Judging by period photos and surviving vehicles, Red Army units often welded additional armour to Valentines. #OTD in 1942 Engineer-Major A.G. Aranovich proposed an even more radical scheme to protect these tanks with 45 mm thick sloped spaced armour. #tanks#history#WW2#WWII
#OTD in 1931 Germany purchased a Vickers tractor to serve as an inspiration for its ailing tank program. Many of its elements were copied to create the Pz.Kpfw.I, Germany's first mass produced tank. #tanks#history
#OTD in 1941 the Germans took Tikhvin, cutting off the last railway link to Lake Ladoga and drastically reducing the flow of supplies to Leningrad. A heroic effort by the 4th Army prevented them from linking up with the Finns and cutting off the city entirely. #history#WW2#WWII
Requirements for a new medium tank to replace the failed T-43 were issued #OTD in 1943. The first prototypes of the T-44 were ready just 2 months later, in early January of 1944. This was the first of many steps towards a new generation of Soviet tanks. #tanks#history#WW2#WWII
#OTD on the second day of Operation Torch, American forces engaged the Vichy French. The latter were using obsolete D1 infantry support tanks, which were easily overcome by American Light Tanks M3 and Medium Tanks M3. #tanks#history#WW2#WWII
The British notified the USSR of new German tanks #OTD in 1942. One was the Pz Kpfw VI. Nothing was known about this tank, not even its full name. Tiger tanks were already deployed on the Eastern Front, but they achieved nothing and remained unnoticed. #tanks#history#WW2#WWII
The Carro Armato P 40 "heavy" tank was Italy's most modern tank at the moment of German occupation. #OTD in 1943 plans were made to produce it for German use under the index Pz.Kpfw.P40(i). #tanks#history#WW2#WWII
A report on trials held by the 4th Guards Army against Tiger 2 tanks was composed #OTD in 1944. The trials concluded that 100-152 mm guns penetrated any part of the tank aside from the upper front hull, and even that spalled cracked into pieces when hit #tanks#history#WW2#WWII
The British developed the powerful 183 mm L4 gun to combat the Soviet IS-3 heavy tank. A meeting was held #OTD in 1950 to figure out what vehicle could fit such a monstrous weapon. One of the results was the FV 4005 tank destroyer. #tanks#history#ColdWar
Comparative trials of Henschel and Porsche's Tiger tanks began at Bad Berka #OTD in 1942, even though both models were already accepted into service. Even though the Porsche tank performed better in some respects, Henschel had a political advantage. #tanks#history#WW2#WWII
Moscow's militia divisions had standard small arms, but more exotic heavy weapons. For instance, #OTD in 1941 the Polish 37 mm anti-tank guns stored in warehouses near Moscow were dusted off to equip divisions fighting on approach to the capital. #artillery#history#WW2#WWII
Trials of the experimental IS-6 tank began #OTD in 1944. It was not as good as the Object 701 (future IS-4). Even though it was better than the IS-2, the improvement was not significant enough to justify production of a new tank. #tanks#history#WW2#WWII
The 15 cm sFH 13/1 (Sf) was a way to turn an old chassis and an old gun into something useful. The short range of the gun meant that the lightly armoured vehicle had to stay close to the enemy and #OTD in 1942 the 15th Panzer Division lost its last one. #tanks#history#WW2#WWII
Trials of Panther prototypes began #OTD in 1942 at Bad Berka. Daimler-Benz's entry, the VK 30.01 (D), broke down on the first day so badly that it never rejoined the trials, cementing the victory for MAN's tank, the VK 30.02 (M). #tanks#history#WW2#WWII
Even though the British were already using Sherman tanks by November of 1942, some American tankers went into battle with older tanks. #OTD in 1942 the 1st Armored Division landed at Oran equipped with Medium Tanks M3. #tanks#history#WW2#WWII