Tank Warfare in World War II Tank

Tank Warfare in World War II

Tank warfare was a catalyst for success starting in World War II. The war catapulted the importance of the tank and its abilities. World War II saw tanks as the primary means for overtaking enemy forces (Piekalkiewicz). They were essential in fending off invaders, maintaining strongholds, and even going on the offensive (Piekalkiewics). Tanks were somewhat of a new dimension, but they quickly perpetuated to become probably the most important dimension in the European theatre.

World War I saw the first major tank warfare take place. World War I was based on the assumption that victory was achieved through tank warfare. Soldiers would entrench themselves, and periodically charge all at once in an effort to invade the opposing trench. Once that trench was invaded, another one would be targeted. It was an everlasting cycle that led to millions of deaths and very little advance by either force.

By the end of the war it was apparent to military strategists that the end of the war could not take trench lines by simply using manpower. So a metal vehicle was designed that could shield, and eventually overtake these lines. The metal vehicle soon evolved to incorporate guns. The guns started small as extruding machine guns, but they grew to include turrets, which could rotate, and eventually large artillery guns.

The advancement of the tank from the period when World War I ended to when World War II started meant a much different battle dynamic. No longer were trenches fought over. The tanks provided troops with faster deployment, and more protection in their fighting. The Second World War was fought with great mobility. The original German offensive was able to invade Poland in a matter of days, and France in a matter of months.

Tank warfare became so crucial during World War II, that armies began putting most of their time and effort into designing news ones, and figuring out different ways of employing. They evolved from being just a means of advancement and protection, to having a variety of different jobs. They served for reconnaissance, and they served as mobile invasion forces, and they even served as anti-aircraft weapons.

Tanks were the premier weapon of the European theatre. It could be argued that they were eventually responsible for the outcome in Germany. Every ground success and defeat could directly be related to the performance of the tanks.

Tank technology progressed at a brilliant pace during the course of the war. Military planners immediately began looking at new ways to design these vehicles. They realized the fate of their ground power depended on the success of their designs.

Engineers from both sides, the Allies and Axis, sought to outdo each other's designs (Vannoy). Every time a new model rolled out, the opposing designers tried to counter that tank's advancements (Vannoy). It was an unending process that ultimately resulted with the collapse of Germany, but not because of the failure of their tanks' designs, but rather because of the sheer number of tanks placed against them.

The biggest advancements during World War II were made by the two major superpowers engaging in the War, the United States and Germany. The United States armored vehicles were generally designed to match those of Germany's in Europe. For every German armor, American military engineers sought to match its power and strength on the battlefield. Unlike World War I, tanks in the Second World War came in many different sizes, and with many different capabilities. The new dynamic of the war required some vehicles to have speed, while others needed more armors. Tanks essentially had different jobs, also. Some were intended to provide artillery and armor for troops, while others were built to destroy other tanks. Some tanks were built for special duties such as having the ability to approach beachheads, or even to destroy enemy aircraft.

The tanks used by the U.S. (those that ultimately conquered the Nazi powers in Europe) ranged in sizes, but can basically be broken down into three ranges: heavy, medium, and light. Prior to the war, the only heavy tank in the United States arsenal was the M6 (Tank Encyclopedia). This vehicle was built mainly with the idea that the next armed conflict would be similar to World War I. It was big enough to provide protection for ground troops, but it also was strong enough to engage opposing armored vehicles.

The priority for heavy tanks, however, was not pressing. Military analysts saw a war in Europe requiring more speed and agility out of the army's armored vehicles. The smaller and fast designs were ordered in much larger numbers than those of the heavy tanks were.

Military analysts soon realized, however, that medium and light tanks were not sufficient in the European theatre. The large German Panzers and Tigers, while not nearly as fast or maneuverable as the allied vehicles, were much stronger and better-armored (Elterlin). They wreaked havoc on the light American tanks. The military decided that in order to combat these German "monsters," they needed to do so with an equally strong vehicle.

