Evolution of American Tanks | Animated History

our store now has an evolution of american tanks poster in three colors we've also brought back our evolution of british uniforms poster as well as a few other products head to store.armchairhistory.tv to check it out in this third episode of our evolution of tank series we will be covering the rise of armored fighting vehicles over the 20th century in the united states beginning with american intervention in the first world war and leading through to the closing days of the cold war we will explore the evolution in american armor notably however this video will not include u.s tank destroyers or self-propelled guns they will be saved for a future episode the internet has enabled us to view huge archives of historical material from many eras no matter how much detail is provided however information viewed through the screen of an electronic device will never replace the tactile feel of paper beneath your fingertips that's why the sponsor for today's video is historic mail a service dedicated to helping you connect with the past through the lost art of letter writing how it works is simple every week a stamped envelope is delivered to your doorstep containing a lovingly crafted reproduction of a letter penned by an important historical figure each letter comes complete with a document of contextual information and a typed version for easy reading historic mail offers material from a huge range of sources such as the founding of the american republic in 1776 or the correspondences between famous historical figures and world leaders of the 20th century like the letter albert einstein sent to president roosevelt in 1939 calling for action on nuclear research which eventually led to the establishment of the manhattan project a novel gift for the coming holiday season or any occasion various gift packs are offered for different eras and topics letting you choose the perfect surprise for any loved one who shares your passion for history start your journey back into the past and take advantage of an additional 10 discount by following the link in the description below [Music] as a late ally to the anton's powers in the first world war american reliance on french and british tanks throughout the closing days of the war came as a blessing in disguise in 1917 general john j pershing set up a board to study the requirements needed for a new american tank but a series of production complications and the armistice of 1918 left the u.s stuck with manufacturing a french design these licensed built renault ft-17s became the optimal basis for the american six-ton m1917 french steel-rimmed wooden idler wheels were changed to all metal parts the original engine was replaced with a four-cylinder water cooled design by budo engine company and it was armed with the marlin rockwell m1917 machine gun then later browning m1919 this design became an active part of us military experiments over the interwar period these tests involved exercises in weapons deployment terrain maneuvering and modern communication trials m1917s continued to be used in training exercises up to the late 1930s before being sold off to neighboring allies in canada by 1940. it was during this interwar period that military review bureaus began collaborating with companies such as ford motor company and chrysler corporation to help fast-track development of new light and heavy tanks it was only in 1935 that the fruit of their labor came to light with the introduction of the finalized light tank m2a1 neatly addressing all requirements for speed and mobility the m2a1 was fitted with a continental radial aircraft engine which provided enough power for the tank to sustain on-road speed of over 72 kilometers or 44 miles per hour the m2a1's operational range could reach up to 190 kilometers or 118 miles with road access available by the late 1930s the m2a3 and a4 variants were in production and continued to be used sparingly in the pacific theater while the remaining vehicles did their duty as training tanks the early period of the second world war saw a growing priority for a medium tank something that would need to counter axis armor designs active in europe this resulted in the medium tank m2 standardized in 1939 the m2 featured the much requested 37 millimeter m5 gun along with eight multi-turreted 30 cal browning machine guns the m2's armor was a substantial increase from the light tanks currently being fielded ranging from 9.5 to 25 millimeters to transport the added weight a right air-cooled radial engine was fitted allowing for the m2 to reach on-road speeds of 42 kilometers or 26 miles per hour initially there was a major push to include these tanks in the newly formed armored force under major general adna chaffee in 1940 but the facilities at rock island arsenal were unable to meet the demand by august 1940 even the m2a1 contract with chrysler corporation was cancelled due to the new demand for a tank with a larger armament ultimately the m2 would be used for training purposes only while the american medium tank program floundered improvements continued to be made in the light class category of tanks with the arrival of the light tank m3 known as the stuart while retaining the 37 millimeter gun from the m2a4 the stewart featured improved armor with around 4526 accounted for in total many of these early production stewards would see themselves shipped off through lent lease programs throughout the war and even as surplus postwar u.s tank development progressed with a renewed sense of urgency after the fall of france in 1940. the success of the german blitzkrieg proved that a new era of armored warfare had arrived and the u.s needed to adapt or die with virtually no time for testing the m3 lee was quickly pushed into full-scale production the m3's most important feature was the 75 millimeter m2 and later