Ferdinands/Elefants on the Eastern Front

The Ferdinand Sd.Kfz.184 was a 70 ton panzerjäger (tank hunter) armed with a 88mm Pak 43/2 L/71 main gun and used by the Germans during WWII.    Its combat debut was during Operation Citadel (German: Unternehmen Zitadelle, AKA the Battle of Kursk) in July 1943 where it was misused as a direct assault weapon and suffered … Continue reading Ferdinands/Elefants on the Eastern Front

Bologna 1945

During the winter of 1944-45, the Italian campaign was a stalemate due to the winter weather.    The country was sodden from winter rains and the mud made armored operations impossible.    The Allies spent the winter in highly inhospitable conditions.    Bologna is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy and is … Continue reading Bologna 1945

Bouncing Bombs, Dam Busters

Since the outbreak of WWII, hydro-electric dams were considered one of the many important strategic bombing targets in Germany.    By 1942, they were heavily protected by flak guns and torpedo nets and the Allies Air Forces had no effective means of destroying them.    The existing bombs and bombing methods at the time would had little … Continue reading Bouncing Bombs, Dam Busters

US 767 Tank Battalion Pacific 1944

In 1944, the 767th Tank Battalion supported the US 7th Infantry Division during two campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO).    This battalion was the first unit to employ the M10 Tank Destroyer in combat in the PTO on Kwajalein Island and later participated in the Leyte invasion landing on the most southern beaches … Continue reading US 767 Tank Battalion Pacific 1944

Régiment Blindé de Fusiliers-Marins

The Régiment Blindé de Fusiliers-Marins (RBFM) was an unique French unit formed during WWII.    A group of French sailors (whose ships were either immobilized or destroyed) interned in Britain volunteered and formed an infantry battalion fought the Axis forces along side the US troops in French North Africa.    Later the battalion was transformed into a … Continue reading Régiment Blindé de Fusiliers-Marins

Chinese-American 1st Provisional Tank Group

The Chinese-American 1st Provisional Tank Group (1st PTG) was a joint US and Nationalist Chinese unit formed during WWII.   This lesser known unit gain little recognition while fighting in the China-Burma-India theater (CBI).   While the USAAC was flying critical supplies from India to China over the 'hump', the 1st PTG supported the allies effort to reopen … Continue reading Chinese-American 1st Provisional Tank Group

Panzer-Kompanie Mielke

On 17 September 1944, Operation Market Garden surprised the Germans when Allied airborne troops dropped behind the front lines around Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem.  Although scattered elements of the SS 9th "Hohenstaufen" and SS 10th "Frundsberg" Panzer-Divisions were around Arnhem at the time, the Germans still had to rush all available armour units to counter … Continue reading Panzer-Kompanie Mielke

URAL 4320 Broom

A field modification made by Александр Михайлович Метла (Alexander Mikhailovich Metla, "Metla" is "broom" in Russian) for the Soviet VDV airborne forces in Afghanistan in 1987 to protect convoys moving through valleys and ravines which were exposed to attacks by Mujahideen rebels.  The modification mounted a section of a BRDM-2 armored car with the turret mounting … Continue reading URAL 4320 Broom

US 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment 2003

The US 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR), the "Brave Rifles" was formed on 19 May 1846 and under different names fought in 11 major conflicts: Indian Wars, Mexican–American War, American Civil War, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, World War I, World War II, Desert Shield/Storm, SFOR in Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in … Continue reading US 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment 2003