Panzer
What is stronger, the American tank M4 Tank(Sherman Tank) or the German tank Panzer IV?
What do you think?
“Stronger” isn’t a particularly good word.
Both tanks were fundamentally different. The M4 Medium (only the Brits called it the Sherman) was an exploitation tank designed from 1941 to be the standard equipment of the new Armored Divisions. It was fast, had good mobility and was armored sufficiently to protect against the typical anti-tank weapons of the day (37-40mm). As per U.S. armored doctrine the M4 had a medium-velocity main gun (based on the famous WWI French Mle 1897 field gun) which fired an effective high-explosive shell and offered a useful anti-tank performance when needed. Fortunately for the allies the M4 was also highly suitable to mass production, could be powered by a variety of different engines depending on what was available, was conveniently sized for trans-oceanic shipment and was reliable and easy to maintain in service. This assured high availability rates so that units could maximize their offensive power.
The Panzerkampfwagen IV (Mark IV to the Brits) is a much older design whose origins begin in 1934. It was never intended to be the primary equipment of the Panzer Divisions but rather was a “heavy” tank in German doctrine to equip only one Panzer Kompanie in 4 as a Battalion support vehicle. The armor on early models was thin – too thin to assure protection from the common anti-tank weapons of the day. The main armament was the same caliber as the M4 at 75mm but the German gun on the A thru F1 models was a low-velocity affair only designed to lob HE rounds to demolish targets such as small buildings, machine gun and anti-tank gun emplacements. The anti-armor performance was weak and the Panzer IV was dependent on other vehicles for support if enemy armor appeared. But then, like the M4 the Panzer IV was not designed to fight other tanks. The Panzer IV was more difficult and expensive to produce than it should have been but reliable in service.
As the war progressed it was clear all of Germany’s other tank designs were wholly inadequate and a series of improvements to armor and armament were forced upon the Panzer IV. By 1944 the frontal amor thickness had increased from 30mm to 85mm and the original 7.5cm KwK 37 L24 low-velocity gun had been replaced by the high-velocity KwK 40 L48 weapon with muzzle velocity increased from 430 m/s to 990 m/s firing APCR shot for dramatically improved anti-armor performance. The new gun gave up little in terms of its HE performance however unlike the later Panther. Unfortunately, these “improvements” increased the vehicles weight and in particular made it nose-heavy which badly effected cross-country perforamance.
The American’s were slower to update the M4 Medium based on war experience but part of that is due to the fact that until May of 1944 the M4 had been absolutely superb in combat. Only in late June and July of 1944 after the Normandy landings when it was subjected to a new generation of heavy German anti-tank weapons in quantity for the first time did people start to complain. Then in the late fall the wet, muddy conditions of northern France found the M4′s mobility – so brilliant in Africa and Italy – lacking. These problems were being fixed by December 1944 but the tanks reputation was (quite unfairly in my mind) ruined.
Both tanks performed well in combat particularly once the German’s figured out how wrong they had got the requirements on the original Panzer IV and modified it into a medium tank. But the Panzer IV was technically obsolescent by the beginning of 1944 and had reached the limit of modification. It should have been completely replaced in that year by the Panther but German industry wasn’t up to the task.
Ideally the M4 should have been replaced from mid-1944 by a new tank (to my mind the T25E1 not the T26) but Eisenhower was certainly correct in asserting this switch would have upset plans for the invasion of Europe. Barring that, the M4 could have been upgraded earlier to improve its performance if not for certain intelligence failures and a general feeling of “if it ain’t broke…” If all M4′s deplolyed in Europe had HVSS suspension, wet ammunition stowage and at least 50% had the 76mm high-velocity gun with HVAP ammunition the tank would enjoy a much better reputation today.
In short, it was about 6 of one, half-dozen of the other. The M4 however had a huge chunk of the responsibility for the ultimate allied victory. The Panzer IV could never have been a war-winner for the German’s.
Panzer!
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