Soviet Trophy Tank Commanders of the 107th Independent Battalion Receiving Orders, July 1942

November 20, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Soviet commanders of the 107th Tank Battalion receive orders while operating captured German tanks, Volkhov Front, July 1942.

This wartime photograph captures a moment inside the Soviet 107th Independent Tank Battalion, a unit uniquely equipped with captured German armored vehicles. Senior Lieutenant A. I. Losachev, platoon commander of the battalion’s trophy tank company, is seen briefing tank commanders N. I. Baryshev and I. I. Mishin. The crews operated German-made PzKpfw IV Ausf. E and PzKpfw III Ausf. J tanks — both seized in earlier battles and repurposed for Red Army needs.

The image was taken on 6 July 1942 on the Volkhov Front, one of the most intense sectors of the Eastern Front, where Soviet forces fought relentlessly to break the siege of Leningrad. Trophy tanks played a notable role here: despite shortages of spare parts and the complexity of German machinery, Soviet crews learned to use these captured vehicles effectively, often turning the enemy’s own technology against them.

The photograph was later published in Leningradskaya Pravda, issue №183 (8289) on 4 August 1942, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of Red Army servicemen who had to make do with whatever equipment was available — even if it came directly from defeated German formations.

Beyond its documentary value, the photo illustrates the coordination and discipline essential to tank operations. Briefings like the one shown here were critical for planning assaults, defensive maneuvers, and reconnaissance actions against entrenched German positions along the Volkhov line.

Today, this image remains a vivid testament to the improvisation, determination, and battlefield ingenuity characteristic of Soviet armored units during the most difficult period of the war.

Technical Photo Data:

📍 Location: Volkhov region, USSR
📅 Date: 6 July 1942
📝 Subject: Soviet crews of captured PzKpfw III and IV tanks of the 107th Independent Tank Battalion
📷 Photographer: Grigory Chertov
📰 Published in: Leningradskaya Pravda, №183 (8289), 04.08.1942

• Soviet use of German tanks
• Volkhov Front armored operations
• Red Army trophy equipment
• PzKpfw IV Ausf. E in Soviet service
• Captured PzKpfw III J variant