The tanks of World War II were a leap in the development of armored vehicles, showing how important its role is on the battlefield. German generals were the first to understand the power of quick strikes, crushing infantry and enemy fortifications. Guderian and Manstein managed to defeat the Polish army in a couple of weeks, using combat vehicles, after which it was the turn of the French. The Anglo-French troops held out for more than a month, but could not oppose anything to the German tanks and were pressed against Dunker, from where they were able to evacuate.

The history of World War II tanks began in 1939, when the outcome of battles was often decided by cutting blows from light and medium tanks, their breakthrough and the destruction of the rear. In the period up to 1941, there were practically no anti-tank weapons and experience in combating armored vehicles. Later, heavy tanks with anti-ballistic armor began to appear, for example, the Soviet KV-1, which was almost invulnerable to German guns, but unreliable and with poor cross-country ability. Germany in 1942 applied one of the most powerful tanks World War II - the Tiger, which has powerful armor and a magnificent gun.

Soviet response

Despite the appearance of multi-ton monsters, medium tanks were still in demand. It was they who performed the role of workhorses, making daring breakthroughs on the flanks, hastily transferred to dangerous sectors of the front, destroying enemy columns on the march. The best tank of World War II, the T-34, was a medium one, weighing about 30 tons, with thin sloping armor, a medium-caliber cannon and a speed of over 50 km/h. The Americans classified their Pershing as heavy, although it was average in performance. Of course, it is worth mentioning the Wehrmacht, which threw the Panther into battle in 1943, which became one of the most massive and dangerous German military vehicles, thanks to a combination of mobility, armor and firepower.

For many years, there was a kind of rivalry between the USSR and Germany for the creation of the most advanced machine. The Germans relied on technology and performance, trying to make it possible to destroy any enemy from afar and withstand any retaliatory shot. The disadvantages of this approach were the complexity and cost of production. Soviet engineers relied on manufacturability and mass production, even when creating the legendary thirty-four. This approach justified itself during the bloody tank battles, and later, when Germany began to experience a shortage of resources, Soviet tanks finally won.

Other countries

The armored vehicles of other countries lagged far behind in development. Japanese tanks did not have serious protection and weapons, like the Italian and French, and looked like guests from the past.

Great Britain, in addition to Churchill, who distinguished himself with excellent armor, but poor mobility and reliability, also produced other vehicles. The massive Cromwell was distinguished by good mobility, a powerful gun, and could withstand the Panthers. The comet, which appeared at the end of the war as a result of Cromwell's modification, was even more successful and successfully combined the necessary characteristics.

The US created 49,234 medium Shermans, which left a noticeable mark in World War II. Not distinguished by protection or firepower, the tank became the most massive after the T-34 due to its successful design and ease of production.

interesting experimental tanks World War II, like the built Maus, which became the most big tank World War II or the giant Ratte, which remained on the drawings.

During the war years, a huge number of armored vehicles were produced, some of which are little known and are in the shadow of history.

On this page you will find a list of tanks from the Second World War with photos, names and descriptions that is in no way inferior to an encyclopedia and helps to find out interesting details and not get confused in the variety of combat vehicles.

Despite the fact that the First World War marked the appearance of the tank, the Second World War saw a real "grin" of this mechanical war beast. He played vital important role during the war. Most of the armies produced tanks, and their production increased every day. The USSR, Great Britain, USA, France, Germany, Italy and Japan produced huge numbers of tanks, both before and during World War II. Below we will talk about the ten best tanks of the Second World War - the most powerful combat vehicles of the time.

Tank M4 Sherman - "Sherman" (USA)

One of the most produced combat vehicles of the Second World War. Production was established not only by the United States of America, but also by other allied states. The release of the Sherman was mainly carried out under the American Lend-Lease program, which provided military aid countries opposed to Nazi Germany.

Sherman Firefly - "Sherman Firefly" (UK)

The British version of the Sherman tank, despite its affectionate nickname "Firefly", was equipped with a devastating 17-pounder anti-tank gun, which had more power than a 75-mm cannon American Sherman. The 17-pound barrel was powerful enough to defeat enemy tanks that he encountered in his area of ​​\u200b\u200boperations.

Although the First World War was marked by the appearance of tanks, the Second World War showed the real rampage of these mechanical monsters. During the hostilities, they played an important role, both among the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition and among the powers of the "axis". Both opposing sides created a significant number of tanks. Listed below are ten outstanding tanks of World War II - the most powerful vehicles given period ever built.
10. M4 Sherman (USA)

The second largest tank of the Second World War. Released in the USA and some others Western countries anti-Hitler coalition mainly due to American program Lend-Lease, which provided military support to the foreign Allied Powers. medium tank The Sherman had a standard 75 mm gun with 90 rounds of ammunition and was equipped with relatively thin frontal (51 mm) armor compared to other vehicles of that period.

