What do you think?
Rate this book
Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks: The World War II Memoirs of Hero of the Soviet Union, Dmitriy Loza
Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitriy Loza has carefully crafted his World War II experiences with U.S.-provided Sherman tanks into a highly readable memoir. Between the fall of 1943 and August 1945, Loza fought in the Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Austria. He commanded a tank battalion during much of this period and had three Shermans shot out from under him. Loza's unit participated in such well-known combat actions as the Korsun-Shevchenkovskiy Operation, the Jassy-Kishenev Operation, and the battles for Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. Following the German surrender, Loza's unit was sent to Mongolia, where it participated in the arduous trek across the Gobi Desert to attack the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria. This is the first available detailed examination of the Red Army's exploitation of U.S. war matériel during World War II and one of the first genuine memoirs available from the Russian front. Loza also provides firsthand testimony on tactical command decisions, group objectives and how they were accomplished, and Soviet use of combat equipment and intelligence. Only after the collapse of the USSR and concomitant relaxing of prohibitions against publication of materials related to the Lend-Lease Program there could this account be made available. Dmitriy Loza served as an instructor at the Frunze Academy after the war, retiring in 1967 with the rank of colonel. He resides in Moscow. James F. Gebhardt, now a defense contractor at Fort Leavenworth, is a Vietnam veteran. He is the author of Blood on the Soviet Naval Commandos in World War II.
Unknown Binding
First published October 28, 1996
1 person is currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Dmitry Loza
4 booksDmitry Fedorovich Loza (Russian: Дмитрий Фёдорович Лоза) was a Ukrainian Red Army Colonel and Hero of the Soviet Union. He served as an Armor officer during World War II, fighting in the Vienna Offensive and in the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation. Loza was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his leadership of a tank battalion in the Vienna Offensive. Postwar, he was a senior lecturer at the Frunze Military Academy before retiring from the Soviet Army in 1967.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 27, 2022
An excellent book within its genre. I give it 5 stars because I thought it insightful as far as how Soviet tankers problem-solved and troubleshot the various challenges they faced during the Second World War. Loza's memoirs are additionally interesting because he was specifically a Soviet tanker who operated foreign lend-lease tanks: first a British Matilda and then a succession of American Sherman tanks. This book focuses on the latter and is a series of vignettes within the context of, first, the Soviet drive from the Dnieper into Romania, then Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and finally Austria. And, second, the Soviet offensive on Japanese-defended Manchuria.
What makes the Sherman in Soviet hands interesting, aside from being an American tank operated by a Ukrainian, is that American tanks are commonly thought to be inferior to both their Soviet and German counterparts. And there is a lot of truth in this belief. The Soviets (and British) had been fighting the Germans for longer than the Americans and they were eyewitnesses of the gradual progression in tank armor and firepower. In 1940 and 1941, Germany's most powerful tank within the context of tank-on-tank combat was the 37mm-armed Panzer III (the Panzer IV had a low velocity 75mm for infantry support). By the end of 1941, it was obvious that these would need to be uparmed, and so Panzer IIIs were given the 50mm KwK and Panzer IVs were uparmed with longer, high-velocity 75mm cannons. By spring 1943, Germany introduced the much heavier, more powerful Panther and Tiger tanks. The British and the Soviets also uparmored and uparmed their own tanks, of course. The Americans, who joined the war later, were notoriously slow to anticipate the armor/gun dynamic and so fought the war with what were, on paper, inferior tanks.
Loza was given a 76mm-armed Sherman, which was an improvement over the 75mm-armed Sherman. While it's contentious to argue that the 76mm Sherman was inferior to the T-34, Loza thought so for a variety of reasons. One, the T-34 offered a smaller target at the combat ranges of the Eastern Front. Second, its center of gravity made traversing the uneven terrain of the 'Bloodlands' easier. And by the time the events of this book come into play, the new T-34-85 has entered production.
