From a manual for German tank crews: how Soviet tanks were evaluated in Germany during the war

We are used to giving our assessments to foreign, including German, weapons of the times of World War II. But it is interesting to learn about how the enemy evaluated the equipment of the Soviet Union, which he had to deal with on the battlefields.

Initially, propaganda, which was put on stream in the Third Reich, did not give Soviet equipment any chance. The German soldiers and their allies, invading the USSR, were almost 100 percent sure that "the Russians are a stupid people, not capable of technological progress." This confidence also formed an opinion about the military equipment of the Red Army. Many Nazis seriously believed that if there was anything to fight the Soviet troops, then this “junk” can not be compared with the technology of the Wehrmacht.

However, all these beliefs, instilled not without Goebbels' help, more and more disappeared with each day of the war.

Noteworthy is the material that is published on the Diodand channel and which is devoted to German assessments of Soviet tanks in 1942. Then the Germans decided to divide the Soviet tanks into two main categories: obsolete (T-37, T-26, BT, T-28, T-35) and modern (T-60, T-34, T-40, KV-1 and KV-2). An important addition: in Germany, they decided to attribute the T-34 to heavy tanks.

In March 1942, a special manual (manual) was issued for German tankers, which examined in detail the characteristics and capabilities of Soviet tanks, indicated their strengths and weaknesses.

From a German document:

Heavy tanks have a psychological effect. But only to those who are not familiar with them. Any tank with more than one turret is worth nothing. We will break through.

At the same time, Germany in 1942 appreciated the successes of Soviet tank construction, which managed to create new tanks in a short period of time. The Wehrmacht had serious problems with these tanks.

Video:

Comments

[knn54]

The main problem of Hitler and the "smug" Germans is MANIA OF GREATNESS.

[Insurgent]

modern (T-60, T-34, T-40, KV-1 and KV-2)

T-40, this is apparently this machine, from the not-so-famous line of amphibious tanks T-37A, T-38 and T-40.
Tanks lost in the first months of the war, which the Red Army catastrophically lacked, when the war turned back, and serious water barriers spread before the advancing troops ...

And the "pragmatic Germans" did not have such a technique as a class ...

[Free wind]

Fritz did not have amphibious tanks, this is a fact. But tigers, panthers and T-4s were equipped with underwater driving kits, the depth of the rivers was up to 5 meters.

[Insurgent]

Quote: Free Wind

tigers, panthers and T-4, equipped with kits for underwater driving, river depth up to 5 meters

In this, their priority is put into practice. , no one is going to dispute ...

[Free wind]

To tell you the truth, I don’t know what the catch of underwater driving is. Suppose you are in an offensive on the opposite side of the enemy’s troops. But first you need to explore the bottom, to search ford, so to speak. But any diver will pop up to the top with a belly shell-shock, from any grenade that fell near him. I can hardly imagine how to find a ford. Moreover, if the enemy knows about the presence of this device, they will probably put enhanced security on the ford.

[Insurgent]

Quote: Free Wind

But first you need to explore the bottom, to search ford, so to speak. But any diver will pop up to the top with a belly shell-shock, from any grenade that fell near him. I can hardly imagine how to find a ford.

For this, there is intelligence, including engineering intelligence of the area.
But in general, since the XNUMXth century, every self-respecting General Staff, by all means, sought to get a variety of data on rivers, swamps, etc. on the territory of the proposed database ...

[siemens7774]

Free wind. What does it mean to find a ford? A reconnaissance team or a probe team visits the nearest captured village, and by not tricky manipulations with the local population, you will find out not only where the ford is but also who the Jew, the communist, the elder is.

[Amborlakatay]

Not everything is so simple, especially at that time — it’s possible to set up a tank and equip it with a tank, but to train the crew — how to prepare the tank, how to establish, how to determine the possibility of forcing, and most importantly, underwater driving is not for everyone

[tank64rus]

This equipment was manufactured in TWO battalion units.

[933454818]

I think someone tricked Hitler too, a clear falsification of German intelligence data to present the USSR as weaker than he actually was. Those who supplied Hitler with money and raised him from the bottom to direct his blow to the USSR did so.

[Free wind]

Benefit why not shown. It should indicate what and where to beat, and the video in the article, well, laugh.

[Insurgent]

Quote: Free Wind

Benefit why not shown. It should indicate what and where to beat.

There are manuals and memos for the Red Army.

[/ Center]

[Center]

[seacap]

Quote: knn54

The main problem of Hitler and the "smug" Germans is MANIA OF GREATNESS.

And our overseas "partners" now differ from them in their rabid propaganda and Russophobia? Only business and nothing personal.

[APASUS]

What the authors of this material did not attach importance to from the German side were the maintainability of the T-34 tank compared to German equipment. After the famous battle near Prokhorovka, in three days the field brigades restored and returned to the front almost 60% of the damaged vehicles

[Svetlana]

Any tank with more than one turret is worth nothing. We will break through.
-- Unclear. Correct the author please.

[your1970]

Literal translation. It is understood that any multi-turret tank - German guns penetrate, because the armor is thin ...

[mamont5]

Quote: Free Wind

How to find a ford, I can hardly imagine

Actually, the maps indicate the springs, the average thickness of the trees in the forest and the distance between them. And crossings, incl. and fords - no doubt.