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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 10h

For most of the war only officers could be tank commanders in the Red Army. #OTD in 1945 a proposal was made to allow NCOs with the rank of Sergeant or higher to command a tank as a part of the overall reduction in the number of officers. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 18h

Despite popular belief, finances were still an important issue when it came to Soviet tank production. #OTD in 1942 the cost of KV-1S and KV-8S tanks was agreed upon between the Kirov factory and the Soviet government. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 19h

Requirements for medium SPGs were composed at a meeting held #OTD in 1942. The result was the SU-122, the USSR's first medium SPG. It had a forward fighting compartment, unlike all previously designed Soviet SPGs. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 21h

Requirements for a light SPG were formulated #OTD in 1942. This work resulted in the SU-76 and SU-76M light SPGs that gradually replaced light tanks in Soviet production. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 22h

#OTD in 1941 the Germans made a push along the shore of Lake Ladoga north of Tikhvin. If they had linked up with Finnish forces on the eastern side, Leningrad would be completely cut off. However, the offensive failed and the city's last lifeline held. #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 23h

A bombing raid delivered 140 tons of bombs to Sankt Valentin #OTD in 1944. One of the targets was the Nibelungenwerk tank factory. The damage was so severe that production of the Jagdtiger had to be paused until the spring of 1945. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 16/10/2026

#OTD in 1942 Stalin signed an order chastising combined arms commanders for using their tank forces improperly and wastefully. The order included guidelines on proper cooperation of tanks with infantry, artillery, and air support. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 16/10/2026

Read about Soviet impressions of the Crusader and other British cruiser tanks in my book British Tanks of the Red Army.

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 16/10/2026

A German report written #OTD in 1941 described the performance of German and British tanks in North Africa. The report fell into Soviet hands, which contributed to the decision against ordering Crusader tanks from the UK. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

The rapid rate of Soviet tank component production meant that it would take some time for industry to work out its backlog of parts after the design was changed. For instance, #OTD in 1942 the use of leftover KV-1 hulls to build KV-1S tanks was approved #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

The experimental Carro Armato M 13 was shown in Rome #OTD in 1939. This tank would kick off a family of tanks that would be built into 1944, even after Italy exited the war and was occupied by Germany. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

A prototype of the Light Tank T24 was submitted for trials #OTD in 1943. Even though it was based on existing automotive components, trials were still conducted very thoroughly and it only entered production in the following year as the Light Tank M24 #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

As the Luftwaffe lost its grasp of the sky, air defense became more and more important for the Germans. #OTD in 1943 Hitler personally ordered production of the 2 cm Flak 38 auf (Sf) Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) Ausf. M (Sd.Kfz. 140) SPAAG. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

A prototype T-43 tank upgraded with 90-110 mm of front armour and an 85 mm gun was due #OTD in 1943. Such a tank was never built, as two weeks prior it was decided that the tank could not be upgraded any further without becoming overweight. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

A school opened in Kazan #OTD in 1941 to train Soviet tankers on British tanks. Ironically, these were the same grounds where German tankers were secretly testing their tanks a decade prior. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

#OTD in 1932 the Ordnance Committee finished specifications for a new convertible drive tank. Christie lost the resulting tender and the contract for the US Army's next Christie tank went to Christie's greatest rival: American LaFrance. #tanks #history

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Production of the DTM tank machine gun was approved #OTD in 1944. The improved variant moved the recoil spring to make it more resistant to overheating. #tanks #guns #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

A variant of the Begleitwagen (future Pz.Kpfw.IV) with a torsion bar suspension was ordered #OTD in 1935. The design submitted by Krupp performed so badly that the company never designed a tank with a torsion bar suspension again. #tanks #history

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

#OTD in 1944 the installation of DShK machine guns on IS-2, ISU-122, and ISU-152 SPGs was approved. This machine gun came in handy during street fighting, as the mount allowed it to be used to flush anti-tank teams out of ambushes. #Tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

The results of the trials were pre-ordained. Only Tiger (P) production was paused and Tiger (H) production continued. Predictably, the Tiger (H) was declared the winner and Porsche's vehicles were converted into tank destroyers. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Officially, the Tiger (P) was accepted into production in parallel with the Tiger (H). However, this led to production of two very similar types of tanks. The decision to suspend production and carry out comparison trials was made #OTD in 1942. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Soviet mobility trials of the GMC M10 ended #OTD in 1943. The tank destroyer was judged to have the same mobility as the M4A2 tank that it was based on, with the same strengths and weaknesses when driving. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

An experimental tank battalion was formed #OTD in 1942 in Cairo under the command of Major King. Kingforce, as it came to be known, took part in the Second Battle of El Alaimein, showing the value of the Churchill III tank in combat. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

When this happens it's usually because someone popular posted a link to my content.