The M6 was an outdated vehicle, so they set to work on a couple of new models. The first design to roll off the assembly floor was called the Pershing (Tank Encyclopedia)). The Pershing was large like its predecessor, the M6, but it was reinforced with torsion bars and a bigger gun (Tank Encyclopedia). The Pershing, pound for pound, could contest any German tank, including the large Panzer and Tiger models (Tank Encyclopedia). Unfortunately, the Pershing, along with the other heavy tanks built by the United States, did not enter the war soon enough (Tank Encyclopedias). Pershing tanks were first shipped to the European front in 1945, only months before the collapse of the Nazi regime (Tank Encyclopedia). Only 200 of these Pershings participated in World War II, although they did see action in some crucial battles, including the Battle of the Bulge (Dinardo). The Pershing model then became the basis for the post-World War II Patton tanks that is still employed by the military today.

The heavy European tanks were essentially defeated by the smaller American ones, but at great cost. It often took numerous medium and light tanks to destroy one of Germany's large ones. Had the Pershing been introduced at an earlier point in the war, its presence could have greatly increased the speed of the allied advance, and possibly saved thousands of lives.

At the same time the Pershing was being developed, another heavy tank was also in production. This one was to be produced sparingly, as the Pershing was intended to be the primary tank in the European theatre. Called the T-28, this tank was by far the largest in World War II (Tank Encyclopedia). It weighed an incredible 95 tons (as opposed to the Pershing's 42 tons), and it had a long 105 mm gun (Tank Encyclopedia). The T-28 was not only designed to engage Germany's heavy vehicles, but also to attack bunkers (Tank Encyclopedia). The T-28 was almost invincible on the battlefield, but transportation was a major problem for it (Tank Encyclopedia). The tank's engine could not reach speeds of over 8 miles per hour (Tank Encyclopedia). It also could not negotiate difficult terrain, nor go through water. An even greater problem facing the T-28 was its difficulty in transportation. Weighing an incredible 95 pounds, the T-28 took up as much room as two large-sized Pershings (Tank Encyclopedia). The T-28 was shelved after the war when military leaders chose to pursue the Pershing as a basis for the next generation of heavy armored vehicles (Tank Encyclopedia).

The Ally's medium sized tanks (Tank Encyclopedia) did the bulk of the tank warfare in Europe. One of the most predominant of these models is the United States Chaffe (Tank Encyclopedia). This tank was originally designed by the British military, but adopted by Americans and built in the United States (Tank Encyclopedia). The Chaffe had an ultra-light 77 mm gun that was originally designed for use on a Hellcat (an American fighter jet) (Tank Encyclopedia). The light gun eased the weight of the turret, providing better handling, and ultimately, better aiming (Tank Encyclopedia). The reduction in weight also gave the tank more speed and maneuverability than many of its medium sized peers (Tank Encyclopedia).

The Chaffe's speed and advanced armament gave it a great advantage over other tanks, but it lacked strong armor. Compared to most of its peer vehicles, the Chaffe was relatively weak, and could not withstand heavy artillery blows (Tank Encyclopedia). The Chaffe, while built by America, was used by all the major allied forces in Europe. The French and English actually used the majority of these vehicles, while the United States armed forces relied more heavily upon its Sherman tanks.

The primary medium tank employed by the United States at the onset of World War II was the Lee/Grant. This World War I model showed the inexperience of tank design in America. It's turret only contained a very small and ineffective 3.7 mm gun, while the front hull had an immobile, but larger, 7.5 mm gun (Tank Encyclopedia). The tank was also too high off the ground, and unstable in rolling terrain. The first of these tanks saw action against Germany's "Desert Fox," Rommel, in Africa (The War in the Desert). These tanks immediately fell prey to the German Panzers and lighter vehicles (The War in the Desert).

The American military realized that a better design was needed in order to contest the obviously superior German vehicles (Vannoy). They sought to improve the Lee in both structural design and firepower (Vannoy). What they produced was one of the most famous tanks of World War II, the Sherman (Vannoy). There was many different designs of the Sherman, but the most predominant was the M4A4, or the "Sherman V." This model was by far the most widely used by American forces. It used what basically was an enlarged version of a car engine (it was built by converted Chevrolet factories) The engine was bigger than the Nazi ones, and therefore the tanks hull had to be extended.

The M4A4 had a cast turret and a welded hull, but what separated it from the other Sherman models was that its bogies were separated by two track elements, and the idler is located at the back of the tank (Tank Encyclopedia). Behind the turret was a projection on the engine. Also unique about the M4A4 was that, unlike the other Sherman models, it kept a front hull with three parts bolted together (Tank Encyclopedia). The other models (more technologically advanced) were fitted with a single piece for their hull (Tank Encyclopedia).

