SZEWCZYK, Radosław: Použitie bojových protitankových psov v Červenej armáde vo svetle nemeckých spomienok a sovietskych vojenských dokumentov – zhrnutie problému

SZEWCZYK, Radosław: The use of combat anti-tank dogs in the Red Army in light of German recounts and Soviet military documents - problem synopsis.

Autor: SZEWCZYK, Radosław

Anti-tank dogs employed by the Red Army during World War II are often credited in Soviet and contemporary Russian narratives with the destruction of more than 300 German tanks. This figure has become a persistent wartime myth, frequently reproduced without critical verification. This article examines the actual operational use and effectiveness of Soviet anti-tank dogs based on German combat reports, memoirs, and previously unpublished Soviet archival documents, including award applications and unit records. The analysis demonstrates that many of the vehicles attributed to dog attacks were not tanks but armoured personnel carriers and reconnaissance vehicles. Moreover, anti-tank dog units frequently employed additional weapons, such as grenades, anti-tank rifles, and incendiary bottles, which were often collectively recorded as dog-related successes.

Keywords: anti-tank dogs, World War II, Red Army, tanks, armored vehicles.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69809/vojhist.2026.30.2.3

Ročník: 30 | Číslo: 2/2026 | Stránky: 56-82