, could destroy
the tank’s optic devices or damage the suspension. Nevertheless, it was
effectively useless against the heavy German tanks, and later on Soviet
troops used captured Panzerfausts.
Soviet IS-2 heavy tank armed with 122mm gun.
Artillery was the main weapon of the Red Army. Not all Russian cannon types
could penetrate Tiger’s armor, but concentrating the fire of all possible
guns on the tanks could heavily damage them, even to the point of stopping
the engine or detonating the ammunition. The 76.2mm ZIS-3 cannon, using anti
-tank shells, could penetrate Tiger side armor (at 300-400 meters) or
destroy the running gear, while it couldn’t penetrate the frontal armor.
Because of poor maneuverability, the Tiger could be an easy target for an
anti-tank gun in defense. Only the 85mm anti-aircraft gun and especially
122mm A-19 cannon could destroy the Tiger at extended ranges. The Soviets
made many anti-tank guns, up to 100mm in bore diameter, by the end of the
war.
Otto Carius: "Even the Americans, whom I would know very well on the Western
Front later on, can not be compared with Russians. The Ivans fired on our
positions with all kinds of artillery, from light mortars up to heavy
howitzers. We were not able to come out from our shelters in order to check
our Tigers. It is not strange that the Russians easily broke our front line
after such heavy fire".
Otto Carius: "The destruction of an anti-tank gun can cost a couple of tanks
, because they are small, well-covered and waiting for the tanks in ambush.
Usually it takes [just] the first shot. If the gunners are skilled, they can
knock out the Tiger. If they did not destroy your tank with the first shot-
you will have no more time to react before you receive the second shell.&
quot;
Michael Wittmann: "The anti-tank gun is more difficult to find than the tank
. The gun can fire several shots before I find it"
The Red Army’s field artillery provided the main antitank support for the
infantry.When the Tiger I first appeared on the Eastern Front, the Red Army
had the T-34/76 and different models of the KV-1. Until the autumn 1943, Red
Army had only two types of SP guns: the SU-122 Medium Assault Gun and the
SU-76 Light Self-Propelled Gun.None of these were effective against the
Tiger at ranges over 500 meters. The Tiger had a great advantage over long
distances. During the famous tank battle near Prokhorovka, the Soviet
commanders tried to take advantage of the greater mobility of the T-34 and
the assault guns by closing in to short ranges and shooting at the Tiger’s
thinner side armor. The result of the battle was that the new German tanks
were equal to older Soviet tanks because of the correct choice of the
battlefield. This was the great maneuver of Gen. Col. Rotmistrov and Gen
Leut. Zhadov. The battle ended with almost equal losses, but Soviets kept
more tanks in reserve for the counterattack, while Germans were unable to
continue with their offensive.
In February of 1944, T-34 was rearmed with the new long-barreled 85mm S-53
gun and then in mid-1944 with 85mm ZIS-S-53. This new gun could penetrate
the side armor of the Tiger I from a distance of 800 meters and the turret
side from a distance of 600 meters. It was not enough-as before, the Tiger
could destroy the T-34 from a distance of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. 85mm AA gun
was the anti-aircraft gun without any special modifications. The S-53 was a
modified version designed by the F.F.Petrov’s Design Bureau to be mounted
in the turret of T-34-85. The ZiS-S-53 was a modified S-53 designed by
Grabin’s Design Bureau in order to simplify the gun and reduce its price,
while ballistic of both guns were same.
Soviet ISU-152 heavy assault gun armed with 152mm howitzer.
From early 1943 to mid-1944, the main opponents of the Tiger on the Eastern
Front were the assault guns based on T-34 and KV-1 chassis. When it was
discovered that the existing SU-76 and SU-122 types could not penetrate the
Tiger’s armor at any distance under 1,000 meters, the Soviets decided to
create a new assault gun, the SU-85, armed with an adaptation of the 85mm
anti-aircraft gun. Production of the SU-122 was stopped and the SU-85 was
adopted in its place. It was later followed by the SU-100 medium assault gun
. In mid 1943, SU-152 heavy assault gun entered service. It was based on KV-
1 heavy tank and was armed 152mm howitzer.It was nicknamed Zveroboi (Animal
Killer). At the end of 1943, a new assault gun, the ISU-152, based on IS-2
heavy tank was produced. It was armed with a very powerful 152mm howitzer.
The shell of this gun could penetrate any part of the Tiger’s armor and
even cut the turret from the hull. This assault gun was nicknamed "Animal
Hunter". The weight of the AP shell was 48kg, while HE shell was 41kg.
Otto Carius: "The shell cut the right part of the commander’s cupola. I was
not beheaded because I had bent down to light my cigarette. Suddenly the
Russian assault gun appeared and I gave an order to the gunner to open fire.
Kramer shot, and a second shell, from another assault gun, hit in the
turret. I can not remember which way I left the Tiger. The head phones-the
only thing I have from my destroyed Tiger".
Using assault guns to their maximum ability, the Red Army fought for the
time it needed to develop a new tank comparable to the Tiger. At the end of
1943, new heavy tank IS-1 was developed and the Red Army received first
tanks in February of 1944. It was followed by the famous IS-2 heavy tank.
