Best battle tank of WW2?

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#181

I find this one more difficult.
Sure, a one on one where both tanks are stationary and lobbing shells at one another then it’s the Tiger hands down.

However the Cromwell outclasses the Tiger’s speed, range and obstacle crossing ability.
As the gruntcrunchers know, it is usually maneuverability that keeps crews alive although the tank must be able to kill it’s opponent or at least allow it’s supporting Inf to do so. Never underestimate the combined force.
If the force can kill the adversary then Log will keep the Crom in the field for longer and further than the Tiger.

Please keep this open for a bit as I’ll have to have a port to help me think…

#182

Tiger No Contest.

The cromwell isn’t even in the same league as the tiger.

The tiger tank had roughly a 12.6 to 1 kill ratio in combat against enemy tanks of all types. It was the most successful tank of ww2.

Half were lost to mechanical breakdown, lack of fuel, self-destruction, and final surrender and other minor reasons. Giving it roughly a 6 to 1 loss ratio.

In armor combat, adequate gun and armor, according to panzer aces, counts more then manuverability. Which wasn’t even a problem for the tiger tanks on rough ground, due to the large tracks.

As long as the tiger’s front faced the cromwell, it was practically invincible. It could also out-range, and outshoot it.

Remember, the UK 's doctrine of high speed, low armored/armed crusier tanks fell apart in north afrika?

#183

It’ll be open until tomorrow evening at the earliest, I’m starting a 24 hour duty in a bit so I won’t be around to do another one.

#184

I believe that while the Tiger was a great machine it showed the Germans switch to defensive warfare and away from Blitzkreig tactics. Its range is pretty woefull, its speed is lumbering.

The Cromwell was a very decent tank, good turn of speed, decent gun and I think more than a match for a Pamzer IV, but alas no where near the equal of the Tiger. In operations where the two faced each other I think this would be bourne out.

Tiger for me.

#185

I msut agree with you Firefly that the Tiger and also King Tiger lacked engine power and speed but had range, firepower and armour to make it a great tank. It was not a Blitzkrieg tipe of tank.

The Panther was better than the Tigers in certan aspecs but was a great match against the T-34, but at the battle of Kursk it showed to fight quite poorly against the T-34.

If I go with my pesonel favourate tank it would be the King Tiger, but the best and successfull it must be the T-34, but you must alos take that there was more numbers of T-34 than the Tigers and Panthers.

If you mean best tank, firepower, armour and range I wil certanly go with the King Tiger and Tiger, but if you mean most successfull tank it must be the T-34.

#186

SO are you choosing the Cromwell or Tiger then?

#187

Absolutely the Tigers mate.

Henk

#188

I can’t find an exact reference, but in the battle just before Villers Bocage, the 4 TIGERS of Michael Wittman destroyed something like 20 CROMWELL, plus an number of other tanks, half track etc.

http://www.valourandhorror.com/DB/PERSON/Wittman.php

You should regard this as extreme example, but it was a real-life match-up between TIGER & CROMWELL, and the TIGERs won.

In the end (although opinions vary) it seems Wittman’s TIGER was destroyed by rocket firng TYPHOONs later in the war.

edited to try and fix the link

#189

Yeah, going on a purely tank v tank encounter it’s got to be the Tiger.

#190

Tiger. Nothing more to add from my side.

#191

Has to be the Tiger! When the Tiger was first unleashed the allied tactic used four Shermans 3 of which would be used as bait and destroyed whilst the fourth head around the back of the Tiger for a close range shot. Even then it was never a certain kill.

#192

I think that statement should be taken with a pinch of salt. Sure there was a tactic, but it certainly didnt end with 3 Shermans being destroyed every time. The British practice was to put a Sherman VC with 3 other Shermans, the other guys would hopefully distract a Tiger while the VC manoeuvered for the shot. As the War went on, most Shermans in the British inventory were replaced by the Fireflies.

#193

The Tiger tank was a specialized tank, made to be very difficult to destroy in combat. It was used mainly for initial breakthrough operations or defensive operations due to its range. AFter the breakthrough occurred, lighter tanks would take over.

The panther and Panzer IV A-J (earlier, panzer III) were germany’s main weapons to exploit the breakthroughs.

#194

You are right there Hosenfield.

Henk

#195

I think that statement should be taken with a pinch of salt. Sure there was a tactic, but it certainly didnt end with 3 Shermans being destroyed every time. The British practice was to put a Sherman VC with 3 other Shermans, the other guys would hopefully distract a Tiger while the VC manoeuvered for the shot. As the War went on, most Shermans in the British inventory were replaced by the Fireflies.[/quote]

I did a little research.

Shermans would swarm enemy tanks with much larger numbers. The old battle of quality vs. quantity. At times it took 10 Sherman to kill one Panther or Tiger tank.

http://experts.about.com/q/Military-History-669/World-War-2-Tanks.htm

#196

Tiger goes through then, I’ll do the next one tomorrow.

#197

I suppose that its a bit late to point out that this is an unfair match as Tiger weighs twice as much as the Cromwell and has an entirely different role. Next time please put the tiger up against a heavy tank. :?

#198

This is certainly a mismatch with the Tiger crushing the Cromwell…

I think I posted this in another thread, but there is actually excellent, dramatic footage of a a tank on tank battle in 1945 Cologne, Germany. The sequence begins with a famous scene of an American M4 “Easy-Eight” Sherman hit by a surprise Panther attack, and one of the crewman crawling out, minus his foot. So a Pershing is dispatched to stalk the Panther with a camera crew riding behind in a jeep. After a few hours of paralleling the Panther, the Pershing catches it and hammers it three times with the 90mm gun, incinerating the panzer. The Panther supposedly burned for three days…

#199

#200

Amen.

Henk