Given the vicious nature of combat on the eastern front in WW2, I would expect the survivability of armor to be relatively short. Would not building a model that is heavily weathered with bumps, scrapes, bullet marks, etc. be a rare on the front? A tank would seldom last operational to that point? This is not to knock agains the artitistic talent of a heavily weathered model on the eastern front, but I am thinking you would more often see newer tanks with little wear or tanks blasted out of operation (ie. burnt out hulks on the battlefield).

Any statistics on the lifespan of a tank on the eastern front?

I think this really depends on whether you are talking Russian or German forces. Additionally, the timeline would affect it as well.

I have seen Pz1's and Pz's in a line of late Panther A's in Russia. This is the exception over the norm. As far as damaged fenders and large, one time damages (ie: driver hitting something, explosion around the tank, getting stuck in mud), sure I say go for them. If you want to talk about a rusted out extremely faded paint tank, I would bet this would be the exception. Again, I can post the old tanks still operating in 1945, but they are a lot harder to find than fresh looking tanks abandoned due to mechanical issues.


There's no saying that a brand new tank evading fire could not rack up some damaged fenders in a minute trying to run through a forest. Additionally, a picture may have a faded paint job that is really just a bunch of fine dirt covering the vehicle.

Despite my rambelings, from period photos, it is pretty easy to spot a fresh vehicle vs a tired sagging panzer. Some pictures are forthwith coming.

Joe and Mark,
The is a very good reference for tank longevity on the Eastern Front: Panzertruppen vol 2 by Thom Jentz. It shows the almost vertical drop in tank strength when panzer divisions were in action. 50% loses were not uncommon and I would suspect that Russian units saw equal, if not faster attrition rates. So, in short, most surviving vehicles would be relatively fresh, rather than being beat-up veterans. Hope that helps.
Regards,
Georg

I recall seeing a T-34/76 somewhere in the outskirts of Berlin. Also I can recall seeing an early production American M4 Sherman KOd in the final battles in Nurnberg.

Survivors were rare -- but doesn't mean non-existent. I think modellers do tend to go overboard however.

There is a lot more to consider than saying how long a tank would last before being knocked out

Firstly when a tank is damaged to the extent that it is no longer able to take part in an engagement or operation, it is said to be knocked out.

However, the Germans and Russians were both efficient at the recovery of knocked out tanks and the repairs required to return them to service.

On the western front recovered tanks would usually be repainted prior to returning to battle, even if it was just a local repaint around the repair, however this may or may not have happened on the eastern front.

Even if it did, there is no guarantee the rest of the paint would be reapplied, so you might get a single chassis 'knocked out' two or three times and returned to service providing the damage is not too extensive. If it isn't repainted you wil see fading and rust, although perhaps not as much fading as is sometimes fashionable in modelling circles

Secondly bear in mind tanks were not necessarily given the very best quality paint. Paint has a number of properties. If the medium is poor the paint can dry out and the pigment becomes powdery and given to flaking. if the pigment is poor the paint will fade very quickly

thirdly (and last) tabs take a lot of punishments; drivers reversing with poor vision, emergency maneovers to find cover, driving through bushes, small arms fire, MG fire, glancing blows from AT guns and tank guns, near misses from mortars and artillery.

I read an account by a driver from a Royal Marines Armoured Suport Group Centaur that landed on one of the British beaches on D Day. Bear in mind his tank had been rigouressly maintained in the UK, repainted regularly, checked over and taken care of then waterproofed for the landings. In every way in perfect shape when it embarked. He said that after one morning of battle on the beach he dismounted and looked at the tank; it was covered in scratches and dings and the sheet steel stowage bins 'looked like pepperpots'




I'm not making an argument for or against extreme weathering. Both approaches are valid in my opinion

Personally this is why I model from photos. If you can see it in the photo it looked like that. If you can't it probably didn't.

At the end of the day though we make models and I think complete realism in modelling is a false goal. What modelling does is to offer an impression of reality in tenny tiny scale

That's it!!!!

Short of a catastrophic explosion/destruction of a tank, all efforts where made to recover the tank, be it for parts or to fix it to bring back into battle.