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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.
