CMBB v CMAK

[Mad Russian]

Only when Germans faced massed Soviet and, partially, British, armor, they were forced to respond not with quantity (this was simply unapplicable decision due to lacking volumes of tank production), but with quality, trying to provide their tanks with greater capabilities to score kills, remaining outside of the enemy's effective range. So, by 1942, PzIIIs and long-barelled PzIVs appeared, followed by PzVs.

In late 1942 and 1943 masses of Russian tanks became so great, that Germans were forced to commit their tanks as primary anti-tank weapon. So it was a forced sollution, but the things were not seen this way in 1941, when Germans enjoyed initiative and overall superiority. Until their strategic defeat at Moscow they did not note T-34 or KV as best tanks, although met them in considerable numbers in border battles. Do not respond with Guderian's reports, I feel sick of his post-war fairy tales.

In your earlier posts you claimed that the tank vs tank engagements weren't that important. Here you are claiming they were.

I agree with this post but not your previous one.

The Germans believed that the speed of a tank was as much a weapon as the gun it carried. Couple that with the Luftwaffe's ability to disrupt enemy tank concentrations that proved correct. Take the Luftwaffe out of the equation and German tanks are in a very poor position tactically. Usually outnumbered and almost always fighting with open flanks early in the war.

IMO, the three arms of the forces deployed were equal tank killers at all times in the war. The tanks, anti-tank guns and tank destroyers were all equally important in destroying the enemy's forces and were deployed to great success at different times and places.

The Germans recognized the superiority of the T-34 from their very first meeting. They even sent some back to Germany with the demand that they start making them in German factories. The Panther was produced instead. The Panther was produced in response to the threat that the T-34 posed not because it was a progression of German tank design.

The Germans never enjoyed overall superiority against Soviet armor. Tank to tank. What they enjoyed was formation superiority. A Panzer Division could outfight it's Soviet Tank Corps counterpart because of command control and air superiority.

Good Hunting.

MR