CMBB v CMAK

[Nikita]

Please, no Wikipedia as a source. I will try to find out German documents available. I have already said and will repeat once more: by the time it appeared, and even earlier, by the end of 1942, Panther was great overkill for any T-34, including future model. And specifications for Panther, especially its gun, are exceeding requirements, needed to defeat even best armored T-34/85, that appeared later, than Panther.

Again, I would like to draw your attention to the fact, that slopped armor is French idea, which was realised in their mass produced tank.

Russian engineers were very much alarmed at improvements of German armor on late PzIII and PzIV models and thought, that Germans will continue modernising them. Guns of PzIV were considered more than adequate against KVs and T-34s. It was only IS-2, that was planned to be a though nut for PzIVs. Up to now, there is a debate, that Panther was a mistake, since it was too complicated, not extremely well armored (it had greatly differentiated armor, unlike the Tiger) and too expensive, while Germans needed numbers.

About Matilda: it is still infantry support tank with its transmission, speed and armament. They were supposed to act with their MGs. Russians did found out, that this was the only role, they were rather successful, any other tasks, like tank hunting, produced poor results.

Another interesting fact: Russians considered British Valentines as rather good tank hunters, because they were low, had gun, capable of penetration of Tiger's sides from about 500 meters (that is what reports from the front are stating, but I am not sure, if they do not mix tigers up with late PzIV models) and because it was silent: in fact it was not louder, than a truck, when driving.