Tanks that (almost) made it!
Phosphorus
Oct 31 2011
The United States was lagging behind in the arms race for a tank.
So Rock Island Arsenal decided to make one out of an M2 light tank (hence the designation).
This "medium" tank had originally been equipped the M2's turret and gun, suspension, and engine.
After the Army evaluated it, it received a new turret and more powerful engine.
The main armament was an under powered 37mm gun, secondaries were 7 (up to 9) .30 cal MGs.
It weighed 18.7 tonnes
was 5.38m long
2.59m wide
and 2.82m tall
Although the M2A1 had a 400 hp engine, which could propel it to 42 km/h, the main gun was the fatal flaw.
This tank was also the basis for the M3 and M4 medium tanks.
So Rock Island Arsenal decided to make one out of an M2 light tank (hence the designation).
This "medium" tank had originally been equipped the M2's turret and gun, suspension, and engine.
After the Army evaluated it, it received a new turret and more powerful engine.
The main armament was an under powered 37mm gun, secondaries were 7 (up to 9) .30 cal MGs.
It weighed 18.7 tonnes
was 5.38m long
2.59m wide
and 2.82m tall
Although the M2A1 had a 400 hp engine, which could propel it to 42 km/h, the main gun was the fatal flaw.
This tank was also the basis for the M3 and M4 medium tanks.
Dominatus
Oct 31 2011
To be fair, the M2 did "make it", although it was obselete when it came out.
squibbon
Oct 31 2011
All american tanks were obsolete before the Sherman (which was almost as much of a shock as the T-34 on the dunes of Egypt), but for only 1 battle. After El Alamein, America was shocked by the Tiger tank, even though the USSR was already fighting whole Tiger battalions!
cheesellama
Nov 01 2011
Lezt
Nov 06 2011
squibbon, on Oct 31 2011 - 23:20, said:
All american tanks were obsolete before the Sherman (which was almost as much of a shock as the T-34 on the dunes of Egypt), but for only 1 battle. After El Alamein, America was shocked by the Tiger tank, even though the USSR was already fighting whole Tiger battalions!
I won't say the Germans were that shocked by the Sherman as the T34. The Sherman were first committed in October 1942 in N. Africa - The Germans had already deployed the Pz IV Ausf.F2 which can defeat the Shermans at 1500m+ in the same theater by August 1942. Also, the Flak 88 had already been honed in its anti tank role.
The Sherman came as a surprise - not a shock.
Dominatus
Nov 06 2011
Lezt, on Nov 06 2011 - 17:43, said:
I won't say the Germans were that shocked by the Sherman as the T34. The Sherman were first committed in October 1942 in N. Africa - The Germans had already deployed the Pz IV Ausf.F2 which can defeat the Shermans at 1500m+ in the same theater by August 1942. Also, the Flak 88 had already been honed in its anti tank role.
The Sherman came as a surprise - not a shock.
The Sherman came as a surprise - not a shock.
The Sherman was more or less the most powerful tank at El-Alamein though. The 75mm HE rounds it could fire were also far more effective against 88s than the 2 and 6 pdr shells the British had.
