About the book: 2013 / “I’ll say briefly about their exploits: if they hadn’t existed, my army would have died without ammunition and food” - this is how he assessed the combat work of the armored boats The hero of the Volga flotilla of Stalingrad, General Chuikov. These “river tanks” with turrets from the T-28 and T-34-76, heavy machine guns and deck-based rocket launchers distinguished themselves not only in the Battle of Stalingrad, where they covered cargo convoys, providing air defense of river communications, and themselves transported troops to the besieged city, under continuous enemy fire, maneuvering among exploding shells and mines. During the Great Patriotic War, Soviet armored boats fought from the Volga to the Baltic, Neva, Ladoga, Onega and Lake Peipus, from the Kerch Strait to the Dniester, Danube, Bug, Vistula, Oder and Spree, from Stalingrad to Belgrade, Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna (wherever Thanks to the bravery of the sailors, the Nazis failed to blow up the last intact bridge across the Danube, and after the war, the Austrians raised money and erected a granite monument “To the heroes of the paratroopers, sailor guards from the inhabitants of grateful Vienna”). “River tanks” took part in the legendary landing operations - Eltigen, Tuloksin and many others - and ended the war in Manchuria, the Amur and Sungari, having made a deep breakthrough to Harbin. The Marines dubbed these boats “immortal” - having landed troops, they were in no hurry to get out from under fire, but continued to maneuver close to the shore, suppressing enemy firing points, although their own armor at distances of less than 200 m was pierced not only by shells and shrapnel, but even rifle caliber bullets. According to eyewitnesses: “The armored boat received more than 20 direct hits. There was a fire. The steering was broken. Water poured out of the holes. And the sailors kept firing…” In this book you will find comprehensive information about the creation, production, modernization and combat use of these “river tanks” on all fronts of the Great Patriotic War. This collector's edition is printed on premium quality coated paper and illustrated with hundreds of exclusive drawings, diagrams and photographs, many of which are published for the first time..