In some ways, though, the Sherman was a better tank than the T-34. And one of the reasons why Loza's memoirs are so interesting is because he shows how Soviet crews fought on the basis of the Sherman's advantages and not its disadvantages. Yes, against a German Panther or Tiger, a Sherman was bound to lose in a fist-to-fist fight (so was your average T-34). That's now how Soviet tankers fought if they could avoid it — and by late 1943, the initiative was theirs. In fact, in the war of maneuver on the soft soil of autumn, winter, and spring Ukraine, the Sherman had lower ground pressure than its German and Soviet counterparts. This allowed Loza and his tank to drive through ravines the Germans thought impassible. And under difficult conditions of visibility, the Sherman had a gyroscope that made it easier to follow an azimuth of attack. Soviet foreign-tank crewmen often had to give their gyroscopes up to other units to give them the same advantage. Sherman tanks were also roomier and more comfortable, and so achieved higher rates of fire.
There is also insight into how responsive American designers were to Soviet demands. On high inclines in soft or wet soil, the Sherman was liable to slip. Because of its disadvantageous center of gravity, it was also liable to tip over. This feedback was given to an American on the spot. The United States began to very quickly supply Soviet Sherman tanks with spiked shoes to improve their traction.
It wasn't just with the design that the Americans were responsive. There is a moment where this American factory rep asks about special parcels that were delivered with the tanks. The tankers respond that they hadn't found any special parcels. In the next batch, as the Soviet tankers are removing the sealant jammed into the gun tube, breech, and any other openings to keep the interior of the machines dry during the voyage from the US to the USSR, they accidentally push a bottle of vodka through the breech and out the gun tube. It shatters on the floor. The American factory workers had changed the location of their gifts, so that inspectors couldn't remove them before the tanks were issued to their units. From then on, the tank crews were more careful when removing that sealant.
There are other funny moments. You learn that Soviet tank commanders often rode on the fender of the tank during marches to help the driver negotiate the terrain. This allowed them to travel more safely and, therefore, faster. When it was especially cold, the auxiliary fuel cans were often filled with vodka. Those on the outside of the tank got larger vodka rations to deal with the cold. It turned out that these crewmen would pee off the tank while traveling and a lot of it would inevitably land on the turret, traveling down until it reached the turret ring. One morning, a couple of Sherman crews reported that their mechanical and manual turret traverse mechanisms were inoperable. Upon further reflection, the frozen pee had jammed the turrets in place.
What I really enjoyed about this book, which I alluded to earlier, is the insight into how tankers like Loza were able to think on the spot to defeat more powerful opponents. They frequently come across German Panthers and Tigers. These tanks were especially powerful and, by this time, were on the defensive. Tanks on the defensive have a strong advantage over their opponents because they are in a position to ambush. In one instance, a German Tiger tank catches Loza's column by surprise and knocks a Sherman trying to cross a road out. Loza has to cleverly use smoke pots to 'blind' the Tiger so that his unit can cross safely. Earlier in the war, a Tiger tank commands the heights on the approach to a town. For a day or two, his unit studies the Tiger's habits. Then they bring up their best tank gunner and a sniper. Waiting for the right moment, the tank gunner sneaks up, fires, and damages the Tiger's gun. The German commander exits the tank and the sniper takes him out, forcing the Tiger to withdraw from its commanding position.
Toward the end of the war in Europe, you see how tankers like Loza used their intimate understanding of armored warfare to defeat their opponents. Tank columns are like accordions. On the move, they tend to spread out. When the tank column comes to a stop or slows, they tend to bunch up. At one point, a Soviet scout sees an incoming German armored column looking to reinforce the defense of a town and eject the Soviet attackers. Loza's Shermans wait in ambush position. He maintains fire discipline and waits for the exact moment they bunch up so that his Shermans can shoot up the entire column at once, neutralizing the superior firepower of the Panther by bringing overwhelming fire superiority during the initial moments of the engagement.
