Posted on 06/28/2019 3:51:35 AM PDT by C19fan
Their alliance was vital in stopping Hitler. But the tetchy wartime relationship between Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin was frequently stretched to its limits. In November 1941, when the Soviet leader had the cheek to criticise the quality of tanks and guns sent from Britain to help Russian forces, the Prime Minister had reached the limit of his patience. Fortunately Stalin realised he had gone too far and took advantage of the fact Churchill’s 67th birthday was imminent to send a gushing ‘card’ as a conciliatory measure.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
But they loved our Studebaker trucks.
From what I understand, Ivan liked the Sherman. They were much more comfortable than Soviet designs and very reliable.
The Russians built arguably the best tank of WW 2. The T-34. Followed by the German Tigers and panthers, followed by the US Sherman.
If the British tanks were as reliable as their cars and motorcycles, I cannot imagine what Stalin was so critical of them for. /s
The Russian tanks required a left handed midget to operate efficiently.
Shifting into road gear was accomplished via a sledge hammer...
The American Shermans were faster to build, but nowhere near the engineering perfection of the German. But the speed at which they could be built or repaired and the volumes just knocked out the tigers.
Similarly the Russian ones were crude, but quickly built
40% of the tanks that the Soviets used to stop the Germans at Moscow came from Britain. That fact has been an embarrassment for them.
They may have been works of art, but the German tanks ran on gasoline instead of diesel which did cause a lot of problems. Reliability was abysmal, and the Tigers and Panthers were prone to overheating and spontaneous fires.
Russian tanks were the best period. Sloped armor was their secret.
American: I still don't understand how you guys lost. The German tanks had a kill ratio over ours, of 10-1.
German: Yeah, but you built so d@mn many of them, you always showed up with 11 !
What did he think about the P-39 fighters he got from the US?
Except for the part where they leaked fuel inside the tank, were mechanically unreliable, and difficult to work on. But in the field, we lost 3 Shermans to every kraut tank. So there was that in their favor.
That aside, concerning Stalin's apology, etc. If that lunatic had not signed the non aggression pact with that other lunatic in the first place, this whole discussion maybe would not have taken place.
They liked the P-39 and they even liked the M-3 tank.
Lucas, the Prince of Darkness.
The Chieftain is an Irish-born, U.S. Army reserve armor officer. He maintains that overall the M-4 Sherman was the best tank of World War II. He bases that assessment on logistics (most reliable and most easily maintained), speed, mobility (hill climbing in mud), firepower and protection. Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNjp_4jY8pY
Russians also liked Spam. And Studebakers. And Mosins made by Honeywell.
Zhukov in his memoirs, stated he didn’t like the American lend-lease tanks. They would not start in the cold weather.
The Sherman was a good tank but not in the same league as the T-34 or the Mark V or the Mark VI. Excellent roadability, reliable engine, drivetrain, tracks - but tall profile, low powered main gun, burned like a torch when hit.
No, we were lucky that the Germans couldn’t build enough Panthers. They were the best tanks in the world up into the 50s. Best optics, armor, and, after Kursk, the best engine/transmission setup, and the main armament would blow holes in anything we or the Russians had until they came up with the JS 1s and 2s, and, we had the M26s.
Had the Tigers had better speed, they could have been the best. They DID have the 88s installed after all.
The Sherman’s and the T-34’s thing was numbers. The panther could kill off 10 of the other tanks to every 1 of the panthers killed. But, if you have on a couple of thousand Panthers, and, the Americans have 24000 Shermans, and, the same for the T-34, you can’t win. Numbers are the best defense.
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