Archer (PaK 5)

Looking to maximize the number of mobile mounts for the very effective 17pdr gun, the Valentine chassis was identified as a potential option in 1943.

With the introduction of the final Mark XI variant, it was determined that the Valentine’s long and distinguished service as an effective battlefield tank was coming to an end. The Valentine hull was large enough to accommodate the large gun, but not in a standard turret setting. In fact, to evenly distribute its weight the gun had to be mounted in an open-topped superstructure facing to the rear of the vehicle. When in action, the gun’s breech recoiled directly through the driver’s position forcing him to dismount.

At first this unconventional configuration was considered a limiting factor. However, it was soon discovered that the small Archer could fire off a couple shots and then quickly escape by driving off without having to first turnaround or exit cover.

Even though its design and production started in 1943, the Archer did not enter service until a year later in October 1944. Like the other British self-propelled guns, the M10 Wolverine and Achilles IC, it was fielded in Royal Artillery units, not in cavalry or tank regiments. As a testament to the effectiveness of its 17-pdr gun, the Archer had a long career serving well into the 1960s with the Egyptian Army in action against the Israelis.

Churchill III (PaK 4)

Only limited numbers of the 6-pdr armed version of the Churchill were supplied to the Soviets; in fact, just 301 tanks were shipped. In Soviet service, the Churchill was classified as a heavy tank. At Kursk, the 5th Guards Tank Army's only heavy tanks were the 35 Churchill IIIs fielded by the 18^th Tank Corps’ 36^th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment.

Thirteen major models of the Churchill were produced throughout the war. In total, 5,640 vehicles were eventually built. The Soviets considered the Churchill to be an inferior design and shipments were terminated after 1942.

M3A1 Stuart (PaK 3)

The M3A1 light tank was considered a temporary measure until a new design could be developed. It did benefit from the wartime experience the British had with their M3 ‘Honeys’ during the North African campaign. Many of their recommended improvements were incorporated into the new design. Production commenced in the summer of 1942, running through February of 1943.

The new Stuart was one of the first US vehicles to feature a turret basket. Previously, the commander and gunner had to carefully step around the drive train that ran from the engine in the rear to the transmission in the front directly through the turret compartment. However, this addition did nothing to improve the already cramped turret.

Most M3A1s were delivered with the two sponson-mounted machine-guns removed and their mounts plated over. The space was better utilized for additional internal storage.

A small number of M3A1s (211) were built with a Guiberson diesel engine before it was decided to produce only gasoline (petrol) powered tanks.

M4A1 Sherman (PaK 3)

Vilified by some and hailed by others, the M4 Sherman was none the less the most numerically significant tank produced during World War II. With just under 50,000 vehicles, it accounted for more than twice the combined number of German PzKpfw IIIs, IV, Vs and VIs produced during the entire war. Its simple design, robust construction and mechanical reliability were its major strengths. So capable, the Sherman was still fighting and winning in the Middle East with the Israeli Army as late as 1973.

The M4A1 was the second Sherman model to be standardized, but was actually the first to enter production. Deliveries started in March of 1942. A mainstay of the Armored Divisions, production continued up until early 1944. The M4A1 shared the Wright R-975 radial engine with the M4. It differed in having a large one-piece cast hull as compared to the M4’s welded hull.

The M4A1s actually saw their first combat with British forces in North Africa at Alamein in October 1942. The first US action was in the Western Desert in Tunisia. The battle of Kasserine Pass bloodied the US noses, but those hard lessons went a long way in formulating tactics for future battles. It also pointed out shortcomings in the basic design that were incorporated into the M4A1 and later models.

M10 GMC (PaK 3)

The M10 was identified as a replacement for the limited capability M3 75mm GMC. The Fisher Tank Division of the Chrysler Corp. began work on the two prototypes in January of 1942. Both were available for testing in the spring of the same year. Following a short evaluation period, the US Tank Destroyer Board approved the prototype T35E1 for production in June of 1942 and designated it as the M10 GMC.

Its 3-inch (76.2mm) gun was developed from a World War I anti-aircraft gun, not a tank weapon. As a result, its long and heavy barrel required a 2,500lbs. counter-weight to balance the turret for hand-traverse.

A rarity for US combat vehicles, the M10’s motive power was two 6-cylinder diesel engines, arranged in an in-line configuration. The US routinely preferred gasoline (petrol) engines to diesel power as a means to streamline supply. The M10’s less-common stable mate, the M10A1 GMC, featured the Ford GAA 8-cylinder gasoline engine.

The HE (High-Explosive) shell fired by its 3-inch gun packed a smaller explosive charge than the standard 75mm HE shell. Therefore, it was less effective when engaging infantry or other unarmored (soft) targets.