The M4A4 was a weight of 32 tons and a crew of five (Tank Encyclopedia). Its 75 mm gun was attached to the rotating turret, giving it much more of an advantage than the Lee/Grant (Tank Encyclopedia). Production of the M4A4 was halted in 1943 when the new Sherman designs started to emerge (Tank Encyclopedia).

The M4A6 Sherman preceded the M4A4 (Tank Encyclopedia). It was a more advanced version, but with basically the same structural body and armaments (Tank Encyclopedia). The M4A6 had its hull extended 15 mm to allow the mounting of a Caterpillar diesel engine (Tank Encyclopedia). It was faster and more maneuverable then the M4A4, and proved to be a worthy adversary to the well-built German tanks in the European theatre (Tank Encyclopedia).

At the onset of Russia's entrance into World War II, allied forces began supplying the country with weapons. Among the things the United States shipped to Russia were the original Sherman tanks. The Russians, in turn, modified the tanks with more armaments and greater maneuverability and created their own model of Sherman tanks dubbed the M4M (Tank Encyclopedia). There were about 4,000 of these models in World War II, primarily being used at the Russian front (Tank Encyclopedia).

In an attempt to mobilize long-range artillery, the United States military used the Sherman tank design to create a new kind of mobile howitzer. The Sherman 105 was basically an original Sherman model tank with a 10.5 mm howitzer gun attached to the turret (Tank Encyclopedia). This vehicle proved to be ineffective as an antitank weapon, but effective as long-range weapon (Tank Encyclopedia). The howitzer gun made it almost impossible to engage in close contact, so other tanks usually escorted these vehicles (Tank Encyclopedia). The Sherman 105 could also be posted at long distances from the targets like traditional howitzer (Tank Encyclopedia).

The one advantage the Sherman 105 had to the traditional howitzers was its armor. The armor that was used to protect tanks from bullets and shells was applied to a howitzer gun in the case of the Sherman 105 (Tank Encyclopedia). Unlike a traditional howitzer, it could withstand heavy firepower (Tank Encyclopedia). Many of the traditional howitzers also lacked protection for their operators, but the Sherman 105 provided a steel cage for its 5 man crew (Tank Encyclopedia).

The British version of the Sherman was called the Firefly (Tank Encyclopedia). This tank essentially adopted the Sherman design, but it had the addition of the British military's famous seventeen pound artillery gun (Tank Encyclopedia). In order to compensate for the increased weight of the turret, the rear compartment of the tank was lengthened, and counterweights were added in the back to absorb recoil (Tank Encyclopedia).

The Firefly was the only model that could face a Panther and survive. Although the Sherman was smaller, and had less armor, it did have a comparable gun to the Panther. It was often the case that Panther and Tiger tanks would destroy columns of Sherman tanks, but the Firefly often held its own in the tank battles in Europe.

Along with the medium and heavy tanks, the United States also produced a large number of light tanks. These were often built for more sporadic engagements. They could move faster and lighter than the two larger classes, and they could also move around urban areas with ease. What they lack, however, was powerful armaments and strength.

The largest of the "light" tanks was called the T-3 (Tank Encyclopedia). This vehicle was produced in large numbers, but rarely deployed in the war. The unique aspect of the T-3 was that it had big road wheels that could serve within tracks or directly on roads (Tank Encyclopedia). This innovation rendered the return rollers useless and provided great mobility for the T-3 (Tank Encyclopedia).

Although the T-3 model was rarely employed in World War II, its structural designs lead to the production of a number of new tanks. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics used the T-3 design to produce their BT type tank, and then their famous T-34 model (Tank Encyclopedia). The T-3, while not very important in the war waging in Western Europe, was crucial to Russia in its battle in Eastern Europe (Tank Encyclopedia).

Another light tank built by the United States military was the Locust, or M-22 (Tank Encyclopedia). The Locust were unique in that they were light enough to be carried by planes (Tank Encyclopedia). These tanks were built to be hauled by C-54 Kymasters (Tank Encyclopedia). The one disadvantage to airborne transportation of the Locusts was that in order for them to fit in the planes, their turrets had to be removed (Tank Encyclopedia). One the planes landed, and the Locusts were removed, the turrets had to be mounted back on (Tank Encyclopedia). This inconvenience did not prove to drastic for the British army, as they bought and used the majority of these vehicles (Tank Encyclopedia). Instead of carrying it was a C-54 Skymaster, the British army transported the Locus with their Hamilcar glider (a vehicle originally designed to carry a Tetarch) (Tank Encyclopedia).

