I simply have to mention the Tank Museum as it is not far from me in Dorset and I have visited it several times. It is a must for anyone interested in military vehicles like myself.
Twice yearly now they have a Tank fest in which they roll out the restored Tiger 131. I went along to the one in 2017 but, very sadly, have lost the footage. This is the next best thing, actually it is better as the chap filming could get a lot closer!
This is my tribute to the mighty American P-47 Thunderbolt which was able to escort high-flying B-17 Flying Fortresses into Germany and proved a match for the Luftwaffe’s FW 190s at 15,000 ft. The P-47 looked similar to the FW-190 from a distance which is why they had distinctive nose (and tail) bands to help Allied aircrew identify them.
Manufactured by the Republic aviation company, the Thunderbolt, or ‘Jug’ to its pilots, was the biggest and most heavily armed single-seat fighter of World War 2.
The massive power and weight of the P-47 design was made possible by the famous Pratt and Whitney 18-cylinder radial R-2800 Double Wasp engine.
This was a straightforward build out of the box and I don’t have any progress photos for this one. The only tricky part was the Indian Chief’s head with the white band decal. Somehow I managed to ruin it while trying to snuggle it around the cowling and nearly gave myself a heart attack in the process! A quick order to Hannants, my go to online model shop, for an aftermarket replacement set retrieved the situation and I managed second time round which settled the heart flutters.
Decals can be the downfall of a model and I nearly proved the point this time!
There are lots of exotic and colourful marking schemes for American World War 2 fighters which is one of the great joys of modelling them. The nose art was quite often of a young lady in various states of undress which can be an added bonus depending on your inclinations!
Along with Spitfires and Lockheed P-38 Lightnings the P-47 initially formed the backbone of the USAAF Eighth Air Force’s escort fighter force, the ‘little friends’ as the American bomber crews called them, but on the longest missions these had to had to turn back practically at the German border, roughly between Cologne and Emden. The P-47 was a thirsty bird and its high rate of fuel consumption meant that early versions were restricted in range.
By late 1943, equipped with drop tanks, the P-47 was able to accompany the B-17s and B-24s to Berlin and back.
P-47s also undertook independent fighter sweeps and ground attack missions. In the fighter-bomber ground-attack role, the P-47 could carry five-inch rockets or a bomb load of 2,500 pounds.
The P-47 was by far the heaviest fighter plane, fully loaded its gross weight in the later models reached 21,000 pounds! The Douglas C-47 Cargo plane weighed 26,000 pounds.
The P-47D Razorback also served with the RAF and designated ‘Thunderbolt Mark 1’ while the bubble top P-47D-25s which they received were designated ‘Thunderbolt Mark IIs’. These had the upper rear fuselage flattened and a tear drop canopy placed over the cockpit for improved rearward vision, a feature included on all versions of the P-47 produced after the D-25. This revision reduced the maximum speed of the aircraft somewhat but improved the balance of the design as a fighter aircraft.
I built this model of the TB-3 many years ago but it is sadly no longer in my possession. It went into the modelling graveyard in the sky, i.e. my loft, and ended up damaged and then passed away forever. All I have left are these photos two of which I took in my backyard. I had to lie on the ground to get the whole thing in focus a feat I wouldn’t dare these days!
I think the main reason I let her go is that I was never entirely satisfied with the finished kit wing, which was a nightmare to assemble.
However, I felt it deserved an honourable mention as it is such an interesting and unusual subject and also an important part of aviation history. After all, it was the world’s first cantilever wing four-engine heavy bomber.
It also ties in with my little I-16 fighter as you will see below.
In the early days of my modelling career, I had a tendency to be carried away by size and this aircraft is a good example of it! The fact that the subject was Soviet and the kit manufactured in Ukraine might also just have pulled at the heartstrings a tad! A case of the heart ruling the head as usual.
Nowadays, I have learned that size is not everything and to make sure I have the requisite display space!
They say that when it came to aircraft design, Stalin was always impressed by two things, speed and size, and the TB-3 certainly fit the bill in regard to the latter.
The kit was manufactured by ICM of Ukraine and as I recall was an absolute pig to build!
