"British "Prime Minister" in the USSR" Topic

"In August 1942, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill paid a visit to Moscow. However, a month earlier, Churchill had already arrived in another Soviet city, Arkhangelsk, in a PQ-17 caravan, and not the only one. We are talking, of course, about the Churchill II and Churchill III infantry tanks. In all, 301 tanks of this type were sent to the Soviet Union, of which 253 reached their destinations. Despite the relatively small volume of supplies, the namesakes of the British Prime Minister played a very important role on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War. Suffice it to say that these vehicles, along with the KV-1s, were the main heavy tanks of the Red Army in tank battle at Prokhorovka.

The Soviet Army learned of the Churchill tanks in October 1941. According to a certificate drawn up by the information department of the Intelligence Directorate of the Red Army General Staff, the British began production of the tank in the spring of 1941. heavy infantry MK-IV, also called Churchill. In later Soviet documents, this vehicle is also known as MK-IV. The certificate contained the characteristics of the tank that were quite consistent with reality, for example, information about combat weight and weapons. Furthermore, even then, Soviet intelligence had information that instead of a 2-pound (40mm) cannon, Churchill planned to install a 57mm cannon. Quite reliably, the certificate also estimated the production volumes of tanks of this type. What clearly did not correspond to reality was the maximum speed, which the authors of the document estimated at 35-38 km / h. The Churchill could only accelerate at that speed from a steep hill…"
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Amicalement
Armand

An account from the Stalingrad campaign about the Churchill tanks:

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Not able to withstand the fire of the 75mm gun.

From Wiki:

"The Soviet Union was sent 344 Churchill Mk III and Mk IV types as part of the Lend-Lease programme. 91 were lost en route on the Arctic Convoys.

In 1942–1943, it used Churchills in the Battle of Stalingrad (47th and 48th regiments of heavy tanks – 42 Churchills). In 1943, the Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army used Churchills in the Battle of Prokhorovka (15th and 36th regiments of heavy tanks – 42 Churchills) during the Battle of Kursk, and in the Fourth Battle of Kharkov. It was also used in other battles until 1944 (82nd regiment of heavy tanks)."

Note that it was used during the Kiev '43 and Korsun Pocket operations too. Some Churchill tanks were replaced in the Guards Heavy Tank bns. by the short-lived KV-85s, a much superior vehicle. The Churchill lacked sloped armor and a good enough gun to duel with the Panthers and Tigers to be considered a good heavy tank by 1943. It was a decent stop-gap measure at best.

To be fair to say a big thank you to the British for these tanks. 1942 – the most difficult period for the USSR in the field of production of tanks. Most of the Soviet tank factories were in the process of starting up after being evacuated to the Urals. Each tank was on the bill.

Allied aid to the USSR was important – and may have been crucially important; while as noted the tanks were very helpful in 1942 and useful thereafter one of the huge benefits were the trucks, radio sets, food and raw materials; Nikita Khrushchev (who ought to know about such things) said that without Allied aid they would not have won the war

As for the decisive importance, the issue is controversial. It is enough to look at the amount of weapons produced by the USSR on its own. And especially if you look at the volumes of these supplies over the years. The main part of military assistance from the allies came in 1944-45, when the fate of the war was already actually decided, the question was only in the timing of the defeat of Germany. If the assistance provided to the USSR is estimated in monetary terms, it was almost three times lower than the assistance provided to Great Britain. In addition, British deliveries made before June 27, 1942, were fully paid by the USSR in gold.
The aid was substantial and important, it saved tens, and perhaps hundreds of thousands of human lives (and not only Soviet soldiers, but also allied soldiers who never had to face the Germans who were killed on the Eastern Front). Could the USSR have stopped the Germans without such help? I think yes, since he actually did it with minimal allied help. But how events would have developed further is difficult to say. But the war would definitely become much longer, and the losses much more significant.

Thanks!

Amicalement
Armand

I had thought the Churchill Tank was named after Marlborough. But it seems it was Winston after all.