The Ultimate Tanks and Armoured Vehicles of World War Two | Full Series

Historian, broadcaster and World War Two expert James Holland investigates the most iconic tanks and armoured fighting vehicles of the Second World War. Exclusively for History Hit, James takes an in-depth look at the Soviet T-34, the British Cromwell tank, American Sherman tank and German tank destroyer, the Jagdpanther.
But which tank was the most effective during World War Two? We also give you the key statistics on each vehicle, including weight, speed and armament, so you can make up your own mind.
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00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:33 The Soviet T-34
00:29:19 The German Jagdpanther
00:59:05 The British Cromwell
01:27:54 The US Sherman
#historyhit #worldwartwo #tanks

Пікірлер: 734

  • @Natale_Luca_98
    @Natale_Luca_9810 ай бұрын

    Got all hyped for this then realized it’s videos I’ve seen before just crammed together. Dang it

  • @darrenpugh8576
    @darrenpugh857610 ай бұрын

    2 hours of tank content...yes, yes, 1000 times yes!! 👍👌👍

  • @hushpuppykl
    @hushpuppykl9 ай бұрын

    That bull is a real tank enthusiast 😂

  • @richardmorris363
    @richardmorris3637 ай бұрын

    “Precision is precise.” Profound

  • @juzma94
    @juzma9410 ай бұрын

    In case you hadn't heard the first three times, the t34 weighed 32 tonnes.

  • @thatdude1435

    @thatdude1435

    10 ай бұрын

    i need to hear it more to believe it ;)

  • @Swellington_

    @Swellington_

    10 ай бұрын

    best tank ever built

  • @noahrosz3902

    @noahrosz3902

    10 ай бұрын

    Thanks didn't quite get it

  • @jayc8844

    @jayc8844

    10 ай бұрын

    How many tonnes> How tall? Please respomd!

  • @emir870

    @emir870

    10 ай бұрын

    Yessss and it's 7,5 meters long, 2.1 meters high 🤣🤣🤣🤣

  • @mcjitsu
    @mcjitsu9 ай бұрын

    100 years of tv and they still can't keep the music at the same level as the conversation. Music volume 100, conversation volume 10.

  • @charlesflint9048

    @charlesflint9048

    Ай бұрын

    Me too; I get fed up with having to ride the volume control between voice and music. At certain parts I would far rather hear the actual sound of the engine than some ‘music’.

  • @Emsvenesky1987
    @Emsvenesky19877 ай бұрын

    That Cromwell is a beauty. What an amazing restoration! As keeps being mentioned, British tanks do get a 'bad rap' (if they're mentioned at all) so it was nice to see. Certainly not the most ubiquitous, nor the most iconic tank, but in my humble opinion the Cromwell could possibly be, pound-for-pound, one of the 'best' tanks of the War. Fantastic.

  • @mikerage1011

    @mikerage1011

    6 ай бұрын

    British tanks were good tanks overall. All tanks has their pluses and minuses. Plus ww2 was really when the first good round of tanks came out u know so none of them weee perfect by no means. But the Matilda's and char b's really freaked the nazis out at first just like the t-34 did Honestly if the char b woulda been a little faster and the French generals woulda pulled their heads out of their asses and listened to the intelligence reports they woulda needed the war in France before it even began

  • @jiahmiller3861

    @jiahmiller3861

    5 ай бұрын

    Amen! I agree much so.

  • @Hagbergscorner

    @Hagbergscorner

    3 ай бұрын

    I love it so much that I'm building a RC 1/6 Cromwell ❤

  • @MrT67

    @MrT67

    3 ай бұрын

    I agree. Could it be argued that the Cromwell was a better tank than the Sherman?? Certainly its successor, the Meteor was a better tank than the Sherman.

  • @Hagbergscorner

    @Hagbergscorner

    3 ай бұрын

    @MrT67 Do you mean the Comet? The Comet was short-lived but it was the link between the Cromwell and the Centurion. 👌

  • @Spiritofaconure
    @Spiritofaconure9 ай бұрын

    There is just something about those jagpanthers, I love the version with the added plates on the side, and this still looks much like the self propelled artillery the soviets still use today

  • @FenderBender5150

    @FenderBender5150

    7 ай бұрын

    I like the version with the cow...

  • @shane01971
    @shane0197110 ай бұрын

    Thanks History Hit. Love James and love your channel.

  • @VernonWallace
    @VernonWallace3 ай бұрын

    Great series. Thank you very much.

  • @richardmeyeroff7397
    @richardmeyeroff73973 ай бұрын

    One thing that I didn't hear about the Sherman tank was that it could be up gunned. Example the 76 MM high velocity gun and the Firefly with the British 16 pounder. Another variant of the tank was the flame thrower that was used to great effect in the pacific.

  • @normandegeorge6526

    @normandegeorge6526

    3 ай бұрын

    Yeah but how much does it weigh?

  • @richardmeyeroff7397

    @richardmeyeroff7397

    3 ай бұрын

    @@normandegeorge6526 less than the tiger or king tiger that it could take out

  • @ccptube3468
    @ccptube346810 ай бұрын

    James Holland's the Best!

  • @frankgunner8967
    @frankgunner896710 ай бұрын

    Nearly 2 hours of awesomeness !

  • @theofficepestirl
    @theofficepestirl6 ай бұрын

    This series is great, seeing the tanks in place in a museum is nothing next to them tearing up the countryside

  • @MrT67
    @MrT673 ай бұрын

    I had an uncle who drove tanks for the NZ Division in North Africa and Italy during WWII. I remember him telling me when I was a kid that a gunner in another tank got hit in the head by the recoil during their training when they first arrived in North Africa. He suffered brain injuries and was sent home to New Zealand. My uncle said this guy was never right in the head again. A real life example of the risk of the guns recoil that they were referring to with the T-34 and the Jagdpanther.