To tackle this bizarre Tupolev Titan, looks like a boat with wings stuck on, you almost needed a degree in engineering. The carcass of the beast is chock full of bulkheads, spars and formers. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to fit, the plastic was horrendous, parts were warped, location devices missing and the instructions vague and confusing!
The most frustrating part of the build was trying to get the two wing halves to close on top of the internal spars. In the end there must have been a 5 mm gap at least between them which I was only able to overcome using clamps, packets of super-glue and brute strength!
The wing surfaces were heavily corrugated and made for an interesting feature but also made it virtually impossible to sand and file!
And now for some history of this brute.
“The 1930s was a period of rapid development of aviation in the USSR. Air parades, films about hero pilots, the opening of air schools throughout the country, the establishment of new records for altitude, speed and flight range – aviation had become a real cult for the young Land of Soviets. The heavy bomber TB-3 (or as it was also called ANT-6) is a real symbol of that era. Not a single air parade could do without this giant and there are many records on the TB-3 account, this plane landed on drifting ice floes and participated in the war in Spain”. (From MilitaryArms. RU)
Despite its ungainly looks, when Tupolev’s heavy four-engined bomber ANT-6, later designated TB-3, first appeared it was considered the pinnacle of aviation design- very hard to believe now! Many of the technical solutions employed during its construction would determine the development of heavy aviation for decades to come.
The prototype ANT-6 made its first test flight in December 1930.
The total number of TB-3s manufactured was 818 with a number of modifications taking place during the mass production period.
Its overload version could carry up to 5 tons of bombs with the flight range exceeding 3,000 km. The defensive armament of the first models was 5 DA machine guns mounted at different points. The crew consisted of from 6 to 11 men depending on the version.
The TB-3 became the basis of the Soviet bomber fleet during the 1930s with two powerful aviation groups organised around it based in the European part of the USSR and the other in the Far East. In the largest military exercises in the Kiev and Belorussian Military districts, the TB-3s were used in the roles of bombers and transports.
I found the following on a Russian website which I simply had to quote:
“The TB-3 took part for the first time in military operations in the summer and autumn of 1937. They acted against the “internal enemy” – the Basmachi in the Pamirs. To support the operations of border guards and units of the Red Army, 30 R-5 and three TB-3 were then involved. The latter transported people and goods to hard-to-reach areas”. (airpages.ru).
Now I never knew that! Sorry but obscure facts like that really grab me. The militant Bashmachi movement was a protracted uprising by Muslim peoples against Russian and Soviet rule in the 1920s and 1930s in Central Asia. You can stop groaning now (or yawning).
By 1939, the TB-3 was obsolete but it saw action in the Winter War against the Finns and a few took part in fighting against the Japanese at Lake Khasan and Khalkin Gol. It was used extensively during the Great Patriotic War for transporting troops and frequently as a night bomber due to its vulnerability, i.e slow speed and weak defences.
Believe it or not, the bomber could also act as a kind of aircraft carrier or mother ship for between two and five fighters. This was the so-called Zveno (‘Chain’) or parasite plane project developed in the USSR in the 1930s. In the definitive SPB version, under the wings of the bomber, two I-16 fighters could be fixed.
In 1941, two TB-3 carrier fighters made several raids on the Romanian oil fields at Ploesti. They not only destroyed the oil pipeline, but also hit a strategically important bridge.
I believe this particular kit is no longer in production although you can still find it on e-bay and specialist model sites at ridiculous prices. It would be really lovely for another manufacturer to take up the challenge again of releasing a model of the TB-3. I really can’t see Airfix accepting but perhaps Zvezda of Russia!? You never know, I might then be persuaded to have another go but only if there are no wing spars!
WARNING! The following long footage is ONLY for dedicated Soviet aircraft fanatics. But the background music is nice.
Another outstanding model by Tamiya. The second one I have made of their 1/32 range. I would suggest anyone contemplating making one of their 1/32 scale models should have quite a few kits under their belt first and also a good quality airbrush to do them justice. They are not particularly difficult kits to make you just need to take your time, read the instructions very carefully and make sure you follow the assembly sequence. These kits aren’t meant to be rushed! And you really don’t want to b*lls them up as they are very expensive!
The legendary Zero is surely one of the most beautiful aircraft of all time. It just looks right from every angle and as the old engineering adage goes, if something looks right, it generally is right!
But the Reisen ( Zero fighter) was to the Japanese more than just a superbly designed aircraft. Like the Spitfire it was a symbol of the Japanese nation and their invincibility in the Pacific war at least in the early stages of the conflict.
Although the Zero had already been flying in combat in China some eighteen months prior to Pearl Harbour, it came as a complete surprise to the Americans and British who at the time greatly underestimated the Japanese.
It has been said that Japan’s gamble of starting the Pacific war was based on the premise that the Zero could defeat any fighter the Allies put against them and thus gain air superiority as the prelude to victory.
Jiro Horikoshi’s brief for the new carrier-based aircraft was not only to to improve on existing designs but to incorporate all the qualities of a fighter aircraft in one design:
A pretty tall order!
To possess all these qualities would make it simply the best fighter in the world.
In order to achieve this near impossible task it was decided the frame had to be super lightweight and aerodynamic with a powerful 1,000 hp engine.
At Pearl Harbor, Zeros provided air cover and escorted the bombers and strafed airfields.
The Zero dominated the skies in the Philippines, the Indian Ocean and elsewhere.
From early 1940, when the Zero entered service, until late 1942, the Zero enjoyed undisputed mastery of the air.
The Zero was constantly improved and modified during the war and about the same time as the debut of the Model 22, the Americans deployed their latest high speed, heavily armed fighters, the P-38 Lightning and F4U Corsair. But the best known rival of the Zero was the aircraft specially designed to destroy it, the F6F Grumman Hellcat.
The Hellcat came about after a Zero was captured intact after it landed in the Aleutian islands and the Americans were able to learn all its design secrets and improve upon them.
The model 52 was designed to cope with the new American fighters but due to lack of raw materials and production facilities in wartime Japan, modifications concentrated on the aerodynamics.
The folding wing tips were removed and given a more rounded shape.
The Zero Model 52 made its maiden flight in August 1943.
The career of the Zero spanned five years from its debut in China in 1940, fighting over the Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal in autumn 1943, the Mariana Islands, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and finally the Japanese homeland.
Towards the end of the war, the Japanese were severely hampered by lack of fuel and trained pilots and in combat against the technically superior American fighters the Zeros suffered considerable losses.
The short, stubby I-16 occupies a special place in my affections as my Father recalls seeing them at the start of the German invasion of the USSR in June 22, 1941. He said they were referred to simply as ‘istrebitelyi‘, from the Russian word ‘istrebitel‘, which means ‘fighter’. The Soviet pilots nickname of “Ishak” or “Ishachok” (“Donkey” or “Little Donkey”) apparently derived from the designation I-16 which in Russian sounds like ‘ee‘ and ‘shestnadtsat‘ (’16’).
This is what my Father said about these planes in 1941 in his memoir (p.86 3rd ed.):
“Before the war, the Soviets had masses of aircraft and we used to watch the Soviet Istrebiteli or ‘fighters’, as we simply called them in Russian, flying in huge formations of thirty or forty planes. But these stubby little fighters with their open cockpits looked completely obsolete in comparison to the sleek German Messerschmitts and now the Red Air Force had disappeared from the skies, most of its planes having been annihilated on the ground.”
I am not exactly sure but I think this is the Academy kit of the I-16 type 24. It is a very simple, straightforward build out of the box.
First flown in 1933, the legendary I-16 was one of the first mass produced monoplanes with retractable undercarriage in the world.
Along with the phenomenally successful I-15, it helped secure Polikarpov a place of lasting fame in the annals of Soviet aviation history. It possessed high speed, great agility, high survivability and was easy to maintain at airfields, very often nothing more than a grassy strip on the steppes. It was in mass production from 1934 to 1941 and overall 9,450 I-16s had been built, a colossal number for that era.
The I-16 saw its combat debut in the Spanish Civil war where it was called the Rata (‘Rat’) by the Nationalists and Germans or more affectionately as Mosca (‘Fly’) by the Republicans. It took part in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol against the Japanese (who nicknamed it ‘abu’ or ‘gadfly’), the Winter War and in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Air regiments armed with I-16s also took part in the campaigns of the RKKA or ‘The Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army (РККА– Рабоче-крестьянская Красная армия) into western Ukraine and western Belarus in September, 1939.
