Jump to content

Myths of American Armour.


Marko

Recommended Posts

Looks like he got himself a dream job there!

Indeed he has,

Being Irish the guy has the gift of the Gab

He was also a officer in the US Army so he does know his stuff.

Some more information.

Repost from sim HQ

There was a good topic about this not so long ago in the History section of Reddit...

Most of the people were implying the Sherman was superior or competition for German armor up and until the Panzer IV - its where the Panther and heavier pieces that had a far more noticeable tactical presence.

With regards to tactical engagements, the tactical edge really matters for little when it could no longer be tied into a combined-arms team.

By the end of 1943 German armor was attacking without the superb co-ordination they had shown with air and artillery forces, in certain areas of Southern France in September 1944, they were even attacking without effective anti-air or reconnaissance support; a deadly necessity for a tired army. When holding a relatively static front, such as in Normandy, this inferiority in fighting a battle of maneuver was slow to manifest, thereafter, it was plainly evident.

Performance of the Sherman increased favorably as room to maneuver and defensive cohesion was respectively gained and lost in the ETO. In North Africa, the M4 was undeniably superior, to its erstwhile rivals. British tank losses often remained high however, by the German's wise tactical choice to avoid 'armor-on-armor' battles (they simply did not have the numbers to waste manouver forces in such a manner). Repeated baiting of British armored units, often inadequately supported, into high-velocity anti-tank guns is worth a discussion in and of itself.

The Sherman's superiority over the Panzer IV isn't clear-cut, but there's a case for it. In terms of firepower it goes clearly to the Panzer IV, in terms of crew comfort, equal. In terms of strategic range and endurance, narrowly to the Sherman - both tanks were impressive in this regard. Gunnery optics generally is considered superior in German models, but optics for situational awareness - such as periscopes, hatches, cupola peeps, etc., definitely were aplenty and superior on the Shermans, especially the quintessential M4A3. The fact remains the Sherman had more eyes looking at any one time than its counterpart - and he who acquires targets first at combat range often wins, irrespective of technical details.

I'll let a man infinitely more learned then me wrap this up, I quote:

Both the light and medium tanks were fully developed, proven designs with good mobility and a favorable power-to-weight ratio and were especially prized for their mechanical reliability. However the general purpose 75-mm guns carried by most M-4s....were outclassed by the high-velocity [calibers] found on the German tanks of the day. Nonetheless, through superior teamwork [with all arms] and tactical mobility...the 4th Armored Division established a favorable kill ratio over German armor"

Dr. Gabel, Christopher R. The 4th [uS] Armored Division in the Encirclement of Nancy (page 2) - My emphasis added

I just think its noteworthy that Dr. Gabel goes out of his way to fail to mention armor. Its a deliberate and correct omission for what is an article on a battle of rapid movement and delivery of firepower.

Read more: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4130466#ixzz3cTonNjIm

Follow us: @SimHQ on Twitter | SimHQ on Facebook

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe the record shows that the superior teamwork [with all arms] is also a myth. It however has been known from various sources that the sheer number of Shermans thrown against the Panzers was the result of their demise, not any superior teams.

Many account of untrained men fresh off the boat placed in crews during the high point of the war, many did not make it, tanks were repaired, remains washed out, and a new crew was given the tank to keep wearing down the panzers that were not being replaced like the Sherman, this was the the main reason for the end result.

Given the same crews and training the Panzers were going to come out on top, as the record shows. It was a quality vs quality war with tanks, Germany in the end could not keep up for various reasons.

Of course this is my 2 cents.:clin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

...for those who like to read, Harry Yeide's "The Infantry's Armor" is definitely one of the better books, detailing the quality of US armor/infantry teamwork during WW2 in the various theaters and campaigns (Polynesia, Philippines, North Africa, Italy, Normandy, Hürtgen Forest).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the vid is awesome.

On another hand, the Chieftan said himself in the vid that being an US armor officer as nothing to do with knowing about WWII tanks. What does it, is that the "Wargaming company" pays him and sends him all over the world to visit museums and research archives.

That vid is very interesting because it helps clarify the separation of reality from the myth. Moreover, it is clear to me,after 20+ years of gaming, that most WWII computer games are based on myth and not reality.

Clearly, myth are more exciting than reality for many. Otherwise, why people would create myth but to escape reality, just like fairy tales.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the vid is awesome.

On another hand, the Chieftan said himself in the vid that being an US armor officer as nothing to do with knowing about WWII tanks. What does it, is that the "Wargaming company" pays him and sends him all over the world to visit museums and research archives.

That vid is very interesting because it helps clarify the separation of reality from the myth. Moreover, it is clear to me,after 20+ years of gaming, that most WWII computer games are based on myth and not reality.

Clearly, myth are more exciting than reality for many. Otherwise, why people would create myth but to escape reality, just like fairy tales.

+1 Gunnyhighway,

I have been looking for a high fidelity WW2 Tank sim for a long time.

A simulation that uses armour values and not hit points etc.

Although its not on the cards for the foreseeable future Esim have not ruled out completely

Adding some WW2 AFV;s at some point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you check War Thunder and specifically the Simulator mod?....

This might be something that could satisfy your awareness.

Thanks for the tip gunnyhighway I do play it from time to time.

It is beautiful to look at, but could do with a number of improvements to make it a high Fidelity Tank sim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...