The portion of the book on the Soviet offensive in Manchuria is less action-packed. In large part, this is because his unit saw little fighting. The Japanese mostly just withdrew. This section is more insightful on the mechanical reliability of the Sherman. Most of it is focused on the negotiation of Mongolia's soft soils, China's northern mountain ranges during monsoon season, and the traversing of flooding terrain. Toward the end, Loza has an opportunity to inspect Japanese tanks after their unit had surrendered. He asked the Japanese captain how they planned to defend against the Soviets with those tanks (Japanese tanks were undergunned and underarmored against even American tanks). The captain responds that had they been given the order to resist, he would have found the people to sacrifice themselves in suicide attacks. Actually, this reminds me of one of the most interesting chapters.
During the advance in northeastern China, they see a number of Japanese fighter aircraft in the distance. Loza notes how they had memorized the habits of German fighter pilots. These tended to circle the Soviet column and only then-after dive.* The Japanese fighters, however, behaved completely differently. They approached head one and then the lead aircraft dove and slammed right into the lead Sherman tank, injuring the driver-mechanic. The Soviet desantniki (infantry that rode on top of the tanks) scatter and head to a building, into which the second and third Japanese fighters slam into. For the first time, Loza experienced a Japanese kamikaze attack. He expressed surprise to find out that the pilots were women.
*Another advantage the Sherman had was the .50-cal machine gun mounted on the turret, which the Soviets used as an anti-aircraft weapon.
In all, this was a very enjoyable book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in armored warfare and the Second World War. You're not going to get a big-picture understanding of Soviet operations in Eastern Europe or Manchuria. Rather, the book is almost entirely focused on the tactical challenges faced by Loza, his battalion, and his brigade. Loza eventually earned the distinction of Hero of the Soviet Union; his unit had previously earned the distinction of a Guards unit.
What makes the Sherman in Soviet hands interesting, aside from being an American tank operated by a Ukrainian, is that American tanks are commonly thought to be inferior to both their Soviet and German counterparts. And there is a lot of truth in this belief. The Soviets (and British) had been fighting the Germans for longer than the Americans and they were eyewitnesses of the gradual progression in tank armor and firepower. In 1940 and 1941, Germany's most powerful tank within the context of tank-on-tank combat was the 37mm-armed Panzer III (the Panzer IV had a low velocity 75mm for infantry support). By the end of 1941, it was obvious that these would need to be uparmed, and so Panzer IIIs were given the 50mm KwK and Panzer IVs were uparmed with longer, high-velocity 75mm cannons. By spring 1943, Germany introduced the much heavier, more powerful Panther and Tiger tanks. The British and the Soviets also uparmored and uparmed their own tanks, of course. The Americans, who joined the war later, were notoriously slow to anticipate the armor/gun dynamic and so fought the war with what were, on paper, inferior tanks.
Loza was given a 76mm-armed Sherman, which was an improvement over the 75mm-armed Sherman. While it's contentious to argue that the 76mm Sherman was inferior to the T-34, Loza thought so for a variety of reasons. One, the T-34 offered a smaller target at the combat ranges of the Eastern Front. Second, its center of gravity made traversing the uneven terrain of the 'Bloodlands' easier. And by the time the events of this book come into play, the new T-34-85 has entered production.
In some ways, though, the Sherman was a better tank than the T-34. And one of the reasons why Loza's memoirs are so interesting is because he shows how Soviet crews fought on the basis of the Sherman's advantages and not its disadvantages. Yes, against a German Panther or Tiger, a Sherman was bound to lose in a fist-to-fist fight (so was your average T-34). That's now how Soviet tankers fought if they could avoid it — and by late 1943, the initiative was theirs. In fact, in the war of maneuver on the soft soil of autumn, winter, and spring Ukraine, the Sherman had lower ground pressure than its German and Soviet counterparts. This allowed Loza and his tank to drive through ravines the Germans thought impassible. And under difficult conditions of visibility, the Sherman had a gyroscope that made it easier to follow an azimuth of attack. Soviet foreign-tank crewmen often had to give their gyroscopes up to other units to give them the same advantage. Sherman tanks were also roomier and more comfortable, and so achieved higher rates of fire.