In 1941, perhaps 60% of the Soviet fighter inventory consisted of of I-16s of various types. By the time of the the German invasion, the I-16 was obsolete and even with the maximum speed of 326 mph of the best types it was still 50 mph slower than a Bf 109E and only as fast as a Ju 88 bomber.
However, one I-16 did manage to carry out the first aerial ramming of an enemy plane!
Most of the Red Air force was destroyed on the ground in the first days of the invasion. Paradoxically, the destruction of so many I-16s and other obsolete types paved the way for the Soviets to introduce more advanced aircraft although the I-16 was still produced as a stop-gap fighter.
This is another great kit from Tamiya and includes 5 figures, although one of whom, the driver in the front, is just half a torso! I like these self-propelled guns because you get all the interior detail as well so you get more bangs for your bucks!
The Germans employed a huge variety of assault and anti-tank destroyers during the Second World War and they were not averse to sourcing foreign made hardware. In this case, the Marder III was a tank destroyer based on the Czechoslovak Panzer 38 (t) chassis with an open top fighting compartment and employing a converted Soviet 7.62 cm Pak 36(r). The reliance on captured guns was considered unsatisfactory and s the Marder III H appeared which used the domestically produced 7.5 cm Pak 4.
At last a dedicated self-propelled gun (SPG) was deemed necessary and produced by BMM and Alkett. This was named the Marder III M. This had a very different layout to the previous Marders. The engine in the middle allowed for more space in the rear fighting compartment which had 10 mm thickness armour plate but still left the crew rather exposed.
Marder III Ms were used on both Eastern and Western fronts mainly in a defensive role.
I cannot recall the manufacturer of this model but hey, it’s a beautiful looking aircraft and that’s all that matters! It’s sleek lines remind me of a thorough bred race horse. I have set it in a typical snow scene as it would have appeared in the spring of 1942. The red and white colours contrast very well.
Although this aircraft was developed by Mikoyan and Gurevich, who were unknown aircraft engineers at the time, it was actually the brain child of N. Polikarpov who for some reason was taken off the project:
” In April 1940, the I-200 high altitude fighter designed by the Mikoyan/Gurevitch EDB made its maiden flight, in which it developed a high speed (up to 650 km/h at 7,000m). In terms of speed at altitudes of over 5,000m the I-200 left all its contemporary rivals far behind.
Series (i.e. mass) production of the new fighter began in January 1941. The first 100 production aircraft made were known as the MiG-1s. A later modification was designated the MiG-3. A total of 3,272 of these fighters were produced until in late December 1942 they were phased out of production because the plants making the AM-35A engines for the MiGs urgently had to switch to the production of the Am-38 engines for the Il-2 attack aircraft (i.e. Stormovik).
The MiG-3 was of little use as a front-line fighter, because at low altitudes it was outperformed by other fighters, and German fighters did not wage air combat at high altitudes. But the MiGs played an important role in the anti-aircraft defence system and, specifically, in defending Moscow against German air raids. Of the many enemy aircraft he shot out of the sky, famous Soviet ace pilot A.I. Pokryshin downed 10 while flying a MiG3.
There is a notion of repair-ability of an aircraft. In this respect the MiG-3 was an outstanding machine, for it remained in service long after production had been discontinued”.
From Russian Aircraft edited by Professor A.G. Bratukhin. Moscow ‘Mashinostroenie’ 1995.
The Mig-3 had several serious drawbacks. The canopy would not open during flight making it impossible for the pilot to bail out in an emergency, the cockpit was poorly ventilated, and worst of all it was difficult to control due to the rear alignment of the plane causing it to go into a tailspin easily from which it was difficult to pull out. This added to the fatigue of the pilot. Paradoxically, the Soviets ended up with far more MiG-3s than pilots who could fly these difficult machines.
The footage on link below has a brief view of the above MiG-3 ‘For the Party of the Bolsheviks’:
https://tvzvezda.ru/news/opk/content/2020461041-8A1Ht.html/player/
Another superlative kit from Tamiya. An infantry support tank based on the Panzer Mk. IV chassis with 15 cm gun, the Brummbärs (‘growling bear’) were assigned to their own dedicated assault tank battalions and used at Kursk, Anzio and Normandy. They were also used to help crush the Warsaw Uprising in the summer of 1944. Brummbär was the name given by Allied intelligence and not by the Germans themselves. Soviet documents of the time refer to it as ‘The Bear’ while German soldiers simply nicknamed it the ‘StuPa’, a contraction of ‘Sturmpanzer’ the official designation of the assault tank.