The United States military used the structures of the Lee/Grant to produce self-propelled guns (Tank Encyclopedia). The first of which was the M31 (Tank Encyclopedia). This gun was basically a converted Lee/Grant model with its turret and original gun replaced by a fake one (Tank Encyclopedia). The vehicle had a lift capacity of 13.5 tons, and provided strategic firepower for troops in "sticky" areas (Tank Encyclopedia).

The most famous of the self-propelled guns was the M7 Priest (Tank Encyclopedia). The Priest also stemmed from the original Lee/Grant structure, but unlike the M31, it had a 10.5 mm howitzer attached in place of the turret (Tank Encyclopedia). Also added was a machine gun pulpit right next to the howitzer (Tank Encyclopedia). The Priest was a "double threat" in that it could provide short-range armored coverage for troops, but it also had the ability to hit targets hundreds of yards away (Tank Encyclopedia). The Priest was the most widely recognized and employed of the self propelled guns. It saw most of its action during the Campaign in Tunisia, and then during the invasion of German-occupied France (Tank Encyclopedia).

As hostilities intensified in Europe, military analysts realized that they needed to put more of a concentration on eliminating the Nazi tanks (Vannoy). They concluded that the multi-dimensional tanks were not always sufficient, and they needed a special type of tank that served only the purpose of destroying others, thus the "tank destroyers," were conceived (Vannoy).

The tank destroyers were built to be quick and accurate (Vannoy). The first of these deployed was the United States Hellcat (Vannoy). This was the quickest armored vehicle used in World War II. Its goal was basically to provide support for the larger and slower Shermans. The Hellcat, however, proved to be relatively ineffective. Though it had great speed, and could outrun and outmaneuver the German tanks; it could not destroy them, nor withstand their onslaughts.

The 7.6 mm guns were simply too weak to penetrate the large Panzer and Tiger tanks used by the Nazis. The military decided to arm the Hellcats with a large 9 mm cannon, but the project was scrapped before the war ended.

Along with the need to have a special vehicle to eliminate tanks, the United States military also recognized a need to take out aircraft. The Nazi fighters and bombers proved to be a devastating force against ground troops and vehicles throughout the war. Ground units were relatively defenseless against the low flying, German tank busters.

In an effort to provide anti-aircraft capabilities to mobile troop divisions, the military created the M-19 (Tank Encyclopedia). This tank contained two 4 mm Bofos guns capable of shooting down enemy planes hundreds of feet in the air (Tank Encyclopedia). A single M-19 could provide enough air coverage for a fairly large group of other tanks and troops (Tank Encyclopedia). The M-19 was especially useful in that it provided defense at times when allied aircraft were not available (Tank Encyclopedia). Without any air support or anti-aircraft weaponry, troops and tanks would not stand a chance against even the smallest group of enemy planes (Tank Encyclopedia).

A more advanced tank destroyer was developed after the failures of the first models. The Jackson was built to destroy the large, heavily shielded Panthers and Tigers (Tank Encyclopedia). Its turret contained newly designed 9 mm guns that were proven capable of piercing German armor (Tank Encyclopedia).

Subsequent to the development of the Jackson, two new and improved designs were engineered. The M-36 and the M36 B. were introduced as tank destroyers (Tank Encyclopedia). Like their predecessor, these models were also very capable of destroying the large Panzer and Tiger tanks (Tank Encyclopedia).

The majority of the tank engagements during World War II occurred in the European theatre with American made tanks pitted against their German counterparts. Overall, the German tanks were regarded as superior to American made ones (Dinardo). The Germans emphasized strength and durability in their models (Dinardo). They produced fewer tanks, but the ones the made were built to outlast the enemy (Dinardo). Americans, on the other hand, emphasized speed and lightweight (Wright). Americans did not have the convenience of fighting in their back yard -- "all of their weapons had to be transported from North America, so weight and size was a major concern (Wright).

The German tanks, in general, were strong but not very mobile (Dinnardo). They lacked the ability to be transported over long distances. They also had the disadvantage of being incredibly complicated (Senger). German tanks often contained thousands of more parts than the American ones, and repairs and upkeep were much more demanding (Senger).

