11-15-2006, 09:53 PM
Often enemy descriptions of actions that give the best information about the capabilities of adversaries' weapons- in Germany's Panther Tank by Tom Jentz, there's a short section at the end with quotes from US tankers who came up against the Panther:
"Capt. Henry W. Johnson, Co 'F' 66th Armd Regt: 'The wider tracks of the Mark V and Mark VI enables it to move much better cross-country and in muddy or snow-covered terrrain, than do the narrow tracks of the Sherman tank. The field expedient of duck bills added to the Sherman tread, aids but does not effect the advantage of the German Mark V and Mark VI tanks have. It is my opinion that the Mark V and Mark VI enemy tank is far superior in maneuverability to our own Sherman tanks.' 'The higher muzzle velocity of the German tanks enable them to far outrange our Sherman tanks. I have seen them knock out our tanks at ranges up to 1000 yards and know of no incident where a Sherman tank has knocked out a Mark V or Mark VI tank at more than 300 yards. Further it is my opinion that the vast majority of Mark V and Mark VI tanks knocked out have been destroyed by air support, abandoned, or as a direct result of air attack [although the efficacy of Allied air attacks on tanks was in truth negligible- Matt]. On the other hand, 85% of the tanks we have lost have been due to enemy self-propelled guns, tanks and AT guns.' 'In general, it is my opinion that our Sherman tanks rank clumsily with the German Mark III and Mark IV tanks, and their Mark V and Mark VI are in a class by themselves, having a better silhouette, better armor, better flotation, and maneuverability, far better guns with much better sight reticles, and superior ammunition."
Sgt. Chester J. Marczak: 'The German's high-velocity guns and souped-up ammunition can penetrate our thickest armor. At a range where it would be suicide for us to shoot, they shoot. What we need is more armor, higher velocity, not necessarily a bigger gun, souped-up ammunition, and a means whereby we can maneuver faster, making sharper turns. I've seen many times when the air force was called out to wipe out scattered tanks rather than letting our tanks get slaughtered. All of us know the German tanks are far superior to anything we have in combat. They're are able to maneuver on a space the length of their tank. How can we outflank them when all they have to do si pivot and keep their frontal armor toward us? Their frontal armor is practically invulnerable to our 75's, except at an exceptionally close range- and they never let us get that close. We've got a good tank- for parades and training purposes (my italics)- but for combat they are just potential coffins. I know! I've left them burning after the first few rounds of German shells penetrated our thickest armor."
"Tec 5 Howard A. Wood, Gunner: 'I am a gunner on a Sherman tank, mounting a 75mm. I fired two AP's at two Mark V's and both were hits, both rounds bounced off, and the range was less than 400 yards."
"Tec 4 M. L. Hall: 'In the battle for Rumain, Belgium, I saw the Company Commander's tank shooting at a Mark V at a range of about 600 yards. Every round bounced off the front. The same morning we had tanks knocked out with hits through our thickest armor."
"Sgt. Leo Anderson: '... Many times I've seen our tanks engage German tanks in tank duels. Their tanks have the ups on us. Their guns and armor are far better than ours. On this particular occasion... we located two Mark V tanks at about 2800 to 3000 yards away. At once our Tank Destroyers and tanks opened fire on them. The gunners had the eye to hit but our guns didn't have the power to knock them out. I saw our Tank Destroyers and self propelled get several direct hits on the Kraut tanks but the projectils just bounced off the Jerries. The Jerries' guns didn't fail, they knocked out three of our Tank Destroyers and one Sherman tank at 2800 to 3000 yards. If our tanks had been as good as the German tanks they would never have scored a hit."
"Sgt. Francis W. Baker, Tank Commander: 'On the morning of November 20, 1944, I was tank commander of a Sherman medium tank mounting a 76mm gun. ... Ordering my gunner to fire at the closest tank (Panther- Matt), which was approximagely 800 yards away, he placed one right in the side which was completely visible to me. To my amazement and disgust I watched the shell bounce off the side. My gunner fired at least six more rounds at that vehicle hitting it from turret to the track. This German tank knowing that I possibly would be supported by a tank destroyer, started to pull away. I was completely surprised to see it moving after receiving seven hits from my gun..."
"Sgt. Frederick H. Wilson, Tank Commander: 'I have been taught that our tanks have much more maneuverability than the German tanks. It has been proven to me just a few days ago that this isn't so. The German Mark V, which is much heavier than our M4, beat ours around a large sized field. Made a sharp swerve or reverse of direction in a shorter space than ours can possibly do. German tanks have much wider tracks and do not become bogged down as easily as ours do in muddy terrain."
