FWIW for those who like WW2 history and tanks in particular, I just viewed a VERY interesting video by Nicholas “The Chieftain” Moran who debunks and counters MOST of the arguments made against the US Sherman tank.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bNjp_4jY8pY
He uses all US Board of Ordinance quotes and official documents as well as official records from Britain, Germany and Russia.
Notable Info:
* In 4 out of 5 tank on tank engagements, it is the tank that fires 1st that wins.
* The German tanks had the advantage in a farther reaching gun AND a lower overall silhouette ... which allowed them to typically fire first.
* There are only 3 or 4 recorded tank-on-tank battles between the Sherman and Tiger1 tanks.
* The “takes 4-5 Shermans to kill a Panther/Tiger” myth often quoted is the number of tanks of each type fielded and not necessarily a direct correlation of how many Shermans it took to knock out a German heavy tank. The other point is US tanks always deployed in a platoon of 5 tanks.
* In tank battles, like the scene in Fury where the LAST tank in the platoon heading down the road was shot, the Germans would have 1st shot any Firefly or 76mm gunned Sherman 1st, and then the LEAD tank, then the LAST tank in the column.
* The frontal armor of the Sherman was effectively 3.6” due to the slope of the armor, whereas it was 4” to 4.3” for the Tiger1.
* At Kursk, 80+ of the 200 then new Panthers sent there were out of commission within the 1st few days due to mechanical failure, as it was allegedly fielded too fast and loaded w/ many build errors. More Panthers were abandoned for mechanical failure than were shot by another tank, tank destroyer or field gun.
* General Patton didn’t stop the US M26 Pershing heavy tank (76mm cannon) from being deployed overseas, it was the Board of Ordinance, as it had too many problems that weren’t addressed ... where the US wanted to avoid a ‘Panther introduction’ abysmal failure repeat.
* But one of the BIGGEST reasons the US decided to field a medium tank over a heavy tank is the cost, materials, trains, flatbeds & ships needed to ship them from US Mfg plants over to Europe, where they could ship 2 Shermans in the space & weight of one Pershing. They stated “is better to ship 5,000 Sherman tanks ‘over there’ now, than 2,500 (of questionable operation) heavy tanks years later.
* In WW2, the Brits never called the Shermans ‘Ronsons - Lights 1st time everytime’ as that advertising campaign didn’t start until well into the 1950s. Plus any US GI that smoked carried a ‘Zippo’ lighter.
* While Shermans did ‘burn’, they were THE MOST SURVIVABLE tank fielded in WW2.
* The Sherman was also the fastest tank to exit ... look for his “OMG my tank is on fire” video, a must watch!
* The Shermans also had the highest reliability & readiness #s of any tank fielded.
Look this video and others by him up, the info was certainly eye-opening to me!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bNjp_4jY8pY
He uses all US Board of Ordinance quotes and official documents as well as official records from Britain, Germany and Russia.
Notable Info:
* In 4 out of 5 tank on tank engagements, it is the tank that fires 1st that wins.
* The German tanks had the advantage in a farther reaching gun AND a lower overall silhouette ... which allowed them to typically fire first.
* There are only 3 or 4 recorded tank-on-tank battles between the Sherman and Tiger1 tanks.
* The “takes 4-5 Shermans to kill a Panther/Tiger” myth often quoted is the number of tanks of each type fielded and not necessarily a direct correlation of how many Shermans it took to knock out a German heavy tank. The other point is US tanks always deployed in a platoon of 5 tanks.
* In tank battles, like the scene in Fury where the LAST tank in the platoon heading down the road was shot, the Germans would have 1st shot any Firefly or 76mm gunned Sherman 1st, and then the LEAD tank, then the LAST tank in the column.
* The frontal armor of the Sherman was effectively 3.6” due to the slope of the armor, whereas it was 4” to 4.3” for the Tiger1.
* At Kursk, 80+ of the 200 then new Panthers sent there were out of commission within the 1st few days due to mechanical failure, as it was allegedly fielded too fast and loaded w/ many build errors. More Panthers were abandoned for mechanical failure than were shot by another tank, tank destroyer or field gun.
* General Patton didn’t stop the US M26 Pershing heavy tank (76mm cannon) from being deployed overseas, it was the Board of Ordinance, as it had too many problems that weren’t addressed ... where the US wanted to avoid a ‘Panther introduction’ abysmal failure repeat.
* But one of the BIGGEST reasons the US decided to field a medium tank over a heavy tank is the cost, materials, trains, flatbeds & ships needed to ship them from US Mfg plants over to Europe, where they could ship 2 Shermans in the space & weight of one Pershing. They stated “is better to ship 5,000 Sherman tanks ‘over there’ now, than 2,500 (of questionable operation) heavy tanks years later.
* In WW2, the Brits never called the Shermans ‘Ronsons - Lights 1st time everytime’ as that advertising campaign didn’t start until well into the 1950s. Plus any US GI that smoked carried a ‘Zippo’ lighter.
* While Shermans did ‘burn’, they were THE MOST SURVIVABLE tank fielded in WW2.
* The Sherman was also the fastest tank to exit ... look for his “OMG my tank is on fire” video, a must watch!
* The Shermans also had the highest reliability & readiness #s of any tank fielded.
Look this video and others by him up, the info was certainly eye-opening to me!
