Optics often come up in discussions that compare Soviet and German tanks. The famous "Zeiss optics" are often invoked by those who are not very well versed in the subject matter. The issue was not in Soviet sights. Plenty of them survived to this day, and any who wish can evaluate their quality on their own. German tanks were first and foremost superior in their observation devics. Their visibility was better than that of Soviet tanks, which was often a deciding factor in victory on the battlefield. However, the evolution of German observation devices is an interesting topic for discussion.
This blog is dedicated to bringing World War II era documents to the general public, with an overall focus on armoured warfare. Questions? Requests? Comments? Email me at tankarchives@gmail.com or find me on Twitter @Tank_Archives.
Showing posts with label Spanish Civil War. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spanish Civil War. Show all posts
Monday, 2 May 2022
Monday, 15 August 2016
German from Iberia
The Spanish Civil War began on July 17th, 1936. By the end of the month, the rebels gained the support of Italy and Germany, who promised, among other things, supplies of military hardware. In mid-August, Italian L3/35 tankettes arrived in Spain. German tanks arrived much later: 32 PzKpfw I Ausf. A tanks and one command vehicle were received in October of 1936. At approximately the same time, the first Soviet T-26es arrived in Spain and became the main opponents of the rebel tanks. As for the "Spanish" PzKpfw I Ausf. A, one of them became a Soviet trophy and was run through a whole spectrum of trials. What did the Soviet testers discover and what conclusions did they make?
Thursday, 26 March 2015
World of Tanks History Section: Tanks in the Spanish Civil War
In 1936, a civil war erupted in Spain between the Republicans and Nationalists, those that backed General Franco. During this conflict, the country was a proving grounds of sorts, a place where new weapons were tested and new tactics were developed. Of course, things did not progress without tanks. Republican Spain received over 300 T-26 and BT-5 tanks from the USSR, and the Nationalists were reinforced with German PzI and Italian CV 35 tanks.
Spanish "Firefighters"
Spain is a very unique country, with many escarpments and highlands, separating it into half-isolated regions. In order to transport tanks in between battles, the Republicans actively used powerful German and American trucks. They had to be careful, as a deviation of several centimeters on the narrow mountain roads meant certain death. The risk gave a return, however, as tanks could be transported over 400 km in less than a day.
This was very important for the Republican army, which had to constantly plug holes in its front lines during Nationalist offensives. Tanks were used for this purpose, and could stay in battle for days. Crews were exhausted to their limits. Eyewitnesses record nervous breakdowns and hallucinations.
The tankers' courage was great: they attacked 10-15 times per day, fought with broken ribs, with burns and wounds. If necessary, they fought in tanks with holes in their armour. When it was necessary to replace a dead or disabled tanker, any soldier would do as a replacement. The crew would explain to him how to load the gun on the way to battle, and that was the end of training.
In these conditions, there was no cooperation among the tanks or with any other types of forces. In Spain, tanks fought in small groups, or even individually, without complicated maneuvers, firing their cannon at all targets. The tanks fired while stationary, as it was easier to hit that way. The crews didn't conserve ammunition; tanks shot up to 7 loads of AP shells per day. They weren't spared even when shooting at machineguns, as the precision of the T-26's gun allowed them to hit even small targets.
Local War School
Cooperation was a serious problem for the Republican army. In theory, tanks were to follow infantry, and when it arrived at the enemy lines, overtake it, attack the enemy, and again back out behind their infantry. In practice, tankers always complained about infantry that was "lying around sightseeing" instead of fighting.
Reconnaissance was also poor. At best, tankers knew the direction the enemy is in. Terrain was not observed, and tanks went into battle blind.
The Nationalists, on the other hand, fought in a more organized fashion. At first, defenders were "worked over" with bombs or artillery. Then, tanks with infantry attacked. Even well trained foreign volunteers (interbrigades) could not withstand such an attack. When the Nationalists captured even a scrap of land, they would dig in, and concrete fortifications would appear within two or three days. Artillery followed close behind infantry.
The T-26 was rightfully called the main strike force of the Republican army, equal to its aircraft. It was praised for its accurate and reliable gun, reliable engine, and respectable speed. The engines worked fro 100-150 hours, even in cases where they ran for nearly a whole day straight with no complaints. In tank on tank battles, German PzIs and Italian CV 35s were no match for the T-26. They were frequently referred to as tankettes instead of real tanks. This experience caused machinegun tanks to disappear quickly.
From a purely technical point of view, the Republicans surpassed the Nationalists. However, the latter fought these tanks even when they had no anti-tank guns. Improvised measures such as petrol bombs or barrels of sap dug into the ground were used.
Crews quickly learned to shoot off balconies where petrol bombs were thrown from. However, it was still hard to fight in populated areas. The enemy could be anywhere, and spotting him from inside the vehicle was a tough job. To make matters worse, Spanish settlements were built like miniature fortresses for centuries, with narrow winding streets, dead ends, and squares that were open from all sides. Walls could have houses with walls up to 2 meters thick, and 4 meter tall stone walls were common. After the first few fights, tanks were forbidden from entering towns, and ordered to surround them and shoot from a safe distance.
