After the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943, panic began to spread in the ranks of Soviet tank units. They had met the German Panther for the first time on the field of battle, and the mighty Tiger I was being encountered in increasing numbers. The Soviets desperately needed a tank with a longer arm so-to-speak, and the solution offered up by a crash development program was a T-34 with a larger turret and a larger gun. This new tank was known as the T-34/85, which featured an 85mm anti-tank gun (derived from an anti-aircraft gun of the same caliber) mounted in a larger three-man turret. This more powerful tank entered service from March 1944 onwards and it was an immediate hit since it could now stand toe-to-toe with the more powerful tanks being fielded by the Wehrmacht.

This new release is a 1:72 scale Soviet T-34/85 medium tank, which was attached to the 22nd Guards Armored Brigade, 5th Guards Armored Corps when it participated in the Battle of Prague in mid-1945. It is shown in the standard green paint scheme of the Red Army. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 3-1/2-inches
Width: 1-1/2-inches

Release Date: September 2006

Historical Account "The Final Battle" - The Prague Offensive was the last major Soviet operation of World War II in Europe. The offensive, and the battle for Prague, was fought on the Eastern Front from May 6th to 11th, 1945. This battle for the city is particularly noteworthy in that it ended after the Third Reich capitulated on May 8th, 1945. This battle is also noteworthy in that it was fought concurrently with the Prague Uprising.

The city of Prague was ultimately captured by the USSR during the Prague Offensive. All of the German troops of Army Group Centre (Heeresgruppe Mitte) were killed or captured. The capitulation of Army Group Centre was nine days after the fall of Berlin and three days after Victory in Europe Day.