  • @paauggie
    @paauggie10 ай бұрын

    Absolutely brilliant! I've been fascinated by tanks for as long as i can remember and spent countless hours reading and watching everything i can find about them and this is by far amongst the best i've ever seen. It's great to see your experts so obviously have such a crazy passion for their subject and I found them spellbinding to watch. Thank you for posting

  • @warwarneverchanges4937

    @warwarneverchanges4937

    9 ай бұрын

    Same here I hope you have got the plesure of seeing them up close.

  • @Tastewithnewdrinks
    @Tastewithnewdrinks8 ай бұрын

    Awesome video.😍

  • @piconudo5233
    @piconudo52334 ай бұрын

    Wow what amazing content I am subscribing keep it coming plz I love this show

  • @kylemaki6510
    @kylemaki651010 ай бұрын

    @James Holland,.. his WWII vids really are some the best… thank you kind sir.

  • @katherinecollins4685
    @katherinecollins46859 ай бұрын

    Really enjoyed this

  • @paullevins5448
    @paullevins5448Ай бұрын

    The major reason it is considered a good tank is because there were so many of them. They were very simple, easy for the average joe to drive. Also like the sherman tank many tankers lost their lives in these vehicles. Its simplicity made it a good tank , and the thousands that were made...

  • @NPAL13
    @NPAL138 ай бұрын

    That’s very impressive that he find that pieces and built it all by hand

  • @HiTechOilCo

    @HiTechOilCo

    Ай бұрын

    "it"? What?

  • @sonsofthewestredwhiteblue5317
    @sonsofthewestredwhiteblue53178 ай бұрын

    For those of you not familiar with the metric system… that’s the equivalent of 32 tonnes.

  • @Swellington_
    @Swellington_10 ай бұрын

    idk about which tank was the best but as for looks,the tiger and panther are absolutely gorgeous,the panther is kinda like a sports car or something and the tiger looks like a jacked up fullback or something,just all muscle and force,beautiful machines

  • @pcka12

    @pcka12

    10 ай бұрын

    And very unreliable, then pretty much return to factory for repair!

  • @badcornflakes6374

    @badcornflakes6374

    9 ай бұрын

    The Panther was just way too big for what it was. If they made it a bit lower to the ground, it would be more like a sports car, that and more reliability.

  • @lyndoncmp5751

    @lyndoncmp5751

    9 ай бұрын

    And the unreliable claim is an over exaggerated myth. The Tiger and Panther were not much more unreliable than the Panzer IV in 1944/45, as the operational ratios show.

  • @pcka12

    @pcka12

    9 ай бұрын

    @@lyndoncmp5751 you either exaggerate or you don't! To 'over exaggerate' would be to guild the lily! A bit like 'to boldly go' which is to 'split the infinitive'.

  • @lyndoncmp5751

    @lyndoncmp5751

    9 ай бұрын

    @@pcka12 No, there is exaggeration and over exaggeration. It's a viable term. To listen to some people it's a wonder the circa 650 Panthers and 140 Tigers even made it to Normandy, nevermind gave the allies a lot of problems. According to the modern myth they should have all conked out on the road marches and been unable to get repaired.

  • @railwaystories1.027
    @railwaystories1.02710 ай бұрын

    james holland ...clicked as fast as a 17 pounder shell exiting the barrel of a firefly in normandy

  • @hozbarclay6803
    @hozbarclay68038 ай бұрын

    Enjoyed the cameo by the bull jumping around the Jagdpanther

  • @scottyfox6376
    @scottyfox63762 ай бұрын

    As a Boilermaker tradesman I always look at the fitting of plates & especially the welding. I've looked at a T34 /85 which was horrific tbh. I could see plates with 10+mm gaps being bridged with diabolical welding which meant one hit & the tank chassis literally fell apart. Over hardened armoured plates which shattered, then needing spanners to open anything in the back because they weren't expected to survive to even need a service.

  • @sizskie

    @sizskie

    Ай бұрын

    you should see the t-34 85 at bovington if you've never visited. that thing is missing most of its rivets on the rear plate. but there's a beauty to it to, they save on rivets and it's easier to take off for maintenance lol

  • @jonwingfieldhill6143

    @jonwingfieldhill6143

    7 күн бұрын

    The average expected survival time of a t34 in ww2 was something like 18 hours so maintenance and build quality were a 5th rate concern and early in operation barbarossa many survived only minutes into an engagement 😂😂

  • @vgrg7841
    @vgrg78419 ай бұрын

    I thinks the great thing about the shoimans was it's versatility and reliability, ease if maintenance as opposed to the German and russian tanks

  • @multipl3
    @multipl38 ай бұрын

    The T-34 was incredibly cramped and uncomfortable. When they decided on sloped armour, the crew wasnt taken into consideration

  • @Roeper437

    @Roeper437

    Ай бұрын

    welcome in soviet union :D

  • @genegarren833
    @genegarren83310 ай бұрын

    Great video. All the points are very informative. One major thing however not covered. I watched a program that included allied, Soviet, and German tank crews of WW-2. As a 100% service connected disabled combat veteran, I can relate to what these WW-2 tankers all said. In actual tank combat, they ALL picked the Tiger as the tank they All preferred to fight in. Survivability is a front line soldiers # 1 priority for himself and his buddies!🙂👍🇺🇸

  • @tominva4121

    @tominva4121

    10 ай бұрын

    Always have said their is 1. Choice of Command & Control (primary concern is supply) and 2. The Soldiers Choice. Mever heard a soldier say "Just good enough is fine with me". I have read Russians tankers say how much they preferred the Sherman to the T34 for the crew amenities which were heaven in comparison. Might as well enjoy the ride to your death!

  • @brennanleadbetter9708

    @brennanleadbetter9708

    9 ай бұрын

    And then the Tiger’s mechanical issues kick in. As well as being a logistical nightmare.

  • @genegarren833

    @genegarren833

    9 ай бұрын

    @@brennanleadbetter9708 True! But regardless crews loved the Tiger, and Soviets, and Allied Tank crews all said in battle they would rather be in a Tiger.

  • @lyndoncmp5751

    @lyndoncmp5751

    9 ай бұрын

    brennanleadbetter9708 Often over exaggerated. Tigers rarely broke down in battle. Most problems were drivers over exerting the engine on long road marches. A driver who treated it properly could reduce mechanical issues by 90% according to Otto Carius.

