Sherman tank crews’ last great advantage was in experience, even though Germany had been at war six years before most of the American tankers invaded France. had the priceless advantage of supporting airpower and plentiful reserves. M4 Sherman tanks could not-on paper at least-stand up to a Panther, but the U.S. Meanwhile, the Germans were forced to leave any damaged or broken-down Panthers where they stopped. Tank retrieval crews pored over the battlefields, often while the firing was still going on, and brought back Shermans for immediate repair. Replacement parts were always in abundance. Closer to the ground, superior American artillery reduced German troop movement while pulverizing the enemy front line.Īs a result of the air superiority, American logistics overwhelmed the Axis powers. Fighter planes often strafed and rocketed German front-line tanks and troops, while bombers destroyed production plants, supply depots, and petroleum, oil, and lubricant facilities. Germany only produced about 6,000 Panthers.įrom D-Day to the end of the war in Europe, American and Allied planes roamed the skies over occupied Europe, enjoying complete air superiority over the battlefield.
#PATHER TANK FREE#
The American war industry, free from bomber raids and supported by a motivated work force (Germany resorted to slave labor) produced nearly 50,000 Shermans, more tanks than Germany and Great Britain made during the entire war. In the final analysis, there were simply too many American tanks for the Germans to deal with. For the crews of M4 Sherman tanks, their last great advantage was experience. With its speed and ability, the Sherman could outflank the enemy armor, leaving many of them to face American tank destroyers and aircraft. Third and Seventh Armies had the priceless advantage of supporting airpower, plentiful reserves, superb logistics, and an overwhelming superiority of numbers. No Sherman could-on paper at least-stand up to a Panther, but the U.S. The Sherman also enjoyed a greater reliability than the Panther, which was more prone to breakdowns and mechanical difficulties. Also, the Sherman’s turret had a much quicker rotation rate than the Panther’s, usually allowing American crews to get off the first shot in combat. Its thinner armor made it lighter and more maneuverable on solid ground, an important advantage in the cold, hilly terrain and small villages of Western Europe. The armor, at 81mm, was considerably thinner than the Panther’s and unable to withstand its armor-piercing ammunition.īut the Sherman did have some advantages. Later versions would have an upgraded high-velocity gun, but they would not reach front-line units until late November 1944, five months after the Normandy invasion. They failed to realize that few Shermans would ever last long enough in combat to wear out their barrels. The Sherman’s designers felt that a low-velocity gun would last longer than a high-velocity one. Although it mounted 75mm cannon, it was of a low-velocity type. The M4 Sherman Tanks Had Shortcomings in Design… However, the Panther Committee decided in favor of more conventional engineering and this resulted in the unique Panther design. In fact, early design models of the Panther resembled the T-34 in both looks and layout. The Panther was originally designed to replace the German Mark IV tank in response to the Russian T-34 and KV-1.
Its wide steel tracks gave it excellent cross-country performance and reduced ground pressure. The frontal armor was 100mm thick and sloped to deflect shots. Its 75mm high-velocity weapon, while not as powerful as a Tiger’s 88mm, could easily penetrate a Sherman’s hull or turret at all battlefield distances. It had a superior main gun and frontal armor. The Germans knew that their Panther, with its balanced design of firepower, mobility, and crew protection, was their best armored vehicle. The German Panzer-kampf-wagen V (Panther) tank was superior to the American M4 Sherman in almost every respect, but it could not guarantee victory at every encounter.
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