Red Army Armour in Berlin 1945

IS-2, unknown heavy tank regiment, Berlin area, April 1945 This IS-2 was probably one of the tanks of Gen. Rybalko ' s 3rd Guards Tank Army, which fought near Berlin in April 1945. The tank is painted in the standard way, with a coat of dark olive-green over the entire surface of the tank. The tactical markings applied to the turret are composed of two elements. One of them is the three-digit tactical number, which indicates the given tank within the regiment. Next to it is the tactical marking that indicates a unit within the higher level formation, a corps for example. The bar under the circle could be a sign of the first unit.

T -34-85, 6th Guards Tank Corps, 3rd Guards Tank Army, Berlin, April 1945. This late-series production T-34-85 was employed by the 6th Guards Tank Corps, which took part in the Berlin operation in April 1945. The camouflage of the tank is standard and the markings are typical. Concentric circles were often utilized by the Soviets for markings. A few similar markings are known to have been used by different units. The tactical number " 252" could be an example of the standard system , which identifies it as the 2nd tank in the 5th platoon of the 2nd regiment in a brigade. However, the first number, " 2 " , could also indicate the 52nd Guards Tank Brigade, the second brigade within the corps.