Looking for soviet tank unit

I'm looking into some photo's I found from the Russian front, when I came across this one. The discription was Russia 1940. I can't seem to decypher the markings on the side. Anybody any idea?

 

557

 

Would you know which Soviet tank unit would carry a 557 marking?

 

No, and I am unsure whether we have a Soviet tank expert here - unless it is Owen and the Finns.

This was the first article in a web search: https://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=112&art_id=7664&kb_cat_id=35

 

As the article notes, although systems varied, a number like that generally (apparently the case here with the Soviets and also true with the Germans) indicates the vehicle's 'position' within the unit's organizational structure, not an identifier of the unit itself.

 

Where did you find that photo ?

Where they in service in 1940 ?

 

Indeed it makes sense. I didn't know yet about the markings indicating their position. davidbfpo thank you for the link! I'll dig into this info! Good to learn this info.

 

I'm researching a family history of a colleague who's grandfather was a Belgian photographer. The photo is one out of a personal photo album. There is a lot of mystery around it since there's a few pages whose only footnote says: Russia 1940.

I'm trying to figure out if it was indeed 1940, where on the Russian front it was, and how a Belgian photographer got himself at the Russian front (without being a soldier himself).

 

There was no Russian front in 1940.

 

Agreed, could it be Poland then? Or what do you think it can be?

 

It's a T34/76 Model 1941 going by the mantlet.
Hit a mine looking at the damage to the roadwheel & track.

Apart from that I have no idea

 

Rather poor quality a photo for a professional photographer.

This model of the T-34 is later than 1940.

The T-34 was still sort of a secret in 1940.

This photo shows a knocked out tank.

All this leads means this is not a photo shot by a Belgian photographer in Russia in 1940.

This photo was definitely shot after the start of Operation Barbarossa

Seeing the other photos in the pages labeled "Russia 1940" would help.

A more accurate label would be "Soviet Union, 1940's"

Michel

 

Good thoughts. I've asked the person for whom I'm researching this if I can have an update and if I can post more (since her family isn't really interested in her looking this up). It's the reason why there's only one picture. Apparently it's a cutout of a bigger picture and you are right: it says 1941 instead of 1940. So you've got a point, I didn't have all the info correctly send to me.

She gave permission to post the photos attached.

Regarding the photographer: he was een deaf wedding photographer from Maaseik and a bit of a black sheep in the family. Everything they said he couldn't, he wanted to do. I guess that's why he went to the Russian front. The "quality" isn't great because I think it's quite hard to photograph when it not the safest place to be.

It's a story that's really unbelievable so that's the whole reason we're trying to figure this out. The main thing we do know for certain is that her grantfather was a photographer of profession and was a bit of an oddball in the family. He was in Russia but nobody knows where or why (or doesn't want to tell). The fotoalbum which is the source of this, also has pictures of the liberation of Maaseik in Belgium, and some airplane crashes which we already identified. We know he shot the pictures because we found some of the liberation ones in a local paper from that time with his name.

So like I said, weird story, which we're trying to figure out.

 

The 1st photo appears to be a BA-64 scout car, the only snag is that it appears to have two gun barrels. Initially it only had a 7.62mm machine gun and some later a 12.7mm machine gun. The Red Army did make modifications though. See as an intro: BA-64 - Wikipedia

The 3rd photo is a KV-2, not the most successful giant tank of the Red Army in WW2. See as an intro: Kliment Voroshilov tank - Wikipedia

The 4th group photo appears to be around a telephone cable carrier, with possibly someone crouching down.

 

>cough< It´s a Sd.Kfz.222 >cough<

Cas
VERY comprehensive russian page with armor markings, insignia and numerous pictures
maybe you will find something while rummaging through it:
Опознавательные знаки советских танков в ВОВ

 

Itdan,

Ah so! That is why I used 'appear to be'.

 

These photos look like the thousands of photos being sold on ebay which were shot by German soldiers in the Soviet Union.

This K-V2 used as a sign post for 12. Panzer-Division has been repeatedly photographed:

KV2 heavy assault tank - side of the turret is used as road sign | World War Photos


KV-2 heavy tank captured by the Germans - side of the turret is used as road sign | World War Photos


KV2 tank with markings: 12th Panzer division | World War Photos



Source: ebay (2007)

KV-2 tanks were (understandably) a favorite in this usage:


KV-2 with german markings | World War Photos

Michel

 

Black sheep indeed! It appears he was at least with, if not part of, the German Army during Barbarossa, or even possibly the SS.

This would place him somewhere between a lowly propaganda collaborator and a full traitor...

Michel

 

Far be it from me to insinuate anything, but
Well, I know of a certain unit with Belgian Nationals that had been with the 12th PD in the HG Nord area near Leningrad since autumn ‘41.
And that could indeed explain why nobody likes to talk about him so much.

 

Thanks for the referece photos Michel. We're looking into all trains of thought regarding his involvement, but before we can we certain about anything, we'd just like to know where he was located. Hence the search with these photographs.