The funny thing is when Germany started the war they did not have great Panzer devisions but they had great sucsess by the tactics they used and not the strenth of the tanks they had at their desposel.
Yes, good statement there. Big tanks like Tigers, King Tigers etc are just not designed for Blitzkrieg, the germans changed for the Blitz type warfare to defensive warfare mid way thru the war.
German tanks would not usually fire on the move because they didn’t have stabilised guns.
Yes, the Germans preferd to shoot wile standing still in the Panther, Tiger 1 and King Tiger. Your accuracy are better and the King Tiger could afford to stand still because it had such superior armour. The US wasstupid and smart. Stuped, because they build the Sherman that cost a lot of lives but also was smart by being able to mass produce them in great numbers thus being able to take out the German tanks. The wonderfull thing of warfare is not only numbers but your tactics. Hitler did not allow anybody to say something else than the way he wanted it to be done and that costed him dearly.
Henk
Of course, the German optics were far ahead of the opposition so they werent compelled to adopt synchronisation. The Shermans did have it though.
A little German optics snippet:
I would have to go with the panther because it was a good all round tank for both fronts. The tiger had a lot of bonuses but also a lot of drawbacks. I also like the Panzer IV, better then all allie tanks and cheap and easy to make, good weapon and decent armor. It could easily compete with all tanks on the western front, but not the eastern. So therefor i would say the panther was the best tank, but the panzer IV is my favorite.
Thank you Firefly for that link it is very interesting. Yes I must agree with Ironfist. The Panther was a verry faster tank than the King Tger and Tiger 1 and was also more reliable tank than the Tigers. The King Tiger is my best designed tank of WW2, but performence wise it lacked speed and engine performence and mobilaty, but like you said it also had its strong points. The Panther would be my best German tank performence and designe wise, but if I would chose on to combat with, it would be the King Tiger because it had the armour and gun to fight of the enemys, but providing it have an engine that will be reliable and have speed.
A interisting thing is that the Panzerkampwagen III were regarded as one of the best tank of the Germans during WW2 because it could be adapted to newer technolagy as the war went on. I dont know if it is tru do any of you know if it is tru of not?
Henk
KT II has wider track, which means it can travel to more place then Sherman. My guess is Sherman commander must also be the guy who fire the cannon too.
KT II has bigger size, that means crew would have a more comfortable time to control the tank than the crew in sherman
KT II has 700hp, only 375hp for Sherman
KT II has 185mm, only 75mm for Sherman (not to mention Panzerschreck rocket could penetrate over 200 mm of armor)
No slope armour for Sherman to deflict cannon fire, has to use sandbag to increase its tiny armour against GErman tank and anti tank unit
Sherman tank has one advantage, which is its range at 240km verus 110km for KT II
KT II has 88mm anti tank cannon, Sherman tank has 75mm cannon ( no idea about how the 105mm howitzer perform though)
That was exelent. Thank you Fw 190 pilot. My thoughts exactaly. Allthough many historians say it was the T-34. What do you think? The T-34 or the Kin Tiger and Panther?
Henk
The King Tiger was just a bigger Panther I think. But for practical reasons the Panther was much more suited to mobile combat, where the Tiger was more suited to defensive combat.
i would prefer the T-34 if i am the general. easy and cheap to produce, easily outnumber the king tiger and panther
Just like the Sherman just better, esy to build, cheap to build and very efective in the eastern front. The T-34 just were not efective in small numbers against the German giants.
Henk
:!: BLASFAMY :!:
Can I buy drugs from you HG?
The Sherman was an awful tank - poor gun, poor armour and burned far too easily (Germans named it the Tommy Cooker). The T-34 was a far better tank.
The Sherman was an awful tank - poor gun, poor armour and burned far too easily (Germans named it the Tommy Cooker). The T-34 was a far better tank.[/quote]
I wouldnt go that far BDL. Sure the Sherman had many faults, but it was fast, had a stabilised turret, was easy to maintain, was upgunned, was easy to build in large numbers. The soviets even liked it when they got it lend lease, they couldnt believe the amount of comfort and kit in it.
I sure it was better than a T-34/76, but maybe not the 85!
one of sherman’s problems was its narrow tracks, which gave it bad maneverabilty and speed in mud or very rough terrain.
