Old News - New Start - Ersatz Panzers Refight Battle of Moscow

After a long hiatus, which included two extended tours of the rice fields of Northeastern Thailand, its time to get back to work.  

This is very old news, but the pictures from the 2004 Reenactment of the Battle of Moscow are too good to pass up.  Pictures of a Russian T-34/85 and T-44 tanks visually modified to look like German Panzer IVs showed up in a thread on the Axis History Reenactment Forum.  

The vehicles were modified for Soviet era film studios and were used in a number of movies about "The Great Patriotic War." It's interesting to note that the two ersatz "Tigers" (a common Russia label for all German tanks during the WW2) where joined in the reenactment by a real Panzer IV from the Kubinka Tank Museum.   To fend off the "Tigers" the Russians fielded a modern T-80 tank and at least one vintage T-34/85. 

The reenactment was carried using only Russia army recruits.  The Russia government excluded experienced civilian living history groups from taking part.  However, what the raw recruits lacked in historical weapons, uniforms and tactics, they made up for in spirit.  From the pictures of the event it looks like the battle ended in snow ball fights and close quarters hand to hand combat.