Transcript Famous Tanks of World War 2 German Mk. V Panther

German Mk. V Panther
Panther is the common name of a medium power tank deployed by Nazi Germany
in World War II from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. It was
intended as a counter to the Russian T-34, and as a replacement for the
Panzer III and Panzer IV. While never really replacing those, it served
alongside them as well as the heavier Tiger tanks until the end of the war. The
tank proved itself capable of many upgrades which kept it effective against
many other tanks, even its betters, including the T-34. The Panther’s excellent
combination of firepower, mobility, and protection served as a main model for
other nations’ late war and post-war tank designs, and it is thought to be one of
the best tanks of World War II. This tank was used mainly in the Battle of
Kursk. Although being an excellent tank, the Panthers were defeated and
failed to overcome the opposing Soviet force during that battle.
Russian T-34
The T-34 was made for its simple design which made it easy to manufacture and mass
produce and easy to repair. It was made to be an all-purpose tank to be used for the
main bulk of the war. The T-34, however, was considered to be a noisy tank and could
be heard from a distance of 450 to 500 meters, giving the Germans an early warning as
to where they were. But, the T-34 was also reasonably light while its water-cooled
engine made an engine failure or overheating rare and increased the distance and time
at which a T-34 could operate. The speed of the T-34 was also a major advantage over
German tanks. The average top speed of German tanks was 25 mph while the T-34
had a top speed of 32 mph. Its sloped armor also gave the T-34 a very good defense
against German shells. The Russians could afford to lose many T-34s in battle as their
factory system allowed for the building of thousands of them. Despite all these
advantages, the tank’s gun had a low velocity and was good against infantry, but not as
much against armored units. This tank was used both in the Battle of Kursk and later in
the Battle of Stalingrad. It served very well in both battles overall, as well as in some
other small missions it participated in.
American M4 Sherman
The Sherman tank was the most commonly used American tank in World War II. Initially
developed to replace the M3 "Grant/Lee" medium tank, the first Shermans were
manufactured in 1942. The Sherman tank’s primary role was infantry support,
spearheading attacks as well as bolstering defensive positions.The Sherman was
provided with a rather short barreled 75mm (3") main gun. This was an excellent, fast
firing anti-infantry weapon. It was able to penetrate thin armor, which made the
Sherman superior to the light weight Japanese tanks it encountered in Asia and the
Pacific Theatre. Unfortunately, the American 75mm gun was usually unable to knock
out the heavily armored German Panther, Tiger, and King Tiger tanks unless it got
within very short range. On the other hand, the Sherman was also equipped with a hull
mounted machine gun plus a turret mounted machine gun and a free swinging machine
gun mounted above the turret hatch for the tank commander. This made it a tough on
enemy infantry and a fine fire support vehicle for friendly infantry. Notorious for their
flammability, Shermans were nicknamed “Ronsons” after a lighter with the slogan
“lights first time, every time.” Though frequently outgunned by their German
counterparts, Shermans proved easier to maintain, and were often fixed on the
battlefield. This tank was used in the Second Battle of El Alamein and in the Normandy
invasion. Some early productions also saw action in North Africa in 1943.