There is also insight into how responsive American designers were to Soviet demands. On high inclines in soft or wet soil, the Sherman was liable to slip. Because of its disadvantageous center of gravity, it was also liable to tip over. This feedback was given to an American on the spot. The United States began to very quickly supply Soviet Sherman tanks with spiked shoes to improve their traction.
It wasn't just with the design that the Americans were responsive. There is a moment where this American factory rep asks about special parcels that were delivered with the tanks. The tankers respond that they hadn't found any special parcels. In the next batch, as the Soviet tankers are removing the sealant jammed into the gun tube, breech, and any other openings to keep the interior of the machines dry during the voyage from the US to the USSR, they accidentally push a bottle of vodka through the breech and out the gun tube. It shatters on the floor. The American factory workers had changed the location of their gifts, so that inspectors couldn't remove them before the tanks were issued to their units. From then on, the tank crews were more careful when removing that sealant.
There are other funny moments. You learn that Soviet tank commanders often rode on the fender of the tank during marches to help the driver negotiate the terrain. This allowed them to travel more safely and, therefore, faster. When it was especially cold, the auxiliary fuel cans were often filled with vodka. Those on the outside of the tank got larger vodka rations to deal with the cold. It turned out that these crewmen would pee off the tank while traveling and a lot of it would inevitably land on the turret, traveling down until it reached the turret ring. One morning, a couple of Sherman crews reported that their mechanical and manual turret traverse mechanisms were inoperable. Upon further reflection, the frozen pee had jammed the turrets in place.
What I really enjoyed about this book, which I alluded to earlier, is the insight into how tankers like Loza were able to think on the spot to defeat more powerful opponents. They frequently come across German Panthers and Tigers. These tanks were especially powerful and, by this time, were on the defensive. Tanks on the defensive have a strong advantage over their opponents because they are in a position to ambush. In one instance, a German Tiger tank catches Loza's column by surprise and knocks a Sherman trying to cross a road out. Loza has to cleverly use smoke pots to 'blind' the Tiger so that his unit can cross safely. Earlier in the war, a Tiger tank commands the heights on the approach to a town. For a day or two, his unit studies the Tiger's habits. Then they bring up their best tank gunner and a sniper. Waiting for the right moment, the tank gunner sneaks up, fires, and damages the Tiger's gun. The German commander exits the tank and the sniper takes him out, forcing the Tiger to withdraw from its commanding position.
Toward the end of the war in Europe, you see how tankers like Loza used their intimate understanding of armored warfare to defeat their opponents. Tank columns are like accordions. On the move, they tend to spread out. When the tank column comes to a stop or slows, they tend to bunch up. At one point, a Soviet scout sees an incoming German armored column looking to reinforce the defense of a town and eject the Soviet attackers. Loza's Shermans wait in ambush position. He maintains fire discipline and waits for the exact moment they bunch up so that his Shermans can shoot up the entire column at once, neutralizing the superior firepower of the Panther by bringing overwhelming fire superiority during the initial moments of the engagement.
The portion of the book on the Soviet offensive in Manchuria is less action-packed. In large part, this is because his unit saw little fighting. The Japanese mostly just withdrew. This section is more insightful on the mechanical reliability of the Sherman. Most of it is focused on the negotiation of Mongolia's soft soils, China's northern mountain ranges during monsoon season, and the traversing of flooding terrain. Toward the end, Loza has an opportunity to inspect Japanese tanks after their unit had surrendered. He asked the Japanese captain how they planned to defend against the Soviets with those tanks (Japanese tanks were undergunned and underarmored against even American tanks). The captain responds that had they been given the order to resist, he would have found the people to sacrifice themselves in suicide attacks. Actually, this reminds me of one of the most interesting chapters.
During the advance in northeastern China, they see a number of Japanese fighter aircraft in the distance. Loza notes how they had memorized the habits of German fighter pilots. These tended to circle the Soviet column and only then-after dive.* The Japanese fighters, however, behaved completely differently. They approached head one and then the lead aircraft dove and slammed right into the lead Sherman tank, injuring the driver-mechanic. The Soviet desantniki (infantry that rode on top of the tanks) scatter and head to a building, into which the second and third Japanese fighters slam into. For the first time, Loza experienced a Japanese kamikaze attack. He expressed surprise to find out that the pilots were women.