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

The first Medium Tanks M4A3E2 were issued #OTD in 1944. The "Sherman Jumbo" was much better protected than any American tank and even better than some German heavy tanks at the time, but only a limited number were made. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Checked to see how much of my traffic was coming from Yandex... instead of a dip I'm actually seeing a huge *jump* in views!

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

An order to design a tank was given by Italian General Julio Martini #OTD in 1915. This work eventually led to the creation of the FIAT 2000 heavy tank. This was an advanced tank for its time, but it was finished way too late to see battle in the First World War. #tanks #history #WWI #WW1

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

#OTD in 1944 Krupp completed the design of a Waffentrager carrying a 150 mm gun on the Pz.Kpfw.III/IV chassis. Unfortunately for them, the Pz.Kpfw.III/IV project had been cancelled just 9 days earlier. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

#OTD in 1942 a decision was made to build a lighter version of the Gefechtsaufklärer Leopard, since the old one ballooned to 26 tons. The new design was supposed to weigh 18 tons but grew to 22 tons during development. This tank was never built. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

#OTD in 1942 the experimental KV-13 tank returned to trials after repairs. The tank worked reliably, but a critical weakness of the cooling system and clogging air intakes was found. These were resolved in later iterations of the design. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Sure, for 1942, the problem is that only a handful of Tigers actually saw battle in 1942 and failed to actually achieve anything on the battlefield.

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Convoy PQ-2 left Great Britain #OTD in 1941. This convoy carried 113 British tanks, more than 5 times as many as PQ-1. More importantly, it carried British instructors to help train Soviet crews. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Similar firepower and protection in a much smaller and lighter (and more reliable) package. I can't speak about the Conqueror since that's quite a post-war design.

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Field penetration trials were conducted against a King Tiger tank #OTD in 1944 by the 1st Howitzer Artillery Bde. The upper front plate was a formidable defense, but other areas including the joint between upper and lower front plates were vulnerable. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

The Maybach HL.234 is an often-quoted option, but it never even made it to bench trials. Work continued after the war on the HL.295, but even another decade of work failed to produce a working design.

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

The question is, how? Do you cut weight by reducing the armament and the armour? Then there is no point in making the tank in the first place. Do you put in a bigger engine? The Germans tried, but a new tank engine is not something you can pull out of a hat.

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Trials of the Automitrailleuse de combat AC 3 began #OTD in 1934. This "armoured car" ended up turning into the best tank of the French army in the Second World War. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Yes, the winning design was made from a new rubber formula and got rid of ventilation openings. It was previously believed that openings in the rubber would aid in the cooling of the tires as they heated up, but it turned out that they only weakened the structure and hastened the onset of damage.

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The head of the War Department Equipment Board "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell died #OTD in 1946. His work outlived him, setting the stage for a whole generation of American tanks: the M41 Walker Bulldog, M47 Patton, and Heavy Tank M103. #tanks #history #ColdWar

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The Kleintraktor was never tested in the USSR, only the Leichttraktor and Grosstraktor.

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The Special Vehicle Design Committee was established #OTD in 1939. Although they managed to produce prototypes with some advanced features, Sir Albert Stern's talent for make powerful enemies in the government led to the committee disbanding in 1941. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The King Tiger wasn't just unreliable when it came to driving. #OTD in 1944 during gunnery trials at the NIBT proving grounds the semiautomatic mechanism of the gun broke after just 45 shots. It was fixed just to break again two days later. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

#OTD in 1932 Oswald Lutz put forward the idea of building five Kleintraktor chassis with rotating turrets carrying two machine guns each, rather than fixed casemates with one autocannon. This variant of the tank was accepted into service as the Pz.Kpfw.I. #tanks #history

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

#OTD in 1942 a new type of T-34 tank tire was recommended for production. In trials conducted in September of 1942, this design showed that it could stand up to 2000 km of fast driving even in hot dusty weather. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The Tiger III tank concept was born #OTD in 1942. It was supposed to be a final evolution of the Tiger II in production, but the Tank Commission decided to skip the intermediate step. This tank was accepted into service as the Pz.Kpfw. Tiger Ausf.B. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

#OTD in 1932 the Rheinmetall Grosstraktor was selected as the superior vehicle over the Krupp and Daimler-Benz designs. This was a hollow victory, as none of the tanks were satisfactory and no future designs were derived from them. #tanks #history

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

A wooden model of the VK 9.01 was demonstrated at the MAN factory #OTD in 1938. There were already concerns that it was too small to fit a crew and armament. In the end, the tank was accepted into service as the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.G but not even the pilot batch was completed. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

As the Red Army became more and more pressed for armour in the fall of 1941, prototype vehicles were put into service. #OTD in 1941 the experimental T-150 tank was issued to the 123rd Tank Brigade. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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Tank Archives @tankarchives.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Factory trials of the ISU-152 prototype SPG began #OTD in 1943. The vehicle went through brief mobility trials and gunnery trials before being shipped off for testing at the Gorohovets artillery proving grounds. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

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