Stalin's Tank Aces

Soviet tankers forced even the best aces of the Panzerwaffe to respect them—reluctantly, through clenched teeth—yet they acknowledged the “fantastic combat spirit of the Russians: some tanks lose mobility after 5–6 direct hits, but their crews don’t give up and keep firing. Russian tankers fight to the last shell and cartridge…”

Only the ratio of armored losses on the Soviet-German front was 5 to 1, not in our favor. Besides, for the British and Americans it was no better: not a single Allied tank force in the anti-Hitler coalition came anywhere near the Panzerwaffe’s lofty victory tallies.

Why were the results of Soviet tank aces so much lower than those of the German ones? Was it due to insufficient combat training? Imperfections of observation devices, sights, and communications equipment? The lag in domestic tank-building, which since 1942 had lost its former superiority over the enemy? The vicious slogan: “Tanks don’t fight tanks”? Or an fundamentally different approach to employing armored vehicles—where the emphasis was not on individual victories, but on the overall outcome? And whose tactics ultimately proved more effective?

After all, it wasn’t Hitler’s “Tigers” and “Panthers” that were firing at the Kremlin; it was our IS tanks and “T-34s” that were blasting the Reichstag with direct fire!

By answering the most complex and controversial questions, this book restores historical justice in relation to Stalin’s tank aces. If you want to know how our tank heroes fought, died, and won—read this book dedicated to the bright memory of all those who burned alive in tanks.