Russian Victory Day Celebrations

[HeinzGud]

Symbolic Relic?

While much attention has been showered on the T-14 Armata, it is important to note that the armour retinue was led by the venerable T-34. This is a symbolism of the might of Soviet engineering. Unlike the German PanzerKampfWagen IV, which was great on paper, but largely useless and sometimes a liability in the battlefield, the T-34 is the one that actually showed what military technology and the underlying philosophy should be like. In other words, at the time of war, ditch the BMW and go for the UAZ.

Wrong. Panzer iv was just a tank put into fight in a wrong place. While the T-34 was designed specifically for the same battlefield. Any how Germans did put out worthy tanks to battle in Russian plains. But it was too little too late.

 

[pmaitra]

Wrong. Panzer iv was just a tank put into fight in a wrong place. While the T-34 was designed specifically for the same battlefield. Any how Germans did put out worthy tanks to battle in Russian plains. But it was too little too late.

What would be the correct battlefield for PanzerKampfWagen IV?

 

[HeinzGud]

What would be the correct battlefield for PanzerKampfWagen IV?

Well AFAIK Panzer IV couldn't master the Russian mud. The track of the P.IV was narrow so the tank got stuck in deep mud. Panzer's did well in North Africa and Western Europe.

 

[pmaitra]

Well AFAIK Panzer IV couldn't master the Russian mud. The track of the P.IV was narrow so the tank got stuck in deep mud. Panzer's did well in North Africa and Western Europe.

Yes, the mud did pose an extra challenge to the PanzerKampfWagen IV.

However, that alone does not make it any better than T-34. Let's say there was no mud in the battlefields where the battles took place. The T-34 still had the advantage of sloped armour, simple design leading to easy repairability and less breakdowns, slightly larger gun, more powerful engine, more torquey diesel engine over PanzerKampfWagen's gasoline engine, superior power to weight ratio, heavier overall weight leading to T-34s literally crashing into PanzerKampfWagens and disabling them.

PanzerKampfWagen IV did have more accuracy.

PanzerKampfWagen IV was an over-engineered liability.

 

[jouni]

German tanks had radios, better trained crews and better tactics. That was the key to success. Of course later Russians got better and weight of numbers showed. Still more Tiger and Panther tanks were lost due to tech problems, lack of fuel etc than enemy action.

 

[HeinzGud]

German tanks had radios, better trained crews and better tactics. That was the key to success. Of course later Russians got better and weight of numbers showed. Still more Tiger and Panther tanks were lost due to tech problems, lack of fuel etc than enemy action.

Many Tiger tanks were actually knocked out of the fight rather than being completely destroyed. If Germans had the ability to repair them they would have gained the upper hand.

 

[HeinzGud]

Yes, the mud did pose an extra challenge to the PanzerKampfWagen IV.

However, that alone does not make it any better than T-34. Let's say there was no mud in the battlefields where the battles took place. The T-34 still had the advantage of sloped armour, simple design leading to easy repairability and less breakdowns, slightly larger gun, more powerful engine, more torquey diesel engine over PanzerKampfWagen's gasoline engine, superior power to weight ratio, heavier overall weight leading to T-34s literally crashing into PanzerKampfWagens and disabling them.

PanzerKampfWagen IV did have more accuracy.

PanzerKampfWagen IV was an over-engineered liability.

Agreed. Specially on the subject of over engineering. Germans are notorious for that. However the T 34 was a more modern design than to the P.IV. The original P.IV AFAIK was fielded from 1937. So when it was the time to face T 34, P.IV was obsolete. Germans fielded those tanks because they form the bulk of the panzer force.

However later in the war, specially after the introduction of T 34. Germans did fielded superior tanks like Panther and Tiger. But it was too little too late.