Tank Archives

Combat Car M1E2. The running gear was modified #OTD in 1935. This resulting layout with VVSS bogeys went on to be used on all American tanks for nearly a decade. #tanks #history

#OTD in 1942 the third iteration of the Maus design was presented to Hitler for approval. The tank now weighed 130 tons, a third greater than the initially proposed limit of 100 tons. It would proceed to grow by almost 60 tons more. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

YouTube video by Tank Archives Historically Accurate Panzer '46: Super-powered Soviet Tank Destroyers

Learn about what happened to these projects in my video on Soviet super-powered tank destroyers: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc6f...

High power 122 and 152 mm guns for the SU-152 were pitched #OTD in 1943 to fight against prospective German superheavy tanks. These weapons ended up being tested on the ISU-152 chassis a year later, but the program slowly died since no such tanks came. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The first Medium Tanks M7 were delivered #OTD in 1942. This tank was initially envisioned as a light tank, but ballooned into a medium one during development. It was promptly cancelled as it offered no advantages over the Sherman. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The Red Army captured large quantities of Pz.Kpfw.III tanks, enough to build the SG-122 and SU-76I vehicles on its chassis. A fatal verdict was issued for these programs #OTD in 1943: engines on captured tanks were too worn out for further service. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Soviet trials of a Panther tank finished #OTD in 1943. The trials lasted for two months, but the tank ran for less than 14 hours in that time, as it constantly needed repairs. The Panther was catastrophically unreliable. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1943 the Commanding General of the Army Service Forces declined an ambitious request to build 500 T23 tanks, 500 T25 tanks, 500 T26 tanks, and 500 T71 (M36) tank destroyers. In the end, 2324 GMC M36 alone were built. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

I thought it would be nice to have a period camera set up to take a photo of me receiving an award. Big mistake :|

@shittychallenge.bsky.social please make the next challenge American cameras so that it can really shine.

Vest Pocket Kodak Special, Agfa X-ray film, Kodak Anastigmat f/7.7

A GBTU meeting was held #OTD in 1943 to discuss what upgrades need to be made to the T-43 to keep it competitive. The thicker armour and larger gun required pushed the weight past reasonable limits for a medium tank, resulting in its cancellation. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1944 Major General John R. Deane wrote to his colleagues in the USSR inquiring about any information on the newly discovered "Tiger Imperial" tank. The Americans only captured a Tiger Ausf.B for study later that year. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1944 Germany's Tank Commission decided to rationalize production to just three tank chassis: the Jagdpanzer 38D, Panther, and Tiger II. Any dreams of superheavy "wonder weapons" that Germany could have fielded in 1945 or 1946 died here. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Several German projects mixed Pz.Kpfw.III and IV parts. One of the most interesting was a new chassis named Panzer III/IV. The project was cancelled #OTD in 1944 when the Tank Commission decided to restrict German production to just three tank chassis #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

T-34 production was at risk in 1941 due to a shortage of V-2 diesel engines. #OTD in 1941 the use of supercharged M-17 gasoline engines was temporarily authorized. 943 tanks were built this way before supplies recovered in the spring of 1942. #tanks #history #WWII #WW2

It took two other Tiger tanks to pull this Tiger out of the mud. Pulling one Tiger with another was also a risky maneuver as it invited transmission trouble. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Tiger tank stuck in a river #OTD in 1943. Tigers were too heavy and often too wide for most bridges and had to resort to risky fording maneuvers to get across rivers. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Plans to build 10 experimental Pz.Sfl. leFH 18 Ausf. A SPGs were made #OTD in 1941. Mass production was to begin next year, but by that point the leFH 18 howitzer was already available on a light tank chassis. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The RSFSR ordered 30 copies of a captured Renault FT tank to be built #OTD in 1919. Only 16 were ever built, and none of them were completed in time to take part in the Russian Civil War. #tanks #history

Second Heavy Tank M6A2E1 prototype photographed #OTD in 1945. This tank was built to fight King Tigers, but a new turret with a larger gun made it far too heavy and it was only used to test components. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1936 the British made a deal with Christie to buy one of his tanks. The Christie suspension kicked off a whole family of high speed cruiser tanks that fought until the end of the Second World War. #tanks #history

Nevertheless, the Germans learned from this concept. The successor vehicle called verbesserten Nb.Fz (improved Nb.Fz.) and later renamed Begleitwagen (support vehicle) eventually became the Pz.Kpfw.IV. #tanks #history

#OTD in 1933 the vehicle codenamed mittlerer Traktor (m. Tr.) received the name we know it by today: Neubau Fahrzeug (Nb.Fz.) This formidable looking three-turreted medium tank ended up too heavy, complex, and expensive to mass produce. Only five were built. #tanks #history

The Americans tried to boost the firepower of the GMC M37, installing a 75 mm recoilless rifle for self defense instead of a .50 caliber machine gun. The weapon was hard to use and could hit the crew with the backblast. Work was discontinued #OTD in 1947. #tanks #history #ColdWar

The American T20 medium tank program split into several directions at its start, but a whole new variant was introduced #OTD in 1942: the T23E3 tank with an electric transmission, torsion bar suspension, and 76 mm gun. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Trials of the T-70 tank with a two-man turret finished #OTD in 1942. Results of the trials were used to develop an improved turret which was later used on the T-80 tank. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

7TP tanks in Polish-occupied Český Těšín #OTD in 1938. This derivative of the British Vickers Mk.E tank was Poland's most advanced tank at the start of WW2. #tanks #history

Soviet winter camouflage trials ended #OTD in 1941. The result was the famous "tire track" camo that blended together at long range, creating gray tones that blurred the tank's outline even when only white paint was available. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

The 7,5 cm Pak 40/4 auf RSO (Sf) was a desperate attempt to meet the demand for tank destroyers. Hitler personally inspected and approved a prototype #OTD in 1943, but the troops that had to use it in combat were not nearly as fond of it. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

A test TOG turret was shot up #OTD in 1941 to determine the best methods of joining thick armour with bolts. None proved satisfactory, as even a nonpenetrating hit from 2-pounder shot could destroy the bolts. The plates also cracked under 6-pdr fire. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Installation of the D-25T gun into the IS-2 tank prototype was completed #OTD in 1943. The rear machine gun was removed at first, as there was a concern that there would not be enough room in the tank to operate the gun with it present. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII