Is America’s World ?ar ?? Sherman Tank The Best or Worst Tank They Had
Am??ic?n t?nks in W??l? wᴀʀ II w??? ??n???ll? in???i?? t? t??i? G??m?n c??nt?????ts. G??m?n t?nks ???st?? ??tt?? ??m?? ???t?cti?n ?n? m??? ?i????w??.
B?t ??m?? ?n? ʟᴇтнᴀʟιтʏ ??n’t t?ll t?? w??l? st???. T?? s?m? Am??ic?n t?nks w??? s????i?? t? t??i? ?iv?ls in ?t??? im???t?nt w??s. T?? M-4 S???m?n, in ???tic?l??, ??l??? t?? U.S. A?m? win t?? wᴀʀ—?v?n t?????, in ??ttl?, G??m?n t?nks ??st????? t??m ?n m?ss?.
T?? S???m?n’s in??????ci?s w??? ?????cts ?? its ??i?ins. B????? t?? wᴀʀ, Am??ic?n t?nk ??si?n ?n? ??v?l??m?nt w?s ?i??l??—? ??s?lt ?? t?? c?m??tin? ??m?n?s ?? t?? A?m?’s in??nt?? ?n? c?v?l?? ???nc??s.
T?? in??nt?? w?nt?? ? t?nk t??t—n? s????is?—c??l? s?????t t?? in??nt?? ?n t?? ??ttl??i?l?. In??nt?? ??n???ls ??v???? ? v??icl? wit? ? ?i? ??n t??t c??l? sit still ?n? t?k? ??t ?n?m? ??nk??s.
T?? in??nt?? w?lk?? int? c?m??t. T??? w???n’t ?ll t??t c?nc??n?? ????t ? t?nk’s s????.
B? c?nt??st, t?? c?v?l??—t?? A?m?’s sc??ts—????????? ? ??st-m?vin? t?nk t??t c??l? s???? t?????? ???s in ?n?m? lin?s. T?? ????w???lin? c?v ?i?n’t ???t ??m?? ???t?cti?n.
Tw? t?nk ??il?s???i?s, t?t?ll? ?t ???s wit? ??c? ?t???. An? t?? G???t D????ssi?n ?x?c????t?? t?? ????l?m—t?? R&D m?n?? ??n ??t.
T?? Am??ic?n t?nk ???c? i?l?? ?ntil t?? wᴀʀ j?m?st??t?? it.
S???tl? ??t?? t?? ??t????k ?? W??l? wᴀʀ II, t?? Unit?? St?t?s ????n s???l?in? t?? Unit?? Kin???m wit? t?nks. L?sin? F??nc? w?s ? st?????in? ?l?w t? t?? Alli?s’ in??st?i?l ?????cti?n—t?? U.K. c??l?n’t ?????c? ?v???t?in? it n????? ?n its ?wn.
T?? B?itis? A?m?, ???tl? ??t ?? ??s????ti?n, ?????t Am??ic?n t?nks.
T?? ?i?st Am??ic?n ?x???t, t?? M-3 G??nt, ??? ? 75-millim?t?? l?w-v?l?cit? ??n m??nt?? in t?? ??ll ??? ?n???in? in??nt??, ?n? ? ?i??-v?l?cit? 37-millim?t?? ?nti-t?nk ??n in t?? t????t.
T??t m?? s??n? im???ssiv?, ??t t?? G??nt ??ck?? tw? ??ns ??c??s? t?? Am??ic?ns l?ck?? ? sin?l? ??n c????l? ?? ?n???in? ??t? in??nt?? ?n? t?nks. T?? G??nt’s l????t ?ls? ??v? it ? ?i?? ????il? ?n t?? ??ttl??i?l?, m?kin? it ??s? t? s??t … ?n? t??s ??st???.
T?? G??nt’s ???tism ?? ?i?? w?s t?? ??ttl? ?? G?z?l? in N??t? A??ic? in t?? s??in? ?? 1942. T?? B?itis? A?m? ???l???? 167 G??nts ???inst P?nz?? III ?n? IV t?nks ???m t?? G??m?n 15t? P?nz?? Divisi?n.
Alt????? t?? G??m?n A??ik? K???s ?ltim?t?l? ???c?? ??ck t?? B?its, t?? ???????nc? ?? t?? 75-millim?t?? ??n—? ?i?st ??? t?? B?itis?—w?s ? s??ck t? t?? G??m?ns.
As ??????t? ?s t?? G??nt w?s, t?? wᴀʀ w?s ???cin? t?? c???ti?n ?? ??st??, m??? ʟᴇтнᴀʟ t?nks ?lm?st ?? t?? m?nt?. A n?w, m??? ʟᴇтнᴀʟ v??si?n ?? t?? P?nz?? IV, t?? s?-c?ll?? “M??k IV S??ci?l,” ??? ???????? t???? m?nt?s ?????? t?? ??ttl?.
B?ck in Am??ic?, t?nk ??si?n??s w??? ?l????? w??kin? ?n ? s?cc?ss?? t? t?? G??nt. T?? n?w S???m?n ??ck?? ? sin?l? 75-millim?t?? ??n. C??w w?s j?st ?iv?, c?m????? t? t?? G??nt’s s?v?n. T?? M-4 ???t???? ? ??st ?? im???v?m?nts ??s?? ?n B?itis? ?x???i?nc? wit? t?? G??nt in N??t? A??ic?.
M4 S???m?n – T?? W??k???s? ?? D-D??:
Wit? st???? ???????s, t?? S???m?n w??l? ?? t?? m?in Am??ic?n t?nk ??? t?? ??m?in??? ?? t?? wᴀʀ.
Ev?n ?t t?? tim? ?? int????cti?n, t?? S???m?n w?s ???ll? n?t?in? t? ??t ?xcit?? ????t. P??t?cti?n w?s ?n??m??k??l? ?n? ????i??? c?nst?nt im???v?m?nt—s?c? ?s ?n ?xt?? inc? ?? st??l ?l?t? w?l??? t? t?? ??ll t? ???t?ct m?in ??n ?mm?niti?n, ?l?s ? “w?t st?w???” s?st?m w?ic? ??t??? t?? ?mm?niti?n in w?t?? t? ???v?nt it ???m ??t?n?tin? in t?? ?v?nt ?? ? ?i??ct ?it.
T?? S???m?n’s 75-millim?t?? ??n w?s ?ls? n?t?in? s??ci?l. It w?s ??w??l?ss ???inst t?? l?t?st G??m?n t?nks—???tic?l??l? t?? Ti??? ?n? P?nt???. T?? ??n w?s m??? s?it??l? ??? t?kin? ??t l?ss w?ll-??m?? t????ts—??l?-t??cks, ??till???, in??nt??.
U.S. int?lli??nc? ??? ?ss?ss?? t?? S???m?n ?s ????l t? t?? P?nz?? IV, t?? m?inst?? ?? t?? G??m?n t?nk ???c?. Am??ic? c?ncl???? t?? S???m?n w?s ???? ?n????. Un???t?n?t?l?, t?? U.S. ??? ??il?? t? ?cc???t?l? ????c?st ?????cti?n ?? n?w??, m??? ??w????l G??m?n ??si?ns s?c? ?s t?? P?nt??? ?n? Ti???.
T?? U.S. milit??? ??li?v?? t??t ?lt????? t?? S???m?n w?s in???i?? t? t??s? t?nks, t?? n?w G??m?n m???ls w??l? ????l? ?????? ?n t?? ??ttl??i?l?.
T??t ???v?? w??n?.
T?? S???m?n w?sn’t t?? ??st t?nk, ??t t??nks t? ???ici?nt Am??ic?n ?????cti?n m?t???s it w??l? ?? t?? m?st ???li?ic. T?? Unit?? St?t?s ??ilt ? st?????in? 49,234 S???m?n t?nks ??tw??n 1942 ?n? 1945.
T?? m?j??it? w?nt t? t?? U.S. A?m? ?n? M??in? C???s, w?ic? ?n???w?nt ? m?ssiv? wᴀʀtim? ?x??nsi?n. W?s?in?t?n ???vi??? 21,959 t?nks t? Alli?? ???c?s. T?? Unit?? Kin???m, F??? F??nc? F??c?s, P?l?n?, B??zil, N?w Z??l?n?, C?in? ?n? t?? S?vi?t Uni?n ?ll ???l???? M-4s.
A l?t ?? ??mi?s ????n??? ?n Am??ic?n ??ct??i?s t? k??? t??m in S???m?ns. Ass?m?l? lin?s ??? t? k??? m?vin?, n? m?tt?? w??t. In ????? t? m?int?in ? ?i?? l?v?l ?? ?????cti?n, m?n????s k??t ??si?n c??n??s t? ?n ??s?l?t? minim?m.
Int????cin? ? n?w t?nk ??si?n, ?? ?v?n m?kin? si?ni?ic?nt c??n??s t? t?? ?xistin? ?n?, w??l? m??n ??w?? t?nks.
T?? A?m? G???n? F??c?s, w?ic? ?v??s?w t?? ????n? c?m??t ???nc?’s ???i?m?nt, k??t ?n ??? ?n t?? l?n? ??m?. Min???l ?? t?? A?m?’s ???? ?x???i?nc?s ?i?l?in? ???i?m?nt in W??l? wᴀʀ I, t?? AGF w?nt?? m?t???, ??li??l? v??icl?s. T?nks ??ilt in D?t??it ?nl? t? ????k ??wn in F??nc? w??? w??s? t??n w??t?l?ss.
T?? A?m? w?s w?ll ?wᴀʀ? t??t G??m?n ?n? S?vi?t t?nks w??? ??ttin? ?i???? ?n? m??? ??w????l, ??t t?? Unit?? St?t?s w??l? ??v? ????l?ms k???in? ??. G??m?n ?n? R?ssi?n t?nks ?n t?? E?st??n F??nt c??l? m?v? ?? t??in, ??t Am??ic?n t?nks ??? t? ?? l????? ?nt? ?n? ??? ?? c???? s?i?s—? m?c? m??? ?x??nsiv? m??? ?? t??ns???t?ti?n t??t im??s?? l?ts ?? its ?wn c?nst??ints ?n v??icl? ??si?n ?n? ?????cti?n.
H??vi?? t?nks w??l? ??v? c??s?? ????l?ms ?? ?n? ??wn t?? lin? ??? t?? Am??ic?ns.
Fin?ll?, t?? A?m? vi?w?? t?? t?nk ???c? ??listic?ll? wit?in ? v??it??l? ?c?s?st?m ?? ωєαρσиs. In??nt??, t?nks, ??till???, ?n?in???s ?n? ?l?n?s w??? ?ll ???t ?? t?? s?m? t??m.
B? t?is w?? ?? t?inkin?, t?nks s???l?n’t t?k? ?n ?t??? t?nks. Inst???, t?? ??m???? v??icl?s s???l? ?x?l?it ???s in ?n?m? lin?s, ??s? in, st??t ?l?win? ?? st???. In??nt??, ?i??l?n?s, ??till??? ?n? t?nk ??st?????s—v??icl?s simil?? t? t?nks, ??t li??tl? ??m????—w??l? ?n???? t?? ?n?m?’s t?nks w?il? Am??ic?n t?nks w??? ??nnin? ??m??nt.
T???? w?s ? ????l?m wit? t?is ???s?nin?. J?st ??c??s? t?? A?m? w?nt?? its S???m?ns t? ?v?i? t?? m??? ??w????l G??m?n P?nt???s ?n? Ti???s ?i?n’t m??n t??s? ?nc??nt??s ?i?n’t ?????n.
M?kin? m?tt??s w??s? ??? Am??ic?n t?nk??s, t?? A?m?’s in??ilit? t? ??????l? ????c?st G??m?n t?nk ?????cti?n—w?ic? w?s m?c? ?i???? t??n ?n??n? ????ict??—m??nt t???? w??? ? l?t m??? ?? t??s? t?nks ?n t?? ??ttl??i?l? t??n t?? A?m? ??? ??i?in?ll? c??nt?? ?n.
T?? U.S. ?i? ?v?nt??ll? ?i?l? ? n?w, ???vi?? t?nk in ???l? 1945. S???tin? ? 90-millim?t?? ??n ?n? t?ick?? ??m??, t?? M-26 P??s?in? ??cti?i?? m?n? ?? t?? S???m?n’s w??st ??il???s. In t?? ?i??tin? ????n? C?l??n?, t?? M-26 ??st?? G??m?n P?nt???s — ?v?n i? t?? n?w Am??ic?n v??icl? w?s ?n?????w???? ?n? l?ss ??li??l? t??n t?? S???m?n.
P?stwᴀʀ Am??ic?n t?nk ??v?l??m?nt ?ns???? t??t U.S. t?nk??s w??? n?v?? ???in ??tm?tc??? ?n t?? ??ttl??i?l?. T?? M-60 s??i?s ?? t?nks, ??ll?w?? ?? t?? M-1 A???ms, w??? ?t l??st t?? ????ls ?? S?vi?t m???ls.
T?is w?s l????l? ??? t? t?? ??ct t??t Am??ic?n ???c?s w??? ?? n?w ???m?n?ntl? st?ti?n?? in E????? ?n? ?i?n’t ??v? t? ??s? ?v??s??s in t?? ?v?nt ?? wᴀʀ. Am??ic?n t?nk ??si?n??s w??? limit?? ?nl? ?? t??i? im??in?ti?ns—?n? c?st.
F?? its ???t, t?? M-4 w?s ???? in 1942, ??????t? in 1943 ?n? t?t?ll? ??tcl?ss?? ?? 1944. Un???t?n?t?l? ??? Am??ic?n t?nk??s, t?? wᴀʀ l?st?? ?ntil 1945.
Still—?s m?li?n?? ?s t?? S???m?n ??t?n is, it’s im???t?nt t? vi?w it in c?nt?xt. T?? si?? wit? t?? S???m?n w?n t?? wᴀʀ.
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