Engines of the Red Army in WW2

Matilda IV of 38th Tank Brigade - Low commander's cupola

B.I.T. Mk.II "Matilda" at the Kharkov operation, May 1942

S.K.Timoshenko, Chief of SW Front

E.von Kleist, Chief of 1st Pz. Armee

Matildas at the Kharkov operation, May 1942

In order to exploit the gains of the winter of 1941/42, the Soviet High Command, the "Stavka", ordered a large-scale offensive towards Kharkov in May 1942. For the first time on the Eastern Front, a large amount of British tanks, 117 Matildas and 81 Valentines, delivered thru the Arctic Convoys PQ-9,10,11 to Murmansk and Archangel, saw major combat action in several tank brigades of Timoshenko's South-Western Front.

Valentine IV of 36th Tank Brigade - Note Bren AA machine gun in Lakeman mount

The first major combat action occured with the 22^th Tank Corps of the 38^th Army on May 13, 1942.

The 22^th Tank Corps by that time consisted of 127 tanks in three Tank Brigades with a total of 41 Matilda III and IV as well as some 30 Valentine IV in the 13^th, 36^th and 133^rd Tank Brigade.

On May 13, 1942, the 22^th Tank Corps clashed into the German 23^rd Panzer Division with the follwoing results :

13^th Tank Brigade and 133^rd Tank Brigade lost all their tanks (the 13^th Tank Brigade - 12 Matilda + Valentine, 14 BT, 6 T-26; 133^rd Tank Brigade - 12 T-34 and 9 BT), but destroyed at the same time, according to the commanders' reports, about 65 German military vehicles.
36^th Tank Brigade lost 37 tanks (6 MKII Matilda, 19 MKIII Valentine and 12 T-60) and destroyed 40 enemy tanks, moved to the village uncoated.

According to the German data, the 1^st Battalion of the 201^stPanzer Regiment of 23^rd Panzer Division destroyed 79 tanks (45 T-34, 13 Matilda 12 BT and 9 KW), while loosing 10 of its own (9 Panzer III and Panzer IV).

3^rd Battalion 6^th Panzer Regiment from 12 to 22 May destroyed 62 tanks (5 KW, 36 T-34, BT 16 and 5 Matilda).

Matilda IIA* / III of 133th Tank Brigade - (early) internal hinges of hull side plate access hatches

The second major combat action occured at the final stage of the battle from May 25, 1942, on.
By the evening of May 25, 1942 three combined Tank Brigades, the 15^th, 64^th and 114^th Tank Brigade, desperately tried to open the outer ring of encirclement..
Around the town of Csepyel, the day the tank brigades managed to destroy no less than 19 German tanks and 8 anti-tank guns.
Their own losses, however, summed up to 29 tanks: 15^th Tank Brigade - 7 (5 T-34 and 2 1-60), 64^th Tank Brigade - 10 (7 MK2 Matilda and 3 T-60) and 114^th Tank Brigade - 12 (4 M3 medium and 8 T-60).
So, on May 26, the Tank Brigade still consisted of: 15^th Tank Brigade -10 T-34 and 2 T-60, 64^th Tank Brigade - 2 MK2 Matilda. 1 MK3 Valentine and 7 T-60, 114^th Tank Brigade -13 T-60.

At 16.30 on that day, when the tanks went into battle again, 12 Soviet Shturmovik ground fight aircraft appeared over the battlefield and erroneously bombed their own troops.
Following the Shturmoviks, German bombers also appeared before the end of the day in groups of 20-30 planes.
As a result, though 4 tanks and two anti-tank guns were destroyed, the breakthrough of the enemy defenses finally failed.
The three Tank Brigades' losses amounted to 5 tanks: 15^th Tank Brigade - 5 T-34 and T-60 - 64^th and 114^th Tank Brigade - none.

Matilda IIA* / III of 64th Tank Brigade - No asbest heat protection around exhaust pipes

Note shell holes...

...and BESA turret machine gun (?) in German hands

Matilda IIA* / III of 38th Tank Brigade - (later) external hinges of hull side plate access hatches

Matilda IIA* and IV, examined by Croatians...

...and littering the Ukrainian steppes

Matilda IV of 38th Tank Brigade - Note yellow (?) water marks on side shield

Note Wireless No.19 antenna and double exhaust pipe of Leyland engine