Captured T-34 Tank from 47th Tank Brigade in Stary Oskol — 1942

July 24, 2025 - Reading time: 7 minutes

A captured Soviet T-34-76 tank from the 47th Tank Brigade, Red Army, in Stary Oskol, July 1942, highlighting the losses of Soviet armor during the Nazi invasion.

Captured Soviet T-34-76 tank from the 47th Tank Brigade, Red Army, abandoned in Stary Oskol, July 1942.

This striking photograph shows a captured Soviet T-34-76 tank from the 47th Tank Brigade of the Red Army, bearing the turret number "L2-KS". This tank was manufactured at the Stalingrad Tractor Plant (STZ) and was part of the Soviet forces during the early months of WWII. Notably, this T-34 lacks the rubberized roadwheel bands, a feature that was later implemented in tanks as a response to material shortages and winter supply issues in 1941-1942.

The T-34 was one of the most powerful tanks of its time, designed with sloped armor and a 45mm 20K gun. The tank's high mobility and advanced design made it a formidable force against German tanks during the early part of the war. However, as the Wehrmacht advanced through the Soviet Union, many of the Red Army's tanks, including the T-34, were captured or destroyed during the rapid German advances.

In the image, the German soldiers inspect the captured T-34, which was left behind due to mechanical failures, fuel shortages, or the rapid retreat of the Soviet forces. The photograph also gives us a glimpse into the operational difficulties faced by the Red Army during the Nazi invasion and how the Soviet tank fleet suffered heavy losses in the summer of 1941.

Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: Unknown
📍 Location: Stary Oskol, Belgorod Oblast, USSR
📅 Date of photo: July 1942
📷 Photographer: Unknown

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  • T-34 captured by Nazis

  • Wehrmacht inspection

  • Soviet armor losses

  • T-34 roadwheels

  • Stalingrad Tractor Plant

  • Soviet tank fleet 1941

  • Eastern Front tanks

  • German occupation USSR

  • T-34 tank destruction

  • Red Army tank fleet WWII