This is armored combat in 1942 in Russia with the KV-1 ruling the battlefield. This really happened. People will tell you it's inaccurate but only because the proper armor wasn't available for the movie. The Pzkpfw IV should be E and F with short guns but all that was available were long gun H mock-ups used in previous movies. In the actual even the German tanks were 5 cm armed Pzkpfw III, but the mock-ups of these probably weren't available to the movie makers. Their rounds would bounce off a KV-1. The 76.2 mm gun of the KV-1 would pierce the German armor with ease. Just like in the movie.

At least they weren't Patton tanks with crosses on the side. The battle scenes are intense and put you right in the turret with the crew. The engagements are at short range and hard and fast, like World War 2 tank combat often was.

The commander is stoic, the crew is loyal but he drills them hard. Spare parts and mechanical issues rule the day as they struggle to keep the tanks running, even bringing in an engineer from the tank plant. Who just happens to be the estranged wife of the tank commander. It pulls all the strings the way a good war movie is supposed to. As a former US Army tanker this reminded me so much of what I'd experienced keeping the beasts running. The combat was in your face and chaotic just like how it's supposed to be.

A few parts felt contrived and the characters more archetypes than people, but it's a movie about a heroic stand by a Russian tank in the dark days of World War 2 and the story is larger than life.

It's a great ride and far and away superior to Fury.

Accuracy 10

The KV-1 was a Heavy Tank and had the same problems as the German Panzer 6 aka Tiger Tank Heavy Tank. Especially, getting stuck in Russia's mud, due to limited improved roads. The U.S. Caterpillar tractor transmission design as the KV-1 transmission was prone to failure. The few Panzer 6s aka Tiger Tanks were sent to the Western Front, not the Eastern Front.

The majority of the German tanks sent to Russia were Panzer III and Panzer IV Medium tanks with guns not capable of penetrating the KV-1 Heavy tank amour. Depicted are Panzer IV Medium Tanks with bolted on additional turret armour.

To defeat the heavy (thick) armour of the KV-1 the Germans created the Sturmgeschütz with the 75 mm Pak 40,

The few Panzer V aka Panther Medium Tank had a gun capable of penetrating the KV-1 tank amour. But because of the Low Ground clearance ended up stuck in Russia's mud, unlike the High Ground clearance of the T-34.

During the Battle of Stalingrad, the workers at the Russian Tank Factories were producing as many tanks as their lives depended on that. Many Men and Women ended up as Tank Crews. All the Russian Factories sent out Repair Teams of Men and Women to Field Units.

The T-34 with an 85mm gun was made starting 1944.

Ok not just by Russian WWII movie standards (which after seeing quite a few of them) can be about as hit and miss as some of tbe German shooting is usually portrayed in them, this is not a bad movie.

I'm not gonna go into a long review here but, as someone that's seen a lot of these Russian war movies (thank you prime video) I can say honestly that "Tankers" deserves more than a 5.1

I'll just say the acting/script is pretty average but, the action scenes are not at all bad. And as someone that knows a pretty fair amount about the war on the eastern front, historically they didn't do a bad job there either.

Bottom line there's alot of crap out there in this genre and this isn't crap. It's not oscar worthy but, if you enjoy the genre, and are looking for a streaming wwii movie you havent seen yet, you shouldn't find it an hour and a half totally wasted.