How most quiet T-34 tank crew tricked Germans!
Can you imagine yourself sitting in dead-frozen T-34 tank in the middle of river, for several days? And that’s not all…
Captain Gavriil Polovchenya and his tank crew got stuck in a river near the town of Andreapol, in winter 1942, one of the coldest ever. Until they were waiting for support to get them out of the mud and frost, an unexpected “help” came – Germans arrived and surrounded the tank.
Captain Polovchenya ordered absolute silence so that German outnumber ears don’t spot their moves or voices. In absolutely frozen T-34 there were only living dead so to speak.
Although the Germans couldn’t open the hatch, they thought that the tank had been abandoned and decide, for no known reasons, to dragged already heavy T-34 out of the water. On January 15, the Germans sent T-34, with tank crew that was stuck inside, not knowing for them, to Andreapol, while the Polovchenya and others inside continued to keep dead silence.
Next morning Soviets start the motor and attempted a breakthrough, not knowing what their chance was. Somehow, they stumbled on the town streets, firing, smashing, crashing Germans, their equipment and everything else on their way to liberty. Dozens of German soldiers, over 30 military cars and trucks, and 10 artillery guns were destroyed, as the T-34 flee to Soviet position, victoriously.
That same day Andreapol were released from claws of German army, that couldn’t realize how they tricked and embarrassed they were.
Inspiration text: https://www.rbth.com/history/329862-3-greatest-victories-t-34
Image: http://www.invisiblethemepark.com/2013/02/soviet-t-34-tank-cutaway-1950/