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I recommend the book BATTLEGROUND - THE GREATEST TANK DUELS IN HISTORY by Osprey. It features five tank match-ups throughout history. It might be an amalgamation of five earlier separate books.
T-34 vs Panther, Ukraine 1943
Tiger vs Sherman Firefly, Normandy 1944
Pershing vs T34/85, Korea 1950
Centurion vs T55, Golan Heights 1973
Abrams vs T-72, Iraq 1991
Each pairing is examined for tank development and features, crew stations and training, and combat performance.
As one interested all my life in tanks, I enjoyed this book a lot. Here are some interesting bits of information that I learned.
During the Yom Kipper war of 1973, Israeli tank crew members were being decapitated so often, that they were told to wear their identification tags around their ankles to be sure the tags would stay with the body.
The Korean armour battles were not common. The North Koreans started with un-opposed T34/85 tanks. The first Allied tanks encountered were Chaffee light tanks, which were no match. When the Allied defence crystallized, Pershings and Sherman M4A3E8 made their appearance. The Sherman was comparable to the T34/85, but the Pershing outclassed the T34/85 except for mobility. Once Allied air power became significant, the NK tanks were attritted to nothing.
The book showed how the Panther was a battle winning tank, but the T34 was a war winning tank. For example, the T34 cost 25K and required 3000 man-hours to build. The Panther cost 51K and required 55,000 man-hours to build.
T-34 vs Panther, Ukraine 1943
Tiger vs Sherman Firefly, Normandy 1944
Pershing vs T34/85, Korea 1950
Centurion vs T55, Golan Heights 1973
Abrams vs T-72, Iraq 1991
Each pairing is examined for tank development and features, crew stations and training, and combat performance.
As one interested all my life in tanks, I enjoyed this book a lot. Here are some interesting bits of information that I learned.
During the Yom Kipper war of 1973, Israeli tank crew members were being decapitated so often, that they were told to wear their identification tags around their ankles to be sure the tags would stay with the body.
The Korean armour battles were not common. The North Koreans started with un-opposed T34/85 tanks. The first Allied tanks encountered were Chaffee light tanks, which were no match. When the Allied defence crystallized, Pershings and Sherman M4A3E8 made their appearance. The Sherman was comparable to the T34/85, but the Pershing outclassed the T34/85 except for mobility. Once Allied air power became significant, the NK tanks were attritted to nothing.
The book showed how the Panther was a battle winning tank, but the T34 was a war winning tank. For example, the T34 cost 25K and required 3000 man-hours to build. The Panther cost 51K and required 55,000 man-hours to build.
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