WW2 Tanks

This page is dedicated to some of my WW2 tanks - from light armored tanks to tank destroyers, anti-air tanks, mortar tanks and more. This includes the variants and other models. I'll share it by order of creation.

Panzer I

The light armored Panzer I was the German first tank produced prior and during World War 2. During the time Germany was restricted to build armored combat vehicles due to the Treaty of Versailles, developments for new armored combat doctrines and the first prototypes of tanks began around 1920 and 1930 in secrecy in the Soviet Union - under the designation Leichttraktor (light tractor) and the Großtraktor (great tractor). As the country was gradually rearming its forces after the arrival of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to power, the Treaty of Versailles was dismantled - giving full production of the first armored vehicles known as the Panzerkampfwagen (armored combat car). The Panzer I was armed with two 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 13 LMG - making it suitable only for counter the enemy infantry since it couldn't stand up to enemy tanks like the Soviet T-26, BT-5 and BT-7 due to its thin armor and two machine guns while other tanks counted with armor piercing weapons. The Panzer I formed the basis for the German new lightning war doctrine known as the Blitzkrieg - proposed by Heinz Guderian for a combined attack composed of tanks, ground attack planes and motorized infantry. It participated in several battles - from the Spanish Civil War, the Invasion of Poland, the Invasion of Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, France, North Africa and the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa, gradually being withdrawn from service between 1943 and 1944. In 1944, a considerable number of Panzer I's were decommissioned and their turrets were used to reinforce the coastal defenses of the Atlantic Wall. Few variants included the Panzerjäger I (tank destroyer version of the Panzer I); Panzer I Ausf. F (a moderate-to-heavy armored version of the Panzer I); 15 cm sIG 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen I (self-propelled gun tank); Munitionsschlepper auf Panzerkampfwagen I (ammunition carrier for German troops and vehicles); Brückenleger I (bridge layer tank); Flakpanzer I (rare version of the Panzer I for anti-air combat vehicle); Sd.Kfz. 265 Panzerbefehlswagen (command tank); Flammenwerfer auf Panzerkampfwagen I (flamethrower tank); and the Panzer I Breda (Breda-mounted gun instead of the two MG 13 machine guns).

