Column of the 13th Guards Mechanized Brigade on the move, before the offensive near Lake Balaton, in Hungary. In the frame, American-made lend-lease armored personnel carriers M3 and M3 "Scout"; Spring 1945.
.30 and .50 gunner wearing a combat look for the photographrer 
Following M3’s have the more casual onlooking crews
Yes, very much "Now grimace for the camera" to show how serious the troops were when the picture was printed in Pravda.
I wonder if they’re happy that they didn’t have to ride on the back of a tank and were in real APC’s. Or if they were miserable they were in M-3 “Purple Heart Boxes”…
With the Lend-Lease plan the US supplied the Soviet Union with 1,176 M3 half-tracks and 3,340 M3A1 scout cars. 54 and 208 respectively were lost in the supply convoys. In addition to these transport vehicles the US also supplied 77,972 jeeps, 151,453 1 1/2 ton trucks and 200,262 2 1/2 ton trucks. The estimated value of all aid to the Soviet Union (tanks, artillery, vehicles, aircraft, ships, equipment, raw materials, food, etc.) from the US, Canada and Britain is $150 billion (USD).