Captured Soviet T-35 Heavy Tank by Nazis — Western Ukraine, 1941

July 22, 2025 - Reading time: 6 minutes

German soldiers pose on a captured Soviet T-35 heavy tank in Western Ukraine, 1941. A symbol of Soviet ambition and early WWII tank warfare.

This dramatic photograph shows German soldiers posing on the captured Soviet T-35 heavy tank in Western Ukraine, 1941. The T-35, often referred to as "Stalin's land battleship," was a massive multi-turreted tank used by the Red Army in the early years of World War II. Despite its imposing size and firepower, the T-35 was ultimately impractical for battlefield conditions, especially when faced with the more mobile and reliable German tanks.

The photograph shows the tank, likely abandoned by its crew due to mechanical failure or a lack of fuel, as they retreated in the face of the advancing Wehrmacht. Its large, cumbersome design and the inability to maintain it in the field contributed to the T-35's limited use in combat. On the tank's rear, a Soviet ZIS-5 truck can be seen, in its civilian modification, symbolizing the logistical challenges of the war.

Captured Soviet tanks, including the T-35, became trophies for the Nazi forces, who used them for propaganda and as symbols of their success in breaking through Soviet defenses in 1941. Despite its short-lived combat history, the T-35 remains a symbol of Soviet ambition in the early days of the war.

Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: Unknown
📍 Location: Western Ukraine, USSR
📅 Date of photo: 1941
📷 Photographer: Unknown

• T-35 Soviet tank

• Captured Soviet tanks

• German soldiers posing

• Tank warfare WWII

• Soviet heavy tanks

• Wehrmacht occupation

• Stalin's land battleship

• ZIS-5 Soviet truck

• Soviet armored units WWII

• Nazi propaganda WWII

• Soviet defense 1941

• Tank failures WWII