Panzer VI Tiger I

The Panzerkampfwagen VI, also known as the Tiger I, was the most remarkable German heavy tank produced during WW2. When Germany invaded France in June 1940, their Panzer I, II, III and IV proved to be inferior compared to the French SOMUA S35 and Char B1 and the British Matilda II in terms of firepower and armor, but their major advantage was their tactical coordination, communications and the combine offensive with the Luftwaffe and motorized forces. However, it was soon realized the German Army needed a heavy tank. Although they developed the Neubaufahrzeug, it didn't see mass production due to mechanical issues, with small numbers seeing action in Norway during World War 2. After the fall of France in 1940, Henschel and Porsche were tasked to develop a new type of heavy tank. The new tank would be armed with a powerful cannon, having good protection and weighing about 45 tons. While the two companies worked on their prototypes, in 1941, Operation Barbarossa was initiated when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union. To their bitter surprise, they encountered the nearly invincible T-34 and KV tanks - proving to be immune to all weapons. Even the armor piercing rounds from the Panzer 38(t), III and IV were repelled by the sloped armor of the T-34 - a feature little used by other nations, but one that has proven useful for the development of resistant tanks; and the heavy armor of the KV-1. The only thing that could take down the Soviet tanks were the 88 mm Flak 36. With that, the Germans developed a new 88 mm cannon for the Henschel and Porsche prototypes - both receiving the prototype name as VK.45.01 - with H standing for Henschel and P for Porsche - and the two companies had their deadline for April 20 1942 - Adolf Hitler's 53rd birthday. The Porsche prototype suffered from engineering problems due to a complex gasoline-electric hybrid engine installed on the tank and hoping to win the contest they built several chassis - which later became the Ferdinand / Elefant tank destroyer. The Henschel prototype was simple and a little cheaper to build - receiving the designation Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf H1 (Ausf for ausfuhrung - variant or model in German). It saw action on all fronts - from Tunisia (North Africa) to Sicily and North Italy, France, Ardennes, Leningrad and Stalingrad to Kursk (Eastern Front) and the final days of WW2. It proved to be superior to almost all Allied tanks like the M4 Sherman, M5A1 Stuart, M3 Lee, Matilda, Valentine, Churchill Mk II and Mk V, T-34-76 and KV-1 tanks - thanks to its 88 mm KwK 36 cannon and a powerful front and side armor. It also counted with a German MG34 and/or MG42 for anti-personal and anti-air defense and some smoke canisters located at the turret side. However, due to its firepower and armor, the biggest issues were its speed, mobility and weight. It was powered by a Maybach HL210 P45 gasoline engine - capable of providing 485 kW (650 hp) at 3,000 rpm - quite a good engine but underpowered for a vehicle like the Tiger I. Its suspension system also suffered considerably during the Rasputitsa - a muddy condition that made it difficult for many German vehicles and tanks to move across unpaved terrain, especially for the Tiger I with its heavy armor protection and its poor engine. With some units suffering from engine failures, lack of spare parts and fuel, the crewmen demolished their own Tiger tanks to avoid capture, although few units fell to Allied and Soviet hands. Knowing its strengths and weaknesses, the Allies introduced new anti-Tiger tactics and tanks like the Sherman Firefly, Cromwell, Comet, M26 Pershing, M36 'Jackson' Tank Destroyer, M4A3E8 and Sherman Jumbo, T-34-85, IS-2, SU-100, SU-122, SU-152 and ISU-152 to confront the Tiger at safe distances. Also, the Allied nations counted with air superiority to spot and take down German tanks. The Tiger I had its production interrupted in 1944 due to the development of a new heavy tank and its successor: the Tiger II. With the end of WW2, few Tiger tanks survived - with one in particular the Tiger 131 - a Tiger I captured by the British during the Battle of Tunisia - that is still in display at the UK's Tank Museum and it was also the first operational Tiger tank to appear in WW2 movies like Fury (despite the duel scene between Tiger and the Sherman tanks was a little off in WW2 tank warfare consensus). Variants included the Befehlspanzer Tiger (command tank) and the Sturmtiger (a mobile bunker with a powerful but slow mortar capable of destroying buildings and tanks at long distances).

Panzer IV

The Panzer IV was the German second medium tank that became the backbone of the Panzer Battalions. Prior to WW2, the development of the Panzer III and Panzer IV took a slow pace while the Germans studied to implement the new doctrine of Blitzkrieg (lightning war) by Heinz Guderian. Then Krupp, MAN and Rheinmetall-Borsig presented its prototypes - with Krupp being selected for further development. The original purpose for the Panzer IV was infantry support tank with a 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 howitzer - capable of destroying enemy fortifications and bunkers; while the Panzer III would be relegated to face enemy tanks. However during the Battle of France in 1940, the Germans realized the Panzer III had little firepower to take down the French Char B1 and Somua S35 and the British Matilda I and Matilda II; and with the Panzer I, Panzer II, Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t) in great numbers, the Panzer IV had to be integrated in tank-vs-tank warfare. After the fall of France, the Panzer IV underwent a series of modifications and upgrades. During Operation Barbarossa (the German invasion of the Soviet Union) in 1941, the Panzer IV in its F model outclassed the Soviet T-26 and BT tanks - all light armored vehicles and obsolete as the Soviets needed for more heavy armored vehicles. But when they brought the newly T-34 and KV tanks, the Germans were shocked as their main anti-tank weapons and their Panzer III and Panzer IV had no effective results against the Soviet tanks. Throughout the war, the Panzer IV became the vanguard of the German armored forces - receiving new powerful guns like the 75 mm KwK 40 cannon, new Schürzen spaced armor protecting its turret and side chassis from AT-weapons like the M1A1 Bazooka, PIAT and explosive weapons; while the Panzer III was relegated to infantry support tank in its N model and a considerable number of these vehicles had to return to the factories to be converted to Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) and its turrets being used to build coastal defenses - the same fate for the Panzer I and Panzer II. Despite the Tiger I and the Panther tanks arriving on the battlefield in 1943 to 1945 to answer the T-34, the M4 Sherman, Crusader and Churchill, the Panzer IV remained in service until the end of WW2 - with about 8,553 units including its variants. The major variants of the Panzer IV were the Hummel, Nashorn, Sturmgeschütz IV and Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers, the Sturmpanzer IV - nicknamed by the Allied as Brummbär (mortar mobile vehicle for destroying fortifications and buildings); the Flakpanzer IV, Möbelwagen, Ostwind and Wirbelwind (anti-air mobile defense); Brückenleger IV (bridge layer tank) and the Bergepanzer IV (recovery damaged / destroyed German tank). Aside from Germany, other nations like Hungary, Romania, Italy, Finland, Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain, Croatia and Syria received the Panzer IV during WW2, with few units falling to the French army, British and the Soviets.

Panzer III

The Panzer III was the German first medium tank built prior and during WW2, facing all fronts. Prior to WW2, the development of the Panzer III and Panzer IV took a slow pace while the Germans studied to implement the new doctrine of Blitzkrieg (lightning war) by Heinz Guderian. Daimler-Benz, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall presented its prototypes in 1936, with Daimler-Benz winning the competition and being selected for further development. The Panzer III would be relegated to face enemy tanks while the Panzer IV would be tasked with destroying anti-tank weapons and bunkers. Initial models with suspension systems consisted of five large wheels, especially the Ausführung A; then modifications were taken - by eight wheels similar to the Panzer IV to finally using the six wheels in the Ausführung E to N. Its main gun was the 37 mm KwK 36 - capable of taking down light armored vehicles, yet moderate to no effective against heavily armored vehicles like the French SOMUA S-35, Char B1 and the British Matilda Mk I and Mk II during the initial days of WW2; and two coaxial MG34 for anti-infantry defenses. After the fall of France in 1940, the Panzer III remained in service, receiving upgrades like a new 50 mm KwK 38 cannon, new suspension system and armor plating. During Operation Barbarossa - the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the arrival of the Soviet KV tanks and the T-34 forced the Germans to develop new tactics, variants and upgrades for the Panzer III like the J1 and M models - carrying the more powerful 50 mm KwK 39 cannon. In 1943 and forwards, the Panzer III was slowly being replaced by the Panzer IV as the production was changing to the Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) tank destroyer. Few existing units underwent a conversion to StuG III in Germany while the later N models came out from the factories with a 75 mm KwK 37 cannon from the first Panzer IVs - capable of firing high explosive projectiles to take down groups of infantry, light armored vehicles and bunkers; and Schürzen spaced armor to protect its turret and chassis (or only the turret). They were tasked with infantry support tanks - a role that was given to the Panzer IV before WW2. Only 5,774 units were produced until 1943, excluding the StuG III. Other variants included the Bergepanzer III (recovery damaged / destroyed German tank), Panzerbeobachtungswagen III (Forward artillery observer tank), Flammpanzer III Ausf. M / Panzer III (Fl) (Flamethrower tank), Sturm-Infanteriegeschütz 33B' (infantry close-support heavy assault gun), Munitionspanzer III (ammunition transporter) and Flakpanzer III (anti-air mobile defense).

M4 Sherman

The M4 Sherman was the American most widely produced and used medium tank during WW2. Named by the British after the American General William Tecumseh Sherman. Before the United States entered World War 2, most of their armored vehicles were M2 Light Tank and the M2 Medium Tank - both obsolete due to its 37 mm cannons, a very high silhouette and light armor plating. After the fall of France in 1940, American engineers were assigned to develop a new tank, capable of housing a 75 mm gun. The first tank to carry this weapon was the M3 Lee - designed as an interim tank while the engineers studied to develop a proper turret to house the 75 mm gun on its successor. The T6 prototype was completed on 2 September 1941. The hull and turret from the initial models consisted of a single steel casting component. As the war progressed, new models used welded plates as the need to reinforce its armor protection to face modern German tanks like the Panzer IV Ausf G and H, StuG III, Panther and the dreadful Tiger I and Tiger II. In addition, different engines, track suspension systems and weapons retrofitted the M4 Sherman into different variants, highlighting the M4A1, M4A3E2 "Jumbo", M4A3, M4A3E8 "Easy Eight", M4A4 and the British Sherman Firefly - carrying the more powerful 76.2mm Ordnance QF 17-pounder. Other variants included the M4 Sherman Crocodile: the flame-thrower version of the M4A3, the M1 dozer blade and the Sherman Crab equipped with flail for clearing enemy mine fields, the M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle, the 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 - nicknamed Priest by the British, the 3-inch GMC (Gun Motor Carriage) M10 and the 90 mm GMC M36 'Jackson' Tank Destroyers, the amphibian Sherman DD (Duplex drive) and the T34 Calliope (an M4 Sherman equipped with rocket launchers like a Soviet Katyusha). The M4 was widely used in several WW2 campaigns, from North Africa to the Mediterranean, Italy, from D-Day to Germany and the Pacific Theater. After WW2, the M4 Sherman remained in American service until 1957, but the lack of sufficient numbers of modern armored vehicles made the M4 to see action in the modern era after the Korean War. Aside from the American and the British Commonwealth (England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and British Colonies), the Soviet Union, the Republic of China, Brazil and France also operated the M4 Sherman. In Post-WW2, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Israel and other NATO nations received the M4 tanks.

T-34

The T-34 was the Soviet most produced medium tank during WW2. Prior to WW2, the Soviets' armored forces consisted of the T-26 and BT tanks. During the Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939), Soviet authorities realized several strengths and weaknesses from these two tanks. The T-26 was slow-moving but was designated to support the infantry while the BT tanks were cavalry tanks: fast-moving but light armored. Both were based on foreign design, with the T-26 based on the British Vickers 6-Ton and the BT tank on the Christie's prototype tank. Before Operation Barbarossa, the Soviets designed the T-28: a multi-turret medium tank to support the infantry to suppress enemy forces and fortifications during the Winter War on Finland, but some units fell to the Finnish due to mechanical issues and lack of proper training after the effects of the Soviet Purges. In 1937, the young engineer Mikhail Koshkin was assigned to the Kharkiv Komintern Locomotive Plant (KhPZ) to design a replacement for the BT tanks. The first prototype, designated A-20, had a modified BA-20 engine and was specified with 20 mm (0.8 in) of armor, a 45 mm (1.77 in) gun, the production model used a Model V-2-34 engine, a less-flammable diesel fuel in a V12 configuration designed by Konstantin Chelpan. It also had an 8×6-wheel convertible drive similar to the BT tank's 8×2, which allowed it to run on wheels without caterpillar tracks. By 1937–38, a second prototype was built by Koshkin, a more heavily armed and armored "universal tank" that reflected the lessons learned and could replace both the T-26 and the BT tanks after the Battle of Lake Khasan and the Battle Khalkhin Gol fought by Soviets and the Japanese Imperial Army. Koshkin named the second prototype A-32, after its 32 mm (1.3 in) of frontal armor. It had an L-10 76.2 mm (3 in) gun, and the same Model V-2-34 diesel engine. Then the tank received the famous designation T-34 as Koshkin chose the name after the year 1934 when he began to formulate his ideas about the new tank. The tank impressed both Stalin and the Soviet High Command during the trials. Unfortunately Mikhael Koshkin died of pneumonia he contracted during the T-34 winter tests from Kharkiv to Moscow, on September 26, 1940; with drivetrain developer Alexander Morozov being appointed as Chief Designer of the T-34 after Koshkin's demise. On 22 June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union - starting Operation Barbarossa. The existence of the T-34 was kept in secrecy from the Germans. Most of the Soviet factories moved to the Ural Mountains, only to regain the pace of production in late 1942. After the initial encounters with the new Soviet tank, including the KV-1 and KV-2, German forces were shocked as their anti-tank guns and Panzer rounds couldn't penetrate the T-34's sloped armor - deflecting the rounds in long distances. Its tracks were wider than the German Panzer, making the T-34 excellent to travel even in muddy conditions while most vehicles would get stuck - especially during the Rasputitsa. However, a considerable number of T-34s were lost during the Eastern Front. The major reasons were the lack of proper training, mechanical issues and the quality of the materials used to build new tanks (some featured brittle steel plating, bad welding fixtures and missing components). In addition to this, the tank suffered from ergonomics, forcing the crew to operate it in cramped space; and the radios were limited to commanding tanks - with a majority of T-34 commanders communicating via flags. As the German Tiger I, Tiger II, StuGs and Panthers became a threat in the Eastern Front, even the modern versions of the Panzer III and Panzer IV, new variants and models were designed: highlighting the T-34-85 with a new turret, radio system, a powerful 85 mm D-5T gun and new engine; and the SU-85 and SU-100 tank destroyers - both designs were based on the T-34's chassis while carrying powerful guns to take down German tanks at long distance. These tanks were designed to face these new opponents, forcing the Axis forces to assume the defensive role. After WW2, the T-34 was replaced by modern tanks like the T-54/T-55 while the surplus of Soviet tanks were delivered to Socialist countries like China, North Korea, Pakistan, Syria, Romania, North Vietnam, Yugoslavia, East Germany and other nations associated with the Warsaw Pact. Even though the production ceased in 1945 in the USSR, the T-34 saw combat after WW2, highlighting the Angolan Civil War (1975–1988); the Bay of Pigs Invasion (Cuban Revolution) in 1961; and other modern conflicts. There was one T-34 that was spotted in Ukraine during the Russian Invasion in 2022.

SU-100

The SU-100 (Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 100, lit. "Self-propelled installation" 100) was the Soviet heavy tank destroyer, developed from the SU-85 with a 100 mm D-10S. It was used extensively during the last year of World War 2 and saw service for many years afterwards with the armies of Soviet allies around the world. The SU-85 was developed from the chassis of the T-34 tank, replacing the turret with a larger, fixed superstructure that allowed a larger gun to be fitted: the 85 mm D-5 gun, providing dramatically upgraded firepower compared to the 76.2 mm gun that equipped the initial models of the T-34. However with the introduction of the T-34-85 in 1943, the main Soviet tank destroyer was rendered obsolete but the engineers came with a new design for a tank destroyer, capable of taking down modern German tanks like the Panzer IV, StuG III, Tiger I and Panther. The new tank was armed with a 100 mm D-10S and had the front armor increased from 45 to 75 mm (1.8 to 3.0 in) in thickness with a constructional armor slope of 55 degrees, making armor as effective as 125 mm, which forced the Panzer IV and StuG III to all but the closest ranges and the Tiger I having to close in at less than 1 km. Additional improvements were the commander's workplace, as it now was made in a small sponson on the right side of the hull; combined with the commander's cupola this improved the commander's effectiveness. Mass production began in September 1944 and it quickly became popular with Soviet tank crews as its gun could penetrate virtually any German tank then in service until being outmatched by the Tiger II. The gun was excellent, capable of knocking down the Tiger I at 2 km with APCBC rounds while its APHE rounds could penetrate a max of 218 mm of armor. The SU-100 especially saw extensive service during the last year of the war. It was used en masse in Hungary in March 1945, when Soviet forces defeated the German Operation Frühlingserwachen offensive at Lake Balaton; and in the Battle of Berlin where the SU-100's HE rounds could deal with heavy fortifications. After WW2 the SU-100 remained in service with the Red Army well after the war; production continued in the Soviet Union until 1947 and into the 1950s in Czechoslovakia. It was withdrawn from Soviet service in 1967 but many vehicles were transferred to reserve stocks. Some exist to this day in the Russian Army holding facilities. Many Warsaw Pact countries also used the SU-100, as did Soviet allies such as Egypt, Angola and Cuba. A few SU-100 were delivered to Yugoslavia after the war, under the designation M-44. The SU-100 saw service in the fighting that accompanied the 1956 Suez Crisis, in which the Egyptians used SU-100s against Israel's M4 Sherman tanks. The vehicle was also utilized in the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

M36 'Jackson' Tank Destroyer

The M36 Tank Destroyer - officially known as the 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage M36; was an American tank destroyer built during World War 2, designed from the M10 Tank Destroyer with the 90 mm M3 cannon. During the conflict, the American main tank destroyers were the M18 Hellcat and the M10 Tank Destroyer (informally known as the Wolverine). With the arrival of modern German tanks like the Tiger I, Tiger II and Panther, both tank destroyers proved to be inadequate to face them due to its main armament, the 3-inch (76.2 mm caliber) gun M7 and the 76 mm gun M1, presenting difficulties to penetrate the thick frontal armor of these new tanks past several hundred yards. In late summer 1942 American engineers had begun examining the potential of a new tank destroyer armed with a 90 mm gun - which would also equip the M26 Pershing. After a series of trials and challenges, the new tank - an M10 redesigned to receive the 90 mm M3 was finally accepted with an order for 300 vehicles on 1 June 1944 as the 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage M36 - nicknamed as the M36 Jackson in the modern days. The first 40 tanks did not make it overseas until September 1944, and entered combat in October 1944. The US First and Ninth Armies used M36s to re-equip tank destroyer battalions attached to armored divisions. The 703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion began re-equipping on 30 September 1944, replacing most of the M10s with M36s. The M36 was well-liked by its crews, being one of the few armored fighting vehicles available to US forces that could destroy heavy German tanks from a distance, with the first tanks destroyed at 4,200 yards (3,800 meters) and 4,600 yards (4200 meters). After the war, production ended in May 1945 with 2,324 units built, with variants like the M36 and M36B2 based on the M10 chassis; and the M36B1 based on the M4A3 Sherman hull and chassis. It was also employed in the Korean War due to the lack of M26 and M46 tanks to support the South Korean army to confront Soviet tanks that equipped the North Korean army. However, limitations like the lack of spare parts and the equipment being retired in the US became apparent, still the Koreans made extensive use of the M36. France, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Serbia and Croatia also operated the American tank destroyer.