  • @brennanleadbetter9708

    @brennanleadbetter9708

    9 ай бұрын

    @ genegarren833 do you remember what the program was? I’m interested.

  • @shanechapman3567
    @shanechapman35678 ай бұрын

    What about my personal fav the panzer iv

  • @randyhavard6084
    @randyhavard60849 ай бұрын

    That guy's probably the only person to ever say that the Christie suspension is simpler than a torsion bar suspension system

  • @givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935

    @givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935

    7 ай бұрын

    Probably doesn’t remember seeing pics of what is behind the outer plates.

  • @brennanleadbetter9708

    @brennanleadbetter9708

    7 ай бұрын

    There are reasons why we don’t use the Christie suspension anymore.

  • @lyndoncmp5751
    @lyndoncmp57519 ай бұрын

    Little known fact. Wartime Jagdpanthers generally had their tracks on back to front so they could shoot and reverse quicker.

  • @multipl3

    @multipl3

    8 ай бұрын

    Makes sense

  • @sonsofthewestredwhiteblue5317

    @sonsofthewestredwhiteblue5317

    8 ай бұрын

    …. Wow. Sometimes I put my tracksuit pants on back to front. Great minds.

  • @sonsofthewestredwhiteblue5317

    @sonsofthewestredwhiteblue5317

    8 ай бұрын

    @@multipl3….for when you want to start a ruckus then Schnell the fuck out of Dodge asap.

  • @0Turbox

    @0Turbox

    7 ай бұрын

    Didn't they had horrible reverse speed?

  • @lyndoncmp5751

    @lyndoncmp5751

    7 ай бұрын

    @@0Turbox No not really.

  • @dooziexx123
    @dooziexx12310 ай бұрын

    that jagdpanther is beautiful..

  • @Redacted2898

    @Redacted2898

    10 ай бұрын

    The Gepard is as well

  • @rickevans3959

    @rickevans3959

    9 ай бұрын

    The primary tactic was to jam one up under the real German tanks and get them stuck until it got too noisy inside for the crew to put up wit while the others acted until the crew goof the tank

  • @OptimusPrimo-ju6gp
    @OptimusPrimo-ju6gp8 ай бұрын

    Oh God, like a large turret ring is a thing they invented, the Panzer IV (in service the year before the T-34) could go from a short howitzer to the long KwK 40 / L48, arguably one of the best tank guns of the war.

  • @RussianThunderrr

    @RussianThunderrr

    7 ай бұрын

    -- Except 85mm L55 gun is better, then 75mm KwK 40/L48 gun. And starting mid 1944 turret travers in Pz-IV was replaced by internal fuel tank, so hand cranking the turret was a thing for Pz-IV crew in a "short legged" tank... Not to mention muzzle brake kicked more dust and dirt from the ground, so its not only showed enemy where Pz-IV is at, but also obstructed gunners next for sometimes until the dust settled.

  • @paullakowski2509

    @paullakowski2509

    6 ай бұрын

    Only a russian would be this dense. The T-34/85 could only manage maybe 4 RPM while the Panzer IV could manage over 8 rounds per minute , not only that the Russian 85mm could only manage 85mm @ 1000m while the KwK 40 could manage 85mm@ 1000m

  • @RussianThunderrr

    @RussianThunderrr

    6 ай бұрын

    @@paullakowski2509 wrote: "Only a russian would be this dense. The T-34/85 could only manage maybe 4 RPM while the Panzer IV could manage over 8 rounds per minute , not only that the Russian 85mm could only manage 85mm @ 1000m while the KwK 40 could manage 85mm@ 1000m" -- Paul, are you speaking for yourself because you Russian? Or what nationality are you, just curious? Let see where else you getting your info from and presenting it as facts? It looks like you getting T-34-76 with Ivan Grabin's F-34 gun specs and presenting it as T-34/85. Here is why: -- T-34/85 had ready to fire 16 rounds in the turret bustle, so T-34/85 could do better, then 4 RPM, and Pz-IV turret was not balanced, nor had bustle. -- While ballistics of 76.2mm F-34 and 75mm KwK40 gun was somewhat similar, because of similarity of caliber and projectile size, weight and muzzle velocity, hence similar gun performance, things for T-34/85 gun was a lot different, it adapted next caliber/class canon, similar to Tiger I anti-aircraft modified gun, with much longer barrel which resulted in much higher projectile velocity coupled with heavier round retained better ballistics and punched through much thicker armor, and that is just physics that you didn't study at school, that is the reason why you confusing tank gun performance.

  • @thomaslinton5765
    @thomaslinton57659 ай бұрын

    The gun is a story all it's own - and untold here.

  • @charlesfaure1189
    @charlesfaure11894 ай бұрын

    No consideration for 'soft factors.' The T-34 suffered enormous losses, and when it went up the crew died.

  • @dennisa7784
    @dennisa77847 ай бұрын

    For all you t34 stans. You are thinking of post war variants. The war models were built so hastily most of them broke down and were abandoned before ever reaching the front line Its a great design but unfortunately it wasnt fully realized until after the war. Russian propaganda used the post war models to propagate the "best tabk ever that singlehandedly won the entire war" myth

  • @Veritas1980-Chill
    @Veritas1980-Chill6 ай бұрын

    lookin at the interior of the cromwell, where's the tea set?

  • @Psychlist1972
    @Psychlist19727 ай бұрын

    Lots of information / specs provided on the Sherman, but it only applies to an early variant. Later models had different tracks, different suspension, different guns, different engine, and a different body.

  • @Panzer_Craze

    @Panzer_Craze

    4 ай бұрын

    It’s not even US a built it’s a Canadian Grizzly mk. 1

  • @Psychlist1972

    @Psychlist1972

    4 ай бұрын

    @@Panzer_CrazeNice spotting.