The Germans essentially dominated in the field of "heavy" armor (Senger). Their two main heavy tanks, the Panther and the Tiger, are renowned for their success in World War II (Senger). The Tiger, one of the strongest tanks during the war, was a result of a heavy tractor experiment in Germany (Senger). When it first appeared on the front line near Leningrad in 1941, it was the largest tank of its kind to enter combat (Senger). Although very heavy (57 tons), the vehicle had remarkable maneuverability (Senger). The Tiger had an 88 mm gun, and its heavy army could resist almost any artillery fire except at point-black range (Senger).

The Tiger was constructed to operate on key spots in the front lines, rather than with other tank units (Senger). These machines were often confused with the Panthers, but the reality is that only about 1,500 were made, and their presence was fairly limited in the European theatre (Senger). The Tigers were probably the most technically superior tanks of the war, but their achievement in design was not reflected on the battlefield (Senger). Tigers, though better in design than opposing tanks, were often outnumbered, so their success was limited (Senger). The Tigers rarely fought alongside other tanks, so the odds were often against their favor in fierce engagements (Senger). The especially ran against hard times when the allies started to deploy their Pershings, and other heavy duty vehicles (Senger).

Possibly the most famous symbol of the German army in Europe was that of the Panther tank. The most numerous of German tanks this one plagued allied position during the course of the war (Senger). The Panther was fast and strong. It weighed 45 tons, yet could top 50 kph on roads, and could maneuver through areas of rough terrain (Senger). The Panther had a 75 mm gun and a powerful 700 horsepower engine (Senger). It was bigger, faster, and better armed than most of its American made opponents (Senger). There were less than 6,000 Panthers deployed in World War II, yet it withstood fifteen times that many Shermans (Senger).

The Panther was improved throughout the war. The second version of the tank included a periscope, and an armor plate on the rear of the hull (Senger). It also had new treads and a different composite armor (Senger).

A less famous heavy tank built by the Germans was the Kingtiger (Senger). By far the heaviest tank to take part in World War II, the Kingtiger was a beast on the battlefield (Senger). The problems with this vehicle however outweighed its advantages (Senger). While the standard Tiger was able to balance its size, strength, and mobility, the Kingtiger was not (Senger). It consumed far too much fuel, and it was almost impossible to transport and maintain (Senger). It also traveled at ridiculously slow speeds, and was not able to reach many battles in time (Senger).

The medium and lightweight tanks in the German arsenal were known as Panzers (Senger). The lightest of these Panzers were the Panzer I's and the Panzer II's (Senger). Both of these tanks were effective in small arms combat and reconnaissance (Senger). They were formidable opponents for the American, British, and Russian lightweight tanks. The smaller Panzers progressively were improved in design as the war went on (Senger). The later version Panzers were among the best light armored vehicles in the war (Senger).

The Panzer III was the standard model for tanks in the German Panzerdivisions until 1942 (Senger). Its gun proved to be ineffective as improvements were made on allied armor, but it proved to be an effective weapon during the onset of the war (Senger).

The Panzer III was improved over time (Senger). The D. model was made heavier with better protection (Senger). It also had a more powerful engine, and was armed with 5 mm gun (Senger). The Panzer VI was the most predominant and successful of all panzer models (Senger). It made up the bulk of Germany's tank divisions (Senger). The Panzer VI saw action on all fronts of the war (Senger). It was used in the North African desert, the temperate climate of the West, and the cold, snowy Russian front (Senger). The Panzer VI represented the biggest threat to the allied push into Germany because not only was it a capable fighter, but the Germans had the most of them (Senger). Panzer divisions with Panther and Tiger tanks mixed in represented a major threat to any allied campaign (Senger).

The most devastating affects of the Panzer force were not in Europe, but rather in Africa under Rommel's command (The War in the Desert). Rommel and a relatively small group of German forces landed on Africa, and subsequently pushed a much larger Allied force out of the continent (The War in the Desert). Rommel's two panzer divisions devastated the British and American tanks in the desert (The War in the Desert). The Panzers were faster and stronger, and much abler in the hot, sandy conditions of Africa (The War in the Desert). The Panzers' 50 and 75 mm guns pierced the light armor of the Grant/Lee and Marshall tanks defending the Allied-controlled countries of North Africa (The War in the Desert).