Song ‘Invincible and Legendary’. Music A. Alexandrov. Lyrics O. Kolichev (1943). Performed by the Alexandrov Orchestra in 1945.
Над страною шумят как знамена
Двадцать семь героических лет.
Солнцем славных боев озаренным
Весь твой путь в наших песнях воспет.
Несокрушимая и легендарная,
В боях познавшая радость побед —
Тебе любимая, родная армия
Шлет наша Родина песню — привет.
Родилась ты под знаменем алым
В восемнадцатом грозном году.
Всех врагов ты всегда сокрушала,
Победишь и фашистов орду.
Несокрушимая и легендарная,
В боях познавшая радость побед —
Тебе любимая, родная армия
Шлет наша Родина песню — привет.
Ленинград мы в боях отстояли,
Отстояли родной Сталинград.
Нас ведет в наступление Сталин,
Наши танки фашистов громят!
Несокрушимая и легендарная,
В боях познавшая радость побед —
Тебе любимая, родная армия
Шлет наша Родина песню — привет.
Победим, наша сила несметна,
Гений Сталина в бой нас ведет.
Наша армия в битвах бессмертна,
Как бессмертен советский народ.
Несокрушимая и легендарная,
В боях познавшая радость побед —
Тебе любимая, родная армия
Шлет наша Родина песню — привет.
Translation:
Twenty-seven heroic years roar over the country like banners.
Illuminated by the sun of glorious battles, Your whole path in our songs is sung.
Indestructible and legendary,
In the battles that knew the joy of victories-
Your beloved, native Army
Sends our Motherland a song-hello!
You were born under the banner of red
In the eighteenth terrible year.
You have always crushed all enemies, You will defeat even the fascist hordes
Indestructible and legendary, in the battles that knew the joy of victories
(repeat)
We defended Leningrad in battles, Defended our native Stalingrad.
We are led on the offensive by Stalin, Our tanks the Nazis smash!
Indestructible and legendary (repeat)
We will win, our strength is infinite, the Genius of Stalin leads us into battle.
Our Army in the battles is immortal.
Just as the Soviet people is immortal.
Indestructible and legendary,
In the battles that knew the joy of victories-
Your beloved, native Army
Sends our Motherland a song-hello!
The Sacred War. One of the most famous Soviet songs of the Second World War, or Great Patriotic War as it was called in Soviet times. Music by Aleksandr Aleksandrov. Lyrics by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach.
Вставай, страна огромная,
Вставай на смертный бой
С фашистской силой темною,
С проклятою ордой!
Пусть ярость благородная
Вскипает, как волна, —
Идет война народная,
Священная война!
Дадим отпор душителям
Всех пламенных идей,
Насильникам, грабителям,
Мучителям людей.
Пусть ярость благородная
Вскипает, как волна, —
Идет война народная,
Священная война!
Не смеют крылья черные
Над Родиной летать,
Поля ее просторные
Не смеет враг топтать!
Пусть ярость благородная
Вскипает, как волна, —
Идет война народная,
Священная война!
Гнилой фашистской нечисти
Загоним пулю в лоб,
Отребью человечества
Сколотим крепкий гроб!
Arise, vast country,
Arise for a fight to the death
Against the dark fascist force
Against the cursed horde
Let noble wrath
Boil over like a wave!
This is the people’s war,
A sacred war!
We shall repulse the oppressors
Of all ardent ideas
The rapists and the plunderers
The torturers of peoples
The black wings shall not dare
Fly over the Motherland
On her spacious fields
The enemy shall dare not tread!
We shall drive a bullet into the forehead
Of the rotten fascist filth
For the scum of humanity
We shall build a solid coffin!
The Pilot’s song
Among the many hundreds of songs from the Soviet era about pilots, flying and aircraft, I particularly like this ditty which has such a lovely rhythm and words. I hope you will enjoy it even if you are not a Soviet aficionado! Dedicated to my friend ‘G’ in the North of England on her birthday, 6th June, 2020. She knows who she is!
Сразу по приказу стартует самолёт.
В дорогу боевую отправляется пилот.
Лётчика за тучей встречает синева,
И песни задушевной вспоминаются слова:
В небеса самолёт поднимая,
С облаками беседую я
О земле, где живёт дорогая
Ясноглазая радость моя.
Я стараюсь хорошие вести
Ей на землю с небес принести.
Пусть она назовёт мой стальной самолёт
Первой ласточкой новой весны.
Мирные деревья ломает ураган.
Над кровлями родными расстелается туман.
Вечер наступает, а света не видать.
И хочется пилоту потихонечку сказать:
В небеса самолёт поднимая,
С облаками беседую я
О земле, где живёт дорогая
Ясноглазая радость моя.
Я стараюсь хорошие вести
Ей на землю с небес принести.
Пусть она назовёт мой стальной самолёт
Первой ласточкой новой весны.
Смело и умело сражается пилот
За молодость, и за счастье, и за свой родной народ.
Солнце из-за тучи покажется опять.
Весенними лучами будет ласково сиять.
В небеса самолёт поднимая,
С облаками беседую я
О земле, где живёт дорогая
Ясноглазая радость моя.
Я стараюсь хорошие вести
Ей на землю с небес принести.
Пусть она назовёт мой стальной самолёт
Первой ласточкой новой весны.
Immediately by order the plane starts.
The pilot sets off on the road of battle
From behind a storm cloud the blue skies meet the pilot.
And I recall the heartfelt words of a song:
Into the heavens my plane rises
I'm talking to the clouds about the earth
Where my darling lives
My bright-eyed joy.
I try to bring to her on earth good news from the heavens
Let her call my steel plane
The first swallow of the new spring
A hurricane breaks the peaceful trees
Fog spreads over the native roofs
Evening is approaching but no light can be seen
And I want to quietly say to the pilot:
(Repeat chorus)
The pilot boldly and skilfully fights
For youth, for happiness and for his native people
The sun from behind the storm clouds will appear again
Spring rays will gently shine again.
(Repeat chorus, etc).
‘V Put’ (в путь: Onward, En route, Let’s go!). Composed in 1954 by Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhail Dudin.
The famous military marching song, one of my all-time favourites. It was originally written for a film and in 1959, Solovyov-Sedoy received the Lenin prize for it.
If this doesn’t get your juices flowing, I don’t know what will! Great to listen to when building model Soviet tanks!
Путь далёк у нас с тобою,
Веселей, солдат, гляди!
Вьётся, вьётся знамя полковое,
Командиры впереди.
Солдаты, в путь, в путь, в путь!
А для тебя, родная,
Есть почта полевая.
Прощай! Труба зовёт,
Солдаты – в поход!
Каждый воин, парень бравый,
Смотрит соколом в строю.
Породнились мы со славой,
Славу добыли в бою.
Пусть враги запомнят это:
Не грозим, а говорим.
Мы прошли с тобой полсвета.
Если надо – повторим.
А теперь для нас настали
Дни учёбы и труда.
Год за годом только процветали
Наши сёла-города!
We have still a long way to go,
Cheer up soldier, raise your head!
Regimental banners proudly fly,
And our commanders lead ahead
So forward, march, march, march!
And for you, my dearest,
I‘ll write and send you letters.
Farewell! The bugle calls,
Hey, soldiers – march on!
| They are brave lads, every warrior, In the ranks with falcon eyes. We became friends with a blazing glory, Glory we won in the fight. Let our foes remember this: We are not threatening, but merely saying Together we crossed half the world If necessary, we’ll do it again. And now has come for us Days of study and hard work. Only flourished through the years Our village and city folk! So forward, march, march, march! And for you, my dearest, I‘ll write and send you letters. Farewell! The bugle calls, Hey, soldiers – march on! (instrumental, then repeat Verse 1 and Chorus) |
Polyushko Pole -Song of the Plains or Cavalry of the Steppes, or Oh My Field. Composed by Lev Knipper and with lyrics by Victor Gusev in 1934. It is or was regularly performed by the Red Army choir.