Armour lost to the shell
The main enemy of tanks in Spain were anti-tank guns. They appeared during WWI, but became very common in the 1930s. The USSR already developed methods of fighting them, and instructed Spanish tankers, but spotting a stout 37 mm gun from a T-26 was hard. Considering that the armour could be penetrated from 200-300 meters by an armour piercing bullet, the fate of a tank hit by a shell was not enviable. The Nationalists got more and more guns, and it was more and more important to find them.
The use of anti-tank guns in the Spanish Civil War put an end to tankette development and led to the appearance of tanks with shellproof armour. The idea of putting armour at an angle to ricochet shells was also born. An understanding evolved that tanks need improved optics so they could see better.
Only a short time remained before tanks built based on the experience in Spain would be tested by a large war.
Article author: Evgeniy Belash
Original article available here.
Spanish "Firefighters"
Spain is a very unique country, with many escarpments and highlands, separating it into half-isolated regions. In order to transport tanks in between battles, the Republicans actively used powerful German and American trucks. They had to be careful, as a deviation of several centimeters on the narrow mountain roads meant certain death. The risk gave a return, however, as tanks could be transported over 400 km in less than a day.
This was very important for the Republican army, which had to constantly plug holes in its front lines during Nationalist offensives. Tanks were used for this purpose, and could stay in battle for days. Crews were exhausted to their limits. Eyewitnesses record nervous breakdowns and hallucinations.
The tankers' courage was great: they attacked 10-15 times per day, fought with broken ribs, with burns and wounds. If necessary, they fought in tanks with holes in their armour. When it was necessary to replace a dead or disabled tanker, any soldier would do as a replacement. The crew would explain to him how to load the gun on the way to battle, and that was the end of training.
In these conditions, there was no cooperation among the tanks or with any other types of forces. In Spain, tanks fought in small groups, or even individually, without complicated maneuvers, firing their cannon at all targets. The tanks fired while stationary, as it was easier to hit that way. The crews didn't conserve ammunition; tanks shot up to 7 loads of AP shells per day. They weren't spared even when shooting at machineguns, as the precision of the T-26's gun allowed them to hit even small targets.
Local War School
Cooperation was a serious problem for the Republican army. In theory, tanks were to follow infantry, and when it arrived at the enemy lines, overtake it, attack the enemy, and again back out behind their infantry. In practice, tankers always complained about infantry that was "lying around sightseeing" instead of fighting.
Reconnaissance was also poor. At best, tankers knew the direction the enemy is in. Terrain was not observed, and tanks went into battle blind.
The Nationalists, on the other hand, fought in a more organized fashion. At first, defenders were "worked over" with bombs or artillery. Then, tanks with infantry attacked. Even well trained foreign volunteers (interbrigades) could not withstand such an attack. When the Nationalists captured even a scrap of land, they would dig in, and concrete fortifications would appear within two or three days. Artillery followed close behind infantry.
The T-26 was rightfully called the main strike force of the Republican army, equal to its aircraft. It was praised for its accurate and reliable gun, reliable engine, and respectable speed. The engines worked fro 100-150 hours, even in cases where they ran for nearly a whole day straight with no complaints. In tank on tank battles, German PzIs and Italian CV 35s were no match for the T-26. They were frequently referred to as tankettes instead of real tanks. This experience caused machinegun tanks to disappear quickly.
From a purely technical point of view, the Republicans surpassed the Nationalists. However, the latter fought these tanks even when they had no anti-tank guns. Improvised measures such as petrol bombs or barrels of sap dug into the ground were used.
Crews quickly learned to shoot off balconies where petrol bombs were thrown from. However, it was still hard to fight in populated areas. The enemy could be anywhere, and spotting him from inside the vehicle was a tough job. To make matters worse, Spanish settlements were built like miniature fortresses for centuries, with narrow winding streets, dead ends, and squares that were open from all sides. Walls could have houses with walls up to 2 meters thick, and 4 meter tall stone walls were common. After the first few fights, tanks were forbidden from entering towns, and ordered to surround them and shoot from a safe distance.
Armour lost to the shell
The main enemy of tanks in Spain were anti-tank guns. They appeared during WWI, but became very common in the 1930s. The USSR already developed methods of fighting them, and instructed Spanish tankers, but spotting a stout 37 mm gun from a T-26 was hard. Considering that the armour could be penetrated from 200-300 meters by an armour piercing bullet, the fate of a tank hit by a shell was not enviable. The Nationalists got more and more guns, and it was more and more important to find them.
The use of anti-tank guns in the Spanish Civil War put an end to tankette development and led to the appearance of tanks with shellproof armour. The idea of putting armour at an angle to ricochet shells was also born. An understanding evolved that tanks need improved optics so they could see better.
Only a short time remained before tanks built based on the experience in Spain would be tested by a large war.
Article author: Evgeniy Belash
Original article available here.