The IS (for Iosif Stalin, for the Cyrillic alphabet does not have the
Western "J" for Joseph Stalin) tanks had a low profile-lower than the Tiger
or the Sherman. The turret and front armor plate were 100mm thick. The side
armor plates were 75mm. This tank was armed with a powerful 122mm D25T gun
that had a barrel five meters (16 feet) long. The IS tanks had a great
advantage in comparison to the Tiger because of their well-sloped armor
plates. With these tanks, the Red Army finally had armor that was better
then the Tiger I and equal to the King Tiger (Tiger II) in many ways. In
March of 1944, the first IS-2s were tested in action and proved their power.
More then 3,000 IS-2 tanks were built up to the end of the war. In the
opinion of Hasso von Manteuffel, it was the best tank of WW II.
During the war, the Soviet Union built more than 125,000 AFVs. Germany built
some 89,000 AFVs and only 2,000 of them were Tigers and King Tigers. There
was no chance for Germany to win the war on the Eastern Front against the
power of the Red Army.
Credits / Sources:
H. Guderian: "Memories of a Soldier", Moscow Voenizdat 1962;
F. Mellenthin: "Panzer Battles 1939-1945", Moscow, AST 1998;
E. Middeldorf: "Russian Campaign Tactics and Weapons", Moscow, AST 1999;
D. Crow: "Armored Fighting Vehicles of Germany", Chancellor Press,
London 1973;
J. Ledwoch: "Tiger", Wydawnictwo Militaria, Warsaw;
B. Culver: "Tiger in Action", Squadron Publication, London 1980;
M. Svirin: "IS Tanks", Moscow, Armada 1998;
Special thanks to Vasily Chobitok and his site: http://armor.kiev.ua/
Special thanks to Valera Potapov and his site: Russian Battlefield | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 27 ISU-152, the animal hunter, the killer of king tiger | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 28
【在 y****i 的大作中提到】
: ISU-152, the animal hunter, the killer of king tiger
| y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 29 more then 3,000 IS-2 tanks were built up to the end of the war. In the
opinion of Hasso von Manteuffel, it was the best tank of WW II. | y****i
发帖数: 1050 | 30 Von Manteuffel
(January 14, 1897 - September 24, 1978)
Baron Hasso Von Manteuffel was born on January 14th of 1897 in Postdam,
Germany.He was the descendant of a Prussian aristocratic family noted in
politics and military affairs. Von Manteuffel was a military strategist
whose skillful and imaginative deployment of tanks repeatedly thwarted
Allied offensives during World War II. He was the 24th man to be awarded
Diamonds for his Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Von Manteuffel
joined the army in 1908 and until 1934, served and commanded various units
of the German Army. On April 1st of 1934, he was promoted to the rank of
captain and was assigned to perform various tasks. On February 1st of 1939,
Von Manteuffelwas put in charge of staff at the Panzer Troops School II in
Berlin-Krampnitz. In September of 1939, Von Manteuffel had a rank of a major
but quickly earned rapid promotions to a high rank of a commander of an
army late in the war. On October 1st of 1941, he was promoted to the rank of
Colonel, while serving on the Eastern Front. During North African campaign
he commanded a division and launched very successful counterattack in Tunis
area cutting Allied communications lines behind the frontline.On May 1st of
1943, Von Manteuffel was promoted to the rank of Major-General.
In November of 1943, Hasso Von Manteuffel commanded 7th Panzer Division in
Ukraine, where he put victorious Soviet offensive to a halt. On December
27th of 1943, he received the command of the elite Panzer Division "
Grossdeutschland" and on February 1st of 1944,received the promotion to the
rank of Lieutenant-General. Interesting fact is that Hasso Von Manteuffel
wore both cuff titles of "DAK" and "Grossdeutschland" on his uniform.In May
of 1944, Von Manteuffel skilfully used his mobile troops and stopped Marshal
Koniev's drive into Romania. On September 1st of 1944, Hasso Von Manteuffel
became the Commander-in-Chief of 5th Panzer Army and received the rank of
General of the Panzer Troops. In December of 1944, Hasso Von Manteuffel was
the commander of 5th Panzer Army, which was ordered to drive across Meuse to
Brussels and Antwerp, protecting the flank of 6th Panzer Army. During the
Battle of Bulge, 5th Panzer Army won tremendous victories and almost
succeeded in breaking the Allied lines of defence. On February 18th of 1945,
Hasso Von Manteuffel was awarded Knights Cross with Oakleaves, Swords and
Diamonds.After the failure of the Ardennes Offensive,on March 2nd of 1945,
Hasso Von Manteuffelbecame the Commander-in-Chief of 3rd Panzer Army, part
of Army Group Vistula, which tried to slow down the Soviet advance on Berlin
. On May 3rd of 1945, he surrenderedalong with 3rd Panzer Army to the
Western Allies. From 1953 to 1957, Hasso Von Manteuffel was a member of
Bundestag and represented Free Democratic Party. In 1959, Hasso Von
Manteuffel was charged for ordering a 19-year-old shot for desertion in 1944
and was sentenced for 18 months in prison but was released after 4 months.
Hasso Von Manteuffel died on September 24th of 1978 in Tyrol, Austria. |
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