  • @nacernait1374
    @nacernait13743 ай бұрын

    If you like history and tanks, it doesn't get much better than this

  • @edwardphillips8460
    @edwardphillips84609 ай бұрын

    Perfectly good video, the Dan Snow sticks his pompous nose in at the end to ruin it!

  • @johnnyzippo7109
    @johnnyzippo71099 ай бұрын

    Overall the Panther was the best overall design , setting aside transmission issues , engine fires etc etc , when properly sorted out and a great crew , the Panther was it .

  • @Hopelesshobo1

    @Hopelesshobo1

    9 ай бұрын

    "If you ignore all the flaws in the design, it really is a good design"

  • @ralfwolters3843

    @ralfwolters3843

    9 ай бұрын

    ​@@Hopelesshobo1what he means their where issues when it first came out. They rushed it out before really proper testing it. After they resolved those issues it was defintly a good tank. Having said that. there is no such tank as the best tank. U design a tank with a specific purpose and then u can check how well it can execute that purpose. The s-tank makes very little sense for usa but for sweden its a very practical tank. Same can be said for the tanks israel uses.

  • @ottovonbismarck2443

    @ottovonbismarck2443

    9 ай бұрын

    @@Hopelesshobo1 Same goes for every tank design. Neither T-34 nor Sherman nor Cromwell worked on day 1. And if you find the time, read about Covenanter for some "fun". Usually, you won't bet all your chips on an untested design during a major offensive, which is what happened to Panther. The reliability issues were quickly sorted out and Panther was as reliable as Pz IV. Many so-called reliability issues came from actual battle damage and overall lack of maintenance time due to the front situation. Every tank will break down if not properly maintained (or being hit), even a Sherman; and if in addition you also lack the spare parts, the writing is on the wall. Which is not a design issue but a general strategic problem. In 1945 production quality on all German AFVs dropped seriously due to many raw materials and qualified workers missing. If you can't use the right steel for your transmission, you're asking for trouble. Even the armor quality became worse. Speaking of the transmission: it was indeed very complicated to produce, but it was very driver-friendly and easy to learn on. Contrary to the actual belief, German tank drivers had basic driver training on old/obsolete tanks before they were put in a Panther or Pz IV. They were not completely left-handed. Of course training was shortened as the war progressed; often for the lack of fuel. Again, not really a design issue.

  • @alexanderwolf8766

    @alexanderwolf8766

    8 ай бұрын

    Apart from the opinion of the commander of the tank army of the Third Reich, Guderian, who insisted that the German army needed several thousand PZ 3-4 in order to fight on equal terms with thousands of T-34s, instead of a couple of hundred effective on the tactical plan but useless on the strategic panthers. But Hitler made another mistake (like the commentators here on KZread), disobeyed his general and turned out to be adamant in his love for the "wunderwaffe", which ultimately exhausted the German industry, and was one of the reasons for the failure of the war (Imagine the confrontation between 6k panthers and 60k t-34, that's how many of them were built).

  • @HaVoC117X

    @HaVoC117X

    6 ай бұрын

    That's a misconception. The Panther was just 10% more expensive than a Panzer IV. Mostly because unlike the Panzer IV it was streamlined for mass production. They built those 60.000 t34 from 1940 till 1945. But if you look at the production numbers of 1944 you can see, that the Germans weren't that far off with their strategy. Soviets built 4500 T34/76 and 10000 t34/85 (14500 medium tanks) in 1944. Germany built 3800 Panthers and around 2500 Panzer IVs (6300 tanks) in 1944. So the production ratio was 1:2.25. But during 1944 they traded their tanks at a ratio of 1:4 in favor for the Germans. If Germany would not had to fight a two front war, the numbers seemed to would have worked out for them.

  • @mohammedsaysrashid3587
    @mohammedsaysrashid358710 ай бұрын

    Informative and enjoyable looking video....thank you for sharing

  • @thomaslinton5765
    @thomaslinton57659 ай бұрын

    It's the "M-4" story. Equipped with the most powerful AT gun the U.S. had at the time and went into batter with a mix of AT and HE shells, so designed to, as the expert says, fight hard and soft targets.

  • @mohammedisaa9952

    @mohammedisaa9952

    9 ай бұрын

    King tigers, wiped them into non exhistance....... like a mouse v.s a panther..... no contest

  • @thomaslinton5765

    @thomaslinton5765

    9 ай бұрын

    @@mohammedisaa9952 Yet thousands paraded after V-E Day, loon, and hundreds sit outside of buildings in the U.S. and hundreds fought in Korea and for Israel. How many Tiger Bs exist - two or three.? Stay off the drugs.

  • @2003AudiS3

    @2003AudiS3

    8 ай бұрын

    ⁠@@mohammedisaa9952there where less than 500 tiger 2s made vs 49234 Sherman’s. The tiger 2 wasn’t in any contest because it never was made in great enough numbers, it changed nothing in the war

  • @DrthSmittyWerbenJagermanJensen

    @DrthSmittyWerbenJagermanJensen

    7 ай бұрын

    ​@@2003AudiS3Tho they were saying the Germans would make things "too perfect/overcomplicated" It kinda makes a lil sense to me because they had alot less numbers than the allies. Imagine if they fought the allies with the MORE industrialized tanks the allies had themselves... they would surely get fucked i think. So it makes sense that the lower number force would prioritorize qualitity things: like creating a tank that from what i've heard anyway, could take out 2 or 3 of "ours". I see a small correlation in how America spends crazy amounts on military and weapon technologies, its because alot of potential conflicts could see the U.S outnumbered. The germans prob did go too far with some ideas and implications but I think the initial idea of "we gotta compete with numbers, so we gotta be/have better/more efficient killing methods and machines than them." is reasonable and makes sense. Tho the actual processes/ideas and those doing it may had not always done it right or actually created something more efficient....the initial idea i get. It just seems they didnt have everything they needed in resources nor time and preparation.

  • @2003AudiS3

    @2003AudiS3

    7 ай бұрын

    @@DrthSmittyWerbenJagermanJensen not really, even your superior tanks need to be produced in enough numbers because if they are as low as the tiger 2, you will need to kill a ridiculous amount of tanks to change the result of the war

  • @chrisg2739
    @chrisg273910 ай бұрын

    That is a very subjective and very situational of a question to answer.

