The 1939 German offensive
transformed the perception of armored vehicle assaults
and their potential threat. Heinz Guderian's advancements in combined
arms tactics emphasized the utilization of armored forces as the foremost method
of projecting formidable striking power, delivering a profound shock
impact when employed collectively. initially, the Allied assessments
attributed the German Army's success in swiftly conquering
France solely to their tanks. However, they failed to fully grasp
The crucial role of supporting arms in exploiting the Breakthrough
and facilitating the advance. As a result, there was a frantic rush to develop an effective method to counter
and defeat the German Panzer The tanks utilized by American armored units were specifically tailored to fulfill the
intended role of the Armored Division. These formations were designed to encircle
enemy positions and operate deep within the opponent's rear area. Therefore
the vehicle designs prioritize maneuverability and Mobility rather than
Firepower and heavy armor protection. The M4 Sherman medium tank emerged as the primary
American tank during the second World War. It played a pivotal role in the
war effort with approximately 50,000 units manufactured and deployed
by both the American and Allied armies. However its 75 millimeter main
gun was insufficient in terms of armor-piercing capability as it sacrificed
firepower and armor for greater Mobility. Therefore standard tactics for a five tank
platoon engaging German Tiger and Panther tanks necessitated one section to act as a decoy
drawing the enemy fire while the other section maneuver to flank the German tanks and engage
them from the vulnerable side for rear positions. These tactics were never morale builders for
tank Crews nor could the m4's armor protect them from the high velocity 75 millimeter and 88
millimeter guns commonly mounted on German tanks. In such encounters, American Tank units heavily
depended on support from aircraft artillery and tank destroyers to compensate for the Sherman's
vulnerabilities and engage the enemy effectively. in the Quest for viable anti-tank solutions, the development of the tank destroyer
emerged as the Logical path forward. To equip this vehicle with
formidable offensive capabilities, the United States introduced
the 76 millimeter M1 gun and the designated vehicle tasked with fulfilling this
Mission would be the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer. In April 1944, a small number of
Sherman tanks equipped with the M1A1 76 millimeter anti-tank gun arrived
in the European theater of operations. However, due to the prevailing perception of
Tanks primarily serving as infantry support, commanders were initially hesitant to accept them. This reluctance stemmed from the fact that the
previous 75 millimeter high explosive rounds contain twice the amount of explosive compared
to their 76 millimeter anti-tank counterparts. No 76 millimeter Shermans
took part in the Normandy invasion during Operation Overlord on June 6 1944. This was due to the hesitation
of trading the high lethality of the 75 millimeter he rounds
against Personnel for improved armor penetration performance offered
by the 76 millimeter anti-tank rounds. As the U.S army Advanced Inland from the
beaches, the mistake of not having 76 millimeter Shermans became evident. The German
Panzer IV produced in large numbers and for an extended period during the war underwent
modifications and continuous upgrades. This meant that Allied armored units had a
higher likelihood of encountering a Panzer 4 on the battlefield compared
to any other German Panzer. The 76 millimeter gun equipped
with the APC rounds would have easily overcome earlier models of German panzers. However, when the 76 millimeter gun arrived in
the European theater of operations during the summer of 1944, the Panzer 4 had already undergone
several upgrades in terms of armor and armament. Initially the Panzer 4 and Panther utilized
face hardened steel armor but as production continued they transitioned to
rolled homogeneous steel armor. However, the progression of the war
posed challenges for the Germans as they faced a shortage of molybdenum, a critical
ingredient for producing high quality armor. Therefore the later armor plates became more
brittle and prone to cracking upon impact. This led to significant variations in the
quality of armor among Panther tanks with some plates being improperly tempered and
susceptible to shattering upon impact. On the other hand the Panther tanks with good quality
armor exhibited significantly higher toughness. The 75 millimeter gun proved entirely insufficient
against upgraded German armor, also the 76 millimeter APC failed to conquer the panther
in frontal assaults even at Close Quarters. The incapacity of the 3-inch
and 76 millimeter guns to breach the Panther's frontal armor sent
a seismic shock through Allied command. The key factor preventing penetration of the front
Hull seems to be the slope design of the armor. Flanking and rear attacks
yielded far better results. While the Tiger tank posed a formidable
challenge, the low likelihood of encountering it along with the strategy of attrition
diminished the overall threaded posed. Throughout the Breakthrough
battles of July and August 1944, tank Crews from the second Armored
Division gained valuable experience in engaging German Panther and tiger
tanks using their M4 Shermans. They were well aware that the ammunition used
in a 75 millimeter gun which was mounted on most of the M4 Shermans was incapable
of penetrating the heavily armored front of Panthers and tigers regardless of the
range but could damage the sides and rear. Consequently, the tankers employed wide
encircling movements employing one platoon of Tanks to divert the enemy's attention
while another platoon attacked from the rear. However these tactics came at a heavy cost. During the period from July 26 to August 12 1944, a tank Battalion from the second Armored
Division suffered devastating losses. Over half of its combat Personnel were killed
or wounded and around 70 percent of its tanks were either destroyed or required evacuation
for extensive repairs in the fourth echelon. By employing flanking tactics and leveraging
