"General Lee" in Soviet Hands: American Steel at the Gates of Vyazma

June 29, 2025 - Reading time: 3 minutes

Soviet troops ride on American M3 "General Lee" tanks during the liberation of Vyazma. The tank’s rubber-metal tracks, visible in the image, were a notorious weak point in Eastern Front combat.

March 12, 1943. After months of grinding combat, the Red Army finally breaks through near Vyazma — a key city in the German Rzhev-Vyazma defensive sector. And rolling into the city alongside Soviet-made armor are the unmistakable silhouettes of American M3 medium tanks, better known as the “General Lee.”

This rare photograph captures one such moment: Soviet soldiers riding atop an M3 tank, pushing into the battered ruins of Vyazma. These machines — sent under the Lend-Lease program — arrived in the USSR at a time when every operable vehicle, no matter how flawed, was desperately needed.

Nicknamed the “coffin for seven brothers” by Soviet crews, the M3 "General Lee" was both appreciated and cursed. Its side-mounted 75mm gun gave it solid firepower, but its high silhouette, multi-level layout, and limited armor made it a liability in close-range combat. Worst of all on the Eastern Front were its rubber-rimmed tracks — in combat, the rubber often caught fire, rendering the tank immobile and turning it into a sitting duck.

Still, it was better than nothing. By 1943, over 1,300 M3s had reached Soviet shores, used primarily in secondary roles or as mobile artillery during large offensives. In the brutal mud and snow of Russia, even imperfect steel was welcomed.

The photo, taken by legendary war photographer Yevgeny Khaldei, highlights the blend of American industry and Soviet resilience, rolling together through a city wrested back from German control.

📷 Technical photo data:
📸 Photographer: Yevgeny Khaldei
📅 Date: March 12, 1943
📍 Location: Vyazma, USSR