The
Roadblock, Dubyana River, Lithuania 23rd - 24th June 1941 by David
Pentland. DHM1424 As the spearhead of Army Group North, 6th Panzer Division had
deployed two Kampgruppe across the Dubyana river as jump off points for
the drive towards Leningrad. Prior to the ensuing battles for the
bridgeheads General Solyalyankin, commander of 2nd Tank Division,
infiltrated a single KV2 and some infantry across the river to interdict
the German supply road to Rasyeinyia. For two days the Soviet tank
fought off all attempts to clear it from the road (including a night
attack by German sappers) in the process destroying a convoy of supply
trucks, a battery of the new Pak38 anti-tank guns, and an 88mm gun. It
was only the combined efforts of a platoon of PZ35(t)s who distracted
the lone tank to its front while a 88mm AA gun scored some eight hits
from the rear that finally knocked it out. as the Germans inspected the
silent KV they were stunned as the turret once again began to move, a
quick thinking engineer dropped a few grenades through the 88 holes in
the turret and finally silenced the monster.
'Motherland' The Battle of Stalingrad, September 1942 by David
Pentland DH843 OT34 Flamethrower tank and men of Col. Krickman's 6th Guards Tank
Brigade take part in the Soviet counter attacks of 13th-27th September
in defence of the southern factory district of Stalingrad before the
final offensive in October.
"Clash of Steel", Prokhorovka, Kursk, 12th
July 1943 by David Pentland
The battle for Prokhorovka marked the high water mark of the
German southern drive for Kursk. At the apex of the thrust were the 14
tiger tanks of the 13 Heavy Tank Company, 1st SS Panzer Division "Liebstandarte",
led by Michael Wittman. Their advance was eventually thwarted, however,
by the epic charge of the Soviet 29th Guards Tank Corps, as part of 5th
Guards Tank Army's furious counter attack against the SS Tank Corps.
August
Storm by David Pentland DP12 Soviet troops advance at lightning
speed through Manchuria against a crumbling Japanese defence.
Red Steel at Kamenewo, Mtsensk, Central Front, Russia, 6th October 1941 by David
Pentland. DHM1423 Following the capture of Orel, the German High
Command ordered General Heinz Guderians panzers to push on towards
Mtsensk, Tuila and Moscow. Alarmed at the situation Stalin
deployed Major General Leyushenko to halt this advance. the battle was
finally joined when when the 4th Panzer Division crossed the Lisiza
stream at Kamenewo, pushing back the dug in defenders towards Mtsensk,
but unaware they had entered a Soviet trap. at this point the T34s and
KV1s of Colonel Katukovs 4th tank Brigade attacked from the woods on
the Panzers left flank smashing the out gunned and weaker armoured PzIII
tanks and half tracks. For the Germans the battle was a terrible shock,
stalling their advance and an unexpected demonstration of Soviet
armoured superiority.
During the battle Lt Lavrinienko, with his platoon
of four T34s supported by three KV1s under Sgt Antonov knocked out
eleven enemy tanks, plus a pair of artillery guns (squashed under the
tracks of the KVs) In his short two month career, Lt Lavinienko
knocked out some fifty two enemy tanks!