Designed in 1941, the tank was named after the famous General civil war in the USA - William T. Sherman. The machine participated in numerous battles and campaigns from 1942 to 1945. The relative lack of firepower was compensated by their huge numbers: about 50,000 Shermans were produced during the Second World War.

9. Sherman Firefly (UK)

The Sherman Firefly was a British variant of the M4 Sherman tank, which was equipped with a devastating 17-pounder anti-tank gun, more powerful than the original 75 mm Sherman gun. The 17-pounder was destructive enough to damage any known tank of the time. The Sherman Firefly was one of those tanks that terrified the Axis and was characterized as one of the deadliest fighting vehicles of the Second World War. In total, more than 2,000 units were produced.

PzKpfw V "Panther" - Medium german tank, which appeared on the battlefield in 1943 and remained until the end of the war. A total of 6,334 units were created. The tank reached speeds of up to 55 km/h, had strong 80 mm armor and was armed with a 75 mm gun with an ammunition capacity of 79 to 82 high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing shells. The T-V was powerful enough to damage any enemy vehicle at the time. It was technically superior to the tanks of the Tiger and T-IV types.

And although later, the T-V "Panther" was surpassed by numerous Soviet T-34s, she remained her serious opponent until the end of the war.

5. "Comet" IA 34 (UK)

One of the most powerful combat vehicles in Great Britain and probably the best that was used by this country in the Second World War. The tank was armed with a powerful 77 mm cannon, which was a shortened version of the 17-pounder. Thick armor reached 101 millimeters. However, the Comet did not have a significant impact on the course of the War due to its late introduction to the battlefields - around 1944, when the Germans were retreating.

But be that as it may, during its short service life, this military machine has shown its effectiveness and reliability.

4. "Tiger I" (Germany)

The Tiger I is a German heavy tank developed in 1942. It had a powerful 88 mm gun with 92-120 rounds of ammunition. It was successfully used against both air and ground targets. The full German name for this beast is Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf.E, the Allies simply called this car "Tiger".

It accelerated to 38 km / h and had armor without a slope with a thickness of 25 to 125 mm. When it was created in 1942, it suffered from some technical problems, but was soon freed from them, turning into a ruthless mechanical hunter by 1943.

The Tiger was a formidable vehicle, which forced the Allies to develop better tanks. It symbolized the strength and power of the Nazi war machine, and until the middle of the war, not a single Allied tank had sufficient strength and power to withstand the Tiger in a direct collision. However, during the final stages of World War II, the Tiger's dominance was often challenged by the better-armed Sherman Fireflies and Soviet tanks IS-2.

3. IS-2 "Joseph Stalin" (Soviet Union)

The IS-2 tank belonged to a whole family of heavy tanks of the Joseph Stalin type. It had characteristic sloped armor 120 mm thick and a large 122 mm gun. Frontal armor was impenetrable for German 88-mm shells anti-tank guns at a distance of more than 1 kilometer. Its production began in 1944, a total of 2,252 tanks of the IS family were built, of which about half were modifications of the IS-2.

During the Battle of Berlin, IS-2 tanks destroyed entire German buildings using high-explosive fragmentation shells. It was a real ram of the Red Army when moving towards the heart of Berlin.

2. M26 "Pershing" (USA)

The United States created a heavy tank, which belatedly took part in World War II. It was developed in 1944 total produced tanks amounted to 2,212 units. Pershing was more complex model compared to the Sherman, it had a lower profile and larger tracks, which provided the car with better stability.
The main gun had a caliber of 90 millimeters (70 shells were attached to it), powerful enough to penetrate the armor of the Tiger. "Pershing" had the strength and power for a frontal attack of those machines that could be used by the Germans or the Japanese. But only 20 tanks took part in the fighting in Europe and very few were sent to Okinawa. After the end of World War II, the Pershings took part in Korean War and continued to be used in the American troops. The M26 Pershing could have been a game changer had it been thrown onto the battlefield earlier.

1. "Jagdpanther" (Germany)

The Jagdpanther is one of the most powerful tank destroyers in World War II. It was based on the Panther chassis, entered service in 1943, and served until 1945. It was armed with an 88 mm cannon with 57 rounds and had 100 mm frontal armor. The gun retained accuracy at a distance of up to three kilometers and had a muzzle velocity of over 1000 m/s.

Only 415 tanks were built during the war. The Jagdpanthers went through their baptism of fire on July 30, 1944 near Saint Martin Des Bois, France, where they destroyed eleven Churchill tanks in two minutes. Technical superiority and advanced firepower did not have much effect on the course of the war due to the late introduction of these monsters.