artillery support to directly Target enemy tanks, the American forces emerged victorious
in their battles and dealt substantial blows to the Germans, resulting
in heavy losses for the enemy. As the Roer offensive commenced in November 1944, the second Armored Division had managed
to enhance its Firepower to some extent. Approximately half of the division's M4 tanks were
now armed with the more potent 76 millimeter gun. Utilizing the newly developed but limited tungsten
carbide Core HVAP ammunition, the tankers had the capability to penetrate the front belly plate
of the panther from a distance of 300 yards. At a closer range of 200 yards, they had a reasonable chance of
penetrating the front slope plate. Furthermore, the division's tank destroyer
Battalion had recently received the new M36 destroyers which were equipped with
the formidable 90 millimeter gun. The 76 millimeter hyper velocity
armor-piercing Tracer or HVAP-T shot proved advantageous as it could
effectively Target the front of the panther turret at typical combat distances
in the European theater of operations. In August 1944, the first shipment of 2000 rounds of 76 millimeter HVAPT ammunition was
delivered to France via Air transport. Shortly after, on September 18, the M18
tank destroyers from the 704th and 603rd tank destroyer battalions engaged
German tanks near Lunéville France. Remarkably, the M18 successfully destroyed eight Panthers during the battle without
suffering any losses of their Own. American soldiers were well aware of the
ineffectiveness of frontal attacks against German armor recognizing that targeting the thinner
rear armor provided better chances of success. As tactics evolved alongside
advancements in technology, the introduction of the M1 76 millimeter
gun and the HVAP shot proved crucial in leveling the playing field and securing
victory during the Battle of the Bulge. Throughout the remainder of the second world
war this 76 millimeter ammunition continued to have a significant impact making
a difference in combat engagements. During the battle at Puffendorf on November
17 1944, the Shermans engaged in a desperate fight bravely attempting to engage the enemy
tanks with their 75 and 76 millimeter guns. However, the tanks that managed
to get within range for their guns to be effective were swiftly
targeted and destroyed by enemy fire. In some instances when American tankers managed
to land direct hits on German tanks, their shells would Ricochet off the thick armor soaring into
the air without causing significant damage. For example it took one Sherman tank firing
14 rounds of 76 millimeter ammunition at a tiger tank before achieving any success only to be
destroyed shortly afterward by another Tiger tank. As some tank companies found themselves with only three or four tanks left an
ammunition running critically low, both battalions requested reinforcements in
the form of 90 millimeter tank Destroyers. These 'can openers' as they were referred to by the tankers, played a vital role
in repelling the German forces. However, the victory came at a heavy price for the two battalions with significant
losses in terms of tanks and personnel. The day's intense action on the roar plane
resulted in the second Armored Division losing 38 medium tanks either destroyed
or knocked out along with 19 light tanks. Additionally there were 56 soldiers
killed 281 wounded and 26 reported missing with the majority of these losses
occurring during the battle at Puffendorf. The requirements for tank destroyer Vehicles inadvertently led to compromises that
greatly hindered the primary role of the M1 76 millimeter gun in effectively
engaging and defeating enemy tanks. In contrast, the British had no limitations imposed by Doctrine on the
weight of their cannons. They successfully Incorporated their own 76
millimeter gun known as the 17-pounder which proved to be the most effective anti-tank gun
among the Allied Forces throughout the war. The British Sherman Firefly tank armed with
the 17-pounder gun outperformed its American counterparts due to its longer barrel
and threefold increase in propellant. This combination resulted in a considerably
higher muzzle velocity giving the British Sherman a substantial advantage in Firepower
compared to the U.S 76 millimeter variant. The APDS round developed for the 17-pounder
boasted an impressive muzzle velocity of 3950 feet per second giving the weapon the capability to
penetrate and defeat all German armored vehicles even at extended ranges surpassing typical tank
engagements in the European theater of operations. This solution proves to be entirely plausible and effective in addressing
the Panzer upgrade problem. In early 1944, the U.S army faced a crucial
decision regarding its armored forces whether to stick with the M4 Sherman or prioritize
production of the new M26 Pershing heavy tank. The tank debate divided commanders
with some favoring the Pershing. However, Lieutenant General George S
Patton, renowned for his expertise in tanks, advocated for the smaller and
supposedly more maneuverable Sherman. He believed that tanks should bypass enemy tanks if
possible and focus on attacking rear objectives. Despite concerns raised, senior
Allied commanders including General Dwight Eisenhower sided with Patton and
chose to increase Sherman production. In hindsight, this decision is widely regarded as
one of the most detrimental choices of World War II potentially prolonging the war and resulting
in significant losses for tank crew members. Over the next 11 months, the
third Armored Division starting with 232 M4 tanks in the Normandy
campaign suffered immense losses. 648 Shermans were destroyed in combat with
700 more disabled and awaiting repairs an astounding cumulative loss weight of 580 percent. Tank crew casualty soared leading to a
severe shortage of experienced personnel. By late 1944, Desperate Measures were
taken as newly arrived infantrymen were hastily trained and deployed
as replacement tank Crews. Some of these recruits received just a single day of Armor training before being
sent to the front in their M4 tanks. The situation underscored the pressing
demand for tanks and the dire measures taken to maintain armored forces
amidst the Relentless battles.
