Red Army Tanks of World War II: A Guide to Soviet Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Red Army Tanks of World War II is an authoritative history of Soviet armoured forces before 1945, detailing their development, tactics and equipment from the early days of the tank arm in the 1920s, through the purges of the late 1930s and the German invasion in 1941, to the epic tank battle of Kursk, and eventual victory in the streets of Berlin. The growth and development of Stalin’s armoured might is illustrated with 170 rare black-and-white photographs, some of which have never been previously published. These include images of tank training in the 1920s and 1930s, photographs taken on active service, and pictures of the major tank battles of the war. The photographs are complemented by detailed artworks of Soviet tanks and exhaustive specifications. A must for any enthusiast, Red Army Tanks of World War II is the definitive study of the equipment and tactics of the Soviet armoured forces that defeated the might of Hitler’s Wehrmacht.

Table of Contents:
1. Birth of the Tank Arm The creation of the first armoured formations, and the growth of the tank arm after the Revolution. 2. Soviet Armoured Tactics Soviet training manoeuvres before the war, including co-operation with the nascent German panzer arm. Development of Soviet ideas and doctrines, and how they influenced the design of Soviet tanks. 3. Light Tanks Light tanks of the 1920s and 1930s, such as the T-26. 4. Medium Tanks Tanks such as the T-28 and BT-7. 5. The T-34 The classic Soviet tank: chapter includes the T-34/76, T-34/85, SU-85 and SU-100. 6. Heavy Tanks Including the T-35, KV-I and KV-II. 7. Late-War Tanks The SU-122, SU-152 and IS series of heavy tanks/tank destroyers produced towards the end of the war. 8. Foreign Tanks in Soviet Service Allied tanks like the M3, Sherman, Churchill, Matilda etc that were supplied to Russia by her allies and used on the Eastern Front. 9. Stalin’s Legacy How armoured tactics had developed by the end of the war and the lasting impact of the war years on Soviet tank tactics after 1945. Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Tim Bean is a Senior Lecturer in War Studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He is a specialist on the Red Army in the inter war years, eighteenth century naval warfare, amphibious operations, and Headquarters South East Asia Command, 1943–45, and the Burma campaign in general. Will Fowler has worked in journalism and publishing since 1972, specialising in military history. He is the author of several books on the subject.