  • @ottocarr3688
    @ottocarr368823 күн бұрын

    The experts do an excellent job in spite of the guy with the fatigue jacket and his constant pointless interruptions. 😊

  • @TushPetros-dw2zi
    @TushPetros-dw2zi8 ай бұрын

    1200 a month that’s crazy

  • @angrydoggy9170
    @angrydoggy91709 ай бұрын

    That sloped frontal armour on the T-34 looks like it’s designed to deflect incoming shells straight into the turret.

  • @ottovonbismarck2443

    @ottovonbismarck2443

    9 ай бұрын

    It's only got 45mm of armor (all-around) on the hull. That's good for side&rear armor, and even frontal armor was good in 1941. But they failed to upgrade the armor, so by 1942 it was just mediocre when Germany came up with long-barreled guns, and I'm not even talking Tiger. A 7,5 cm L48 gun would punch right through the hull most of times. Or, and it really happened, a smaller shell would crack the often extremely bad welding seams. Just in case the way too brittle armor didn't just shatter on impact ... The turret armor on the T-34/85 as shown here was thicker, though, and IIRC they improved the metallurgy.

  • @RussianThunderrr

    @RussianThunderrr

    8 ай бұрын

    @@ottovonbismarck2443 wrote: "Or, and it really happened, a smaller shell would crack the often extremely bad welding seams. Just in case the way too brittle armor didn't just shatter on impact ..." -- On earlier T-34 tanks maybe, but once Eugene Patton implemented automatic submerged flux welding, this was not the case, the problems with welds were more prevalent over German heavy tanks in the second part of the war, since welds was done by "hand".

  • @leotka

    @leotka

    8 ай бұрын

    Sloped armour on T-34 didn't do any good because of poor quality of metal. They even had thermal hardening. About this mentioned British and American experts.

  • @RussianThunderrr

    @RussianThunderrr

    8 ай бұрын

    wrote: "Sloped armour on T-34 didn't do any good because of poor quality of metal. They even had thermal hardening. About this mentioned British and American experts." --Its laughable, since all Germans tanks after examining T-34 in November of 1941 had slopped armor there after, but not before, and this is written from Aberdeen T-34 test, mind you 50mm PaK38 was ran over by T-34 on the field where A.Porsche and others were taking photographs: II. Armour The Americans insist that the T-34 and KV tanks' plates are hardened shallowly, and most of the armour is soft steel. They suggest that we change the hardening technology, which will increase the armour's resistance to impacts. This opinion has no basis in reality, and was likely caused by poor analysis of the armour. The armour of the sent T-34 tank consisted of 8S steel. All T-34s are armoured this way. This steel is hardened to high hardness (2.8-3.15 mm on the Brinell scale). The KV tank's armour was medium hardness (3.35-3.6 mm on the Brinell scale)."

  • @warwarneverchanges4937
    @warwarneverchanges49379 ай бұрын

    If you have not seen the wehicle upclose its very hard to apriciate the scale. Especially how tall the sherman is and how wide the T-34 compared to the massive chunk of steel of the Tigers.

  • @waynemyers2469
    @waynemyers246910 ай бұрын

    I don't think I've ever seen an animal more opposed to the presence of an armored tank-killer in it's pasture than that bull, nor have I ever seen an animal more capable of dishing out some damage before it was machine-gunned off it's hooves...poor bullbullbull...

  • @seandilallo8718
    @seandilallo871810 ай бұрын

    This was great, but I was disappointed that he only covered one obscure German vehicle. I would like to see him do the Panzer IV.

  • @hughsmith2657

    @hughsmith2657

    10 ай бұрын

    And a stug

  • @stephencox4224
    @stephencox42246 ай бұрын

    Seems everyone forgets the Armoured Fighting Vehicle with the most Kills was in Fact the Stug 3 in 1944 alone some 20,000 kills were attributed to the Stug 3 alone and whilst it was like so many WW2 tanks and Tank destroyers far from perfect the numbers of Kills attributed to the Stug 3 make it probably the most effective of them all in the real world. Easy to produce fairly cheap also but ultimately a very effective Tank killer. if not a general purpose weapons system like say a Sherman that could fill the role of Anti tank and Infrantry support weapons system. The Stug was undoubtably also used as a Tank like most Tank destroyers during the war for infrantry support and pillbox destruction but that was not very well recordered in Historical records.

  • @jbstepchild
    @jbstepchild2 ай бұрын

    The jagd is so gentle on the grass its crazy

  • @TinBane
    @TinBane9 ай бұрын

    Was the editor having a stroke? I don’t think we needed the basic dimensions and weight 3+ times with amp up back music.

  • @DrthSmittyWerbenJagermanJensen
    @DrthSmittyWerbenJagermanJensen7 ай бұрын

    Tho they were saying the Germans would make things "too perfect/overcomplicated" It kinda makes a lil sense to me because they had alot less numbers than the allies. Imagine if they fought the allies with the MORE industrialized tanks the allies had themselves... they would surely get fucked i think. So it makes sense that the lower number force would prioritorize qualitity things: like creating a tank that from what i've heard anyway, could take out 2 or 3 of "ours". I see a small correlation in how America spends crazy amounts on military and weapon technologies, its because alot of potential conflicts could see the U.S outnumbered. The germans prob did go too far with some ideas and implications but I think the initial idea of "we gotta compete with numbers, so we gotta be/have better/more efficient killing methods and machines than them." is reasonable and makes sense. Tho the actual processes/ideas and those doing it may had not always done it right or actually created something more efficient....the initial idea i get. It just seems they didnt have everything they needed in resources nor time and preparation.

  • @DrthSmittyWerbenJagermanJensen

    @DrthSmittyWerbenJagermanJensen

    7 ай бұрын

    Maybe instead of the "perfect" killing machine ... the Germans shouldve focused on the the perfect balance of a killing machine. Keeping maintenance and all that in mind as well. Thats IF the narrative of their tanks and such being too complicated/not easily repaired is true..

