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Tanks were an important weapons system in World War II. Although tanks in the inter-war years were the subject of widespread research, few were made, in just a few countries. However, during World War II, most armies employed tanks, and thousands were built every month. Tank usage, doctrine, and production varied widely among the combatant nations.
Entwicklung Series Entwicklung series, a comprehensive redesign of German armor from small tracked vehicles to a 100-ton super-heavy tank. Only a single E-100 chassis was completed; Leichttraktor, pre-war light tank, four built; Neubaufahrzeug, pre-war heavy tank design, five built; Panther II, development of the Panzerkampfwagen V "Panther". A ...
Panzer I (10 bought from Germany before the war) Vickers 6-ton (20 bought from UK before the war) Vickers amphibious tank M1931 (29 tanks purchased from GB) British 12-ton tank (type unclear – likely Vickers Medium Mark II, possibly Cruiser Mk I, or remotely Matilda I) T26 (88 provided by Soviets in 1938) BT-5 (4 provided by Soviets in 1938)
The first generation of main battle tanks was based on or influenced by designs of World War II, most notably the Soviet T-34. [4] The second generation was equipped with NBC protection (only sometimes), night-vision devices, a stabilized main gun and at least a mechanical fire-control system. [4]
A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank or simply tank, [1] is a tank that fills the role of armour-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension systems and lighter composite armour allowed for the design of a tank that had the ...
In terms of tank production, the only World War II-era tank to exceed the M4's production numbers was the Soviet T-34, with approximately 64,549 units built. On the battlefield, the Sherman was particularly effective against German light and medium tanks during the early stages of the war.
The Pershing heavy tank (named after General Pershing) was the only heavy tank used in combat by the US armed forces during World War II. An earlier design, the Heavy Tank M6, was not accepted for large scale production and only 40 were produced. Work began in early 1945 to develop a significantly heavier variant of the M26 Pershing, the T32 ...
Its development led directly to the T-44, then the T-54 and T-55 series of tanks, which in turn evolved into the later T-62, that form the armoured core of many modern armies. T-34 variants were widely exported after World War II, and as recently as 2023 more than 80 were still in service. [12]