The M10’s lack of overhead protection for the turret crew was a common shortcoming of all US tank destroyers. In the close confines of the European and Pacific theaters, the crews were too often exposed to deadly fire from airbursts and a variety of small-arms fire.

Sherman VC Firefly (PaK 5)

Originally envisioned as only a stopgap measure (until the 17pdr-armed Cromwell variant, the Challenger, could be fielded), the Sherman Firefly nevertheless resulted in one of the most effective and well known tanks of the war, far outshining any of the similarly armed tanks and tank destroyers.

Of the Sherman models supplied to the British, only the Sherman I and Sherman V were modified to carry the hard-hitting 76.2mm caliber weapon. The Sherman’s turret had to be modified to fit the longer weapon resulting in its distinctive turret bustle. The gun had to be mounted on its side to allow for loading the extremely long shells. The bow machinegun and crewman were both eliminated to accommodate ammunition storage reducing the tank’s crew to four men.

The Sherman Firefly was allocated to the British armored divisions just in time for the Normandy Landings in 1944. It was initially fielded as one and later two tanks as part of a standard tank troop. It was the only tank capable of consistently dealing with German PzKpfw V Panther and PzKpfw VI/E Tiger I Tanks at reasonably safe ranges. The introduction of the APDS shell even enabled it to tackle the fearsome PzKpfw VI/B Tiger II.

According to some sources, Fireflys from the Canadian 4^th Armored Division and those from the British 33^rd Armored Brigade are both credited with destroying Michael Wittmann’s Tiger I tank in action on 8 August 1944.

In British service there were six Sherman designations: Sherman I (M4), Sherman II (M4A1), Sherman III (M4A2), Sherman IV (M4A3), Sherman V (M4A4), and the Sherman VII (M4A6). The Sherman VI had been reserved for the M4A5 Sherman which was the designation allocated but not used for the Canadian-built Ram. To designate weapon fits beyond the basic 75mm, the British added a suffix: ‘A’ – 76mm, ‘B’ – 105mm, or ‘C’ – 17pdr.

Therefore, the Sherman VC Firefly was an M4A4 Sherman armed with a 17pdr gun; it was the most common version of the Sherman Firefly.

PzKpfw III/J (PaK 2)

The Mark III/J was the first German tank to mount the long 50mm L/60 gun. In fact, production of the “J” Model was actually spilt between those tanks mounting the shorter 50mm L/42 gun and those mounting the more effective L/60 version. Hitler had ordered all “J” Models to be built with the L/60 gun, but the German Ordnance Department did not initially follow his directive as the L/42 gun was a new weapon and large quantities were available. The first “J” Models with the long 50mm did not roll off the assembly line until December 1941.

Against Russian T-34s and KV-1s, the 50mm L/60 armed Mark III was only somewhat more successful than its predecessors. It was in North Africa that the new tank proved its worth. Respectfully called the “Mark III Special” by the British, it was more than capable of dealing with that front’s Grants and Valentines.

T-35 M35 (PaK 2)

In the early 1930s, Soviet tank designers were obsessed with the idea of creating a heavily armed “land battleship” that could lead penetration attacks while still fighting against enemies on several sides. The British Vickers heavy “Independent” tank was used as the model, but the Soviets did it one better by replacing its 47mm main gun and five machineguns with a tank mounting a 76.2mm main gun in a center-mounted turret, and two 47mm guns and two machineguns in four independent turrets.

Series production of the newly named T-35 tank began in 1935. This 45-ton beast required a ten-man crew and was nearly 32 feet long and over 11 feet high. Its 500hp engine was able to move it along at a respectable 30kph, but this was only achieved at a price — its maximum armor was only 30mm; most areas were protected by just 20mm. It could easily be penetrated from all angles by the German 37mm.

Fifty T-35 M35s served in the 34^th Tank Division’s 68th Tank Regiment (only sixty-two were actually produced) and saw action in June and July 1941 against the Germans in the Lvov area. The Luftwaffe and the more mobile German ground forces knocked out those tanks that managed to not breakdown.

Valentine VIII (PaK 4)

The Valentine was the most common Commonwealth tank supplied to the Soviets. In total, 3,782 of the various Marks were provided, equaling nearly 1/2 of all the Valentines produced by both Britain and Canada.  All versions of the 2-pdr and 6-pdr armed Valentines were shipped throughout the war; not ending until 1944.

The Valentine VIII featured the much more effective 6-pdr gun. Due to its limited size, the Valentine's turret crew was reduced to two men to accommodate the larger weapon. In addition, the coaxial machinegun had to be deleted to save space.

The Valentine was the most popular Commonwealth design in Soviet service, much preferred over the Matilda and Churchill due to its superior mobility and automotive performance.