  • @Dreachon

    @Dreachon

    7 ай бұрын

    @@DrthSmittyWerbenJagermanJensen The narratieve for Germans tanks is considerably skewed against them unfortunately

  • @llVIU
    @llVIU5 ай бұрын

    don't tell me "it's good" tell me WHY it's good.

  • @matts5247
    @matts524710 ай бұрын

    More James holland WOOHOO never clicked anything faster And my brain had a dopamine dump when I saw it was 2 hours I’m typing this before watching but I hope it’s 2 hours of him he knows his shit and is so engaging in the way he explains it would love to have some brews with him and have a hardcore nerd WWII discussion lol. I highly recommend his books as well to anyone who hasn’t already had the pleasure.

  • @matts5247

    @matts5247

    10 ай бұрын

    Looks like I’m not going to be getting anything done for the next 2 hours lol

  • @pcka12
    @pcka1210 ай бұрын

    This is a 'cast steel' version of the Sherman, there are other Shermans built in other ways! I have know two Sherman commanders, both suffered head injuries, one severe burns, the other a metal plate in the skull, the first features in a famous photo in his Firefly with his crew around the tank.

  • @SvenTviking

    @SvenTviking

    9 ай бұрын

    Er, no. Completely different tank.

  • @pcka12

    @pcka12

    9 ай бұрын

    @@SvenTviking who or what are you replying to? The 'text' of the video refers to a variety of 'Sherman build methods'.

  • @bookaufman9643
    @bookaufman96439 ай бұрын

    I was kind of hoping that we would see a Sherman Firefly. That's definitely one of the top two or three tanks of World War 2. The Cromwell is just a beautiful machine.😊😊😊

  • @anthonynicholich9654

    @anthonynicholich9654

    9 ай бұрын

    Not!

  • @brennanleadbetter9708

    @brennanleadbetter9708

    9 ай бұрын

    @anthonynicholich9654 ?

  • @exploatores
    @exploatores10 ай бұрын

    one thing to remember. you can make a tank in a month. the crew to man it takes +18 years. that makes things like a turret basket a good investment.

  • @Gandalfthefabulous

    @Gandalfthefabulous

    10 ай бұрын

    Except when you're the soviet union and you've got enough 18 year olds

  • @DIREWOLFx75

    @DIREWOLFx75

    10 ай бұрын

    "that makes things like a turret basket a good investment." I assume you're referring to a rear turret ammunition storage basket? Because a "turret basket" would generally refer to the part that supports the crew in the turret and keeps them rotating with the turret rather than having to move manually. And yes, that was still a thing with quite a few tanks in WWII. IIRC, the biggest problem was with the KV-2. If so, in theory, absolutely. But then you start working out the actual engineering stuff. And you find that it makes the turret bigger. And it makes the tank several tons heavier. And you need a larger turret ring to support it. And it requires several additional manufacturing elements. And you can't armor it properly. And it's actually quite difficult to guarantee that ammo blowing up doesn't kill everyone in the tank anyway. This is the reason why even several modern tanks does not use such ammo bins. It's a great idea in theory and an idea loved by the crews, at least as long as they work properly. But you have to make them work. And that's not nearly as easy as it may seem.

  • @funkrates4778

    @funkrates4778

    10 ай бұрын

    18 years?! No. The population is not so small that you have to make babies because there’s no one to conscript. Lol

  • @exploatores

    @exploatores

    10 ай бұрын

    @@funkrates4778 we don´t have to make babies. to make new tankers. but each of the conscripts you take. have lived in society for at least 18 years. before they got conscripted.

  • @waynemyers2469

    @waynemyers2469

    10 ай бұрын

    This is only true once you've run out of 18 year-old's, before that a turret basket is a nice idea in theory but frivolous in practice.

  • @jimleffler7976
    @jimleffler79762 ай бұрын

    Amazing, that Comet just doesn't look like it'd haul that much arse, looks like something a kid drew and really weighty but 40mph😮 You Go boy

  • @ricoshay1036
    @ricoshay10363 ай бұрын

    All of these tanks are excellent... The Cromwell though... Underrepresented and with its pimped out GT-40 doors I am smitten.

  • @williamashbless7904
    @williamashbless790410 ай бұрын

    Brilliant cinematography(a little too much glamour shots, though). The Jagdpanther skirt armor was to provide protection from anti tank rifles. A sin that engineers failed to compensate for in development. While the interleaved road wheels were over engineered, it was specifically to lower the ground pressure(and improve mobility in soft ground). They knew what they were doing. It just made maintaining that complex system much more labor intensive. The Sherman assisted tank/infantry communication by wiring a field phone into the intercom system on the rear of the tank. The commander could speak to ground units without opening the hatch or leaving the tank. The Sherman had a bolt on kit that turned it into a bulldozer! Great piece. I hope there is another vid planned to catch us up on more Axis armor.

  • @shaggybiasi8109
    @shaggybiasi81095 ай бұрын

    i was hoping to see the elefant, i love that thing

  • @HiTechOilCo

    @HiTechOilCo

    Ай бұрын

    Why would you love it?

  • @neildutton8077
    @neildutton807710 ай бұрын

    Same with the Sherman, sheer weight of numbers.

  • @petermitchell2729
    @petermitchell272910 ай бұрын

    Stephen Fry and Jeremy Clarkson had a baby.

  • @daxlucero2437
    @daxlucero24377 ай бұрын

    Btw, the T-34-85 was rough and ready

  • @Shakalios
    @Shakalios7 ай бұрын

    The t-34 shown here was used by Polish army in WWII at least the instructions on boards shown inside are in Polish

  • @benoitbergeron8858
    @benoitbergeron885810 ай бұрын

    It makes me want to play war-thunder. I only ever play with the T-34-85 because it's my favorite tank.

  • @paauggie

    @paauggie

    10 ай бұрын

    Haha Well said sir! I've spent so many hours playing War Thunder that I've developed PTSD.

