Sgt. Steiner Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 OK, now I am pretty much familiar with the Germans' use of captured T-34's, etc, but just how widespread was the Soviet use of captured German vehicles? I'm sure they must have gotten their hands on quite a few MK IV's, but just how many useable Panthers? Any grogs out there care to toss out some references? Also, are there any photos of these Russky panzers; would like to see them.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Steiner Posted November 17, 2002 Author Share Posted November 17, 2002 Come on now, someone must have some info on this? Bump... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cos Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 worth a another bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engel Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 http://wio.boom.ru/tank/capt/capt.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Steiner Posted November 17, 2002 Author Share Posted November 17, 2002 Thanks for the link, Engel! I had no idea the Russians used so many German vehicles. I would have thought lack of spares and danger from friendly fire would discourage this practice most of the time. But the Russians apparently also had dedicated factories for reconditioning enemy vehicles; fascinating.. The Panthers appear to have white stars on their turrets; very curious. Can't tell for sure from the b/w photo though. So there must have been at least a few instances of Germans in T-34's encountering Russians in Mk III/IV's. Real-life is stranger than fiction! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 thanks for asking that question sarge. I can use those winter pics as reference. One thing, did you notice on that winter pic, that the tank wasn't whitewashed. I guess everything wasn't white washed painted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Steiner Posted November 17, 2002 Author Share Posted November 17, 2002 Very true. I am also wondering what color those captured vehicles were. Obviously the ones still in German markings (!) are in original paint, but in the other photos it's hard to tell. Dark green, brown? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engel Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 Originally posted by Sgt. Steiner: The Panthers appear to have white stars on their turrets; very curious.White offers a lot better visibility than red, making friendly fire less likely at the usual engagement ranges, where the red star would be practically invisible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grisha Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 The Soviets had very good mechanics, and the Germans liked using prisoners or HIWI's for their repair shops. Hence, it's not a stretch to see the Red Army being able to make use of captured vehicles. In fact, by 1944-45, there was an informal policy among Red Army units that anyone who could get any sort of personnel transport could use it. I remember stories of some Red Army columns being referred by high level Soviet commanders as looking like a 'band of gypsies,' due to the many and varied forms of transport employed. They disapproved this sort of thing, but also realized how crucial mobility was for their operations, and so most generals simply looked the other way. Also, many captured German halftracks were used by Soviet armor units to assist in mobilizing their infantry. One thing most people don't realize is that the Soviets were (and the Russians are) masters of improvization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Steiner Posted November 18, 2002 Author Share Posted November 18, 2002 It's interesting the information about the eastern front that is now surfacing, especially from the Soviet side. Before getting CMBB, I had no idea the Russians used German vehicles at all, let alone in significant numbers. I'd seen a few photos of German T-34's (and T-70's converted into APC's), but that's about it. The "Unknown War" becomes less so every day.. [ November 17, 2002, 05:41 PM: Message edited by: Sgt. Steiner ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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