Western Front Tank Warfare 1944 - WW2 Documentary Special

I recently talked about the armor used in the  great clashes in the east, where German and Soviet machines fight each other in large numbers over  vast open ground. Now we take a look to the west, where a whole different set of armored fighting  vehicles enter a much more confined battlefield. Once the Allies march beyond the beaches and into  the French countryside, their tanks must take on those feared German Panzers. This is a quick  overview of the opposing forces. This might seem a bit like

deja vu to some of you, since  we published a version of this episode some weeks ago. There were, unfortunately, several  errors in that script, so we took it down, and we’ve had our old friend the Chieftain  go over the script. He is an armor expert who we’ve worked with several times before on  specials about WW2 era tanks. Right, let’s go. I’m Indy Neidell; this is a WW2 special episode  about armor on the Western Front, 1944. The Armor of the invasion force that lands in  Normandy is pretty

much all organized after one of the two leading Allied powers there. One is the American model, which also includes the French 2nd Armored Division. In general, US  tank units remain organized as either battalions in armored divisions, or in independent tank  battalions attached mainly to infantry divisions, though generally, the battalions are similarly  configured. The infantry in armored divisions are also mechanized in half-tracks. The M5A1  with its thin armor and 37mm gun is pretty obsole

te at this point and is usually put into  cavalry and recon units alongside armored cars, to scout ahead or support the infantry. The  M24 Chaffee light tank arrives on the scene late in 1944 and is a vast improvement on the  M5 with its 75mm gun and torsion bar suspension, but the mainstay of the US’s armored forces  remains the M4 Medium, the Sherman. Though the M4 was arguably the best tank  in the world upon its introduction in 1942, by the second half of 1944 the original  design is showing

its age, and the M4 at the end of the war will be radically improved  over the earlier generation. The radial engine variants see a horsepower boost, and the A3 with  the Ford V8 has become the preferred variant for the US Army. While factories produce improved  tanks which incorporate the lessons of combat, a quick-fix improvement program is initiated  which allows field modification to vehicles already overseas. This added cheek armor to the  turret front where the metal had been ground down

to make room for the power traverse, additional  armor on the sponsons protecting ammunition, and improved telescopes. Other field modifications  include the retrofitting of a loader’s hatch, springs for the hatches to open more easily,  and a new vision cupola for the commander. One of the most important improvements from the  factory which cannot, however, be retrofitted, is the incorporation of wet stowage and large  front hatches. This protects the ammunition and reduces the chance of an M4

catching fire from a  level pretty much average for a tank of the time, about 60-70%, down to 10% or so. The large hatches  make escape easier, and also simplify production with the new front slope. The second improvement  is a new suspension type, the Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension, commonly known as the Easy  Eight type, which includes wider track and gives a better ride and increased floatation. The last major improvement of the M4 is the introduction of a high-velocity cannon. The  US h

ad started testing 76mm guns in 1942, before anyone had heard of a Tiger or Panther,  but Armored Force refused to accept the poor ergonomics of the big gun in the small turret.  It wasn’t until early 1944 that the new 76mm Sherman with a new, larger turret started being  produced. This gun is extremely accurate, fast, and much harder-hitting than the older 75,  though was not as popular as you might think because the 75 had a better explosive round,  suited for the majority of targets encounter

ed. Although nearly 200 76mm tanks were in the UK  ready for D-Day, the units did not think it was worth the logistical and training hassle to  bring in a new gun just before the invasion. Now, the British had a different perspective  entirely. They crammed their own 76mm gun, the 17-pounder, into the old Sherman  turret, ergonomics be damned, and they brought their tank-killer to  France on Day 1 of the invasion. This is a substantially more powerful gun than  the American one. The installation

and other liabilities result in a less capable overall  tank, but if you have to punch a hole in a Panther or the like, it is the best tool for  the job. Eventually the US develop a new round, HVAP, the High Velocity Armor Piercing, which  bridges much of the gap, but the round is rare, to the point that a tank was lucky to have  three or four on board even by the end of the war. Fortunately for them, the German tanks that  needed them to be knocked out are also rare. The last two new Sherman v

ariants are the  assault gun and the assault tank. The assault gun carries a 105mm howitzer in the turret, it  replaces the M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage in the assault gun platoons. The assault tank is the  M4A3E2, commonly known as “Jumbo”. This tank has almost double the standard levels of armor,  and though limited in mobility, is tough enough to have a chance of shrugging off even hits  from an 8.8. For the sake of mentioning it, the first T26E1 tanks, which will become the  Pershing, have jus

t finished testing in Fort Knox. They have performed abysmally in those  tests and most of the problems are not fixed until December. The first batch of T26E3s built  will be rushed to Europe in January but only 20 will see any notable combat in the war. When it comes to fighting the enemy Panzers, the Americans have implemented some  hard-earned lessons rather quickly. They ditch the towed tank destroyer battalions-  which suffer from a lack of protection and mobility- in favor of gun motor car

riages. The  new M36 with its 90mm gun built on the basis of the M10A1 increasingly becomes a main threat to  enemy armor in the west. The M18 with its 76mm gun doesn’t exactly underperform, in fact it is  the fastest US tracked armored vehicle of the war, and the combination of pretty good gun  and high mobility makes it an incredibly successful panzer killer. The old M10 remains  in service as well, though the British refit a number of theirs with 17 pounder guns.  The conversion makes sense,

it simplifies their logistics and the open turret is much more  accommodating of the big gun and ammunition. The Western Allies are able to keep all  their units pretty close to their authorized strength. Overall, their armored divisions  present a versatile, well-balanced force. Allied armored divisions usually enjoy fighting  close to full strength, with fully mechanized infantry and artillery at their backs, and  deep supplies of fuel and ammunition. They also have a superior radio system and

mostly  unchallenged close air support by now. The only major weakness of American tanks during and after  the invasion is the inexperience of the crews. The most experience in engaging Axis armor  pre-Normandy lies with the British. Their model encompasses all armor of the  Commonwealth forces, as well as that of the Polish 1st Armored Division. They remain  close to their two Great War classifications: The first are the typical heavy-duty infantry  tanks, like the Churchill. The Churchill Mk

VII, with its composite turret and powerful 75mm gun,  is a slow but heavily protected battle tank. Its frontal armor is even thicker than the German  Tiger I and can shrug off damage that would send others to the scrapyard. It is also suited  to the British love of “specializing” things. The Churchill AVRE - Armored Vehicle Royal Engineers-  for example, comes in a variety of models with a variety of attachments, as we saw during D Day.  Some are armed with a 29mm Spigot Mortar fired from a 230

mm barrel. This Petard can launch  13 kg of explosives against strongpoints and turn them into not-so-strong-points in just one  direct hit. Other variants included one able to install Girder bridges, or carry fascines, those  are big bundles of wood deployed to fill ditches. Another version of the Churchill is nicknamed  the Crocodile. This is a flamethrower tank and unsurprisingly the enemy infantry are quite  fearful of it. All these “funnies” were owned by the largest division of the war, t

he 79th under  Percival Hobart, a most underrated general. The second class is the cruiser tank. The  cruiser is designed to exploit and widen an active breakthrough. Cruiser tanks like the  Cromwell are generally lighter armored but faster than the infantry tanks. Once the Cromwell IV gets  its upgraded 75mm gun similar to the Sherman or Churchill’s, it is a solid universal tank. Powered  by the excellent though thirsty Meteor variant of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, the Cromwell is  faster an

d more maneuverable than the Sherman and its low hull offers a smaller silhouette.  On the other hand, it’s a bit more cramped, and because the 17-pounder variant, the Challenger, is  troubled, most Cromwell units must wait around for their accompanying Sherman Fireflies anyway. The  ultimate version will be Comet, with its 77mm gun, a cut-back 17-pounder. The true next generation  cruiser, the astonishing Centurion, will only be completed just after the war’s end. By character, the British Tank

Division is less of a Tank- but much more of an Armored  Division. Of its dedicated 3,414 vehicles, “only” 290 are actual battle tanks. The rest are  hundreds of armored recon cars and multipurpose universal carriers, caterpillars, and trucks. The  British tanks are supported by a wide array of tank-destroyers and self-propelled guns, like the  Archer, which is basically a Valentine hull with a 17-pounder gun. Similar is the self-propelled  25-pounder gun Sexton, based on the M7 Priest. The Cro

mwell-variant Centaur IV has a 95mm  howitzer, but only a handful make it to the continent over the summer. With its Liberty  engine it isn’t a preferred variant and the Cromwell VI takes up the Close Support role. As for the Germans, the armored clashes in the west in the summer of 1944 all but rout  and destroy the German tank divisions. So out of necessity, German High Command  re-authorizes the use of Panzer Brigades, a practice which saw major success in  counter-striking Soviet breakthroug

hs in the east. But the belief that such armored fists could  achieve the same effect by striking deep into the Western Allied flanks is not only misplaced, but  proves disastrous. The well-equipped and supported US forces counter their attacks and inflict  unsustainable losses on the German tankers. When the American Third Army pierces the German  lines at Avranches in August, the impact of those losses results in an Allied breakthrough. Forced onto the defensive, German High Command, as you

may guess, plans for a new offensive to  turn the tide. But to prepare for such a haymaker in the coming winter months, the Wehrmacht is  forced to refit all those panzer units that were badly mauled over the last few months. This  of course absorbs much needed industrial space, further reducing the output of new tanks that  are desperately needed… well everywhere. Monthly production only averaged 750 tanks a month before  the summer, and now the Reich’s armor industry is hit hard. Strikes agai

