Destroyed Russian tank on the Volkhov, July 1942
If this photo is overexposed, the entry hole that caused the tank’s destruction becomes visible. It looks almost as if the projectile melted its way through the armor; this would suggest a shaped-charge round—such as one fired from a Panzerfaust. In any case, the tank subsequently caught fire, charring the surrounding trees. The hit likely had a tragic outcome for the tank crew. As with the other photos of armored vehicles, the machine gun has been removed from this tank.
The vehicle shown in the photo is a Soviet KV-1 tank (or one of its early variants), identifiable by the characteristic shape of the turret and the configuration of the hull. Regarding your observations and the details in the photo, here is some technical-historical context:
The entry hole: The hit right next to the gun mantlet on the front of the turret is striking. Your hypothesis regarding a shaped-charge effect is interesting, as the appearance of the impact site—particularly the "melted" edge—is typical of hits from high-energy projectiles or shaped charges (such as those used in anti-tank rifles or early anti-tank weapons). Since the image is dated July 1942, infantry anti-tank weapons like the Panzerfaust were not yet in widespread use; it is therefore also possible that the hit came from a powerful anti-tank gun fired at close range.
Fire and destruction: Evidence that the tank burned is clearly visible in the charred trees in the immediate vicinity. Such fires were often the result of ammunition explosions or the ignition of internal fuel following a penetration of the armor—an outcome that was indeed usually tragic for the crew.
Removal of the machine gun: Your observation that the hull machine gun had been removed is a common feature of abandoned or captured vehicles. Removing machine guns was standard practice for both the Wehrmacht and Soviet troops, allowing the valuable weapons to be put to other uses (such as infantry weapons or sources of spare parts).
The photograph powerfully documents the brutal reality of the fighting that took place in the Volkhov region in 1942.
The visually distinct text was created in July 2026 with the help of the AI Gemini. - Page translated with Google.
