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A Prank Led to America’s First Nominated Female to Office, and Other Lesser Known American History Facts

Khalid Elhassan December 13, 2019 33 min

10. As Part of a Combined Arms Team, the Shermans Wiped the Floor With the Panzers

A 76mm equipped Sherman ‘Easy Eight’. Wikimedia

If it ever came down to fighting one on one, M4 Shermans were outclassed by German Tigers and Panthers. However, Shermans did not have to face the bigger German tanks one on one. American tanks prevailed against German armor because they were part of a combined arms system that operated more smoothly than that of any other combatant, and that could bring more accurate and sustained firepower against its targets than anybody else could hope to match.

German Panzers had to worry about more than just American tanks – and nearly 50,000 Shermans were manufactured, vs only 1300 Tigers and 6000 Panthers. German tank crews also had to worry about American infantry who were usually not that far away from the Shermans. They also had to worry about American tank destroyers, that were usually nearby. Their list of worries also encompassed American artillery, and tactical bombers that frequently circled the battlefield in taxi ranks, either of which was only a radio call away from any American tank platoon commander who found himself in trouble.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.