 | Anti-Tank Dogs| WW2 General Discuss Anti-Tank Dogs in the World War II - General forums; The Soviets were unable to address the looming tank problem with any new technologies right away, thus they were forced ... |
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05-17-2006, 11:43 AM
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#1 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Cracow
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Country:  |  Anti-Tank Dogs
The Soviets were unable to address the looming tank problem with any new technologies right away, thus they were forced to contemplate tackling the issue with the means at hand. Landmines were a viable option, but because one couldn’t count on the Nazis seeking out the mines, they had to figure a way to make the mines seek the tanks.
The answer laid in the dog division. The trainers would starve the dogs, then train them to find food under a tank. The dogs quickly learned that being released from their pens meant to run out to where the training tank was parked and find some vittles. Once trained, the dogs would be fitted with a bomb attached to the back, and loosed into a field of oncoming German Panzers. When the dog climbed underneath the tank–where there was no armor–the bomb would detonate and gut the enemy vehicle.
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05-17-2006, 11:58 AM
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#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
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Country:  | Quite cruel, but needs must! Interesting tactic though!
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05-17-2006, 01:31 PM
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#3 | | World Traveler
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Country: | Yes, it is an interesting (but cruel) tactic, but then they were desparate...
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05-17-2006, 07:43 PM
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#4 | | Senior Member
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Originally Posted by V2 Once trained, the dogs would be fitted with a bomb attached to the back, and loosed into a field of oncoming German Panzers. When the dog climbed underneath the tank–where there was no armor–the bomb would detonate and gut the enemy vehicle. | Actually:
1. There is armour underneath a tank! (belly armour)
2. The dogs were smarter than expected - they sought out T34's and KV1's, completely ignoring the Panzers! | |
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05-19-2006, 01:17 PM
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#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kiev, Ukraine
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| As far as I know dogs were able to release those bombs and run away from the tank but in reality their chances to survive were minimal.I've seen somewhere that they've destroyed approximately 300 tanks. | |
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05-19-2006, 04:22 PM
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#6 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Vivian, Louisiana
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Country:  | Everything I have read has said that the dogs were not released around Russian armor to minimize confusion, but "friendly fire" was still an issue. I will also agree with marconi's 300, as I have seen that somewhere else as well, but I think it was successful attacks, not destructions. | |
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05-19-2006, 08:13 PM
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#7 | | Senior Member
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Country:  | well you could always train illegal immigrants and save the dogs
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05-21-2006, 04:12 AM
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#8 | | Senior Member
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Originally Posted by pbfoot well you could always train illegal immigrants and save the dogs | In 1941-1945 that would be Germans, right? | |
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05-25-2006, 01:53 PM
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#9 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Country: | in the case of the ruskies it'd proberly be whoever they bloody well wanted......
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01-21-2007, 10:33 PM
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#10 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Queensland
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Country:  | I think the problem was that they were trained on Russian armour and thus they would see the T-34s and KV-1s as the target and not the German tanks. In other words they were more of a liability than an asset to the Russians... | |
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01-22-2007, 12:45 PM
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#11 | | aka Dickcheese
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Washington State
Posts: 10,487
Country: | 300 tanks destroyed? I had read that this tactic was a complete bust. During the din and confusion of battle the dogs were loosed upon the advancing tanks and they just ran behind friendly lines and dove in with seek shelter. I had even read that they caused some casualties amongst friendly troops.
Anyone else hear of the 300 tanks destroyed stat?
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01-22-2007, 03:45 PM
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#12 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Kiwi Land
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Country:  | As an ex MP Dog Handler.
The 300 is a complete bollocks myth.
Yes the dogs did dive for cover under Russian tanks, vehicles etc, and the project was completely dropped.
Not by the Japanes however, who used their own men in similar tactics.
At least it was cheaper than feeding and medical costs for dogs.
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01-23-2007, 12:21 PM
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#13 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 113
Country:  | Just for info:
The image is postwar (probably during the 1960s) ,the T-34/85 is a model 1945 or later with dummy gun and gun mantlet. | |
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01-23-2007, 09:23 PM
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#14 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Queensland
Posts: 1,256
Country: | Still one wonders what the actual statistics were because there is no doubt that it would have been hazardous for the Soviet tanks having had dogs trained using Soviet Tanks... | |
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01-30-2007, 12:55 PM
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#15 | | Forum Politruk
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bristol, UK
Posts: 2,406
Country:  | The reports regarding the use of these sobaki are sketchy at best - as far as I know it was tried and the Germans simply shot all the dogs as they went for the tanks, and the idea was quietly dropped.
The whole 'Pavlov's dog' theory and them going straight for the Soviet tanks instead... Well, I suspect it's a more a case that the dogs simply ran amok to anywhere but the advancing Panzers.
In any case, they were certantly not used after 1942. Here's a pic of one we saw in the Artillery museum in St. Petes. If you wish to use the picture it's no problem - but we'd really appreciate it if you could credit it to the 2nd Guards Rifle Division. In Russian museums, you have to pay to take a camera in, not to mention the fact we've gone out there. 
Last edited by Medvedya : 01-30-2007 at 01:10 PM.
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