Red army Quote by David M. Glantz
““constituted as much as one third of the divisions’ combat strength, were seriously under-gunned (with machine-guns and 20mm main guns) and, therefore, unable to contend with new model Red Army tanks such as the T-34 and KV. On the other hand, although the dependable second-generation Pz. III and Pz. IV tanks were more than a match for the older Soviet tanks, such as the T-26 light, T-8 medium, and T-35 heavy models, even they experienced difficulty destroying T-34 and KV-1 and 2 tanks. In 1941 Germany was in the process of re-arming all Pz. III’s with a medium-velocity 50mm main gun, while the Pz IV’s still retained a low-velocity 75mm gun. The velocity of these weapons was at least as important as the size of the shell because high velocity was necessary for effective armor penetration. Neither German weapon could penetrate the thick frontal armor of the T-34 medium tanks and KV-1 heavy tanks that were just coming off the assembly lines in Russia.””
About This Quote
Source Book: “Panzerkampf: The Development of German Armor Doctrine, 1914‑1945” by David M. Glantz, 1995
German WWII tanks were under‑armed compared to newer Soviet models, limiting their combat effectiveness despite later upgrades.
In simple terms: German tanks lacked firepower against modern Soviet tanks.
Study historical tech gaps for modern strategy.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- military education
- war gaming
- defense analysis
- historical research
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What lessons do modern forces draw from this?
- How can doctrine adapt to rapid tech changes?
Upgrades alone cannot fully compensate for design flaws.