Soviet Tank Ace Ivan Shevtsov with Knocked-Out Tiger Tank, Kursk 1943

September 5, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Soviet tank commander Ivan Shevtsov beside a destroyed German Tiger tank, Battle of Kursk, July 1943.

This striking photograph shows Senior Lieutenant Ivan Andreyevich Shevtsov, a Soviet tank commander who would later be awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, standing next to a knocked-out German PzKpfw VI Tiger tank. The photo was taken in July 1943 during the legendary Battle of Kursk, one of the largest tank battles in history.

At the time, Shevtsov was commander of a tank company in the 142nd Tank Battalion, 95th Tank Brigade, part of the 9th Tank Corps of the Central Front. On July 15, 1943, Shevtsov led his unit in a daring assault on the railway station at Maloarkhangelsk in Oryol Oblast. Fighting alongside infantry, his company seized and held the position for four hours until reinforcements arrived, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy in men and materiel.

Shevtsov personally destroyed four German tanks—including one Tiger—and three anti-tank guns during the battle. His bravery and leadership became a symbol of Soviet resilience and skill in armored warfare. For this action, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on August 27, 1943.

The image captures not only Shevtsov’s heroism but also the symbolic clash between Soviet tank crews and the feared German Tiger tanks. It remains one of the most powerful visual testaments to the courage of Red Army tankmen during the Kursk battles.

Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: Soviet wartime archives
📍 Location: Kursk region, USSR
📅 Date: July 1943
📷 Photographer: Natalia Bode

Ivan Shevtsov Hero of the Soviet Union
Battle of Kursk tank commanders
Soviet tank aces against Tiger tanks
Maloarkhangelsk tank battle July 1943
Soviet 95th Tank Brigade history
German Tiger tank destroyed Kursk
Soviet armored heroes WWII photographs
Red Army tankmen 1943
Soviet tank company commander photo WWII
Tiger tank knocked out by Soviet crew