The specialists of the American Military History Museum have chosen 10 best tanks Second World War. It is noteworthy that in the foreign rating there is not only a tank that did not fight, but also self-propelled gun.

Heavy tank"Joseph Stalin"

See all photos in the gallery

The heavy tank "Joseph Stalin", better known as the IS-2, was named after the leader of the USSR and at the time of its appearance was the strongest in the world. Its armor successfully withstood the fire of German anti-tank artillery, and after modernization, when the “stepped” upper frontal part was replaced with its straightened configuration, it could hold shells of the most powerful 88-mm Pak 43 anti-tank gun at close range. The tank itself was armed with a 122-mm cannon, shells which pierced such tanks as Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf H, PzKpfw.VI Tiger and PzKpfw V Panther right through.

JagdPanther

According to the German classification, the JagdPanther is a tank destroyer. This machine is considered one of the the best self-propelled guns Second World War. Having fought on the Western and Eastern fronts, the JagdPanther proved to be a dangerous enemy, its Pak.43 L/71 (88 mm, 71 caliber) cannon pierced the armor of almost any Allied tank from 1000 meters.

M4 Sherman

Most bulk tank american army during the Second World War, a total of about 50 thousand of these machines were produced.
The simple and reliable M4 Sherman was loved by tank crews. Its 75-mm gun, equipped with a Westinghouse gyroscopic stabilizer, made it possible to fire quite accurately even on the move. However, with the advent of the PzKpfw.VI "Tiger" and PzKpfw V "Panther", its armor penetration was not enough, and subsequently the tank was equipped with a more powerful gun. The main drawbacks of the tank were the high silhouette and weak armor, and the tank often caught fire when a projectile hit it. The Germans even nicknamed the M4 Sherman as the "Burning Cauldron" or "Soldier's Cauldron".

PzKpfw V "Panther"

This tank was created as a response to the Soviet T-34 and was subsequently supposed to replace the Panzer III and IV. Due to the technological complexity of production, this was not possible, as well as to bring the design of the tank to mind - the PzKpfw V "Panther" suffered from childhood illnesses throughout the war. Nevertheless, armed with a long-barreled 75-mm KWK-42 cannon with a length of 70 calibers, this tank was a formidable opponent. So, in one battle, “Panther” of SS Hauptscharführer Franz Faumer in Normandy destroyed 9 M4 Sherman and 4 more were captured absolutely serviceable. No wonder the Panther is considered by some experts to be the best tank of the Second World War.

PzKpfw IV

The main workhorse of the German armored forces throughout the war. The tank had a large reserve for modernization, thanks to which it was constantly improved and could withstand all its opponents on the battlefield. By the end of the war, when Germany's resources were depleted, the design of the PzKpfw IV was greatly simplified. For example, on the Ausf.J version, the turret electric drive and the auxiliary carburetor engine were removed, and in 1944 the road wheels had to be reduced and the zimmerite coating was abandoned. But the tank soldier, as the “four” is also called, continued to fight.

Sherman Firefly

The British Sherman variant, armed with a magnificent 17-pounder, could withstand the German PzKpfw.VI Tiger and PzKpfw V "Panther". Moreover, the English gun had not only excellent armor penetration, but also fit into a standard tank turret.
The long and thin barrel of the gun required careful handling: in the stowed position, the Sherman Firefly turret turned 180 degrees and the gun barrel was fixed on a special bracket mounted on the roof of the engine compartment.
In total, 699 tanks were converted: the crew of the vehicle was reduced to 4 people, in addition, the course machine gun was removed to accommodate part of the ammunition.

Adopted on December 19, 1941, the tank became a real nightmare for German tankers on the battlefield. Fast, agile and invulnerable to most Wehrmacht tank and anti-tank guns, the T-34 dominated the battlefield for the first two years of the war.
Not surprisingly, further developments of German anti-tank weapons were aimed primarily at fighting the terrible Soviet tank.
The T-34 was repeatedly modernized throughout the war, the most significant improvement was the installation of a new turret with an 85-mm cannon, which made it possible to fight the German "cats": PzKpfw.VI "Tiger" and PzKpfw V "Panther". By the way, due to their simplicity and efficiency, these tanks are still used in some countries of the world.

Even more advanced than the T-34-85, the T-44 medium tank was put into service in 1944, but never took part in the war. Before the end of World War II, only 190 cars were built. The T-44 became the predecessor of the most massive tank in history, the T-54/55. By the way, on the battlefield, 44 still lit up, but, however, in the cinema and in the role of German tanks Pz VI "Tiger" in the film "Liberation".

