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Probably much of what follows will be of little interest to many of you. But to understand what it was like to serve in an armored unit, you have to be able to picture what the inside of a tank looked like.
Some vehicles used in World War II set standards which are still followed today. Lethality, survivability, mobility, and ease of logistical support are all key factors. One thing less looked at is crew comfort and how easy it is for the crew to use and maintain that complex piece of equipment we call the tank.
The Chieftain also has a video covering the design and such of each of these three vehicles. But one can see quickly what a tank looks like from the outside, it's the inside which is of interest to me, at least as an author of historical fiction.
The PzKw III plays a large role in the prequel (Part I). It was a very useful tank, especially the basic hull, throughout the war. Early in the war it was, as LTC Moran mentions, perhaps the most advanced tank in active service.
We encountered the French Char B1 in this episode. It was well-armored, but crew comfort was an afterthought it seems.
The Germans captured a number of Somua S35s and used them in Western Europe and in Russia, but not as front line machines. They suffered from the same poor turret design as the Char B1. One guy gets to command, lay the gun, load the gun, and fire the gun.
French tank commanders must have been as busy as a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest!
At the 1:15 mark in the following video, you can see two Somua S35s being used by the Germans during the liberation of Paris in 1944.
That's it for now, sorry juvat, no tanks blowing up today, maybe tomorrow.
On Friday (an off day pour moi) I incorporated a bunch of edits in Almost A Lifetime while waiting for the oil company to show up to tune the boiler. They never showed.
But I got a lot done.
So I've got that going for me.
A very good post, those vids are enlightening Sarge, LTC Moran is engaging. The CharB1 and M3 Grant with their big guns down low, what were the designers thinking? A neighbor uses fuel oil, he's been carefully following oil prices on when to refill.
ReplyDeleteIn the '30s there was a lot of that "whjat were they thinking" in tank design. A lot of that still going on with ship design. (DAMHIK)
DeleteCrusty Old TV Tech here. "What were they thinking" is going on to this day in aircraft control design, the only change is that it's not the hardware or cockpit accomodations being FUBAR'ed in most cases, it's the software behind the panel! Re: Boeing, 737 Max, and MCAS for one. Computer control merely exchanges one set of categories of potential screwups for different ones.
DeleteDon't get me started on the horrors of bad software design! (It's rampant.)
DeleteWe used oil to heat in Germany. I liked it. The neighbors would cooperate in a bulk purchase. But, as we say, that was then. In today's America such "service" performance is by far the "norm".
ReplyDeleteBest to be as independent as one can be; I wouldn't mind sitting on a full tank of heating oil, regardless of the price increase. Same with propane. At least it will be there.
Boat Guy
I remember that, a bunch of families getting together to arrange an oil delivery. Usually got a better price that way.
DeleteRight now my oil company seems stretched to the limit, first time in 23 years they've ever missed an appointment. Not sure what's going on there, other that the fact that the Feds have declared war on oil. Bastards.
Yeah, our neighborhood would buy a tank truck load and get a better price. Can't imagine trying to buy heating this month; it's up almost 60%!
DeleteWell besides the Fed war on oil, there's the general malaise in the labor market; everybody's short on people willing to work.
BG
Ah yes, pay people to do nothing, then when it's time to go back to work, no one wants to.
DeleteGreat video, Sarge. Doesn't make me regret not swerving in Armor but great perspective on those who did.
ReplyDeleteBoat Guy
He does some really good videos. There are others who do tank videos but not from LTC Moran's perspective, an actual armor officer!
DeleteSarge,
ReplyDeleteNo worries. Here are enough to sicken the soul. I don't have much love to lose for the Russians, but wasting troops is...distasteful.
True enough, the Russian people I care about, their government, not so much. Sad that that fits at home as well.
DeleteThanks for the primer on WWII armor, Sarge. It's something I know very little about. Aircraft, yes, tanks?....notsomuch!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a lad, I couldn't decide whether to be a pilot or a tanker. Eyes weren't good enough to be a pilot, Army recruiting was too stupid to make me a tanker.
DeleteIf you are interested in recreating some panzer encounters, I can invite you to World of Tanks, it is more of arcade than simulator, but still has most basic tech traits of tanks right... I have lots of the tanks myself as a veteran player...
ReplyDeleteBeen there, done that. But thanks anyway, it's rather too arcade-like for my tastes.
Delete