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WWII was the first conflict in which tanks played a critical role. Here are my favorites. I’ve given the date when each tank went into service beside each vehicle.
1] Tiger 1 - 1942
This was a formidable tank, showcasing superb firepower, engineering, and impressive armor. Its 88 mm gun was the most feared of WWII, and its armor was nearly impenetrable by most Allied tank rounds. Had the Germans been able to produce it at the same rate that factories churned out Shermans in the US…well, ask Patton and Montgomery how things might have turned out differently 80 years ago. Only 1,347 were made, yet they accounted for the destruction of more than 10,000 Allied tanks.
2] T-34 – 1940
It could be argued that this vehicle, weighing over 25 tonnes, was the one that defeated Hitler, serving as the mainstay of the vast Red Army armored forces, which swept inexorably westward 80 years ago. Its key strengths did not lie in the tank itself – they were its cost and the time it took to produce. Many were built in Stalingrad in a factory that became the site of some of the most brutal fighting in military history. The Soviets produced more than 80,000 T-34s, making it the most manufactured tank of WWII, yet it was also the most destroyed, famously during the Battle of Kursk in 1943, with more than half lost or damaged.
3] Sherman M4 - 1942
Produced at impressive speed by the Ford Motor Company and other U.S. manufacturers, the legendary Sherman had a top speed of 30mph on the road and a range of up to 150 miles. Its 75 mm gun was no match for the Tiger I, but it was more maneuverable and outnumbered German tanks in most key battles of WWII. Some crews complained bitterly that it exploded into flames too quickly after being hit, and many men were horrifically burned in the large tank engagements in Normandy. Yet sheer numbers, good tactics, and often superb leadership of armored units made the Sherman a decisive factor in the war. Approximately 50,000 rolled off production lines and were still being used in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
4] Panther – 1943
Those watching WWII movies will recognize this iconic vehicle, the most commonly seen on small and big screens. This medium-sized tank was not as terrifying as the Tiger I, although it weighed 45 tons. However, it was far more effective, with four times more units produced. It was rushed into combat at the Battle of Kursk, where hundreds were lost due to mechanical failures. Those that did not break down wreaked havoc – the Panther had a high kill ratio. It comprised less than 10 percent of the 2,500 German armored vehicles at the Battle of Kursk but was responsible for destroying more than 250 enemy tanks. Designed to be a “T-34 slayer”, it became a game-changer in battles against comparable enemy numbers when operated by an experienced crew.
5] KV-1 -1940
On the Eastern Front, during Operation Barbarossa, this beast - the heaviest tank the Soviets produced - proved its worth in many skirmishes. Its armor was so thick that very few German anti-tank guns could destroy it, and it could take out any German tank that confronted it early in the war. The challenge lay in operating it; it required significant strength to drive, and visibility was poor. Nevertheless, in the right hands, it was formidable – it was said that just one KV-1 held up parts of an entire German armored division for two days in the summer of 1941.
6] Churchill - 1941
This versatile tank had a tragic introduction to WWII, first seeing combat during the Dieppe Raid in 1942. Only half of the thirty tanks that landed on the stony beach managed to get off, and although these proved effective in urban fighting, the overall operation was an unmitigated disaster. Most of the 6000 Canadians who landed at Dieppe were killed, captured, or wounded, and the Churchill crews that survived the landing were captured after having used all their ammunition. The tank was improved and excelled in mud and forests, yet it remained widely and unfairly maligned. It was named after John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, but so poor was its reputation that Winston Churchill himself exclaimed: “That is the tank they named after me when they found out it was no damn good!”
7] StuG III – 1940
The Sturmgeschütz III was arguably Hitler’s most effective tank, used in every major battle in the European Theatre. It was small and had a low profile, making it easy to conceal with branches, brush, and other camouflage, which made it difficult to destroy. By April 1945, approximately 11,300 had been produced, but only around a thousand remained operable – such was the immense attrition as the Allies closed in on Berlin. There were significant drawbacks: the turret did not rotate, and the armor was inadequate. However, Allied tankers feared the Stug for good reason – there were so many of them, and their guns were true tank destroyers. By 1945, more Stugs were deployed than any other German tank. Numbers became increasingly important as the Third Reich faced tens of thousands of mass-produced Allied tanks on two fronts.
8] Cromwell – 1944
The Cromwell could fly – it was the fastest British tank of WWII, reaching an astonishing 40mph, allowing it to advance faster than Shermans and often outmaneuver German behemoths. It also had another critical advantage – it did not lose power when turning, thanks to a special gearbox. In a one-on-one encounter with a Tiger, it was no match, especially because of its lighter armor, but when in pursuit, it was a full-throated winner.
9] Panzer IV - 1939
For much of the war, this tank was the most numerous among Hitler’s legions of tracked destroyers, and until D-Day, June 6, it was the most common on the Western Front. It underwent many modifications, initially to counter the Soviet T-34. Crews complained about its lack of speed, but it excelled in defense and inflicted massive damage on the Allies in the hedgerows of Normandy, where Shermans struggled to pierce its armor. Even so, the Battle of Normandy proved catastrophic; of the 2300 tanks and assault guns used in the battle, around a hundred survived for future use. Thankfully, Allied bombing crippled production throughout the remainder of the war.
10] Matilda II - 1939
At the onset of World War II in 1939, only two Matilda II tanks were available for service. Equipped with decent armor, the Matilda II was a formidable infantry support tank, albeit with limited speed and firepower. Remarkably, it was the only British tank to see action throughout the war, used in the Pacific Theatre on the very last day of WWII.