  • @geoffhunter7704
    @geoffhunter7704Ай бұрын

    The Russians were the first to fit a large calibre tank gun=3" to the KV1 in fact the Germans in 1941 had great difficulty in knocking out KV's even with their PAK 38 50MM AT Gun so they were forced to use the 88MM Flak Gun deployed as an AT Weapon.

  • @ashleywebb2736
    @ashleywebb273622 күн бұрын

    Problem with Tigers was that the Germans lied about the diesel emissions and they all had to be recalled to avoid them being sued.

  • @jingle9691
    @jingle96918 ай бұрын

    An hour and a half long video on tanks... It's my lucky day

  • @HistoryHit

    @HistoryHit

    8 ай бұрын

    Hell yeah!

  • @palemale2501
    @palemale25015 ай бұрын

    I would really like to see a film of inside the tank with the full crew in position, to see how tight it was, and maybe pass a camera around so we see what they saw of each other. Oh and please use normal sized men, not fat or over 5' 9" (not the 6' 3" or 6' 6" guys we often see)

  • @chalion8399

    @chalion8399

    3 ай бұрын

    Watch the Bovington Tank Museum channel. @thetankmuseum They have more tank and vehicle reference videos on you tube and do show the interiors of many of them. Also, can't forget The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum @ausarmour They've also a huge amount of you tube videos about the vehicles they've rebuilt.

  • @brennanleadbetter9708
    @brennanleadbetter97089 ай бұрын

    The Sherman seems to be getting the better reputation that it deserves.

  • @ronmailloux8655

    @ronmailloux8655

    8 ай бұрын

    Before it got a worse reputation than it deserved . It all equals out. The M4 was not perfect but it was perfect for what it was intended for.

  • @brennanleadbetter9708

    @brennanleadbetter9708

    7 ай бұрын

    @ ronmailloux8655 it wasn’t perfect, but it was what the Allies needed to help win the war.

  • @HoosTrax
    @HoosTrax10 ай бұрын

    Cow seemed decidedly unimpressed with the Jagdpanther

  • @thomaslinton5765
    @thomaslinton57659 ай бұрын

    Ah, a "Grizzly" tank. 17-tooth drive sprockets and CDP tracks. General Steel shield logo on glacis. CDP tracks were not interchangeable with standard Sherman track types, and their shorter pitch also necessitated production of the new 17 tooth drive sprocket

  • @shmegsbenedict6062
    @shmegsbenedict60627 ай бұрын

    You guys know that the T34 weighs 32 tonnes. You guys tracking it weighs 32 tonnes?

  • @ShiyoneKenyo
    @ShiyoneKenyo9 ай бұрын

    How heavy is it? Please tell me again

  • @konradhenrykowicz1859
    @konradhenrykowicz18595 ай бұрын

    Sherman. Period.

  • @tasman006
    @tasman00610 ай бұрын

    It was a good tank but when you look at the big picture I think the Sherman tank was the best in the war, the post conflict The Korean war proves that agianst the T34/85 tank. One thing not mentioned yes over 80,000 T34 tanks where produced but over 40,000 where destroyed during WW2.

  • @smolwavingsnail9028

    @smolwavingsnail9028

    10 ай бұрын

    I agree with this sentiment. The sherman was cheap easy to make but was still leagues above the t34 in quality. The sherman was the best balance of quality and value per unit. Once they sorted the wet stowage for ammo and upgraded to the 60mm sloped front plate they were an exceptional tank. That angled 60mm front plate gave it an effective thickness on par with a tiger.

  • @lyndoncmp5751

    @lyndoncmp5751

    9 ай бұрын

    "" That angled 60mm front plate gave it an effective thickness on par with a tiger."" Tiger I effective armour was circa 115mm to 130mm on the front due to the nickel-steel of Brinell Hardness of 265, along with the angle (24 degrees on the nose plate).

  • @Chopstorm.

    @Chopstorm.

    7 ай бұрын

    ​@lyndoncmp5751 Do you have a source for that? I have seen claims up to 105mm, but not beyond that. Also it was a 5-10 degree angle, not 24. Unless you're talking about the lower glacis?

  • @lyndoncmp5751

    @lyndoncmp5751

    7 ай бұрын

    @@Chopstorm. Sure. Thomas L Jentz, Germanys Tiger Tanks. Yes, the lower front plate, which is sometimes referred to as the nose plate. It was 24 degrees. The glacis where the driver's visor was was 10 degrees. Both plates were 100mm thick of 265 Brinell Hardness. The 265 Brinell Hardness, according to British tests on captured Tigers, gave it a circa 12% stronger resistance effectiveness than the best allied steel of the same thickness. Then add in the angling.

  • @RussianThunderrr

    @RussianThunderrr

    7 ай бұрын

    wrote: "One thing not mentioned yes over 80,000 T34 tanks where produced but over 40,000 where destroyed during WW2." -- You know why it was NOT mentioned!? Because its a dubious claim worthy LazerPig channel, since it does not taking into account war participation nor technological parity. For example: 1) For the beginning of the 1940-41 had a better 3" gun in a fully rotating turret with welded hull, that offered better armor protection then riveted hull of M3 tank, never mind 75mm main gun that placed inside sponson of tank hull. 2) If you read CIA report on captured T-34-85 tank in Korea in 1951, there on pages 5 and 6, you'll find a few interesting notes, that very insightful on American thoughts in comparison of US vs. USSR tanks of that time, under "1. Desirable Features of T-34/85 tank": (a) Materials were found ample for a job - better then those to be used in American tanks, in some instances. (i) The T34 is of lighter weight then current U.S. medium tanks, but carries gun only slightly smaller (85mm vs. 90mm) Mind you, M4 Sherman never had 90mm L53 caliber in length gun, so they comparing T-34-85 to M-26 Pershing which in WW2 by US of A considered to be a heavy tank, so is German Tiger I tank with its 88mm L56 caliber modified AAA main gun, so is T-34-85 L55 modified AAA main gun, which is a lot better, then M4 Sherman's 76mm L52 main gun. So "in a nutshell", you been "fooled" and/or fooling yourself, thinking that tank that is inferior in fire power, armor protection and mobility/maneuverability that M4 Sherman tank was, would perform better, then best WW2 tank which is T-34, that faced 80% of Wehrmacht and carried most of the fighting from Moscow all the way to Berlin, and won the war as "MVP"(Most Valuable Player).