Monday, 29 December 2014
German Experience in the Spanish Civil War
"DOKUMENT
Oberkommando des Heeres.
Berlin, den 30. 3. 1939.
Gen St d H Nr. 130/39 g. Kdos. O. Qu. III
125 Ausfertigungen. Prüfnr. 56
The following is a report on the participation of the German Army in the Spanish Civil War and the lessons learned.
...
7. Tank forces
The use of obsolete Spanish and foreign armoured cars for reconnaissance was unsatisfactory due to insufficient off-road performance.
Italian light machinegun tanks were successfully used by infantry for close reconnaissance. Spanish infantry did not use their tanks in this manner. According to German observers, the tank could achieve better and quicker results after a successful breakthrough than just patrols on foot.
As an offensive weapon, tanks were used little in Spain, in small amounts of less than 50 vehicles and without appropriate support from artillery or trained infantry.
Aside from valuable and vast technical experience with vehicles, there are several points that must be analyzed carefully due to the specifics of this war. For instance, it was impossible to organize cooperation between tanks and infantry or artillery for both White and Red forces. From the Red side, Russian tanks broke off from infantry and were destroyed by Spanish nationalists, which threw incendiary bottles and hand grenades at them, and which could only be prevented by accompanying Red infantry due to the tanks' small numbers.
The German machinegun tanks [PzI] were not used in large units. The tanks were subordinated to infantry in small groups and supported it from line to line like an armoured infantry gun. Machinegun tanks could not achieve a decisive effect, since infantry was often incapable of capturing and holding territory, or did not deem it necessary. They were defenseless against sudden appearances of gun tanks [T-26], except at very short ranges.
It was already known since the World War that a gun tank has an advantage over a machinegun tank in a duel, and this was also true in Spain. On the other hand, the fact that machinegun tanks could penetrate Russian tanks at 100 meters and the effect of antitank guns led to Russian tanks approaching to a range of 1000 meters and firing from the spot, rarely moving closer. Gun tanks were frequently a decisive factor of the success of the Reds.
In general, it can be said that our ideas of tank-compatible terrain are very limited. It was possible to find out impassable obstacles and drive around them. It was harder for small tanks used in Spain due to many small obstacles, low stone garden walls, rough terrain with bushes, small but sudden changes in elevation, small rivers, and heavy wet silty soil.
Unlike in peacetime training and especially demonstrations, tanks in periods of long war should be taken care of just like horses, and should, if possible, avoid even small obstacles in order to not break down at a crucial moment.
During street fighting in Madrid, tanks had difficulty in streets with barricades, as they could not use their speed or fire at upper floors or roofs. Tanks armed with flamethrowers were used effectively in street fighting.
Foreign opinion suggests that tanks are effective when applied suddenly, in large amounts, and against an enemy that is already wavering, along with artillery support. Armour and armament are more important than speed or range. A tank unit needs means of fighting enemy tanks. All tank attacks not protected from tank or anti-tank guns, or done without an infantry escort, led to heavy losses and achieved success only through chance.
Light tanks are effective only with flamethrowers, their machinegun fire is inaccurate on the move. However, machineguns with special ammunition are being developed.
In general, tanks in Spain are used in insignificant amounts and without support from other types of forces. Anti-tank artillery, which was often used in small numbers, only sometimes surpassing the enemy, was often ineffective.
8. Anti-tank defenses
Due to a small amount of tanks and anti-tank guns used, experience gained was primarily technical and tactical. The use of anti-tank guns in Spain was always according to principles of the 14th company of an infantry regiment. Principle of use as an anti-tank unit were not applicable. Based on experience, including in Madrid, anti-tank guns have proven their reliability. They have shown that they can successfully fight Russian gun tanks. Based on the actions of Russian tanks in Spain (firing from 1000 meters and use for special tasks that arose in Spanish conditions), the limited range of anti-tank guns is insufficient. As a temporary solution, the sight scale should be increased to 1000 meters, but having a long range anti-tank gun is preferable.
He-112 fought armoured cars successfully. The S-30 machinegun with 2 cm armour piercing rounds is sufficiently effective.
If an anti-tank defense is well organized, many tanks will be lost, as it was shown that anti-tank guns surpass tanks in rate of fire, precision, and shot power, while being small and hard to notice even while firing.
Due to a lack of artillery in Spain, anti-tank guns were successfully used during offensive and defensive action as infantry guns against machinegun nests, concrete bunkers, and assaults on settlements, in combination with machinegun tanks. This was an infrequently used method, as it was feared that gun positions will be discovered ahead of time.
According to reports, it is adequate to have one gun every 200 meters when defending. This is adequate for limited amounts of tanks used in Spain, but not for massed use of tanks.
Red anti-tank trenches 500 meters long or more turned out to be completely impassable. They were made in mountain roads using explosives. Presence of other obstacles like concrete walls with closed off passages or streets covered in felled trees paralyzed movement.
Due to an extended front line and a lack of experienced sappers, anti-tank mines were not tested in large amounts.
In close combat, bottles with a flammable liquid and sulphuric acid were used effectively. Tanks that were hit caught fire and were knocked out."
