Frankly, I know just enough about the M4 Sherman to know that it was designed with a specific purpose in mind. It was built to fulfill that purpose. And it performed that role very well when it was used in that role. If I remember correctly, that role was infantry support. That’s why it was armed with a medium velocity 75mm cannon with very good HE characteristics. As far as I can tell, it was designed, built and intended for that role. I see no reason how there was a scandal. Could there have been a better tank used? Sure. Did we need that tank at the time the Sherman was designed? Not really. The Sherman was more than good enough to do what we needed it to do at the time of design. That is not what I call a scandal. Now if you wrote a book called the Pershing Scandal… That might garner a bit more of a positive result than this book has. Maybe. There, I just gave you your next book idea.
How about a book on the Tiger II scandal? I mean, at that stage of the war the Germans had NO business building such an expensive and unrelaible tank designed for breakthrough operations when they were clearly fighting a denesive war…actually, a case could be made for the Tiger I being a scandal as well…
Hobbs- nice avatar. Quite lovely.
So in the spirit of really dumb things militaries do, how about the Graf Zeppelin and her sister ship “B”?
When by 1943 the US had lost 4 fleet carriers, but would go on to build 12 more before the end of the war, the British had lost 6 and would build 4 more, and the Japanese had lost 4 and would build 1 1/2 more, the Germans plugged along with the fated sisters.
The steel alone could have built by my estimation 50- 60 Type 9 U Boats. Wouldn’t that have been a sweet command? Good thing they didn’t; might have changed the war.
Why are these “scandals” and “conspiracies” always about something western, preferably American things? Whenever somebody decides to cash in on something it is the easiest thing to do. “Dirty secrets” of this or that, “hidden/secret” whatever, but it always referes to something American or western. Can you spell boring and overused? Can somebody be inovative once for change and write someting new, say, about something scandlous in Chinese army wepon development or Soviet/Russian army conspiracy? Anything about Iranian army scandal or something? Anything about scandals/conspiracies/dirty secrets about Israely army?
AUS, honestly, what are you up to?
Trading TOWs for money?
I stayed in Tito’s Villa on my honeymoon. That guy must have had an offshore account?[:#]
I stayed with Tito on mine…great host…
Which one? He had few [:)]
The one on Lake Bled
Reminds me of the Motel 6 I stayed at in Sarajevo…
Didn’t you use the King of Yugoslavia’s deluxe train to travel to Weich’s HQ? And drank all of his Slivovitz!
Until the Partisans blew the bridge…
Slivovica- hoo boy! When I was serving in Bosnia we would be patrolling and the civilians would come out with a tray of little shot glasses full of it. We had to explain that as much as we appreciated their Yugoslavian hospitality, the US Army was forbidden to drink on duty! Meanwhile the other 20 or so armies serving there beside us were gulping it down!
We recovered WWII arms there alomost on a daily basis, doing what was called a “Weapons Harvest-” PPSHs, Mauser K98s, MG 42s, the works. The OSS was working there at one point, so would hear rumors of some GI recovering “Tommy guns,” but I suspect they were really PPsHs.
Would have loved to incorporate some of these experiences into “FOR WANT OF A GUN,” but it wasn’t directly tank-related. But probably my most dramatic “tank memory” of Bosnia was stepping off the plane at Eagle Base, Tuzla, on day one of my lovely tour, and upon descending the airplane steps, being confronted by the bombed-out hulk of a T-34 right off the runway. You can imagination the impression that made on a Trooper just arriving for his deployment.
.
…good for you, because typically I had my people lacing those shots with arsenic and/or mercury…
WTH let me jump in here. i am currently preparing to teach a class on LENINGRAD and the siege and a class on THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR so i am eastern campaign focused but that has never stopped me from opining.
i understand part of the problem was shipping requirements and unlaoding capability. not sure how much is a scandal, any more than the Germans putting 37mm on PZ-III when hitler wanted a bigger gun.
we developed an entire branch called tank destroyers which weren’t needed as envisioned by the time they were deployed. same with ADA.
i will look into the book. it does sound interestin.
The first half would also apply to the T-34. Not the second part in so far as concept. In fact it certainly proved out in Korea, the Middle East, Indo- Pakistan wars and on and on to do so.
I knew a guy, who was a member of a Volkswagen car club that restored and ran Beetles with original parts. Mine was a 63 with a sunroof.
He ran the things into the ground. One he had went 350,000 miles. Three transaxles and ten engines.
He claimed to have been, and I believe him, a member of the Wehrmacht during the war, a mechanic. He always said that they lost the war because every part number had 12 digits (his opinion, not mine), and that what made VW great was the engineering expertise that the Allies brought in after the war to the company. Canada was a major factor.
On the subject of Shermans themselves and battle damage to them, check out this link. From the British Guards Armoured Divsion War Diaries this covers individual tank casualties for a certain period with detailed damage listed, as well as photos. Sobering and enlightening at the same time.
I wonder if this is related to Belton Cooper and his contentions that General Patton kept the Sherman in service while holding up development of its replacement (T-26)?
A very interesting (but long) thread on this controversy. I found it informative.
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=113&t=43502
Gary
Well the OP has certainly stirred interest in his new book hasn’t he?