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Ram Tank
View attachment 266862
The Canadians did a really remarkable job building this but since it is, for all practical purposes, an M3 Grant or early M4 from the break in the hull front down and all the way to the back of the tank, I am not seeing what the big advantage over the Sherman is.
Same engine, transmission, suspension/running gear. Driver swapped sides but that little turret instead of bow gun isn't a big deal. Side hatches were soon dropped from both Ram and Sherman. Basic difference in combat effectiveness is if you prefer the 75mm or the 6pdr.
While the Ram may very well be a better tank than what the British had in 1942 since it is more or less a right hand drive Sherman a lot of what applies to one applies to the other.
actually for WWII Gun vrs Armour Calculator the 6 pdr with AP supercharge round has inferior capability vs Pz IV F that the 75/40 with AP (and is possible that americans had already some APCBC)Since the Shermans 75mm will penetrate most (all but about 100 or so MK IVGs with the added armor) German tanks at 1000yds or better in 1942 it is a little hard to see what advantage the 6pdr brings.
Since the Shermans 75mm will penetrate most (all but about 100 or so MK IVGs with the added armor) German tanks at 1000yds or better in 1942 it is a little hard to see what advantage the 6pdr brings. Spring of 1943 with a larger percentage of up armored tanks yes,
6pdr doesn't have much for HE ( yes it was being produced in 1942) and 6pdr smoke shells don't exist.
Without a good armor breakdown of the Ram it is hard to say, Granted it is a bit shorter than the Sherman but it weighs almost the same so having thicker armor over large areas does't seem likely. A few small areas can certainly be a bit thicker. But with that MG turret the front end is an amazing collection of shot traps. I could be wrong but I would tend to figure the three piece transmission housing/lower hull is pretty much the same as a Grant/Sherman.
Something isn't passing the smell test. The Ram was supposed to be about 1500lbs lighter than a M4A1 Sherman (cast hull) yet if you use the armor thickness you give on a 15 ft side 1 1/2 ft high (doubled) (area over the tracks?) and for hull front on top of transmission housing without changing the transmission housing and count the turret as 5 ft long and 2 feet high (doubled) the extra armor would weigh about 3000lbs.
Now I can under stand the Canadian track being a bit lighter than US track and a few other bits an pieces being a bit lighter but using the same same engine, drive-line, transmission, suspension doesn't leave much room for change there.
The thicknesses given may be true but something doesn't look right.
The PZ IVG I'm talking about is the earlier version with the 50+30 armor.
I did a simulation of 3 vs 3 tanks at about 480m for T-34/76 M'43 and the 4G takes it 4 times to 1. Then vs the T-34/76e M'42 and the 4G wins only 1 times to 4. Then vs the T-34/57 M'41 and the 4G wins 4 to 0 with one tie.
AIUI the Ram hull is lower than the Sherman, and the turret is also lower and smaller. The difference in turret dimensions alone would account for much of the weight difference.
And that centerpiece was checked by the Germans using tank firefighting groups to hold the Russian breakthroughs until their lines reformed.There are a couple of issues in relation to this.
its a big issue, but I would say not even the dominant issue. This was because of the nature of combat the Soviets preferred, and from Stalingrad on (with the exception of Kursk and one or two other incidents) they increasingly dictated the terms of battle on the Eastern Front) After Kursk, once the Russians had won the initiative, they seldom bothered to stop and duke it out with the few German tanks that might be there to oppose their break throughs. There were reasons why the Soviets referred to their T-34s as a Breakthrough tank, and the dominant type of battle when on the offensive as the breakthrough, or exploitation battle. Basically flatten, or suppress a section of the front with artillery and airpower, Use a mixed force of tanks and Infantry to smash a hole through that sector. Heavy losses likely at this point as the germans will be able to use their firepower advantages to full effect. but once the breach is made, bring up reserves to firstly restore the integrity of the assault forces, which now switch to holding open the breach, and secondly, a second reserve force....the breakthrough groups, to push as far and as deep as they can, exploiting the phenomenal mobility and endurance that were the hallmark of Russian mechanised formations. Soviet T-34s, with their long range fuel tanks were a centrpiece of those formations and operations.
And that centerpiece was checked by the Germans using tank firefighting groups to hold the Russian breakthroughs until their lines reformed.There are a couple of issues in relation to this.
its a big issue, but I would say not even the dominant issue. This was because of the nature of combat the Soviets preferred, and from Stalingrad on (with the exception of Kursk and one or two other incidents) they increasingly dictated the terms of battle on the Eastern Front) After Kursk, once the Russians had won the initiative, they seldom bothered to stop and duke it out with the few German tanks that might be there to oppose their break throughs. There were reasons why the Soviets referred to their T-34s as a Breakthrough tank, and the dominant type of battle when on the offensive as the breakthrough, or exploitation battle. Basically flatten, or suppress a section of the front with artillery and airpower, Use a mixed force of tanks and Infantry to smash a hole through that sector. Heavy losses likely at this point as the germans will be able to use their firepower advantages to full effect. but once the breach is made, bring up reserves to firstly restore the integrity of the assault forces, which now switch to holding open the breach, and secondly, a second reserve force....the breakthrough groups, to push as far and as deep as they can, exploiting the phenomenal mobility and endurance that were the hallmark of Russian mechanised formations. Soviet T-34s, with their long range fuel tanks were a centrpiece of those formations and operations.
You are right. I forgot the exploding fuel tanks of the T-34.If we are talking about the best tank then the Pz IVG would be the winner as one for one it was the best. However if we are talking about the PzIVF2 then I stick with the T34/76. The Sherman is a good tank but compared to the T34 its a lot bigger, doesn't have the same cross country performance, has a very inflammable engine and I prefer the sloped armour of the T34. The Sherman has advantages for sure but overall I stay with the T34.
glider i don't understand because G is good and the F-2 no
the difference of early G and the F-2 were the name