Militägeschichte. 1976. № 3. S. 332-334.
Oberkommando des Heeres.
Berlin, den 30. 3. 1939.
Gen St d H Nr. 130/39 g. Kdos. O. Qu. III
125 Ausfertigungen. Prüfnr. 56
The following is a report on the participation of the German Army in the Spanish Civil War and the lessons learned.
...
7. Tank forces
The use of obsolete Spanish and foreign armoured cars for reconnaissance was unsatisfactory due to insufficient off-road performance.
Italian light machinegun tanks were successfully used by infantry for close reconnaissance. Spanish infantry did not use their tanks in this manner. According to German observers, the tank could achieve better and quicker results after a successful breakthrough than just patrols on foot.
As an offensive weapon, tanks were used little in Spain, in small amounts of less than 50 vehicles and without appropriate support from artillery or trained infantry.
Aside from valuable and vast technical experience with vehicles, there are several points that must be analyzed carefully due to the specifics of this war. For instance, it was impossible to organize cooperation between tanks and infantry or artillery for both White and Red forces. From the Red side, Russian tanks broke off from infantry and were destroyed by Spanish nationalists, which threw incendiary bottles and hand grenades at them, and which could only be prevented by accompanying Red infantry due to the tanks' small numbers.
The German machinegun tanks [PzI] were not used in large units. The tanks were subordinated to infantry in small groups and supported it from line to line like an armoured infantry gun. Machinegun tanks could not achieve a decisive effect, since infantry was often incapable of capturing and holding territory, or did not deem it necessary. They were defenseless against sudden appearances of gun tanks [T-26], except at very short ranges.
It was already known since the World War that a gun tank has an advantage over a machinegun tank in a duel, and this was also true in Spain. On the other hand, the fact that machinegun tanks could penetrate Russian tanks at 100 meters and the effect of antitank guns led to Russian tanks approaching to a range of 1000 meters and firing from the spot, rarely moving closer. Gun tanks were frequently a decisive factor of the success of the Reds.
In general, it can be said that our ideas of tank-compatible terrain are very limited. It was possible to find out impassable obstacles and drive around them. It was harder for small tanks used in Spain due to many small obstacles, low stone garden walls, rough terrain with bushes, small but sudden changes in elevation, small rivers, and heavy wet silty soil.
Unlike in peacetime training and especially demonstrations, tanks in periods of long war should be taken care of just like horses, and should, if possible, avoid even small obstacles in order to not break down at a crucial moment.
During street fighting in Madrid, tanks had difficulty in streets with barricades, as they could not use their speed or fire at upper floors or roofs. Tanks armed with flamethrowers were used effectively in street fighting.
Foreign opinion suggests that tanks are effective when applied suddenly, in large amounts, and against an enemy that is already wavering, along with artillery support. Armour and armament are more important than speed or range. A tank unit needs means of fighting enemy tanks. All tank attacks not protected from tank or anti-tank guns, or done without an infantry escort, led to heavy losses and achieved success only through chance.
Light tanks are effective only with flamethrowers, their machinegun fire is inaccurate on the move. However, machineguns with special ammunition are being developed.
In general, tanks in Spain are used in insignificant amounts and without support from other types of forces. Anti-tank artillery, which was often used in small numbers, only sometimes surpassing the enemy, was often ineffective.
8. Anti-tank defenses
Due to a small amount of tanks and anti-tank guns used, experience gained was primarily technical and tactical. The use of anti-tank guns in Spain was always according to principles of the 14th company of an infantry regiment. Principle of use as an anti-tank unit were not applicable. Based on experience, including in Madrid, anti-tank guns have proven their reliability. They have shown that they can successfully fight Russian gun tanks. Based on the actions of Russian tanks in Spain (firing from 1000 meters and use for special tasks that arose in Spanish conditions), the limited range of anti-tank guns is insufficient. As a temporary solution, the sight scale should be increased to 1000 meters, but having a long range anti-tank gun is preferable.
He-112 fought armoured cars successfully. The S-30 machinegun with 2 cm armour piercing rounds is sufficiently effective.
If an anti-tank defense is well organized, many tanks will be lost, as it was shown that anti-tank guns surpass tanks in rate of fire, precision, and shot power, while being small and hard to notice even while firing.
Due to a lack of artillery in Spain, anti-tank guns were successfully used during offensive and defensive action as infantry guns against machinegun nests, concrete bunkers, and assaults on settlements, in combination with machinegun tanks. This was an infrequently used method, as it was feared that gun positions will be discovered ahead of time.
According to reports, it is adequate to have one gun every 200 meters when defending. This is adequate for limited amounts of tanks used in Spain, but not for massed use of tanks.
Red anti-tank trenches 500 meters long or more turned out to be completely impassable. They were made in mountain roads using explosives. Presence of other obstacles like concrete walls with closed off passages or streets covered in felled trees paralyzed movement.
Due to an extended front line and a lack of experienced sappers, anti-tank mines were not tested in large amounts.
