The SU-100 entered proving grounds trials #OTD in 1944. The powerful 100 mm gun turned out to be well suited for a medium tank destroyer and the SU-100 was accepted into service in July of 1944. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Gunnery trials of the SU-76I were held #OTD in 1943. The gun worked well, but the critical problems with the vehicle stemmed from the insufficient reliability and mobility of the captured German Pz.Kpfw.III and StuG chassis that it was built on. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

A revolutionary new tank prototype was assembled #OTD in 1943. At a weight of just 37 tons, the IS-1 (blueprint #233) had 120 mm of armour, more than even the Tiger tank. Further development of this tank led to the IS family of heavy tanks. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The Super Heavy Tank T28 was a heavily armoured vehicle designed for breaking through fortifications. Unlike most tanks, it had no turret. The more appropriate designation Gun Motor Carriage T95 was applied #OTD in 1945. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

The Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.D was an attempt to create a high speed Pz.Kpfw.II tank, but the tank was heavier than the original for very little benefit. As a result of poor performance in Poland, the Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf.D was removed from service #OTD in 1940. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1942 a Soviet representative visited Elswick Works where he learned that the change from 2-pdr to 6-pdr production was made with no additional trials, despite the increase in mass. This was cause for concern, but didn't cause reliability issues. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Only 1% of the 660,000 women serving in the Red Army fought in the tank forces, but even the stories of that 1% are not fully known. Here is just a small portion of the women who fought and died in #tanks in the Great Patriotic War. #history #WW2 #WWII #InternationalWomensDay

The first T-34-85 tanks built at factory #112 had the 85 mm D-5T gun, but production soon swapped over to the more compact ZIS-S-53 gun. Trials of this new vehicle began #OTD in 1944. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Extensive mud crossing trials were held #OTD in 1945. Off-road mobility of Shermans could be greatly improved by the use of EECs or Platypus grousers. A Panther was also used in the trials, but it got bogged down and its gearbox jammed. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1945 the Uralmash-1 SPG chassis was approved. Two vehicles would be built for testing: the SU-101 with a 100 mm gun and SU-102 with a 122 mm gun. Ultimately, neither went into production. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The Heavy Tank M6 turned out to be unsuitable for combat, but that didn't stop the Americans from modernizing it. In addition to a new turret with a 105 mm gun, a transplant of a Pershing turret was attempted. This work was cancelled #OTD in 1944. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

A commander's cupola was introduced into the Pz.Kpfw.II design #OTD in 1940. This improved the commander's vision in times when he wasn't loading or firing the gun. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The order to begin building T-34 tanks at factory #174 in Omsk was given #OTD in 1942. Factory #174 continued to build the T-34 and then the SU-100 until production ended in 1948 in favour of the T-54 tank. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

Authorization to install Schurzen spaced armour was given #OTD in 1943. This armour protected German tanks from Soviet 14.5 mm anti-tank rifles. Since the hull plates often got caught on terrain, sometimes only turret armour was installed. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

A contract for the 7,62 cm Pak 36(r) auf Fgst. Pz.Kpfw.38(t) (Sfl) tank destroyer was signed #OTD in 1942. The Pz.Kpfw.38(t) remained in production for the time being, but it was completely phased out in favour of SPGs before the end of the year. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The first Medium (later Heavy) Tank T26E1 arrived at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds #OTD in 1944. Even though it visually resembles the Pershing, the Heavy Tank T26E3 accepted into service a year later received a large number of necessary improvements. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

Operation Spring Awakening began #OTD in 1945. After three failed attempts to relieve the besieged garrison of Budapest, the German and Hungarian armies launched a massive offensive aimed at eliminating the 3rd Ukrainian Front and a stabilizing the front line. #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1934 Harry Knox patented the rubberized tank track link. This might not have seemed like a big deal at the time, but it set the trend in American tank building for the next decade. #tanks #history

Operation Spring Awakening, the last German offensive on the Eastern Front, began #OTD in 1945. The short-lived offensive at Lake Balaton cost the Germans a tremendous amount of heavy armour and failed to achieve any of its objectives. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

Due to the importance of railways for strategic mobility, armoured trains were a key force in the Red Army. Development continued even during WW2. #OTD in 1944 orders were given to develop a new AA train car armed with the 61-K 37 mm autocannon. #history #WW2 #WWII

The German 37 mm anti-tank gun wasn't the only weapon in its class with a bad reputation. #OTD in 1943 a report on the fighting in Tunisia compared the effect of 37 mm shells to peas bouncing off the armour of German tanks. #artillery #History #WW2 #WWII

A bombing raid carried out #OTD in 1943 on Essen hit the Krupp factory, destroying documentation and models of the Maus tank. The bombing made production of the Maus impossible but it was only completely cancelled after another large strike in November. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The Germans considered the armament of the Tiger tank to be insufficient even in 1942. #OTD in 1942 it was decided that a larger turret initially developed for the VK 45.02(P) would be installed starting with the 100th vehicle. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1944 the last of 257 GMC T48 tank destroyers arrived in the USSR. These tank destroyers came with 57 mm HE ammunition that was also compatible with the 6-pounder gun in the Valentine IX tank, which the Red Army valued highly. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The design of the AMX 40 was completed #OTD in 1940. This tank had a top speed of up to 50 kph, 60 mm of armour, and two crewmen in the turret instead of just one like in most French tanks. Due to the Fall of France in June, it was never built. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

The Stuart chassis was used to make SPGs, albeit unsuccessfully. The 81 mm Mortar Carrier T27 was completed #OTD in 1944. It was approved by Artillery, but rejected by the Armor Board. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The TsKB-50 aerosledge entered its second stage of trials #OTD in 1941. The "snow tank" turned out to be too heavy and at the same time insufficiently armoured to perform its intended mission. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Photograph of the Boulogne-Billancourt factory taken #OTD in 1942 showing bomb damage. French tank factories refurbished damaged French tanks for their German occupants, although the value of these tanks on the front line was not very high. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1944 IS-2 tanks of the 29th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment began its trial by fire as a part of of the 1st Ukrainian Front. This was a difficult campaign, as the tanks constantly drove through heavy mud up to half a meter deep. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

Alexandra Samusenko is one of the best known female tank commanders in history. She started the war as an infantry private, but successfully petitioned to enroll in a tank school, reaching the rank of Guards Captain by the time she was killed #OTD in 1945. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

Mobility trials of the T-16 tank began #OTD in 1927. Improvements to this design made as a result of these trials led to the T-18 (MS-1), the USSR's first mass produced tank. #tanks #History

Medium Tank T26E1 photographed #OTD in 1944. The T26 was supposed to weigh 36 tons, but even the lightened T26E1 weighed 38 tons at the beginning and reached a weight of 42 tons by the end of the summer. The tank was reclassified as a heavy. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

Like the T-34, a 57 mm gun was developed for the KV-1. This project received the index 413. #OTD in 1941, the GAU informed Kirov factory that they had the permission to develop this gun, but on their own dime. As a result, the project was cancelled. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Even though production ended in 1945, the IS-2 was still modernized for decades to come. #OTD in 1953 an order was given to develop underwater driving equipment for this tank. #tanks #History #ColdWar

Pershing tank knocked out #OTD in 1945. Two direct hits with 150 mm HE shells knocked off the commander's cupola, killed the commander, and destroyed a drive sprocket. The damage looks serious, but the tank was back in action after a few weeks. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

New ammo racks for T-34 tanks were tested #OTD in 1941. Practical trials showed that the sustained rate of fire doubled compared to older T-34 tanks and the amount of time needed to refill them went from 2 hours to 10 minutes. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

One of the biggest problems with the French Char B1 bis tanks was how complex they were to produce. For example, the first tank was finished in April of 1937, but the last of the first 35 tank batch was only delivered #OTD in 1938. #tanks #History

Preliminary blueprints of the Medium Tank M4A3E2 were finished #OTD in 1944. The tank was visually similar to regular Shermans but highly resistant to German 75 and 88 mm guns. Only 254 were built, even though they were very positively received. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

The T-62 tank first went into battle #OTD in 1969, during the Sino-Soviet conflict at Damanskiy island. A T-62 tank was knocked out and later recovered by Chinese forces. Capture of this tank had a considerable influence on Chinese tank building. #tanks #History #ColdWar

#OTD in 1938 the fate of obsolete Soviet tanks was decided. T-24, MS-1, Vickers 12-tonners, and other tanks were to be stripped of engines and running gear to be dug in as static emplacements. Many tanks earmarked for this were never installed and left to rust. #tanks #history

Characteristics of the competitors for the Panther tender were finalized #OTD in 1942. The VK 30.02 MAN officially weighed 35 tons, but the first weight increase took place just two months later, and the final tank weighed a whopping 45 tons. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1945 the Germans changed painting rules for the Jagdpanther. Dunkelgrun (dark green) was now used as the base colour instead of Dunkelgelb (dark yellow), giving vehicles used at the very end of the war a distinctive look. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The Turm Panther (schmale Blende) also known as the Schmalturm was presented #OTD in 1944. This turret narrowed in the front, saving weight by reducing the size of the heaviest armour plates. Production was scheduled to start in May of 1945. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

A pilot batch of T-34 tanks with spaced armour was due #OTD in 1943. This armour completely protected against 75 mm HEAT and 50 mm APCR rounds, but by the time they reached the battlefield the primary German weapons were high velocity 75 and 88 mm guns. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1944 Engineer-Major Tsyganov completed his study of T-34 tanks damaged by Panzerfausts. Mesh armour seen in Berlin was developed as a result of this study. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1941 orders were given to develop an attachment that would enable a TB-7 heavy bomber to tow a T-40 tank with the aid of a glider. 200 units were expected, but only a single prototype was ever built. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The deadline to form the first SU-152 regiment was set #OTD in 1943. Guards Heavy SPG Regiments of the Supreme Command Reserve consisted of 12 SU-152 each and were used as a breakthrough force in strategically vital offensive operations. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Orders to begin trials of the T-54 tank were given #OTD in 1945. An order to accept it into service and begin production in May of 1945 was drafted but never signed due to the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of the war in Europe. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1939 a Czechoslovakian officer and a THN-P tank departed for the UK where the tank went through trials. The British considered the Czechoslovakian tank unsatisfactory and were not interested in it. #tanks #history

Shooting some cheap film only to discover that someone beat me to the punch! Vest Pocket Kodak, f/6.8 75 mm Kodak Anastigmat, Kodak Tri-X 400 #shittycamerachallenge #analogphotography #filmphotography #believeinfilm