M3 Lee / Grant

The M3 Lee was the American first medium tank deployed in combat in WW2, named after the Confederate general Robert E. Lee and Grant by the British after Union general Ulysses S. Grant; and the basis for the M4 Sherman. When WW2 started, the United States lagged behind other nations in design and deployment of tanks on the battlefield. The main armored vehicles were the M2 Light Tank and the M2 Medium Tank - both obsolete due to its 37 mm cannons, a very high silhouette and light armor plating. After the fall of France in 1940, American engineers were assigned to develop a new tank, capable of housing a 75 mm gun. The British requested new tanks to supply their armored forces, with few M3 and M3A1 Stuart being shipped to England. While these American tanks could compete with the German Panzer III and Panzer IV in combat, a new medium tank emerged in August 1941 in the form of the M3 Lee. It had a high silhouette and was armed with two cannons: the 75 mm gun located on a sponson at the tank's right side - forcing the crew to rotate the entire tank for better aim; and a 37 mm gun located on the top turret; and 2 to 4 Browning M1919 machine guns for defense. This gun design was due to rushed development and a lack of experience in producing a turret capable of accommodating the main gun. In addition, the tank's armor plates were fixed by rivets - dangerous for the crewmen if the rivets could pop off in a violent ricochet by non-penetrating round hits and one of the crew could be fatally injured; while the turret consisted in a cast steel component. Aside from these downsides, the M3 Lee proved to be an ideal platform for tank warfare after its introduction among the British and American forces - facing the German Panzer III and Panzer IV and the Italians Fiat M13/40 and M14/41 tanks at safe distances. During his time with the Afrika Korps, General Erwin Rommel noted: “Up to May of 1942, our tanks had in general been superior in quality to the corresponding British types. This was now no longer true, at least not to the same extent.” However, the 88 mm Flak cannon was the only thing the Germans had to take down the M3 Lee at great distances and soon it was slowly being withdraw from combat as the Americans designed it as an interim for the upcoming M4 Sherman - the most produced medium tank in the United States for its army and its allies. The British version of the M3 Lee - aka M3 Grant consisted of the removal of the top turret's cupola and the Grant Command (used by few British officers, with Bernard Montgomery being one of them) having the 37 mm gun replaced by a dummy and was fitted with map table and extra radio equipment. Other nations included the Soviet Union - with 1,386 units being shipped from the US through the Lend-Lease program. Yet, as most of the German tanks had improved weapons and the M3's petrol-engine had the high tendency of catching fire, the Soviet crewmen nicknamed it "the grave for six men" - making it unpopular and soon was relegated to quieter-to-less-action fronts as the T-34 emerged in great numbers. The Brazilian Army also received the M3 Lee during the Italian Campaign in 1942 to 1945 along with the M3A1 and M5A1 Stuart and the M4 Sherman.

Crusader

The Cruiser Mk VI, also known by its General Staff number A15 or simply by Crusader, was a British cruiser tank developed during the early stages of WW2. The tank was designed by Nuffield Mechanizations and Aero in 1938 along with the A13 (Cruiser tank Mk V or simply as Covenanter) for the British Army. Both designs were based on Christie suspension - similar to the Soviet BT tanks and the T-34, with the Covenanter presenting four road wheels while the Crusader presenting five for better weight distribution; and share some similarities for the turret and chassis. However the Crusader had a different gun mantlet design compared to the Covenanter. The main armament was the 40 mm Ordnance QF 2-pounder gun with 110 rounds while the later versions (mainly the Mk III) received the more powerful 57 mm Ordnance QF 6-pounder gun with 65 rounds. Defensive armament consisted in two Besa machine guns - license-built version of the Czech ZB-53. During WW2, the Crusader was the main cruiser tank during the North African campaign. When the Italians attempted to take control over Egypt from the British, their tanks were outmatched by the British tanks, highlighting the cruiser tanks like the Crusader, infantry tanks like the Valentine, the Matilda II and the Stuart light tanks. In response, the German Afrika Korps under Rommel's leadership were tasked to assist the Italians with their Panzer III and Panzer IV medium tanks, and some light tanks to confront the British. Despite the limitations, such as the lack of high-explosive shells, short range and mechanical issues, the Crusader was the suitable tank to confront German and Italian tanks with their QF 2-pounder gun compared to the faster Stuart tanks supplied by the United States as recon tanks in the British Army. After the North African campaign, with the arrival of the Cromwell and Centaur tanks, both the Crusader and the Covenanter were relegated to secondary roles, although its variants remained in service as bulldozer, anti-air vehicles, bridgelayers, gun tractors and ARV (armored recovery vehicles). Around 5,300 Crusaders were built until 1943.

I plan to bring more content related to this page. Until I have the renders of the other planes, it will take a considerable time - which by the moment might be complicated due to my studies and job. Still, I hope you like this page, the images and the brief info about the tanks I made.

See you next time.

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