In close combat, bottles with a flammable liquid and sulphuric acid were used effectively. Tanks that were hit caught fire and were knocked out."
Militägeschichte. 1976. № 3. S. 332-334.
Monday, 19 May 2014
Tank Stakeouts
The story of the single KV of Raseiniai that stopped Kampfgruppe Raus is well known. However similar incidents occurred occasionally, even if they didn't become as widely known as Raseiniai.
"24 HOURS IN A SIEGED TANK
Today, another Republican tank crew was saved, out of the three that were stuck in fascist territory near Saragosse. The miracle did not happen by itself, it happened as a result of boundless heroism of the soldiers, their stubbornness and belief in their abilities.
The brave trio just got to the front lines of government officials. We honour them, scratched up and singed. They slowly tell their story, exhausted, but happy.
The tank was immobilized with several shells. It was surrounded by fascists. The crew shot back for twelve hours, but, after showering the tank with grenades, the fascists closed in. The crew locked themselves in, and decided to not give up alive. The fascists climbed up on the tank and called to the crew. The crew did not answer.
The Italians and rebels decided to open the tank. They climbed all over it with mallets and crowbars. The tank was closed up like a safe. The bolts held.
After several hours, the fascists were tired, and decided to have dinner right on the tank. After dinner, they took a nap. One of the crewmembers moved. The rebels heard him, rolled off the tank, and renewed their attack.
They started throwing incendiary grenades at the bottom of the tank. Rubber started burning. "We sat still, silently, and smoked," tells the commander. "It was around 19 hours into the siege."
The fire burned for a while, and went out. It did not get to the gas tanks. The crew could hear the rebels' conversation. It was decided that they would not leave until the tankers' corpses were dragged from the tank.
The attack resumed once again. There was nothing left to hope for. The crew decided to commit suicide if the enemy gets inside.
Suddenly, a shell exploded nearby. Then, another, a third, and yells of the wounded. Republican artillery, and other Republican tanks, established the location of the tank, and provided it with covering fire.
The shooting stopped. The fascists ran off and hid. The decisive moment has come. This was the last chance for rescue.
The commander managed to turn the cannon and make three shots. After that, he took off the lock, and ordered the turret commander to run. The fascists opened fire. He dove behind a bump. The commander returned fire with his machine gun and ordered the driver to evacuate. He himself went last.
The rebels covered them with a rain of bullets. The trio lay close to the ground, until the fascists got tired of shooting. Another sprint, and then another, and another. Exactly 24 hours since the start of their resistance has passed.
They stand here now, drinking and smoking. They are giving precise directions to other soldiers in an armoured tractor that will recover their tank.
Mihail Koltsov, Pravda, October 19, 1937."
A similar incident occurred during the Winter War, but with a much more valuable tank. While the Republicans didn't exactly have a surplus of T-26es, the tank in question was completely unique. During the Winter War, it was not yet decided which of the three new heavy tanks, the KV, T-100, or SMK, was the best. All three prototypes were sent into battle.
"The SMK tank was leading the column, and took a lot of fire. One of the shots jammed the main turret, and silenced the gun. The tank made it to the road. At the Kameri-Wyborg fork, the driver must have missed the stack of crates, and drove on to it. An explosion roared, and covered the area in thick brown smoke. The tank stopped. After the smoke cleared, Lieutenant Petin got out to investigate. The SMK stood next to a massive crater. The explosion destroyed the track and idler, and damaged transmission bolts. The electrical system was damaged, the bottom of the tank was bent. Even though there was a 40 degree frost, the snow surrounding the tank has melted.
The driver, V. I. Ignatiev, was stunned by the explosion, and temporarily lost consciousness. The crew did not leave the tank. The T-100 and KV approached, and stopped nearby. The T-100 crew was made of volunteer testers. One of them, E. I. Roshin, wrote: "Our vehicles approached the damaged SMK, and covered it with our armour. The T-100 was in the front and to the right, the KV was in front and to the left, forming a triangular fortress. We stood like this for several hours, trying to repair the tracks of the SMK. We were dressed well, in new coats, boots, wool helmets, gloves. We could endure the bitter cold, but the damage was too heavy. The road wheels were damaged, as well as the tracks, and we could not get the heavy vehicle to move."
...
Lieutenant Toropov's engineering team tried to tow the tank using a 25-ton T-28 tank. They worked at night, under enemy fire, but could not tow the massive tank, firmly lodged in the crater. The damaged track and idler made it necessary to leave it in no man's land.
The Finns tried to tow away the SMK, but our artillery protected the tank. Finnish scouts managed to crawl up to it and steal a hatch cover. Kotin, when retelling this story, mentioned a curious fact. The factory producing armour for the SMK was behind schedule. The Kirov factory, unwilling to wait, produced their own hatch cover, using leftover low-carbon steel. The Finns stole this cover from the SMK, and, when it made its way to German labs, they decided that all Soviet tanks are made from "raw" steel.
...
The heavy tank remained in the crater until the end of the war. It was eventually moved with the combined forces of six T-28 tanks."