Along with the fact that giant Tiger tanks could surpass its in manueverability and speed on rough ground (cooper’s book Deathtraps)
Maybe awful is a bit far, but I wouldn’t put it above any contemporary German (Panther, Tiger, King Tiger, even late P-IVs) or Soviet (T-34/85, JS-series) tanks - even the British tanks of the late war period (Churchill, Comet) were either equal to or superior to the Sherman in my opinion - although the sheer ease of production and the stabilised gun were advantages to the Sherman, I don’t believe that they made up for the serious deficencies the Sherman had in terms of both firepower and protection against the tanks it faced.
Yes, I do agree, especially when compared to the Comet. My personal favourite would have to be the Cromwell though. But the Sherman Firefly was better than a PzIV I think. In fact i would put the latter marks of the Sherman, both US and Uk above a PzIV.
And of course the Centurion! Though I dont think that it actually got into combat.
Probably you know this history…
On 13th June 1944, a week after D-day, following a drive from Beauvais under repeated air attack, 2nd Kompanie of sSSPzAbt 101 led by Michael Wittmann had 6 Tigers located in the area of Hill (Point) 213 ahove Villers Bocage. His orders were to stop the advance of the 22nd Armored Brigade of the British 7th Armored Division (the famous ‘Desert Rats’) from advancing through the township, outflanking the German line and gaining the road to Caen. Wittmann’s company hidden behind a hedgerow spotted the enemy column, which passed him at a distance of 200 meters. At about 8:00am, Wittmann attacked the British column on the main road, while the rest of his company (4 Tigers as one brokedown) attacked the British forces around Hill 213. Soon after, Wittmann destroyed Sherman Firefly and Cromwell IV and headed south to attack the rest of the enemy transport column. After knocking out 8 half-tracks, 4 Bren Carriers and 2 6 pdr anti-tank guns, Wittmann reached the crossroad with the road to Tilly-sur-Seulles. At the crossroad, he destroyed 3 Stuart tanks from recon unit and reached the outskirts of the town of Villers-Bocage. While in town, Wittmann destroyed 4 Cromwell IV tanks and single half-track and turns into Rue Pasteur. Following up the street, he knocked out Cromwell IV and Sherman OP tank, reaching the main street of Villers-Bocage. At the end of Rue Pasteur, Wittmann’s Tiger was hit by Sherman Firefly from B Squadron and he decided to turn back as being too far forward without any infantry support and in a build-up area. He turned in the direction of Caen to join the rest of his company. On his way back, Wittmann’s Tiger was attacked by another Cromwell IV hidden in a garden, the armour of the Tiger withstood the attack again and the british tank was destroyed as well.
Back at the Tilly crossroad, British soldiers from 1st Rifle Brigade opened fire at Wittmann with their 6 pdr anti-tank gun, immobilizing his Tiger. Wittmann and his crew managed to escape on foot towards the Panzer Lehr positions 7km away near Orbois. The rest of his company at the Hill 213, destroyed the rest of the A Squadron of 4th County of London Yeomanry Regiment (“Sharpshooters”) including 5 Cromwell IV and Sherman Firefly, while capturing 30 men. During this short engagement, Wittmann’s company destroyed 4 Sherman Firefly, 20 Cromwell, 3 Stuart, 3 M4 Sherman OP, 14 half-tracks, 16 Bren Carriers and 2 6 pdr anti-tank guns. Wittmann’s attack was followed by another one by Tigers of Hauptsturmfuehrer Rolf Moebius’ 1st Kompanie of sSSPzAbt 101 and Panzerkampfwagen IV tanks from Panzer Lehr but was repulsed by anti-tank guns from 22nd Armored Brigade. Following day, British withdrew from the town leaving it to the Germans, who occupied it for next two months. The British drive on Villers Bocage and Caen was stopped cold by Wittmann’s attack and following action.
BLASFAMY
Can I buy drugs from you HG?
What exactaly do you mean by that StalingradK. What do you know what I do not know? Is that all you had to ask me? I do not have drugs for you but I have info of WW2 tanks, aircraft and ships at a very cheap prise. Do you want some?
Henk