The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

* Steals Idea *

Anyway the modern battle tank seemed to went so well why not of ww2 when tanks were used like they should be used.

(1) Sherman -American-

http://www.usarmymodels.com/AFV%20PH...ont%20Left.jpg

(2) Panzer III -Germany-

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/S...PanzerIIIN.jpg

(3) T-34 -Russia-

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mclaydon/10-t34os.jpg

(4) Matilda II -Britan-

http://www.topedge.com/panels/ww2/na/mtilda2.jpg

(5) Type 97 (chi-ha) -Japan-

http://www.rafitalia.net/Type_97-1.jpg

(6) M11/39 -Italy-

http://www.zimmerit.com/main/images/m11-39/M11prot.jpg

(7) Bataille B1 -France-

http://www.the-iron-wolves.com/armor...char_b1_01.jpg

(8) RAM -Canada-

http://www.mapleleafup.org/vehicles/...es/ram_op1.jpg

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

they were not down, just under stress I suppose, but I replaced them anyway

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

I voted for the Russian tank.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

I voted Sherman, but I know that there is a better American tank, I just have to remember what it is.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

The M26 was better, but it was a heavy tank and was also very limited, and also came in lack in the war. As for a better american medium tank? there was none, the M3 sucked

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Well I voted patriotically and chose for the RAM. If I had not had chosen the RAM, my choice would have been the T-34 or the Panzer III. What was that term given to Shermans? Ovens or something like that? I was never a big fan of the Sherman, they had to attack a German tank like ants around a sandwich.

That picture of the RAM appears to have been taken during combat, I've read that the RAM did not see operational combat, most were used for training or their turrets were removed and the tank made into an APC. Anybody here know otherwise?

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

I'd say T-34, with the Panzer 3 in a close second. Guys, the Sherman and the RAM both were mediocre tanks compared to the Russian T-34. The good thing about the Sherman was that it was mass produced. :p

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Forget about it, I researched some bits more and found that the picture shown above of the RAM actually shows a variant of the RAM with a dummy main gun. The picture above shows the RAM radio variant for artillery. The rest of the the RAMs were either converted into flame-thrower vehicles, 'Kangaroo' APCs or other minor variants. All combat RAMs were replaced by M4 Shermans by 1943. Sorry I couldn't edit my previous post, I was a bit late.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Heh, yeah the ram was bearly used at all, but out of respect I added everyone who had a medium tank during ww2 to the fray. but yeah the T-34 and Panzer 3 were the only real tanks, the rest of them are infantry tanks meaning they were ment to attack infantry not other tanks in battles. But I don't discredit them. I personally think the B1 is one mean looking tank, very awsome looking. They were able to handle the Panzers I, II and III pretty well, but sadly the blitz was too much for them. the Matilda II was a pretty good tank during the north african operations but they sucked in europe due to their tracks they could not handle mud at all since it would jam in to everything and just stay there.

As for the Sherman it was a okay tank, they were rather beaten to death by tigers and panthers, they bearly were able to penerate their flanks let alone the frontal armor. But they were faster then most other med. tanks of the time. And the rubber/metal tracks helped with that.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

I don't know much about tanks either, but I'd have to say the Russian T-34 was best.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

i voted Panzer. they seemed to kick the europe, and American tank force's asses for quite a while.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

The Sherman was 'cheap and cheerful'. The T-34 was cheap and powerful. The Panzer was just... powerful. I vote for the enemy!

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Well..I'd take 50,000 Shermans over 10,000 Panzers...:p

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Sherman. :agreed

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

I voted for the Sherman!

Seeya!

TiTa

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

I picked the Panzer but i would have picked the Tiger (but it is a heavy tank) if it was there. I just like that tank.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Is there going to be a follow-up to this thread with a poll concerning WWII heavy tanks? In that case then the Tiger, Panther, IS-3, and M-26 would qualify.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

The PzIV (in various configurations) was Germanys main medium tank. Anyways, I voted for the T34.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

not during the first half of the war when most medium tanks were being used, IE in poland, north africa and the rest of europe

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

the shermans were pathetic tanks, the only reason they were worthwhile is the vast amounts of them they could produce.

the Panzer III -Germany is the best tank of WWII with the Russian T-34 a close second.

The best tank was a King Tiger. Only a handful were produced though.. otherwise it would be a Tiger Tank.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Well, I say none of the above, because you either have a tank, or no tank at all.

Who cares for medium tanks?

