I wish to paint a 1/6 scale model to depict a tank of !st Guards Tank Army at the time of the Battle for Berlin. I have found a number of photos but am not sure that the captions are accurate and cannot identify the tanks' Units from the -usually 3 digit numbers - on the turrets. Can any one direct me to a reference source or website that explains the Soviet system of tank numbering? Can any one indicate a photo where the Unit or even crew can be identified? Some books contain the same photo of a tank number 252 but disagree as to the year and location. Any one able to give a definitive verdict? Here's hoping!
http://www.battlefield.ru/t34_85_2.html some pics of t-34s in berlin not sure if its 1st guards though. http://www.rkkaww2.armchairgeneral.com/ this wouth a look to. if you finsh model put a pichure of it up
As far as I'm aware (but I could be wrong) the system for numbering Soviet tanks was essentially the same as their system for numbering aircraft - it did not exist. Yes, the individual tanks / planes had numbers to distinguish themselves from their peers, but no unit id number, AFAIK.
Thanks Sovietsniper. Good sites and useful pictures in the first. Just the sort of stuff I am looking for. Thanks too to Ricky. Maybe there was no system but hopefully some one can still turn up a photo with an accurate and detailed caption. As one of the most celebrated Units, seemingly on the sharp end for the entire GPW, and with such a famous Commander in KATUKOV, I am surprised not to have found much pictorial material yet. Perhaps I will have to settle for a different unit if a reliable photo can be found. I was not intending to put on "bedstead" armour though! I will upload a picture eventually.
Would be very nice. AFAIK, the soviets did not have a system for numbering their tanks in units etc. to complicate indentification by the enemy.
My thanks to a gent in Russia called Andrey who has informed me that Ist Guards Tank Army had a diamond shaped insignia divided horizontally. The Brigade number was in the top half and tank number in the bottom half. I am still searching for a picture of a T34/85 with a "1" in the top half of the diamond and a legible number in the bottom half from the Battle for Berlin.
T34/85 model I couldn't find a picture of a tank that I was sure belonged to 1GTA but I was taken by a picture in ZALOGA's book: The Eastern Front: Armour Camouflage and Markings 1941-45 of a T34/85 with a prominent slogan, en route to the battle for Berlin, and have my model painted to represent that tank. I don't know what unit it belonged to with tactical number 82, and would appreciate an answer to that or any suggestions I can research. Attached are a couple of pictures of the model with some figures.
A T-34/85 of the 55. Garde Panzer Brigade with a SS-Unterscharführer, a member of the 9. WSS PzGrenDiv. "Nordland" in Berlin 1945. edit *Hupala, the 55 GTB was part of the 7GTA, sry for that. I found this two pics and used them as an example for my T-34.*
Lovely models guys! I'm starting to think that this topic would be best in the Modelling section, so I'll wait a while then move it!
Oh I´ve found the site, where I got this pictures from. http://www.panzer-modell.de/ If you want, you can click on "Diorama" and see some great tankmodels. Regards, Che.
