The crew of Junior Sergeant M.P. Andreev preparing their BA-6ZhD vehicle for conversion to travel on the railroad tracks Volkhov Front, August 1942

BA-6

The Soviet armies approaching the Hungarian capital in November, 1944, expected to occupy it "on the run."  However, encountering stiff resistance, they soon deployed heavy artillery in large numbers. For example, in preparation for a major push, about 1000 artillery pieces bombarded the defenders of Pest for 24 hours on one occasion.  Here a Soviet unit is firing large caliber rounds from the outskirts of Budapest during the beginning of the siege.

BUDAPEST SIEGE:Soviet Artillery Bombardment Begins

Early-manufacture Soviet BA-27 armoured car.  This vehicle entered production in 1927.  It can be considered the "ancestor" of a number of later Soviet "heavy" (that is to say, heavily armed) armoured cars that played an important part in WW2.  Overall production was limited - something between 200 and 300 in the 1927-'31 period.  As many as 200 of several sub-models were still in service at the opening of Barbarossa.  Apart from anti-German actions, these cars were used against the Japanese in the Far East.  Best regards, JR.