- Konstruktor Boyevih Mashin, Popov at al, Lenizdat, 1988.
A rare photograph of the SMK exists, taken by the Finns, in the process of attempting to tow it.
Next situation is somewhat more Raseiniai-like, with a happier ending. Lieutenant Semyen Fillipovich Shmakov, company commander in the 500 independent tank battalion, received an Order of Lenin for his heroism. From his award order:
"On August 27th, 1942, at 8:00, along with the 994th infantry regiment of the 186th infantry division, on his KV-8 tank, he attacked the village of Voronovo. Escorting his company though the heavily fortified enemy lines of defense, he destroyed enemy pillboxes, and fortifications with fire from his tracks, and enemy forces with his gun and machine guns. He twice attempted to cross the river Navia. The second attempt was successful, but he was struck by heavy artillery and mortar fire, as a result of which his tank lost an idler and tore a track. The tank stopped on enemy occupied territory. From August 27th, 1942 at 9:00 to present time, Lieutenant Shmakov and his crew, without leaving the tank, courageously defended it for 198 hours while under constant artillery and mortar fire. While the tank was being sieged, it destroyed 11 pillboxes, 6 cannons, 3 machine gun nests, and up to 100 German soldiers and officers. Shmakov, despite his exceptionally difficult situation, provided care and encouragement for his crew, and was an example of courage and determination. In order to obtain water for his crew, he manually bored a hole through the radiator, allowing him to gather 1.5 canteens. He has currently managed to repair the track. As soon as he manages to lock it back on, the tank will be able to return on its own.
Commander of the 500th Independent Tank Battalion, Captain Torgilin
Military Commissar of the 500th Independent Tank Battalion, Company Commissar Antonov"
Sunday, 30 March 2014
World of Tanks: Today in History: Guadalajara Operation
The Spanish Civil War began on July 17th, 1936. The conflict was between those on the side of the Spanish Republic and Francisco Franco's nationalist forces. The Republicans were supported by the USSR and Mexico, while the Francists received military aid from Germany, Italy, and Portugal.
After defending Madrid in the late fall of 1936, Republican forces, lacking highly trained and disciplined troops, spent time to rebuild their forces. On December 19th, 1936, the rebels resumed their offensives. After heavy battles at Brunete and the valley of the river Jarama, the position of the front stabilized.
The Italians attempted to shift the balance in the favour of the Francists. On March 8th, they performed an offensive with the "Black Flame" division. To develop this offensive, the division would be joined by another Italian division and a Spanish brigade. The Spanish-Italian forces had CV-3/33 and CV-3/35 Italian tanks, about 150 vehicles in total. In order to contain the attack, the Republicans transferred 20 T-26 tanks and two international brigades from Jaram to Guadalajara. Soviet tankers drove the tanks, and the battalion was commanded by Major M.P. Petrov.
On March 13th, 1937, the second stage of the battle began. Enrique Líster's 68th International Brigade and the tank battalion took advantage of the Italians' slow deployment and struck their enemy. As a result, the Republicans dealt a large blow to the Italian regiment, took trophies, and captured the city of Brihuega.
At the same time, on the opposite flank at Torro del Burgo, the 35th Republican Brigade also pushed away its enemy. By the evening of March 13th, the position of the Republicans on the front was much more solid.
From March 14th to March 17th, the Italians tried more attacks. Thanks to the Republican reserves, and uncontested superiority of T-26 tanks over Italian tankettes, these assaults had no success. Italians took serious losses and had to retreat. The Republicans won that battle.
Original article available here.
After defending Madrid in the late fall of 1936, Republican forces, lacking highly trained and disciplined troops, spent time to rebuild their forces. On December 19th, 1936, the rebels resumed their offensives. After heavy battles at Brunete and the valley of the river Jarama, the position of the front stabilized.
The Italians attempted to shift the balance in the favour of the Francists. On March 8th, they performed an offensive with the "Black Flame" division. To develop this offensive, the division would be joined by another Italian division and a Spanish brigade. The Spanish-Italian forces had CV-3/33 and CV-3/35 Italian tanks, about 150 vehicles in total. In order to contain the attack, the Republicans transferred 20 T-26 tanks and two international brigades from Jaram to Guadalajara. Soviet tankers drove the tanks, and the battalion was commanded by Major M.P. Petrov.
On March 13th, 1937, the second stage of the battle began. Enrique Líster's 68th International Brigade and the tank battalion took advantage of the Italians' slow deployment and struck their enemy. As a result, the Republicans dealt a large blow to the Italian regiment, took trophies, and captured the city of Brihuega.
At the same time, on the opposite flank at Torro del Burgo, the 35th Republican Brigade also pushed away its enemy. By the evening of March 13th, the position of the Republicans on the front was much more solid.
From March 14th to March 17th, the Italians tried more attacks. Thanks to the Republican reserves, and uncontested superiority of T-26 tanks over Italian tankettes, these assaults had no success. Italians took serious losses and had to retreat. The Republicans won that battle.