*Another advantage the Sherman had was the .50-cal machine gun mounted on the turret, which the Soviets used as an anti-aircraft weapon.
In all, this was a very enjoyable book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in armored warfare and the Second World War. You're not going to get a big-picture understanding of Soviet operations in Eastern Europe or Manchuria. Rather, the book is almost entirely focused on the tactical challenges faced by Loza, his battalion, and his brigade. Loza eventually earned the distinction of Hero of the Soviet Union; his unit had previously earned the distinction of a Guards unit.
January 8, 2018
Great collection of episodic memoirs from the front of a gritty war. Easy to access, simple to understand even without technical knowledge and great for people with and without some martial and military knowledge. Tells the story of a lesser known and celebrated relationship between men and machines
December 4, 2023
A somewhat interesting account of the use of M4 Shermans in the Red Army during the Second World War. Some parts are quite interesting while others are rather dull.
The book is further let down by a rather mundane translation that relies too much on a verbatim transcript of the original text rather than saying in a more native English way what the author wished to express.
The book is further let down by a rather mundane translation that relies too much on a verbatim transcript of the original text rather than saying in a more native English way what the author wished to express.
September 10, 2023
It's a difficult subject to tell truthfully and interestingly. I don't think I believe the Russian soldiers were the angels he says but I expect the book would not have passed the censors if he hadn't painted them so prettily.
June 8, 2016
I initially tracked this book down because I was fascinated by the accounts of the Eastern
Front during the Second World War. I had read from multiple sources about the amount of equipment that the United States had sent to her allies prior to our full time involvement in the conflict.
Anyone who is somewhat familiar with Soviet accounts will know that the official diatribe paints a somewhat unflattering picture of our contribution. I know the reasons behind the accounts. The fine folks that labored to produce lend-lease equipment are now passed. I think that they deserve better.
Dmitriy Loza is no Tolstoy or Pushkin. He is a soldier, and a damn good one. Given a tough situation, he bitches for five minutes then does what a good soldier does, adapts and overcomes. The prose and pithy political commentary may be lacking but the soldierly good humor and the honest accounting of the good and bad about the M4 Sherman tank is here.
If you are looking for a historical account of the Eastern Front, look elsewhere. If you are interested in a Tanker's account of the Sherman, read this no nonsense book.
Extremely easy to read and full of excellent anecdotes it reads like a collection of Sea Stories. Track it down at your local Library. If you are interested in modelling there are several excellent pictures as well.
Front during the Second World War. I had read from multiple sources about the amount of equipment that the United States had sent to her allies prior to our full time involvement in the conflict.
Anyone who is somewhat familiar with Soviet accounts will know that the official diatribe paints a somewhat unflattering picture of our contribution. I know the reasons behind the accounts. The fine folks that labored to produce lend-lease equipment are now passed. I think that they deserve better.
Dmitriy Loza is no Tolstoy or Pushkin. He is a soldier, and a damn good one. Given a tough situation, he bitches for five minutes then does what a good soldier does, adapts and overcomes. The prose and pithy political commentary may be lacking but the soldierly good humor and the honest accounting of the good and bad about the M4 Sherman tank is here.
If you are looking for a historical account of the Eastern Front, look elsewhere. If you are interested in a Tanker's account of the Sherman, read this no nonsense book.
Extremely easy to read and full of excellent anecdotes it reads like a collection of Sea Stories. Track it down at your local Library. If you are interested in modelling there are several excellent pictures as well.
February 18, 2014
Different stories from a soviet Sherman tanker - some funny, some not. Interesting, for the most part
July 28, 2019
Ну, щито тут можно сказати, типичные военные мемуары. Автор не умеет склонять слово "Шерман". Интересная информация присутствует.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews