Abandoned Soviet T-26 and T-35 Tanks After the Battle of Dubno, July 1941

September 12, 2025 - Reading time: 5 minutes

Soviet T-35 and T-26 tanks abandoned after the Battle of Dubno, July 1941 — a glimpse into the largest tank clash of early WWII.

This rare wartime photograph captures the aftermath of the Battle of Dubno–Brody (June–July 1941), one of the largest tank clashes of the early Eastern Front. In a roadside ditch, a massive Soviet T-35 multi-turreted heavy tank (Model 1938) stands abandoned behind a smaller T-26 light tank (Model 1939). Both vehicles belonged to the 34th Tank Division of the 8th Mechanized Corps, which fought desperately against the advancing Wehrmacht in western Ukraine.

The two white stripes on the turret mark these vehicles as part of the 67th Tank Regiment. On June 22, 1941, the division fielded a remarkable mix of armor: 7 KV heavy tanks, 38 T-35s, 238 T-26s, and 25 BT fast tanks. However, the massive German offensive quickly overwhelmed Soviet units, leading to huge losses in both equipment and manpower.

The T-35, often called the “land battleship,” was an ambitious but flawed design. With five turrets and a crew of 11, it looked impressive but proved unwieldy and mechanically unreliable. The T-26, on the other hand, was more agile and widely used but by 1941 was already obsolete against German Panzer III and IV tanks.

A striking human dimension to this battle is preserved in the memoirs of Vasily Vikentievich Sazonov, a Soviet tanker who fought near Dubno:

“I realized it was time to run. I crawled out of the turret and jumped to the road. My loader followed, twisting his leg. I pulled him into a ditch. Our driver came with us. We crawled away, and then our tank exploded — the Germans had blown it up. Later we joined the crew of a T-26. Together we retreated, but only a handful of us made it out. Of all the T-35s, just four men survived, each from a different tank. One was blown up, one hit a mine, one burned… That was the end of the battle of Dubno for me. I never saw a T-35 in combat again.”

This testimony highlights not only the bravery of Soviet tank crews but also the tragic mismatch between outdated doctrine, inexperienced crews, and overwhelming German firepower. The Battle of Dubno remains a symbol of sacrifice and loss, as well as the grim lessons learned in the opening weeks of the Great Patriotic War.

Technical photo data:
📍 Location: Dubno, USSR (now Ukraine)
📅 Date: July 1941
📝 Tanks: T-35 heavy tank (Model 1938), T-26 light tank (Model 1939)
📷 Photographer: Unknown (Wehrmacht archive)

Dubno tank battle Soviet armor
T-35 heavy tank abandoned photo
Soviet T-26 losses WWII
Eastern Front June–July 1941
Land battleship T-35 history
Soviet mechanized corps Dubno
Wehrmacht vs Red Army tank battles
Memoirs of Soviet tank crew WWII