Original article available here.
Saturday, 30 November 2013
World of Tanks History Section: PzKpfw I
On June 28th, 1919, Germany and the Entente signed the Treaty of Versailles, ending WWI, the largest conflict in the history of humanity at that point. A portion of German territory was annexed by the victorious nations, its colonies were also appropriated, it was forced to pay reparations. There were also harsh limits on Germany's military force. The land army was limited to 100 000 men, drafts were not allowed, a portion of Germany's warships were handed over to the victors, and the tonnage of new ones was strictly limited. Armoured vehicles (aside from outdated police cars) and aviation were forbidden. The conditions were such that their goal was, apparently, not to maintain peace in Europe, but to humiliate Germany and force them to take revenge.
Years before the nazis, Germany already started to, step by step, violate the conditions of the treaty. Aside from theoretical developments, which were not forbidden, the manufacturing base of the country slowly but surely accumulated experience. In 1925, a tank codenamed Großtraktor (large tractor) was developed. Leichttraktor (small tractor) followed in May of 1928.
The first mass produced German tank was the PzKpfw I. Work on this tank started in 1931, when the Directorate of German land forces drafted the requirements for a teaching tank, 5 tons in mass. The vehicle was officially named Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper (agricultural tractor), which was not unusual in Germany at the time. Friedrich Krupp AG, Rheinmetall-Borsig, MAN, and Daimler-Benz AG received orders for this new tank.
Each company produced a prototype with more or less the same characteristics. The military liked Krupp's LKA tank the most. The best thing about it was not its technical characteristics, but that it was the project that could be built the fastest, and the cheapest. Five of Krupp's tanks, still without armament, were tested at Kummersdorf in the summer of 1933. The tests demonstrated insufficient reliability of the transmission and suspension, forcing Krupp's engineers to make some changes. After that, 15 more vehicles were given the green light. The vehicles were assembled at multiple factories. This unorthodox decision was made to distribute the tank building experience.
The hull and turret were developed by Daimler-Benz. A welded hull protected the crew and components from bullets. The turret, also welded, was placed to the right of the tank's axis. The maximum armour thickness was 13 mm. The tank was equipped with a Krupp 57 hp engine, theoretically making it capable of accelerating to 37 kph. The tank's armament consisted of two 7.92 mm MG-13 machine guns.
The first mass produced chassis were made in December of 1933. In July of 1934, the tank started mass production. In the same year, the first tanks started arriving at training centers. By October 1935, Germany's first tank divisions were formed. That is when the tank received its name: PzKpfw I. According to foreign historians, there were about 1100 vehicles of the first configuration built.
When the tank entered the army, its downsides quickly showed themselves. Its engine was too weak. Instead of the ideal 37 kph, it could only reach 28 kph. Work started on an improved PzKpfw I Ausf. B. Retroactively, all existing tanks were named PzKpfw Ausf. A.
In 1935, the new six cylinder water cooled Maybach NL 38 TR engine was chosen for the tank. The new engine was more powerful, at 100 hp. Because it was larger than the engine compartment of the PzKpfw I, the tank became longer by 40 cm. The tank gained another road wheel, and an idler was lifted to make turning easier.
Interestingly enough, no work on improving armament was conducted. First "B" tanks were equipped with the same MG-13s, and later, dual MG-34s. These machine guns fired a little faster, but had the same rifle caliber. If the firepower was improved, it was so miserly, that it is not worth mentioning.
The PzKpfw I Ausf. A remained in production until 1937, and the chassis until 1941. The PzKpfw I was seen as a strictly training tank. However, as it often happens, reality interfered. Until 1937, the PzKpfw I was the main tank of the German army. Germany started WWII with over 1000 PzKpfw I of both modifications.
The tank saw its first combat in Spain, during the Spanish Civil War. Various sources record 32-41 tanks shipped along with the German volunteers of the Condor legion, fighting on the side of Franco. These tanks formed the Drohne tank group. Despite the fact that the group's main function was to teach Spanish tankers, the group frequently saw combat. The very first battles showed the superiority of Soviet T-26 tanks, armed with cannons. Armour piercing bullets could penetrate the T-26 at 120-150 meters, but it was hard to close in to that distance, as the T-26's 45 mm gun could destroy the PzKpfw I at any range.
In order to somehow improve the situation, there was an attempt to install the Breda 20 mm autocannon. In order to fit the gun into the turret, it had to be modified with a cylindrical addition. There is no data on the combat use of this "homebrewed" vehicle.
In 1938, Germany started expanding its territory. PzKpfw I took part in the Anschluss of Austria. Here is where the PzKpfw I showed its poor reliability. At least 35% of both types of tank broke down and were abandoned by the side of the road during the march. In order to conserve the negligible number of tanks, they were delivered to the Sudetenland by trucks.
During the Polish campaign in 1939, most tanks in the German army were still PzKpfw Is. Weak armour and armament were apparent. 320 tanks were lost, but most were repaired by the Germans.