m3 gun capable of easily penetrating contemporary german tanks at almost any range however the rushed production meant that the gun had to be awkwardly mounted in the hole while the cramped turret was fitted with a 37-millimeter gun instead while a true frankenstein of design the early production model still managed to produce over 6 200 units with some serving until the very end of the war in the pacific theater building on lessons learned from the m3 the ordnance department quickly moved to create a new tank that could feasibly mount the large 75 millimeter gun in the turret this was the medium tank m4a1 best known as the sherman set in an m34 mount the same m3 gun used on the lee could now traverse a full 360 degrees letting the sherman engage targets in any direction by this point the us had finally abandoned the cult of the machine gun leaving the m4a1 with just two lights and one heavy mg the maximum armor thickness was increased to 63 millimeters with a top speed of 35 kilometers or 21 miles per hour thanks to the wright r 975 radial engine with over 6281 models of the m4a1 alone produced the sherman remained an active part of all allied armies throughout the second world war with some even being used in the korean war with the success of the newly formed m4 shermans and ongoing m3a4 stewards the demand for air-cooled radial engines forced the army ordnance to explore alternatives prototype designs began in november of 1941 using the standard m3 stuart housing over a newer twin cadillac v8 engine configuration after successful trials the new light tank m5 began production in april 1942. the new engine required the interior space to be increased and many components altered but the m5 retained speeds of 38 kilometers or 23 miles per hour on road with an operational range of 160 kilometers or 100 miles other additions like the high dramatic automatic transitions simplified crew training in the field the m5 and later m5a1 variant would replace the earlier m3 light tank across the us army continuing to be used as the first line of equipment over the course of the second world war while the sherman and stuart proved successful the same could not be said of the american heavy tank project born out of initial requirements set by the chief of infantry courtney hodges in 1940 initial prototyping ran into a series of difficulties which required project oversight from the society of automotive engineers finally after a period of tests and trials with the t1 model the ordnance department contracted baldwin locomotive works to begin production of the standardized heavy tank m6 in december 1942. the vehicle was armed with a 3 inch or 76 millimeter m7 gun alongside a coaxial 37 millimeter gun in the turret with two 50 cal and two 30 cal browning machine guns despite weighing nearly 60 tons and featuring up to 101 millimeters of armor the 960 horsepower right g200 radial gasoline engine allowed the m6 an on road speed of 35 kilometers or 21 miles per hour unfortunately the m6 was let down by several complications and its armament was considered underpowered by its introduction in 1942. due to these problems the m6 was deemed unfit for active service and never left the working prototype stage by 1944 american forces were involved in numerous theaters of war having fought in north africa the mediterranean western europe and the pacific as these theaters progressed so did technology with the united states primarily focusing on improving their tried and tested designs rather than shipping whole new ones across the globe with d-day drawing near there was a clear need for a heavily armored assault vehicle army ground forces in particular were keen to get the ball rolling and suggested the modification of existing designs to better fit the desired role by march of 1944 the procurement of such a vehicle resulted in the newly designed m4 a3 e2 sherman or jumbo as they were unofficially referred to in the field based on the m4a3 sherman the jumbo featured new armored plates welded to the front hole and side sponsons the final drive house was also given a new casting made thicker by a maximum of roughly 140 millimeters on top of this the turret's gun shield also had its armor extended to a maximum of 178 millimeters after production with fisher tank arsenal ended in july 1944 the tanks proved successful in tests at fort knox and the aberdeen proving grounds and were shipped off to the european front by fall their effectiveness on the front lines would go on to expand military interest in applying heavier assault tank models for the remainder of the war alongside armor and firepower improvements from designs like the jumbo the us military were also pursuing changes to performance and reliability of existing models one of the more successful variants to come out of these trials was the m4a3 76 millimeter wet hvss sherman as this was quite the mouthful the tank was given a less formal nickname the ez8 besides the armor improvements a more powerful ford g double-a engine and a new 76 millimeter gun the ez8 introduced a wet ammunition stowage to reduce fires the horizontal veloute spring suspension system also provided a much smoother all-terrain performance thanks to all of these modifications the ez-8 was quickly recognized as an excellent tank even after the second world war finding common use in the korean war against the t-3485 as the ordnance department built and tested the t20 series of medium tanks the addition of heavier armor and a larger turret to hold the 90 millimeter gun carried it over into the heavy class by 1945 after years of difficulties these efforts culminated in the m26 heavy tank or pershing although retaining the sherman's general layout many radical changes were introduced resulting in a very different vehicle the hole was simplified which allowed for an armor thickness up to 100 to 110 millimeters