[Berkut76]

Originally Posted by chascbv

I I like to have unit/location data about the models I have; that really makes a difference for me!

Good luck on that since very few Soviet AFVs carried any type of markings, even tactical numbers between 1941 - 1943. Worse yet, in the latter part of the war, the Soviets went into another extreme as pretty much every medium sized formation adopted its own tactical markings, which could only be deciphered once somebody decides to write a detailed history of a particular unit.

The Leningrad front is even more of special case. While supply problems persisted between 1941 - 1943, despite constant artillery bombardments (the Soviet VVS and PVO units wrestled air superiority away from Luftwaffe over the skies of Leningrad in the Winter of 1941 -1942) the Germans failed to even scratch the industrial might of Leningrad. This coupled with high recovery rate of damaged vehicles resulted in high output of "factory certified" pre-owned tanks from Kirov factory, which were assigned to armored units on as needed basis. It wasn't uncommon for one unit to send a tank for repairs to Kirov and never get it back due to re-assignment. Also, many vehicles left the factory in "Frankenstein shape", i.e. a conglomerate of compatible parts from different production series.

Kirov's repaired T-34s were of special interest since many had welded on extra armor plates as well as "borrowed" from Germans commander's cupola. As matter of fact, significant number T-34 mod. 1941 Kirov factory tanks took an active part in liberation of Vyborg from Finnish forces in Summer of 1944, where the use of extra armored plates proved to be very effective in urban setting greatly minimizing damage from panzerschreks and panzerfausts used in huge numbers by the Finns.

Regards,

Sergey

[chascbv]

Yes, I think I can grasp the magnitude of the problem here, Berkut76; thanks for your explanation.

I'm afraid I'll have to make do with tentative assignments based on type of camouflage, date and place of original picture (if any!), units involved in the area of reference, etc. Not much certitude but maybe more fun during research!