At the time of Germany's advance in the West, only 550 PzKpfw I tanks remained, and they were assigned secondary roles. Even then, the losses were very great, and 182 units were lost irreparably.
As time went on, the amount of PzKpfw I tanks declined. In the West, as well as the East, they were used until 1944, primarily to combat partisans.
Small amounts of PzKpfw Is were shipped to China, Hungary, Spain, and, according to some sources, Croatia.
Original article available here.
Years before the nazis, Germany already started to, step by step, violate the conditions of the treaty. Aside from theoretical developments, which were not forbidden, the manufacturing base of the country slowly but surely accumulated experience. In 1925, a tank codenamed Großtraktor (large tractor) was developed. Leichttraktor (small tractor) followed in May of 1928.
The first mass produced German tank was the PzKpfw I. Work on this tank started in 1931, when the Directorate of German land forces drafted the requirements for a teaching tank, 5 tons in mass. The vehicle was officially named Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper (agricultural tractor), which was not unusual in Germany at the time. Friedrich Krupp AG, Rheinmetall-Borsig, MAN, and Daimler-Benz AG received orders for this new tank.
Each company produced a prototype with more or less the same characteristics. The military liked Krupp's LKA tank the most. The best thing about it was not its technical characteristics, but that it was the project that could be built the fastest, and the cheapest. Five of Krupp's tanks, still without armament, were tested at Kummersdorf in the summer of 1933. The tests demonstrated insufficient reliability of the transmission and suspension, forcing Krupp's engineers to make some changes. After that, 15 more vehicles were given the green light. The vehicles were assembled at multiple factories. This unorthodox decision was made to distribute the tank building experience.
The hull and turret were developed by Daimler-Benz. A welded hull protected the crew and components from bullets. The turret, also welded, was placed to the right of the tank's axis. The maximum armour thickness was 13 mm. The tank was equipped with a Krupp 57 hp engine, theoretically making it capable of accelerating to 37 kph. The tank's armament consisted of two 7.92 mm MG-13 machine guns.
The first mass produced chassis were made in December of 1933. In July of 1934, the tank started mass production. In the same year, the first tanks started arriving at training centers. By October 1935, Germany's first tank divisions were formed. That is when the tank received its name: PzKpfw I. According to foreign historians, there were about 1100 vehicles of the first configuration built.
When the tank entered the army, its downsides quickly showed themselves. Its engine was too weak. Instead of the ideal 37 kph, it could only reach 28 kph. Work started on an improved PzKpfw I Ausf. B. Retroactively, all existing tanks were named PzKpfw Ausf. A.
In 1935, the new six cylinder water cooled Maybach NL 38 TR engine was chosen for the tank. The new engine was more powerful, at 100 hp. Because it was larger than the engine compartment of the PzKpfw I, the tank became longer by 40 cm. The tank gained another road wheel, and an idler was lifted to make turning easier.
Interestingly enough, no work on improving armament was conducted. First "B" tanks were equipped with the same MG-13s, and later, dual MG-34s. These machine guns fired a little faster, but had the same rifle caliber. If the firepower was improved, it was so miserly, that it is not worth mentioning.
The PzKpfw I Ausf. A remained in production until 1937, and the chassis until 1941. The PzKpfw I was seen as a strictly training tank. However, as it often happens, reality interfered. Until 1937, the PzKpfw I was the main tank of the German army. Germany started WWII with over 1000 PzKpfw I of both modifications.
The tank saw its first combat in Spain, during the Spanish Civil War. Various sources record 32-41 tanks shipped along with the German volunteers of the Condor legion, fighting on the side of Franco. These tanks formed the Drohne tank group. Despite the fact that the group's main function was to teach Spanish tankers, the group frequently saw combat. The very first battles showed the superiority of Soviet T-26 tanks, armed with cannons. Armour piercing bullets could penetrate the T-26 at 120-150 meters, but it was hard to close in to that distance, as the T-26's 45 mm gun could destroy the PzKpfw I at any range.
In order to somehow improve the situation, there was an attempt to install the Breda 20 mm autocannon. In order to fit the gun into the turret, it had to be modified with a cylindrical addition. There is no data on the combat use of this "homebrewed" vehicle.
In 1938, Germany started expanding its territory. PzKpfw I took part in the Anschluss of Austria. Here is where the PzKpfw I showed its poor reliability. At least 35% of both types of tank broke down and were abandoned by the side of the road during the march. In order to conserve the negligible number of tanks, they were delivered to the Sudetenland by trucks.
During the Polish campaign in 1939, most tanks in the German army were still PzKpfw Is. Weak armour and armament were apparent. 320 tanks were lost, but most were repaired by the Germans.
At the time of Germany's advance in the West, only 550 PzKpfw I tanks remained, and they were assigned secondary roles. Even then, the losses were very great, and 182 units were lost irreparably.
As time went on, the amount of PzKpfw I tanks declined. In the West, as well as the East, they were used until 1944, primarily to combat partisans.
Small amounts of PzKpfw Is were shipped to China, Hungary, Spain, and, according to some sources, Croatia.
Original article available here.
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