1st Guards Tank Army (Russia) 1st Guards Tank Army (Russia) The 1st Guards Tank Army is a tank army of the Russian Ground Forces. The army traces its heritage back to the 1st Tank Army, formed twice in July 1942 and in January 1943 and converted into the 1st Guards Tank Army in January 1944. The army fought as part of the Red Army on the Eastern Front during World War II. The army was commanded throughout most of the war by Mikhail Katukov. It fought in the early defense during the Battle of Stalingrad, and Operation Uranus, also participating at the Battle of Kursk.
German tanks in World War II German tanks in World War II Nazi Germany developed numerous tank designs during World War II. In addition to domestic designs, Germany also employed various captured and foreign-built tanks. By doing this Germany saw their tanks grow from "tiny five ton packages to one hundred-ton monsters". The German tank force was a success due to tactical innovation more than tank quality. Using so-called ""Blitzkrieg"" tactics, Guderian, Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist and other field commanders such as Rommel broke the hiatus of the Phoney War in a manner almost outside the comprehension of the Allied — and, indeed, the German