  • @jamespmullin21753
    @jamespmullin217537 ай бұрын

    The Comet had a 77mm cannon that was almost as powerful as the 17 pounder.

  • @user-kp8ro6rc1d
    @user-kp8ro6rc1d9 ай бұрын

    Jagdpanther, each one came with its own cow!

  • @phhdvm
    @phhdvm9 ай бұрын

    Good introduction to these vehicles, but not really much information for folks who are into tanks.

  • @sciencestudent88
    @sciencestudent8810 ай бұрын

    Youre publishing this again?

  • @jamespmullin21753
    @jamespmullin217537 ай бұрын

    The t34 had two types of 76mm cannon.

  • @cvr527
    @cvr5279 ай бұрын

    As soon as I saw the presenter, I knew this would be amateur hour. I used to see this guy on PBS and every single show he ever did was completely amateur.

  • @ashleywebb2736

    @ashleywebb2736

    22 күн бұрын

    Gotcha! PBS

  • @stevefox9424

    @stevefox9424

    7 күн бұрын

    I watched the first 5mins, that alone turned me off.

  • @jbstepchild
    @jbstepchild2 ай бұрын

    Wardaddy had tanking down to an art

  • @seanbumstead1250
    @seanbumstead12506 ай бұрын

    Stalin was quoted as saying quantity has a quality all its own

  • @SmokingJoeCH
    @SmokingJoeCH10 ай бұрын

    engine and firing sounds would be nice …

  • @ShanGamer1981
    @ShanGamer198110 ай бұрын

    more tanks covered in the future?

  • @nathanokun8801
    @nathanokun88016 ай бұрын

    One inch (25.4mm) thickness of most steels (varies slightly with alloy content) one square foot (30.48mm x 30.48mm = 929.03 square mm) in size weighs 40.8 pounds (18.51 kg). British and US Navies rounded the weight to only 40 pounds in most documents "20-pound" plate for 0.5" thickness, for example).

  • @GeorgeMerl
    @GeorgeMerl7 ай бұрын

    How much does the T-34 weight?

  • @ThinkCriticallyNow
    @ThinkCriticallyNow4 ай бұрын

    Not sure who editied this video but I don't think they proofread is before posting.....

  • @vincentrandles8105
    @vincentrandles810510 ай бұрын

    I wouldn't want to fight Tiger's in a Cromwell! (Conversely I wouldn't want to fight Tiger tanks at all)

  • @leotka
    @leotka9 ай бұрын

    T-34 wasn't good for fighting, it was good for dying. Tank men were real heroes.

  • @RussianThunderrr

    @RussianThunderrr

    8 ай бұрын

    The most idiotic post ever, highest allied ace fought in T-34-76 and was killed outside his tank in December 1941, no other allied tank aces came close to his score.

  • @leotka

    @leotka

    8 ай бұрын

    @@RussianThunderrr For this is only one reason. Such 'Ace' never existed. He was forged by Commy propaganda. Same as 38 heroes-panphilovtsy, etc. 3 months before Hitler attacked SU there was report of GBTY (main department of artillery and armoured troops of SU). This report compared T-4, bought from Germans, and T-34. Report found out COMPLETE domination of T-4, recommended to stop manufacturing T-34 and fix all problems. Those recommendations were rejected. Stalin beurocrats were not interested in making better model T-34M, because it can affect volumes. As a result thousands of brave Soviet tankists died. Later all innovations from T-34M were incorporated to T-44-85.

  • @leotka

    @leotka

    7 ай бұрын

    kzread.info/dash/bejne/iKZr2tORhcaccs4.html Two tank T-34 were destroyed by hand granades..

  • @WilliamCollins-sh6lm
    @WilliamCollins-sh6lm2 ай бұрын

    Why were such narrow tracks used on most tanks ? I would think wider tracks for the inevitable mud bogs would have been used ???

  • @golic7123
    @golic712310 ай бұрын

    57:09 - Angry English Bovine disagrees with German Invincibility claims - Jagdpanther my ass . . . . . "Think you're hard - Lets av It" !

  • @matts5247
    @matts524710 ай бұрын

    I heard somewhere that Soviet tank crews would put a bucket over the end of their turret to make their T34s look like an IS2 from a distance by giving the impression of having the distinct muzzle break that the IS series of tanks had

  • @no-nonseplayer6612

    @no-nonseplayer6612

    8 ай бұрын

    Bucket doesnt mattsr t34 was totally and utterly horroble tank

  • @jakobquick6875

    @jakobquick6875

    8 ай бұрын

    Lazerpig finally gets some statistical-truth to the propaganda!

  • @no-nonseplayer6612

    @no-nonseplayer6612

    8 ай бұрын

    @@RussianThunderrr no T-34 was and is peace of junk that was hold togetrher bretty much with super glue and hopium 44,900+ cobat losses tells it isnt best tank it tells you exat opposite

  • @RussianThunderrr

    @RussianThunderrr

    8 ай бұрын

    It is true, you can see it over here for T-34 "masskirovka" for IS-2: kzread.info/dash/bejne/ppqGutWHmKqshLQ.html

  • @RussianThunderrr

    @RussianThunderrr

    8 ай бұрын

    @@no-nonseplayer6612 -- If this is would be the case, Germans would not rush their tank rearmament program that supposed to replace Pz-III and Pz-IV in October of 1942. T-34 was fast very maneuverable and scary tank as far as Germans were concerned, hence the rearmament. Beside, T-34-76 produced the highest scoring allied tank ace in December of 1941! kzread.info/dash/bejne/YoJ8zJuxcZfgedI.html It was best tank of WWII.

  • @robashton8606
    @robashton8606Ай бұрын

    So, 33 tons then? What? Why's everyone looking at me like that?