Also note the (apparently) standard-issue tank crew mustache.
Vintage Saturday: Bulgarians with ZK383s
Semiauto pistol
Bulgarian M1911 Luger
Bulgaria bought its first Lugers in 1903; 1000 Old Model guns in 7.65mm. It bought another 1300 New Model Lugers in 1908 (again in 7.65mm), but both of these orders were intended for private purchase […]
Light MGs
Shooting the Madsen LMG – The First True LMG
We have looked at a couple different Madsen light machine guns previously, but until today I have not had the chance to do any shooting with a fully automatic example of one. So I am […]
Book review
Book Review: The Makarov Pistol Part 2 (China, Bulgaria, Khyber Pass)
Henry Brown and Cameron White have released the second part of their work on the Makarov pistol, this time with additional assistance from Edwin Lowe. This second volume covers Chinese, Bulgarian, and craft-made (“Khyber Pass”) […]
Cool. fairly late in the war, as that’s a Pz.Kfw. Mark IV with the long barrel L/70 75mm gun. So post 1943 at least. Great image. I have to admit, “Vintage Saturday” has become my favorite part of the page….
Thats the L/48, the Pz4 never carried the L/70.
The L/70 was the Panther gun and also used on the jagdpanzer 4.
most likely a Panzer IV H, side skirts are missing
The Т-IVH tank was called just Maibach in Bulgarian service. This picture was taken on a parade in Bulgarian capital Sofia on 2.XII.1944. After a Communist-led coup on 9.IX.1944, Bulgaria left the Axis and declared war on Nazi Germany. For couple months, Bulgarian Army fought alongside Soviet Army against Germans. The sign “Нишъ” on the tank marks a Serbian town of Nish, place of a major battle for Bulgarian Armored Brigade in October’44. The big (red?) X was used as a identifier, as German and Czech-made tanks of Bulgarian Army were often target of Soviet friendly fire.
To further the drama and controversy of those days, the ruins in the background were caused by Allied bomb campaign before Bulgaria switched sides..