Even as late as 1944, Red Army tank units were far from being populated entirely by T-34s. Sometimes colourful mixes like these went into battle, and their owners had to put up with a gently used fleet.
"By July 15th, 1944, the regiment was equipped with the following:
- 16 T-70 tanks
- 10 Matilda tanks
- 1 M4A2 tank
- 4 BA-64
- 2 motorcycles
- Automobiles:
- Trucks: 34
- Special: 8
- Cars: 2
At this time:
- T-70 tanks each ran for 110-120 hours, and their technical condition was satisfactory to perform a forced march.
- Matilda tanks, received from refurbishment on June 27th, 1944, had only 45-55 running hours remaining. Their technical condition was unsatisfactory for a combat vehicle. Matilda tanks required another round of factory repair due to worn out components and assemblies. Due to significant wear on all parts and components of the tank, they could not be restored by the regiment's resources.
- The M4A2 tank was technically functional and ready for upcoming battles.
- The Harley and Indian motorcycles were received from refurbishment and were in unsatisfactory condition.
- Automobiles: half made up of foreign makes. 85% were received to fill up the regiment and brigade back in April of 1942, only 15% were received in the summer of 1943."
That would be interesting to wargame with!
ReplyDeleteIs that a motherfucking Terry Pratchett reference?!
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