A month into my latest social media experiment. 1433 new followers there, -6 (yup, minus) here for the exact same posts.

Unlike most British tanks, the Valentine didn't come from a General Staff specification. A project for a three-man infantry tank that reused the Cruiser Tank Mk.II suspension was presented to the War Ministry #OTD in 1938. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The Light Tank T24 was sent to Fort Knox for trials #OTD in 1944. This design threaded the needle of reusing tried and tested components while offering a radical improvement over the previous generation of light tanks. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The East Pomeranian Operation began #OTD in 1945. The 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts cut through Army Group Vistula and reached Danzig (modern day Gdansk) and Gdynia, depriving the Germans of a way to supply forces in the Courland Pocket. #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1942 Kotin petitioned the Soviet government to create a new factory in Chelyabinsk dedicated to experimental work. Formed as a result of this request, factory #100 had a key role in development of some of the most important Soviet AFVs. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

The Heavy Tank T26E5 was approved #OTD in 1945. This was a variant of the Pershing with thicker armour. The turret was originally intended to be 203 mm thick and the hull was up to 121 mm thick. The prototypes built in metal had even thicker armour. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Winter trials of the M4A2 tank in the USSR ended #OTD in 1943. T49 tracks with parallel bar grousers improved performance in winter compared to T41 rubber tracks, at least until the grousers became packed with snow and the tank slid uncontrollably. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1945 Major General Gladeon Barnes arrived in Europe to personally supervise the deployment of Pershing tanks. Only 20 of these tanks saw combat before the end of the war, but the tank still had a chance to prove itself. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Conclusions on Object 701 mobility trials were composed #OTD in 1945. This tank was heavier and better armoured than the IS-2, but the improved transmission and engine allowed it to attain a greater average speed in both off-road and highway driving. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

The twin turreted T-26 tank was supposed to have a 37 mm B-3 gun in one turret a machine gun in the other. However, production of B-3 guns failed to get off the ground and #OTD in 1932 an order was given to build tanks with two machine guns instead. #tanks #history

Trials of the Medium Tank T5E2 ended #OTD in 1940. This tank built on the chassis of the Medium Tank M2 had a 75 mm howitzer in the hull and a new turret. A similar layout would be later used on the Medium Tank M3. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

A mild steel prototype of the 4.7 cm Pak(t) (Sfl) auf Fgst.Pz.Kpfw.35 R 731(f) was built #OTD in 1941. The extra weight was too much for the Renault R 35 chassis and crews spent more time fighting their own vehicles than enemy tanks. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1915 Tsar Nikolai II approved the construction of Lebedenko's tank. A prototype was build for testing, but the vehicle got stuck during its first outing and was abandoned at the proving grounds until it was scrapped in 1923. #tanks #history #WW1 #WWI

The Pz.Kpfw.38(t) chassis could carry a large gun, but the placement of the fighting compartment in the center made the installation of a casemate difficult. #OTD in 1943 work kicked off to rearrange the chassis, moving the engine to the front. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

Two prototypes of the KV-8 flamethrower tank were completed #OTD in 1942. The tank was equipped with a flamethrower in the turret, which didn't leave enough room for a 76 mm gun. A 45 mm gun was used instead, along with a tube to disguise it as a 76. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

A 3rd contract for Valentine III tanks was signed with the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company #OTD in 1942. This would have been the largest batch of these tanks built at 440 units, but production of Valentines shifted to tanks with 6-pdr guns. #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1941 Kirov factory was tasked with producing 10 bunker busters armed with high velocity 152 mm Br-2 guns on the chassis of the T-220 tank. Only one hull was partially assembled before the factory was evacuated. Work on this project never resumed #tanks #history #WW2 #WWII

After the Leningrad blockade was penetrated, Soviet railway workers laid a railroad into the besieged city in just 17 days, working as close as 3 kilometers from German positions. The first train with sorely needed supplies arrived #OTD in 1943. #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1945 personnel of the Zebra Mission shipped out to Europe. Their goal was to support the deployment of 20 Heavy Tanks T26E3, the only American heavy tanks to see combat in the Second World War. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII

The Toropetsk-Holm Offensive concluded #OTD in 1942. The Soviet 3rd and 4th Shock Armies successfully encircled large elements of Army Group North, forming the Demyansk Pocket. While trapped, the troops continued to resist and were evacuated a year later. #history #WW2 #WWII

Contract TM11533 for 475 Valentine IX tanks was signed with Elswick Works #OTD in 1942. The Valentine IX was armed with a more powerful 57 mm 6-pounder gun at the cost of losing the third turret crewman and the coaxial machine gun. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII