Re: M26 Pershing
 

That seems high for the Panther. It has wide battletracks like the Tiger I and weighs 10 tons less. The more surface area per ton should mean less ground pressure.

Re: M26 Pershing
 

While that's essentially true, the wider tracks allowed better turning in mud and snow, and a allowed the tank to float better on the wet ground. While the ground pressure might be the same or even less on thin tracked tanks, the wider tracked ones (that had a slightly higher ground pressure) usually had the edge over them.

Re: M26 Pershing
 

All the information I have seen for the Panther puts the ground pressure between 12.5 and 13 psi. I'm not saying that's the number, but that's what I keep seeing. And I am open to other stuff.

And ground pressure's tricky...but track thickness is inherent in the psi number, after all it's just a question of surface area/weight. Wider tracks = lower ground pressure. Now, this doesn't take into account track type or any benefits from a certain track arrangement, or suspension (usually "improved" suspensions allow wider tracks and lower ground pressure...Easy 8 Shermans were about 11.0 psi but M4A1/A3's were around 13 and the Jumbo was 14.3), but ideally track thickness is inversely proportional to ground pressure...and a number representative or relative mobility.

Re: M26 Pershing
 

Any ideas what those track attachments are called that were designed to help in movement in snow and mud?

Re: M26 Pershing
 

I know exactly what you're talking about. . . but for some reason can't find the correct spelling. They were something along the lines of "shruchen" or I might not even be close.

They were small plates bolted onto the tracks of Panzer III's and IV's that stuck out over the edges and few inches to make the treads wider.

Re: M26 Pershing
 

No clue...I look forward to reading about it though.

The T-80 track for the M4A3E8 (HVSS) was wider than the ones used on previous Shermans and provided better mobility...but that's about as much as I know about specific track stuff.

Re: M26 Pershing
 

you taking about the right thing but using the wrong word i think.
schurzen is the word for the added armor plates used on late model panzer IIIs and the Panzer IV H.
"Panzer IVs serving in Russia, were equipped with wider "winter tracks" (Winterketten) and since the Spring of 1944, with even wider "eastern tracks" (Ostketten)."
I think this is what u are talking about or at least this is all i could seem to find but u are talking about track attachments and these are new tracks

Re: M26 Pershing
 

Germans IIRC called them Ostketten

Americans called them grousers, or depending on the stype duckbills.

The problem was for US and Germans was that they had a tendancy to snap off if you caught them on something, like ran over a rock or curb.

Re: M26 Pershing
 

Yep, thats what I remember reading. They had to to take them off when going across bridges made for the tanks then put them back on once they were across, not the easiest task.

Re: M26 Pershing
 

yep, the problem with the germans Ostketten was, if they wre attached it made the berth of the tank to wide for standard german military bridges, thus meaning the wehrmacht had to unbolt and bolt on the tracks of 200+ tanks just to get across one bridge