‘Pole’ means ‘field’ in Russian and ‘polyushko‘ is the diminutive. Another Soviet classic and one I am sure you have heard before even though you may not have known it! You may have seen Michael Palin of Monty Python fame attempting to sing along to it in a military choir during his journey in Russia, in Vladivostok I believe.
Полюшко-поле, Полюшко, широко поле! Едут по полю герои, Эх, да Красной Армии герои Девушки, гляньте, Гляньте на дорогу нашу Вьется дальняя дорога, Эх, да развеселая дорога Девушки, гляньте, Мы врага принять готовы, Наши кони быстроноги, Эх, да наши танки быстроходны В небе за тучей Грозные следят пилоты. Быстро плавают подлодки, Эх, да зорко смотрит Ворошилов Пусть же в колхозе Дружная кипит работа, Мы - дозорные сегодня, Эх, да мы сегодня часовые Полюшко-поле, Полюшко, зелено поле! Едут по полю герои, Эх, да Красной Армии герои! Polyushko field Polyushko wide field Heroes ride across the field Oh yes the Red Army heroes Girls, look Look at our road A long road winds Oh yes the jolly road Girls, look We are ready for the enemy Oh yes, our horses are fleet footed Our tanks are fast In the sky behind the storm cloud Fearsome pilots are following Submarines are sailing swiftly Oh yes, Voroshilov is watching vigilantly Let on the collective farm Friendly work boil We are sentinels today Oh yes, we are sentineLS Repeat chorus
State anthem of the USSR
Not exactly a song but I couldn’t resist this bit of nostalgia. This is an English version of the Soviet anthem sung by bass baritone Paul Robson (1898-1976). Music composed by Alexander Alexandrov.
United forever in friendship and labour,
Our mighty republics will ever endure.
The great Soviet Union will live through the ages.
The dream of a people their fortress secure.
Long live our Soviet Motherland,
Built by the people’s mighty hand.
Long live our people, united and free.
Strong in our friendship tried by fire.
Long may our crimson flag inspire,
Shining in glory for all men to see.
Through days dark and stormy where great Lenin lead us
Our eyes saw the bright sun of freedom above
and Stalin our leader with faith in the people,
Inspired us to build up the land that we love.
Long live our Soviet Motherland,
Built by the people s mighty hand.
Long live our people, united and free.
Strong in our friendship tried by fire.
Long may our crimson flag inspire,
Shining in glory for all men to see.
We fought for the future, destroyed the invaders,
And brought to our Homeland the laurels of fame.
Our glory will live in the memory of nations
and all Generations will honour her name.
Long live our Soviet Motherland,
Built by the people s mighty hand.
Long live our people, united and free.
Strong in our friendship tried by fire.
Long may our crimson flag inspire,
Shining in glory for all men to see.
This is the 1943 Russian edition :
Союз нерушимый республик свободных
Сплотила навеки Великая Русь.
Да здравствует созданный волей народов
Единый, могучий Советский Союз!
Славься, Отечество наше свободное,
Дружбы, народов надежный оплот!
Знамя советское, знамя народное
Пусть от победы, к победе ведет!
Сквозь грозы сияло нам солнце свободы,
И Ленин великий нам путь озарил.
Нас вырастил Сталин — на верность народу
На труд и на подвиги нас вдохновил.
Славься, Отечество наше свободное,
Счастья народов надежный оплот!
Знамя советское, знамя народное
Пусть от победы к победе ведет!
Мы армию нашу растили в сраженьях,
Захватчиков подлых с дороги сметем!
Мы в битвах решаем судьбу поколений,
Мы к славе Отчизну свою поведем!
Славься, Отечество наше свободное,
Славы народов надежный оплот!
Знамя советское, знамя народное
Пусть от победы к победе ведет!
Suliko. This famous Georgian song was reputed to be Stalin’s favourite so what higher recommendation can it have? Seriously, it’s a very sad, captivating and beautiful song. This version is being sung in Russian.
I was looking for my sweetheart’s grave
And longing was tearing my heart
Without love my heart felt heavy
Where are you, my Suliko?
Among fragrant roses, in the shadow
Brightly a nightingale sang his song
Then I asked the nightingale
Where he had hidden Suliko
Suddenly the nightingale fell silent
And softly touched the rose with his beak
You have found what you are looking for, he said
In an eternal sleep Suliko is resting here
When I first saw the release of this kit by Russian manufacturer Zvezda, I knew straightaway I had to get hold of this Soviet Leviathan! I knew very little about this tank and until the collapse of the Soviet Union detailed information about Soviet arms was difficult to come by. That has all changed now of course and there is a plethora of websites devoted to Russian and Soviet military subjects.
In the first years of the interwar period, the majority of tank powers equipped their armies almost exclusively with light tanks. However a few countries built small numbers, or even single examples, of multi-turreted heavily armoured tanks which were called land battleships or dreadnoughts. Soviet tank builders also became infatuated with these types the representative example of which became the T-35.
The requirement for this weapon originated in 1932. The T-35 was the only five turret tank to go into mass production although in limited numbers. The factory appointed with this task was the Kharkov locomotive works in the name of the Comintern. The cost to the State Treasury of a single T-35 was 525,000 roubles for which money one could build nine BT-5 light tanks!
This heavy assault tank was intended to operate against infantry and anti-tank guns and to help overcome heavily fortified enemy positions. Its powerful armament of three large guns and five machine guns deployed in five turrets enabled the T-35 to bring to bear fire from two guns and three machine guns forward, behind or either side, thereby securing all-round fire.
T-35s took part in battles in Western Ukraine in June and beginning of July 1941 where all were lost. Four T-35s were employed in the defence of Kharkov in October 1941. Some Western and Russian publications suggest the T-35 took part in the Soviet-Finnish war in 1939- 1940 but apparently this is not true.
The combat career of the T-35 was very short. In the summer of 1941, one captured T-35 was repaired by the Germans and sent to Germany. During the loading and transportation of the tank by rail, a number of difficulties arose due to the fact that the T-35 did not fit the gauge (the gauge in Western Europe is less than in the USSR and Russia – 1420 mm versus 1535 mm). However, the tank was delivered to a German tank test site in Kummersdorf, where it was tested. The further fate of this T-35 is unknown.
According to the memoirs of the German driver, “the control of the tank was extremely difficult, and the switching of levers and pedals is very difficult”.
The T-35 had a crew of ten-eleven men(!):
1) commander (senior lieutenant) – in the turret number 1 (main), to the right of the gun, fires and loads the gun with the help of the radio operator, commands the tank.
2) assistant commander (lieutenant) – in turret No. 2 (front cannon), fires from a 45-mm gun, is the deputy commander, is responsible for the state of all the weapons of the tank, when not in action manages the training of artillerymen and machine gunners;
3) junior tank technician (rank 2 military technician) – in the control department, controls the movement of the tank, is responsible for its technical condition, directs the training of driver and motor mechanics outside the battle.
4) mechanic- the driver (sergeant) – in turret number 3 (front machine gun), fires, provides engine care, is the deputy driver of the tank, is responsible for the state of armament turret number 3.
5) artillery turret commander No. 1 (junior platoon commander) – is deployed to the left of the gun, fires, is responsible for the state of armament of the turret.
6) the commander of turret No. 2 (a separate commander) – to the right of the gun, performs the functions of a loader; in the event of the departure of an assistant tank commander, fires from a 45-mm gun, is responsible for the state of armament of turret No. 2.
7) the commander of turret No. 4, the rear cannon, (separate commander) – of a 45 mm gun, fires it, is the deputy commander of turret No. 1, is responsible for the state of armament of turret No. 4.
8) the driver-mechanic, the youngest (separate commander) – in turret No. 4, to the right of the gun, performs the functions of a loader, provides care for the running gear of the machine.
9) the commander of the machine gun turret (separate commander) – in turret number 5 (rear machine gun), firing from a machine gun, is responsible for the state of armament of the turret number 5.
10) senior radio telegraph operator (separate commander) – in turret No. 1, serves the radio station, helps to load gun in battle.
11) senior driver-mechanic (junior platoon commander) – is outside the tank, provides care for the transmission and chassis, is the deputy sergeant – driver-mechanic.
12) minder (junior technician) – outside the tank provides constant care for the engine, its cleaning and lubrication.
Imagine trying to control and co-ordinate that lot in the heat of battle!
As for following rules of movement for the T-35, it was advised that on
single-span bridges – only one tank at a time!