King Tiger. All the way.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

because they were big and slow.. medium tanks were more manuverable with slightly less firepower. Let's not forget price either.. meduim tanks were cheaper to build.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Well, in my opinion, Mihail biased this so the T-34 wouldn't be up against the King Tiger, so meh.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Well the question isn't about how many numbers would be required to beat another; otherwise you could say the same for ANY tank. It's about which tank is BEST. And as you've suggested you'd need 50,000 Shermans to defeat 10,000 Panzers, you've argued my point for me :p

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

The panther could also be classified as a medium tank. Definetly the best medium tank bar none.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Well I think he put the T-34 up there becaue it is a medium. Compared to some of the heavier Russian tanks (KVII, IS-2, IS-3), the T-34 was a lightweight. In response to a previous post about the King Tiger, it could have ripped all the medium tanks combined in combat.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Sherman tanks aren't that good, and they always caught fire apparently. I dunno why people voted for them, we are talking about the best tanks, not the most tanks.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

:agreed

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

No infact I made it so that the american, japanese, british etc tanks could be listed, because infact other then the t-34 the other tanks on this list could not stand a chance verus a heavy tank like a tiger, I am planning infact on making a heavy tank poll in awhile. Whats the point of saying/asking whats a better tank, the King Tiger or the M4 sherman? of course the King Tiger would be the better tank.

Infact no it was too heavy and too tall to be a medium tank

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

The best tank during WWII was the Panzer V Panther.
It was cheaper, more reliable, had better engine/weight ratio, easy to mass produce and its 88mm cannon was almost as good as the tigers.
The tiger sucked as an offensive tank because of its crappy engine and its turret was VERY slow (60 secs to turn it 360 degrees IIRC)

The kingtigers armor sucked because it was made of low quality material, The Tiger had very good armor though.

btw, I voted T-34

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

the Panzer V (panther) as I said was heavy so keep the heavy tank talk till next time

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

i voted for the sherman,ive seen one in real life and they are pretty sweet,and ive seen a panzer IV (me thinks) aswell :)

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

There was already a post with heavy tanks.

I voted Sherman. Because I like the Firefly.

The Sherman was fast, maneuverable and inexpensive. So it has bad armor, there was enough to win the war. Just like the Russians, the tiger could easily knock out a t-34, but the Russians had enough of them to preveil.

The firefly is a Brit modification to the Sherman. It had wider tracks, a bigger gun and more armor.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/3726/firefly_1.jpg

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Nah, Panther was a medium tank, and a reaction to the T-34. Still, T-34 kicks arse! Shermans had the advantage of quantity, not quality.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Actually shermans had quality, because most T-34s didn't eve have radios..yea..

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

I mean in terms of firepower and armor.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

I htink the armor was even thinner than the Shermans, the T-34 had sloped armor..which made it harder to kill..but if you gave any take sloped armor..it would be a whole lot easier to kill.

And the T-34 had a 76mm cannon..which wasn't much better than the Shermans, especialy the firefly.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Well the Sherman's could barely take out an enemy tank, they had to try and circle it and either hit take out the tracks or shoot the tanks in either its side armour or rear armour. Most of the time losing many of its fellow tanks in the process to the superior German gunnery.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

We are talking about Med. tanks against Med. Tanks, not 88mm guns, Tiger and Panthers taking out Shermans.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Well its not like the Germans were going to send out crappy Panzer IIs and IIIs when they could simply defeat the Allies with even better tanks.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Yea, I know...it's just the purpose of this thread is to compare med. tanks against med. tanks.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

True, well the Sherman only faced enemy medium tanks in Africa, and only for a short time. Soon after the Germans replaced these tanks with better and more powerful Pzh IVs, Panthers and Tigers.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

The purpose of the Sherman wasn't fighting other tanks, and still it wasn't that bad for that job. US Tankhunters like M10, M18 and M36 were ment to fight german armor. On the african battlefied the Sherman was a superior tank, till the Panzer IV "special" (wich had extremely thin armor) and Tiger arrived.
The Shermans have been upgraded during the war. So it got better armor and more powerful maingun (76mm long). The most powerful gun a Sherman ever had in WWII was the 17 pounder anti-tank gun, the british Fireflys were equipped with. The T-34 on the picture of the poll is a T-34/85, probably the best T-34 russia constructed. But the 85mm gun of this T-34 never had the power of the 17pdr. The normal T-34 were equipped with a short 76,2mm gun, wich wasn't much better than the short standard 75mm gun many Shermans were equipped with. And don't forget that the Sherman was the first tank with a stabilized gun, so it could shoot at full speed. IMO the Sherman was a very good tank for it's purpose.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

No the panther was heavy, trust me. as for the T-34 the only ones that lacked radios were the early ones that were rushed to the front lines.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

t34 all the way. i feel like playing forgotten hope now.

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Voted for the T-34 because if you'd ask me in which of those tanks I'd drive to the front it would be my choice. Can't believe that the torch with tracks is on second place

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Only reason I use the T-34/85 picture is because of how clear the picture was. compared to other shitty pictures. I was going to use this one but it's not a very good pose. plus it's partly cut.

http://www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/bibl/mil.../t-34_76_1.jpg

Re: The Best Medium tank of WW2
 

Hahahaha nice one! If I didn't vote for the RAM (only because I'm Canadian), I would have voted for the T-34, its the only tank up there that I would charge into battle with, other than that I'd ride a Panther into battle, but thats a heavy tank.