Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks: The World War II Memoirs of Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitriy Loza

Colonel Loza commanded a unit of M4 Sherman tanks in the Red Army against the Nazis on the Eastern Front in WWII. Much maligned in most accounts, the "emcha", as the Russians called it, served very well for their purposes. The USSR received thousands of Shermans from the US as part of FDR's plan to support the Russian war effort. As told by Colonel Loza, the Sherman had a number of advantages over its German opponents. The Sherman was highly reliable, able to operate for long intervals with minimum maintenance. Complex German tanks, on the other hand, were in need of constant repair and servicing. Also, the Shermans had superior cross-country mobility, allowing them to cover ground that their opponents couldn't cross. This also gave them avenues of approach that the Germans sometimes left open, certain that tanks couldn't negotiate the terrain. Finally, the version of the Sherman that the Russians used had dual diesel engines. By running on only one engine, they had reduced speed, but also a very reduced noise signature. This permitted the Russians to make several successful night attacks on unsuspecting German units, sneaking up to practically point-blank range, where the German tanks' superior armor and firepower were negated.After Germany's defeat, Colonel Loza's unit was transferred to Mongolia to chase the remaining Japanese units from Manchuria and to accept their surrender. Although they didn't see any real combat, the Shermans were on the road for extended periods covering the vast desert landscape, and their reliability was a real virtue.This book is written in an engaging first person style, and reads almost like a novel rather than history. WWII fans and history buffs will definitely want to add this to their lists. Enthusiastically recommended.

Great read on how the Sherman was utilized within the Soviet Red Army. Gives great insight into tactics and the life of a Soviet tanker in WW2. The only thing I have never understood about accounts of Sherman's in action is that they always seem to encounter Panthers or Tigers, you never read of them encountering PzkIV's which was the most prevalent tank in the German army during WW2. Still an interesting read but a bit in the pricey side.

The Soviets needed US assistance in all forms from money, logistics, materials, munitions, tanks, jeeps, aircraft, and vehicles, but often the Soviets denouced US armor as ineffective compared to the T-34. Here we read combat operations from a Soviet tank commander's point of view. The Russian Army received a number of M4A2 Sherman model medium tanks througout the war and many commanders assessed the M4 Sherman as a decent tank. Easy to maintain, roomy, and had ample charateristics against German armor. The Soviets could produce ample T-34s due to the vast amount of materials being provided by the US and UK but this book discusses how Soviet armor units utilized the M4 Shermans strengths and shortcomings on the battlefield. Good reference book for those in need of additional resources for armor related topics.

If you’re in World War 2 history, hero’s, and especially tanks. Then this is the book for you!

Excellent book and delivery went smoothly.