around the front and gun shields and a new ford gaf v8 engine and torsion bar suspension were used to compensate for the new turret rolling out in 1945 the pershing saw little action in the final months of the second world war though a notable engagement occurred during the offensive at ramagan despite its proven capabilities the m26 still had many deficiencies so it was developed further leading to the patent line of tanks the end of the second world war did not mean the end of american tank research and development with new threats came a new desire for new armor and continuous improvement of the tank platforms became a high priority throughout the cold war with the m26 pershing's reclassification as a heavy tank in 1946 the desires to improve on its design led to the creation of the m46 patent the m46 was based on the standard m26 design retaining the turret and forward hole structure as well as the machine gun improvements were also made to the tank's reliability a stronger v12 engine cross-drive transmission a better power pack and restructured exhaust system gave the m46 much better performance in the field along with the 800 initial models an extra 360 variations were manufactured based off of the dozer m46a1 and m46e1 variants all of these saw action primarily during the korean war before their eventual replacement in december 1960 a combined production effort between detroit tank arsenal and chrysler corporation led to the m60 fitted with a 105 millimeter m68 gun the long length of the barrel provided opportunities for engagement over longer distances and the addition of more modern targeting instruments increased accuracy the combination of smart design and lighter materials such as the interchangeable aluminum wheels and the supercharged diesel engine gave the m60 both impressive speed and a larger operational range despite the early model m60 carrying their own problems relating to armor and shock absorption they were still in active service throughout the 1960s and 1970s serving alongside the m48 and later variant m-60s in vietnam and even the gulf war the limitations of the m41 walker bulldog left the ordnance corps ready to update their light tank capabilities in 1966 the allison division of general motors began building the 152 millimeter gun launcher armored reconnaissance or airborne assault vehicle designated as the m551 or sheridan its main gun the 152 millimeter m81 was very technologically advanced but required modifications like a bore evacuator to deal with leftover fumes not only were regular munitions available but mgm-51 chilela missiles could also be fired from the sheridan's main cannon as long-range guided anti-tank weapons but early production sheridans with the m81 e1 gun also had trouble with barrel wear as the extreme stress from the ammunition caused cracks at the muzzle end of the missile keyway leaving the maximum rounds available under 200 this was fixed in later modifications of the gun allowing for a safe tube life of 600 rounds the sheridan saw combat in vietnam and the invasion of panama but only used its chilela missiles in combat during desert storm six years before they were withdrawn from service with no replacement the late cold war saw the u.s military collaborating with western germany on a joint research project known as the mbt-70 program which sought to provide nato with a main battle tank capable of countering the new warsaw pact designs although the mbt-70 project would be dissolved in early 1971. the united states would use it as a springboard to develop the 105 millimeter gun tank m1 designated abrams the m1 featured a new type of composite armor built in a specific profile designed to maximize crew survivability as well as the namesake m68a1 105 millimeter gun which gave it considerable firepower normally such a tank would be weighed down by this combination of armor and gunnery but the abrams extremely powerful honeywell gas turbine engine could put out 1500 horsepower giving the abrams a maximum cruising speed of 68 kilometers or 42 miles per hour on road the m1 abrams rolled out in service in 1980 joining the new era of modern battle tanks emerging throughout the world similar to the german leopot and soviet t-80 as the cold war reached its final stages the united states focused its energies on improving and developing the m1 platform the fall of the soviet union in 1991 did little to lessen american interest in tank development and the m1 remains central to the us military's arsenal by 1992 a series of existing variants of the original m1 led to the introduction of a heavier variant known as the 120 millimeter gun tank m1a2 improving over the m1 abrams gun the m1a2 saw the replacement of an m256 120 millimeter gun which increased overall weight improved internal components armor and other combat systems were also included to ensure the tank was kept up to scratch outside of general upgrades the m1a2 also had specific improvements added based on its service with a major example being the addition of the tank urban survival kit which was included for use in the urban conditions of the middle east a series of advanced weapon systems were also added over time like the crew remote operated weapon system or continuous electronic enhancement program all necessary to ensure the effectiveness and crew survivability it was intended for while initially introduced in 1992 the m1a2 has seen various improvements leading up to its current m1a2 sep v3 model while there have been proposals for an m1a3 variant a number of delays has led to the m1a2 sep v4 being the only developmental model ready for testing [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: The Armchair Historian

Views: 2,156,307

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Id: MEhMOTpbWOY

Length: 20min 42sec (1242 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 23 2021