nst the Panther plant at  Nürnberg or the Tiger plant at Kassel mean that months of production can be lost pretty quickly.  Pre-Overlord, Panzer Regiments had only 22 tanks a battalion on average. By August this falls  to 17, and by November to 14. Supplying spare parts has almost completely ceased by the end  of the year, and even camouflage paint must be conserved. What comes down the assembly lines  is given primarily to the new “elite” outfits or some other veteran Kampfgruppe, while the  re

gular Panzer arm gets weaker and weaker. This makes plans like replacing all medium  Panzer IVs with Panthers simply unfeasible, and the old workhorse stays in business. With the  Version H, the Panzer IV still compares fairly well to the newer Shermans. Yet future plans call  for a shift away from its typical tank design and closer towards that of a self-propelled gun.  Getting rid of the turret in favor of a lower silhouette and a stronger 75mm gun creates the  Jagdpanzer IV. Basically a StuG

for the Panzer arm, the Jagdpanzer IV is for fighting over long  range with exceptional heavy frontal armor. Same idea goes for the even more sophisticated  Jagdpanther, or the cramped budget version, the Jagdpanzer 38t “Hetzer”. Lighter open-topped  Panzerjager like Marder are dangerous and cheap, if vulnerable. Speaking of the Panther  – the Panzer V – the version G has now finally overcome many of its glaring mechanical  problems, though the stronger transmission gears developed for Jagdpanth

er are never installed  in Panther. With its sloped glacis armor it isn’t really threatened frontally by anything  but the 90mm gun of the M36 tank-destroyers, or enemy HVAP or Sabot rounds. Unfortunately for  the Panther crews, the Allies prove very adept at putting shots into the sides. Still, the Panther is a big part of German hopes to turn the tide. That’s partly because it’s built for the harsh ground conditions of the Eastern Front and  its tracks apply lower ground pressure than Allied v

ehicles – perfect for a winter offensive. Similar  hopes ride on the new game-changer in the field, the Tiger II. The Panzer VI Version B,  more commonly known as the King Tiger, is the Tiger tank everyone has wanted from  the start. On paper, it presents a nearly indestructible killing machine. In reality, it  is ridden with problems. Like all German heavy, or “superheavy” tanks if you like, the King  Tiger suffers from a severe lack of stamina. The weight overburdens the chassis, putting too 

much stress on the running gear and the engine, they are fuel hogs, and many bridges can’t  hold their weight. And the armor’s weight is often not even worth it. Yes, it is  nominally thicker than other tanks, but it is also often much more brittle. Since  the German industry lacks molybdenum to alloy the steel, they resort to other supplements  like vanadium, which weakens its composition. Also, crew-training time is cut down to a  minimum. The lack of fuel and ammunition makes combat training

a farce, and joint training  exercises with other tanks are completely out of the question. This leads to more vehicles being  lost because of poor driving skills, and without armored engineer vehicles to recover these losses,  they are quite needlessly written off. Overall, the lack of battle-tanks meanS that the  Panzerjäger, Jagdpanzer and Stug assault guns have to stand in by default. Although the Tiger (P)  “Ferdinand” will become the butt of many jokes, the general idea that superior range

and stopping  power makes up for inferior numbers is solid. These units are however slow and cumbersome and  rely on the protection of other units. Once they are caught in the open, they can be easy prey. Also, Hitler has ordered that each Panzer regiment is to be protected from enemy air power by a  number of the new Flakpanzers. The Wirbelwind is basically a quadruple set of 20mm guns put  on a Panzer IV chassis. The improved version, the Ostwind, has a single 37mm gun. Empirical  evidence on

their performance is hard to come by as the industry never builds them up in large  numbers. In general, there has been a lot of time and resources spent on projects that only  pander to fantasies. The Sturmmörser Tiger with its 38cm rocket projector or the Sturmpanzer  IV “Brummbär” with its 15cm gun simply have no place in late 1944. We’ll say nothing of  idiocies like Maus. Nothing, I tell you. Because in the end, simple  mathematics prevails. The summer of 1944 decimated the German tank for

ce  in the west to such a degree that it really is a ghost of its former self. If the Wehrmacht  is truly to go on the offensive once more, they must replenish their units  with both quality and quantity, and not just fill out numbers on a piece of  paper. This is simply impossible to do. The Western Allies surely have their reasons to fear  the quality of German tank design. A Panther is superior to the Sherman in several ways, after  all. But what are the consequences when there are hundreds o

f working Shermans and barely any  operational Panthers in the actual field? I mentioned that the Chieftain went over this  script fact checking and correcting things, and I’ll give him a shout out once again for  doing so. You should of course check out his channel- the Chieftain- and if you want to see an  episode he did for us here’s one from a while ago: a deep dive into the Tiger I. And you can  join the Timeghost army at timeghost.tv or patreon.com for more specials like this one.  Do not

forget to subscribe; see you next time.