"Shermans" against "Tigers". Tanks of the Second World War

Most recently, a new film by the famous director K. Shakhnazarov was shown on television, "The White Tiger." The tank, in honor of which the painting got its name, became a negative character along with quite animated Soviet tankmen. He behaves like a living and very dangerous beast, hiding in a swamp and creeping out from there to hunt. The film is artistic, it is saturated with associative series, parabolas and other techniques that enhance the emotional impact on the viewer. There is almost no truth in the historical sense, but after viewing the work, an understanding arises that Hitler's Germany possessed special types of armaments that are dangerous for the Allied armored forces. And if the Red Army had tanks of the Second World War, capable of fully countering the onslaught of the enemy, then the Allies were in a worse situation.

Mass tanks

Each belligerent army, in addition to unique samples, usually has a mass production technique. Tens of thousands of T-IIIs and T-IVs were used by the Soviet army during World War II, the Germans used the Matilda, Churchilli and Cromwells most often. The American tank M4, named in honor of the hero of civil war of the general-northerner William Sherman, was serial produced also. On all technical indicators this car was obsolete, but the quantities in which it was produced gave a chance to achieve victory. M4 was also delivered to the USSR, but he did not play a special role in battles. Soviet tankmen preferred our tanks to the Second World War, but in the conditions of war all means are good, and the order is an order. In addition, the comfort inside the fighting compartment was different from the modestly spartan conditions that were usual for our military, shooting control devices were good, and American radios worked just fine. Depressing another: the chances of surviving, fighting in the "Sherman", was not enough.

Normandy, 1944

Began to fight the "Sherman" against the "Tigers" T-VI in June 1944, after the landing of the Allied forces on the northern coast of France, in the province of Normandy. Situations formed during the fighting, immediately revealed numerous systemic defects in the design of the American machine. The reservation turned out to be weak not only for the German 88-mm projectiles, their hit at that time could not withstand almost no tank in the world. Own weaponry left much to be desired, the rifled cannon not only with its caliber (75 mm), which was already abandoned in the USSR due to its low efficiency, but also the length of the barrel did not meet modern requirements. The gun could not hit the target at great distances, and the M4 Sherman tank could not come close, with its secrecy, too, there were problems, and constructive ones.

Effect of transmission on the profile

The location of the transmission, both from German, American, and English tanks during the war, was front. The gearbox was located on the nose of the machine in almost all countries producing armored vehicles, this had a positive effect on handling. But such a scheme inevitably led to a very serious problem, which consisted in increasing the height of the tank, or, if expressed in military-technical language, to the growth of the profile. Than the flattened car, the easier it is to hide in the folds of the terrain, the more difficult it is to get into it. The front position of the gearbox forces the propeller shaft to drive with it from the engine, hence the bottom of the tower needs to be lifted. Weight increases (excess volume still requires booking). Uselessly eaten engine power, consumed fuel. In our tanks it was more difficult to fight, the internal volume was not different, but all this played a lesser role in comparison with the best combat qualities. In the battles fought by the Shermans against the Tigers, however, this constructive flaw was also not so significant. They possessed German machines, even the most modern ones.

Heart of Sherman

During the war, only Soviet tanks were equipped with diesel engines. It is known to all that gasoline pairs have the property of exploding. Tank M4 "Sherman" was equipped with different engines. The most successful option is the 350-hp Continental aircraft engine, but it appeared later. The power unit of the M4A4 version consisted of five automobile (from the Chrysler) L6. About how this "team" with 30 cylinders and candles, loaded on one cardan, worked, one can only guess. Any specialist in armored vehicles thought about such an arrangement will cause sadness. There was also a modification of the M4A2, driven by two diesel engines, "General Electric". Also not a gift, but still better. All these engines were manufactured by the US industry for purely peaceful equipment, with the exception of the 500-horsepower "Ford V8", developed specifically for tanks, but it appeared by the end of the war and was also gasoline. Nevertheless, driven by these "technology wonders" and their bundles, the "Shermans" against the "Tigers" fought. It was difficult and dangerous.

Powerplant T-VI

German industry, like the American, and British, too, for the whole war could not create a high-quality and technologically advanced tank diesel engine of sufficient capacity. But the problem of powerful engines in fascist Germany was still paid attention. The heavy tank "Tiger" (it weighed about 55 tons, for comparison: "Sherman" - 30 tons) was driven by 700-strong motor of the brand "Maybach" of two modifications. Despite all the impressiveness of this figure, one should pay attention to the power-to-weight ratio, which is the ratio of power to mass. It turns out that the lighter "Sherman" did not exceed the German heavy tank "Tiger" by its maneuverability. The characteristics of these two machines, such as speed, overcoming walls and ditches, etc., differ little. However, the big weight nevertheless influences many other parameters, and not for the better.

Running gears

The best suspension, serving as the main element of the running gear, for all time of the Second World War recognized the design of the American inventor Christie. And in Soviet execution. It was not appreciated nowhere, except for the USSR. In considering the undercarriage of Sherman, the comparison with agricultural machinery is involuntary. It consists of six support trolleys, each of which has two rollers: approximately the same as on tractors - to field workers.

But much more depressing impression in the running aspect is produced by the Tiger tank. Characteristics, mainly mass, prompted German designers to arrange thin "pancakes" in checkerboard order. This solution helped to reduce the specific load on the ground, but significantly complicated the operation and repair. Rollers bent, dismantling and replacement took too much time, a heavy machine could not withstand every bridge, and loading onto railroad platforms was a real hell for German tankmen.

Conceptual differences

About how the fighting took place in Normandy, the surviving American and British tanks told a lot after the war. It was not easy, at times it was necessary to show miracles of ingenuity and courage. The losses were "off scale", for every T-VI destroyed there were at least three dead M4. For the Western Front, the death of such a huge number of military personnel was unusual. The reason for the many failures was that the Shermans were not supposed to fight against the Tigers. They were intended to support the infantry during offensive operations. To carry out this task, they had everything they needed, including artillery weapons. But the "Tiger" was originally conceived as a tank destroyer. And for this he also had everything. A high mobility to the tank destroyer, operating from long distances, is not needed.

Tactics of application

In the movie "White Tiger" a tank, mysterious and elusive, menacingly screeching the engine and releasing powerful jets of exhausts, leaves unknown where, appearing right before the Soviet "Thirty". The artist is allowed to fantasize, but in real battle conditions the crew of the T-VI would rather prefer to act at a distance, realizing the advantages of a long-barreled large-caliber cannon that fires precisely and far. Such tactics was also favored by excellent Zeiss optics, which our machines did not have, and American ones, too.

As for the Shermans, their main advantage was more about the capabilities of the US industry, capable of producing huge quantities of albeit imperfect equipment. During the war years of machines of this type, almost 50 thousand pieces were made. The hulls had riveted joints, power plants were already mentioned, the gun did not meet the needs of the front, but there were many of them, and the Germans simply did not have time to cope with them. And, it should be noted, despite the persistent view of the weak fighting qualities of the US Army soldiers, the Sherman tankmen were courageous people.

After the war

The "Tigers" were too complicated to be manufactured in order that the war-torn German industry could establish their mass production. T-VI's have been released since 1942, only 1354 pieces, and even a powerful booking did not save them from almost complete destruction by the coalition troops.

The American tank, despite more than modest combat characteristics, managed to take part in many armed conflicts of the late 1940s, survived the fifties and even in the 60s, took part in the Arab-Israeli wars. He became the third most mass-produced armored vehicle in the world, losing to the Soviet T-34 and T-54.