Tanks in World War II
The tank was invented by the British in 1916 and first used during World War I. Nearly simultaneous development occurred in France, yet early models moved at a walking pace and suffered from primitive reliability. A breakthrough arrived with the Christie suspension, developed by American engineer J. Walter Christie. This system allowed longer movement of the suspension than conventional leaf-spring systems then in common use. It enabled tanks to move faster across rough terrain. By September 1939, tanks could travel hundreds of miles on their tracks with limited breakdowns. Engines, transmissions, and track systems improved alongside the automotive industry's growth. Doctrine shifted radically as armies sought ways to avoid the deadlock imposed by modern firepower. Tanks evolved from close support of infantry into an essential part of combined-arms teams. They fulfilled traditional cavalry roles and provided mobile artillery support.
German doctrine stressed rapid movement, mission-type tactics, and combined arms where tanks operated with mobile infantry and air support. This strategy became popularly known as Blitzkrieg. For this to work, German tanks were all equipped with radios. These units provided unmatched command and control for flexible employment. In contrast, almost 80 percent of French tanks lacked radios. Their battle doctrine was based on slow-paced, deliberate conformance to planned movements. This required fewer radios at all levels. French tanks generally outclassed German tanks in firepower and armor during the 1940 campaign. Poor command and control doctrine negated these advantages. By 1943, two-way radio was nearly universal in all armies. Turrets became recognized as essential features. If a tank's gun needed to engage both soft unarmored targets and armored targets, it required a large powerful weapon with an all-round field of fire. Mounting the gun in a turret ensured that the tank could fire from hull down cover. Hull-mounted guns required that most of the vehicle be exposed to enemy fire.
The Soviet Union started and ended the war with more tanks than the rest of the world combined. Numbers ranged between 18,000 and 22,000 vehicles. At the start of World War II, the most common tank in Soviet service was the T-26. It was lightly armoured and armed with a 45 mm anti-tank gun M1932 capable of penetrating most German tanks at normal combat ranges. Few had radios. The BT tank series were usually armed with the same 45 mm gun and were the most mobile tanks in the world at the time. Several excellent designs began production in 1940, 1941. The T-34 eventually took on the roles of many other Soviet tanks. Its heavier armour and 76.2 mm dual-purpose gun made it one of the best medium tanks of the first half of World War II. By October 1942, general opinion held that Soviet tanks were among the best in the world. Life magazine wrote that "The best tanks in the world today are probably the Russian tanks...". The T-34 forced the Germans to adopt new heavier designs such as the Panther and Tiger I.
Britain produced an enormous array of prototype tanks and modified tanks for specialist engineering tasks. These included Hobart's Funnies, produced for the invasion of France in 1944. The Churchill Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers fired a short range 230 mm direct-fire mortar used for destroying buildings and clearing obstacles. It could also be equipped with small bridges, rolled-matt roadways, fascines, and mine rollers. Many ideas had already been tried or tested by Britain and other nations. The Scorpion flail tank was a modified Matilda II used during the North African campaign to clear paths through German minefields. By early 1944, General Hobart demonstrated to Eisenhower and Montgomery a brigade each of swimming DD tanks, Crab mine clearers, and AVRE tanks. A regiment of Crocodile flamethrowing tanks completed the display. Reliability remained an important issue especially in harsh conditions like North Africa and Southern Europe. Early Cruiser tanks gained performance at the cost of armour they could carry.
The M4 Medium Tank became the second-most-produced tank of World War II. Approximately 40,000 units were produced during the war. M4s formed the main tank of American, British, Canadian, French, Polish, and Chinese units. The M4 was the equal of German medium tanks when it first saw service in 1942. While reliable and easy to maintain, it was outgunned by up-gunned German medium tanks in Italy and Northern Europe. By late 1943, the arrival of German Panther and Tiger I presented graver threats due to range, accuracy, and penetrating power. A U.S. Army study in 1945 concluded that 60, 80 percent of older dry-stowage Shermans burned when penetrated. Welded-on appliqué armor and water jackets were added to combat this problem. The United States eventually deployed the Light Tank M24 as an improvement over the M3 Light Tank. It had torsion-bar suspension, high mobility, and a compact 75 mm gun. Near the end of the war, the M26 Pershing tank was deployed as the first operational heavy tank of the US Army.
Germany's armored force was not especially impressive from a technical standpoint at the start of the war. Their advantage lay in advanced combined arms doctrine and unrivaled command-and-control capability. Pre-war plans called for two main tanks: the Panzer III medium tank supported by smaller numbers of howitzer-armed Panzer IV. However, invasions of Poland and France were carried out primarily with less capable Panzer I and Panzer II light tanks. As the war proceeded, production of heavier tanks increased. During Operation Barbarossa, it was discovered that the Soviet T-34 tank outclassed the Panzer III and IV. Its well-sloped armor could withstand most German weapons. This forced Germans to improve existing models. The Panzer V Panther was intended to be the new main German medium tank. While sharing essentially the same engine as the Tiger I tank, it had better frontal armor and faster speed. The even heavier Tiger II supplemented the Tiger I late in the war. Its powerful gun and very heavy sloped armor made it superior to nearly every Allied or Soviet tank in one-on-one confrontation. Poor mobility, speed, and reliability limited its use.
Italy introduced a new tank classification scheme in 1938. Tanks were designated first with a letter followed by weight in tonnes and the year accepted for service. The P26/40, designated as heavy by Italians with its 26-tonne weight, was more similar in weight to the medium M4 Sherman tank. Japan produced 6,450 tanks between 1931 and 1945. Half were made by Mitsubishi Company. By 1940 they had the fifth-largest tank force in the world behind the Soviet Union, France, Britain, and Germany. Romania joined the Axis Powers in 1941 so its vehicles fought against the Soviet army on the Eastern Front. Romanian interwar-developed tank force proved hardly effective against Soviet T-34s and KV-1s. Poland fielded the 7TP light tank which was better armed than common opponents like German Panzer I and Panzer II. Only about 132 tanks were produced between 1935 and outbreak of war. Polish forces in exile later reequipped by allies used T-34, T-70, and IS-2 tanks alongside Red Army units.
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Common questions
When was the tank invented and by which country?
The tank was invented by the British in 1916. It first saw use during World War I with early models moving at a walking pace.
What was the German Blitzkrieg strategy for tanks in World War II?
German doctrine stressed rapid movement, mission-type tactics, and combined arms where tanks operated with mobile infantry and air support. This strategy required all German tanks to be equipped with radios for unmatched command and control.
Which Soviet tank became one of the best medium tanks of the first half of World War II?
The T-34 eventually took on the roles of many other Soviet tanks. Its heavier armour and 76.2 mm dual-purpose gun made it one of the best medium tanks of the first half of World War II.
How many M4 Medium Tanks were produced during World War II?
Approximately 40,000 units of the M4 Medium Tank were produced during the war. These vehicles formed the main tank of American, British, Canadian, French, Polish, and Chinese units.
Why did the Panzer V Panther have better frontal armor than the Tiger I tank?
The Panzer V Panther shared essentially the same engine as the Tiger I tank but had better frontal armor and faster speed. It was intended to be the new main German medium tank after discovering that the Soviet T-34 outclassed earlier models.