T-34 in Action

by Artem Drabkin, Oleg Sheremet

This pioneering book offers a compelling inside view of armored warfare in World War II, from the perspective of the Soviet soldiers who went to war in the T-34, one of the most famous and effective tanks of the war. These first-person accounts evoke the shocking and bloody reality of combat, from terrifying confrontations with German panzers to the perils of close infantry support and bombardment from German artillery and aircraft.

Genres: History, World War II, Military History, Nonfiction

299 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Stipe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories about T-34 tank crews. If you like tanks and WW2 warfare, don't think twice - read it!

[Ренат Разумилов · Rating 4 out of 5]

Кто рассчитывал от этой книги узнать больше технических характеристик о танке, могут быть расстроены, так как книга больше концентрируется на воспоминаниях танкистов, нежели о технических аспектах таков. Хотя некие технические положения всё-таки описываются.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book a great deal. The author Drabkin has interviewed eleven former T-34 crewmen, and provides their personal background and war experience. Some of these are very rewarding and detailed, and almost lyrical. Some are a bit hazier, understandable after 50 years. And one is clearly a liar, who I doubt made much experience at all. Most of the accounts are very forthright, openly acknowledging the vast deficiency in training that seemed to be common place for much of the war, and the bad points of Soviet armor, especially the optics. In the case of the T-34, of course, these were clearly outweighed by the positives. Atrocities against civilians are also freely discussed, and while there is some degree of rationalization, the accounts are remarkably honest. For me, the best thing about the book is that provides a look at the day-to-day life of Soviet tankmen and how they interacted. Someone once described war as long periods of boredom punctuation by moments of sheer terror. This admirably comes across in "T34 in Action". Thankfully, this book was unlike some of the Stackpole books on Panzer crewmen, with their repetitive, sensational accounts of combat, with turrets spiraling through the air, tanks exploding in sheets of fire, glorious last stands, etc. ad nauseam. For anyone interested in the routine life of the Soviet tankers in WWII, this book is indispensable.

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book in hope that it would provide a comprehensive evaluation of T34 and its performance on the battlefields of Second World War. As it turns out, I bought a wrong book, because 'T-34 in Action' is really an anthology of personal recollections of Soviet tankmen who served in T34:s. The personal stories vary greatly in length and detail. Some of them are just a couple of pages long and tell a story of ill-trained conscripts being put into steel coffins, sent to the front and being lucky to get out with a debilitating wound. A couple of other soldiers talk at length about a very comprehensive training and lengthy frontline experience. The rest falls somewhere inbetween.

The tank itself plays really a secondary role in this book. Yes, all of the men served in them and remember the tank very fondly. Most of them felt that it was a machine superior to those of the Germans. Throughout the book you're also able to pick up very informative anecdotes about the T34. But primarily it is a book about the tank-men, not the tank. As such, it is at times quite fascinating and provides a detailed and informed insight into Soviet armed platoon, company and battalion of World War II.

[Jim Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good summary from the Russian side

I now have read about tank battles from the US Sherman tank commanders, German Tiger commanders and now Russian tank commanders . It was very interesting to hear the comparisons and this book shows why the T 34 won the war in the last year

[Peter Buell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for anyone interested in combat on the Russian front. A very sobering account of what life was like for the soviet tankers of WW2.