Military Hardware:

1. Military Hardware: Famous Tanks of World War 2

2. German Mk. V Panther Panther is the common name of a medium power tank deployed by Nazi Germany in World War II from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. It was intended as a counter to the Russian T-34, and as a replacement for the Panzer III and Panzer IV. While never really replacing those, it served alongside them as well as the heavier Tiger tanks until the end of the war. The tank proved itself capable of many upgrades which kept it effective against many other tanks, even its betters, including the T-34. The Panther’s excellent combination of firepower, mobility, and protection served as a main model for other nations’ late war and post-war tank designs, and it is thought to be one of the best tanks of World War II. This tank was used mainly in the Battle of Kursk. Although being an excellent tank, the Panthers were defeated and failed to overcome the opposing Soviet force during that battle.

3. Russian T-34 The T-34 was made for its simple design which made it easy to manufacture and mass produce and easy to repair. It was made to be an all-purpose tank to be used for the main bulk of the war. The T-34, however, was considered to be a noisy tank and could be heard from a distance of 450 to 500 meters, giving the Germans an early warning as to where they were. But, the T-34 was also reasonably light while its water-cooled engine made an engine failure or overheating rare and increased the distance and time at which a T-34 could operate. The speed of the T-34 was also a major advantage over German tanks. The average top speed of German tanks was 25 mph while the T-34 had a top speed of 32 mph. Its sloped armor also gave the T-34 a very good defense against German shells. The Russians could afford to lose many T-34s in battle as their factory system allowed for the building of thousands of them. Despite all these advantages, the tank’s gun had a low velocity and was good against infantry, but not as much against armored units. This tank was used both in the Battle of Kursk and later in the Battle of Stalingrad. It served very well in both battles overall, as well as in some other small missions it participated in.

4. American M4 Sherman The Sherman tank was the most commonly used American tank in World War II. Initially developed to replace the M3 "Grant/Lee" medium tank, the first Shermans were manufactured in 1942. The Sherman tank’s primary role was infantry support, spearheading attacks as well as bolstering defensive positions.The Sherman was provided with a rather short barreled 75mm (3") main gun. This was an excellent, fast firing anti-infantry weapon. It was able to penetrate thin armor, which made the Sherman superior to the light weight Japanese tanks it encountered in Asia and the Pacific Theatre. Unfortunately, the American 75mm gun was usually unable to knock out the heavily armored German Panther, Tiger, and King Tiger tanks unless it got within very short range. On the other hand, the Sherman was also equipped with a hull mounted machine gun plus a turret mounted machine gun and a free swinging machine gun mounted above the turret hatch for the tank commander. This made it a tough on enemy infantry and a fine fire support vehicle for friendly infantry. Notorious for their flammability, Shermans were nicknamed “Ronsons” after a lighter with the slogan “lights first time, every time.” Though frequently outgunned by their German counterparts, Shermans proved easier to maintain, and were often fixed on the battlefield. This tank was used in the Second Battle of El Alamein and in the Normandy invasion. Some early productions also saw action in North Africa in 1943.