Mariya Oktyabrskaya & the Fighting Girlfriend

[stu_the_flat]

So, I have confession. I bought two second-hand tanks at the same time and I must thank sassgrunt for very kindly sending some more the parts for this build. I am very excitedly awaiting their arrival!

I wanted to focus a bit more on the people around the tanks than the tanks itself for this build, I found the story of Mariya Oktyabrskaya interesting and tragic. Also, her tank the fighting girlfriend seems to be well documented. Although I am struggling to find original references, Mark Felton states that there where 4 tanks that had the name fighting girlfriend, but I can find where he got this information, I would like to find out what happened to the original tank and the fate of the other three crew members she fought with.

So on to the build. Sadly its not going to be hype accurate as I got a 76mm turret but have since found the fighting girlfriend was a slightly different design, however my main aim with this build it to have Mariya’s view from within the tank, so I plan to install a camera with a gimbal inside the tank, so as the tank moves the camera will get thrown around just as the crew would rather than simply have the camera bolted down like its part of the tank. I want to convey a feeling of being shut in the tank and the limited viewpoint of the world form with it. So hopefully what will arrive soon is the trumpeter interior that I can model the inside of the tank.



This is leaving a number of challenges as the build is basically going to have to be built around the gimbal that will need space to move. It will have to be under the turret ring for space and the viewpoint. I think I am going to have to put the battery in the turret, I don’t have a clue about the speaker. It would help a lot to have it and with T34 noises but right now I know a lot of people have strong feeling about tank noises so I’ll gloss over that one! I’ve also got to remove the power switch as you can see from the demo video it keeps getting in the shot and install interior lights so that the camera can see what is going on. I still want to keep it as a fully functioning RC tank.

I got a control system that I believe is Heng long 5.3? I have compact lipo batteries that I use to run my Panzer III. I’ve attached an image and if someone could identify it that would be nice as I can then check the compatibility. Also what is the physically smallest battery on the market? And smallest speaker sadly the gimbal camera does not have a 3.5mm port otherwise I could have plugged it directly in.

I’m not starting this project until after Christmas but any advice, inspiration but particularly any reference material on Mariya Oktyabrskaya would be gratefully received.

[Jofaur86]

Hello, this is a 2.4 Ghz Heng Long turntable, you need the transmitter that goes with it, because it is dedicated and specific, a standard radio will not work for the HP? Personally I would use this, which goes well with this plate.For the Lipo battery, I would prefer Nimh, unless I install an alarm system, when the voltage exceeds a certain value (cut off) particular to this type of battery
On the other hand, you do not specify the type of tanks, but I think it is Russian material? reading your post

[Jofaur86]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eiY151pgSiI
https://warthunder.com/fr/news/915--fr
https://prabook.com/web/mariya.oktyabrskaya/739675
Good Reading

[HERMAN BIX]

A very worthy and important subject.
To allow a bit of leeway on tank versions, there were allegedly 4 different versions of the "fighting Girl" tank renamed so you could use a T34/85 or a Js2 if you like.
I would be comfortable that Mr Felton has his facts straight, hes pretty good at what he does & no doubt the Russians would have recorded the actions of similarly named machines for propaganda if nothing else.
The '42 Mickey Mouse' version T34 I have from recently got from Mr Raminator almost became this exact tank, as its such a significant subject.

I will be watching on

[43rdRecceReg]

I like the idea of the Driver's eye view of the T34, influenced by a rough landscape, and battle manoeuvres.
We've seen a number of builds involving FPV cameras, but I don't think we've seen one yet with a crew member's point of view (beyond someone peeking out of the turret). This will make yours, unique, I think, Stu.
Your camera and gimbal (sort of GoPro arrangement?), will be independent of the main electronic connections, I take it? Just a battery and a camera. The later Heng Long 6.1 series controllers actually have a wee port for a camera (and wi-fi) integrated on the board; but I don't think anyone's used them yet. Could be wrong, though.
Yes, Sassgrunt (Mike) is generous to a fault. A true gent.
I'll follow this with interest, when the Hogmanay hangovers have subsided...

[stu_the_flat]

I like the way you are planning your hangovers already! I have small children, I've learnt the hard way that hangovers must be avoided at all costs, children are not good at the "lets lie in a darkened room and be a quiet as we can" game.

The camera is a DJI Pocket 2, Its very useful so I plan to build it a cradle within the tank that it can rest in. I'll probably have to make a moving hatch in the engine compartment to be able to reach the record button as the Bluetooth dongle is to big for the build, which is a pity because it would have been extremely useful.

Thanks for the references. I don't doubt that Mark Felton will have his facts correct. Its just that not including references makes the material a bit of the research cul-de-sac a lot of the articles appear to be just copied form each other. I've ordered some of the books that one of those articles and Wikipedia mentions. really hoping for a bit more detail.

[43rdRecceReg]

"..Planning my hangovers already!" Well a wee jest, of course, and nobody who's ever had the experience would want to be 'talking to God down the great white telephone' ("Ooohh Gawddd!! ..) whilst welcoming in 2022. My kids are now middle aged, anyway- so that's not an issue either One lives in Switzerland, where you can talk to God down the great Alpine horn, if so minded.

I'd not heard Mariya's story until she appeared in your thread, although I had heard of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who managed to dispatch 309 Germans with her sniper rifle.
I did find this ultra brief account of her life, and she just confirmed what I've always thought- the WW2 generation were infinitely tougher than we are. I just wonder whether 50,000 roubles would have actually bought a tank (or what it cost, per unit, to throw one together) I don't think Uncle Joe would have worried much about the wages bill, though. The Army or Siberia would have been sufficient inducement.
https://shesmagicblog.wordpress.com/201 ... ing-widow/

By sheer coincidence I've just bought a Trumpeter T34/76 kit from Ebay. It looks like the best way of simulating the version she bought. Raminator also did a brilliant conversion, using the Taigen lower hull and Trumpeter upper, and it now belongs to lucky old Herman Bix, I believe. That thread is a must.

[stu_the_flat]

So this is were I'm getting a bit wound up about the non referenced articles, the first photo is Aleksandra Samusenko, her story seems to be just as tragic were she survived encounters with multiple tigers in Kursk and then very close to the end of the war on the approach to berlin she was killed. I think she was the only female tank commander. Even less seems known about her. Might make my KV-1/9/ I don't know what it will be yet into a tribute to her.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandra_Samusenko

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/aleksa ... icer-1943/

Would like to know more about the last photo the first fighting girl friend with the hexagonal "mikey mouse" turret so I don't know who or which tank is in that photo but it it is the turret model I have.

[jee]

I just used her Russian name from your first link to google (just use google translate to read it):

http://tankfront.ru/ussr/persons/women/SamusenkoAG.html

https://www.polkrf.ru/news/historical_a ... enko-2962/

https://kulturologia.ru/blogs/110817/35582/

this one might be the best link:
https://statehistory.ru/738/Neizvestnay ... a-tankist/

here more info (sorry for the long link):

https://pamyat-naroda.ru/heroes/person- ... i401308956

here you can find more of the path the unit followed: http://tankm.ru/

[jee]

same page of heroes of Mariya Oktyabrskaya: https://pamyat-naroda.ru/heroes/person- ... i409785350

if, in case something is really not clear, I can ask my wife to translate parts of the text.