Army field manual on the use of the Sherman only dedicated a single page of text and 4 diagrams to tank-to-tank combat. It should be noted that while American tank doctrine at the time expected the tank to be effective against a wide range of enemies, including other tanks, there was still little emphasis on tank-to-tank action. It incorporated many lessons from America's light tanks in the '30s, and was planned as a fast and dependable tank which could be used to support infantry, break through enemy lines, and shore up defenses as needed. This design became the Medium Tank, M4, better known as the Sherman. Design of the new tank came hot on the wheels of the M3, and it was approved in April 1941. It was clear from the beginning that an even newer tank was needed, one that got things right. It had good armor and firepower for its time, but it was a tall and large target, it had poor off-road performance, various design problems, and its sponson-mounted main gun had a limited field of fire. The M3, however, was cooked up in a hurry and was really only good as a stopgap measure. An M3 Lee in Fort Knox (Photo: Library of Congress)
0 kommentar(er)
