Same for the Shermans.....the gyro was rarely used, and most gunners preferred the regular aim and shoot method. So in ASL a gyro really should be an optional piece of equipment, but to me I would take the T-34/M43 or T-34/85 anytime. Reasons are ease of maintenance, low ground pressure, smaller profile. I like the fact that the T-34 being so common, you can pull parts off a wreck and repair yours. Also it uses diesel, a fuel designed for winter operations, and less prone to explode like gasoline. If I had to crew a flame tank, I would use the OT-34(44 version) with 76mm or 85mm and coaxial mg, plus the flame thrower. By 44 Russian armor tactics were a lot better, with a more flexible command structure. And by late 44 with their deep operation doctrine, outperformed the German tactics. I would say by 44 they could easily out perform any force in the European front. The Shermans are good tanks, but have an achillies heal: Gasoline. Extreme cold typical on the eastern front, plays havoc with fuel.Second is the Shermans height, in Italy they had a lot of problems due to rollovers. I live near a tank museum, and you can see the obvious issues regarding vehicle profiles. The Russian liked the Shermans for their rubber padded tracks, which extended the life of the track itself, and the ice grousers that could replace some of the track pads, but not for it's performance in soft ground, or hilly terrain. The short 75mm was okay, but versus a panther or tiger good luck. I can see the lower kill ratio of the German tanks versus the Shermans in western Europe. The majority of the terrain was was either close, or built up. with few large areas of open ground. Now try the Shermans on Steppe Terrain, their chances drop considerably. In North Africa they were mauled by the Germans.