Pretty telling I'd say...
"Capt. Henry W. Johnson, Co 'F' 66th Armd Regt: 'The wider tracks of the Mark V and Mark VI enables it to move much better cross-country and in muddy or snow-covered terrrain, than do the narrow tracks of the Sherman tank. The field expedient of duck bills added to the Sherman tread, aids but does not effect the advantage of the German Mark V and Mark VI tanks have. It is my opinion that the Mark V and Mark VI enemy tank is far superior in maneuverability to our own Sherman tanks.' 'The higher muzzle velocity of the German tanks enable them to far outrange our Sherman tanks. I have seen them knock out our tanks at ranges up to 1000 yards and know of no incident where a Sherman tank has knocked out a Mark V or Mark VI tank at more than 300 yards. Further it is my opinion that the vast majority of Mark V and Mark VI tanks knocked out have been destroyed by air support, abandoned, or as a direct result of air attack [although the efficacy of Allied air attacks on tanks was in truth negligible- Matt]. On the other hand, 85% of the tanks we have lost have been due to enemy self-propelled guns, tanks and AT guns.' 'In general, it is my opinion that our Sherman tanks rank clumsily with the German Mark III and Mark IV tanks, and their Mark V and Mark VI are in a class by themselves, having a better silhouette, better armor, better flotation, and maneuverability, far better guns with much better sight reticles, and superior ammunition."
Sgt. Chester J. Marczak: 'The German's high-velocity guns and souped-up ammunition can penetrate our thickest armor. At a range where it would be suicide for us to shoot, they shoot. What we need is more armor, higher velocity, not necessarily a bigger gun, souped-up ammunition, and a means whereby we can maneuver faster, making sharper turns. I've seen many times when the air force was called out to wipe out scattered tanks rather than letting our tanks get slaughtered. All of us know the German tanks are far superior to anything we have in combat. They're are able to maneuver on a space the length of their tank. How can we outflank them when all they have to do si pivot and keep their frontal armor toward us? Their frontal armor is practically invulnerable to our 75's, except at an exceptionally close range- and they never let us get that close. We've got a good tank- for parades and training purposes (my italics)- but for combat they are just potential coffins. I know! I've left them burning after the first few rounds of German shells penetrated our thickest armor."
"Tec 5 Howard A. Wood, Gunner: 'I am a gunner on a Sherman tank, mounting a 75mm. I fired two AP's at two Mark V's and both were hits, both rounds bounced off, and the range was less than 400 yards."
"Tec 4 M. L. Hall: 'In the battle for Rumain, Belgium, I saw the Company Commander's tank shooting at a Mark V at a range of about 600 yards. Every round bounced off the front. The same morning we had tanks knocked out with hits through our thickest armor."
"Sgt. Leo Anderson: '... Many times I've seen our tanks engage German tanks in tank duels. Their tanks have the ups on us. Their guns and armor are far better than ours. On this particular occasion... we located two Mark V tanks at about 2800 to 3000 yards away. At once our Tank Destroyers and tanks opened fire on them. The gunners had the eye to hit but our guns didn't have the power to knock them out. I saw our Tank Destroyers and self propelled get several direct hits on the Kraut tanks but the projectils just bounced off the Jerries. The Jerries' guns didn't fail, they knocked out three of our Tank Destroyers and one Sherman tank at 2800 to 3000 yards. If our tanks had been as good as the German tanks they would never have scored a hit."
"Sgt. Francis W. Baker, Tank Commander: 'On the morning of November 20, 1944, I was tank commander of a Sherman medium tank mounting a 76mm gun. ... Ordering my gunner to fire at the closest tank (Panther- Matt), which was approximagely 800 yards away, he placed one right in the side which was completely visible to me. To my amazement and disgust I watched the shell bounce off the side. My gunner fired at least six more rounds at that vehicle hitting it from turret to the track. This German tank knowing that I possibly would be supported by a tank destroyer, started to pull away. I was completely surprised to see it moving after receiving seven hits from my gun..."
"Sgt. Frederick H. Wilson, Tank Commander: 'I have been taught that our tanks have much more maneuverability than the German tanks. It has been proven to me just a few days ago that this isn't so. The German Mark V, which is much heavier than our M4, beat ours around a large sized field. Made a sharp swerve or reverse of direction in a shorter space than ours can possibly do. German tanks have much wider tracks and do not become bogged down as easily as ours do in muddy terrain."
Pretty telling I'd say...
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