PzKpfw.VI "Tiger"

The best means of combating T-34 and KV tanks was anti-aircraft guns 88 mm caliber, and the Germans rightly decided that if such a weapon was adapted for installation on a tank chassis, then the tank superiority of the USSR could be leveled.
A total of 1358 PzKpfw.VI "Tiger" tanks were built. Armed with the 88mm Kwk L56 cannon, these vehicles wreaked havoc on the enemy ranks.
Tank ace Michael Wittmann, who fought on the PzKpfw.VI "Tiger", destroyed 138 enemy tanks and 132 anti-tank guns. For the Americans and their allies, aviation became the only means of combating the Tigers. Thick frontal armor reliably protected the Pz VI from enemy gun fire. So, there is a case when the tank received 227 hits, but, despite the fact that the tracks and rollers were damaged, it was able to go another 65 kilometers until it was safe.

"Tiger II"

"Tiger II", aka "King Tiger", appeared at the final stage of the war. This is the heaviest and most armored tank Wehrmacht. The 88 mm KwK.43 L/71 cannon was used as armament, which almost divided the turret in half. In fact, it was modified for installation on a tank and improved anti-aircraft gun Flak 37. Its projectile, at a meeting angle of 90 degrees, pierced armor 180 mm thick at a distance of one kilometer.
A downed tank was officially recorded at a distance of about 4 km. True, despite the thick armor, the tank was not invulnerable: by the end of the war, the Germans had lost deposits of alloying metals, and the armor of the "Tiger II" became fragile. And the constant bombing of factories did not allow the production of these machines in the required quantities.

Although the First World War was marked by the appearance of tanks, the Second World War showed the real rampage of these mechanical monsters. During the hostilities, they played an important role, both among the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition and among the powers of the "axis". Both opposing sides created a significant number of tanks. Listed below are ten outstanding tanks of the Second World War - the most powerful vehicles of this period ever built.


10. M4 Sherman (USA)

The second largest tank of the Second World War. Produced in the United States and some other Western countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, mainly due to the American Lend-Lease program, which provided military support to foreign allied powers. The Sherman medium tank had a standard 75 mm gun with 90 rounds of ammunition and was equipped with relatively thin frontal (51 mm) armor compared to other vehicles of that period.

Designed in 1941, the tank was named after the famous American Civil War general, William T. Sherman. The machine participated in numerous battles and campaigns from 1942 to 1945. The relative lack of firepower was compensated by their huge numbers: about 50,000 Shermans were produced during the Second World War.

9. Sherman Firefly (UK)



The Sherman Firefly was a British variant of the M4 Sherman tank, which was equipped with a devastating 17-pounder anti-tank gun, more powerful than the original 75 mm Sherman gun. The 17-pounder was destructive enough to damage any known tank of the time. The Sherman Firefly was one of those tanks that terrified the Axis and was characterized as one of the deadliest fighting vehicles of the Second World War. In total, more than 2,000 units were produced.

8. T-IV (Germany)



The PzKpfw IV is one of the most widely used and massive (8,696 units) German tanks during World War II. It was armed with a 75 mm cannon, which could destroy the Soviet T-34 at a distance of 1200 meters.

Initially, these vehicles were used to support infantry, but eventually took on the role of a tank (T-III), and began to be used in battle as the main combat units.

7. T-34 (Soviet Union)



This legendary tank was the most massive during the War and the second most produced of all time (about 84 thousand cars). It is also one of the longest running tanks ever made. Until now, many surviving units are found in Asia and Africa.

The popularity of the T-34 is partly due to the sloped 45 mm frontal armor, which was not penetrated by German shells. It was a fast, agile and durable vehicle, causing serious concern to the command of the invading German tank units.

6. T-V "Panther" (Germany)



The PzKpfw V "Panther" is a German medium tank that appeared on the battlefield in 1943 and remained until the end of the war. A total of 6,334 units were created. The tank reached speeds of up to 55 km/h, had strong 80 mm armor and was armed with a 75 mm gun with an ammunition capacity of 79 to 82 high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing shells. The T-V was powerful enough to damage any enemy vehicle at the time. It was technically superior to the tanks of the Tiger and T-IV types.

And although later, the T-V "Panther" was surpassed by numerous Soviet T-34s, she remained her serious opponent until the end of the war.

5. "Comet" IA 34 (UK)



One of the most powerful combat vehicles in Great Britain and probably the best that was used by this country in the Second World War. The tank was armed with a powerful 77 mm cannon, which was a shortened version of the 17-pounder. Thick armor reached 101 millimeters. However, the Comet did not have a significant impact on the course of the War due to its late introduction to the battlefields - around 1944, when the Germans were retreating.

But be that as it may, during its short service life, this military machine has shown its effectiveness and reliability.

4. "Tiger I" (Germany)



The Tiger I is a German heavy tank developed in 1942. It had a powerful 88-mm gun with 92-120 rounds of ammunition. It was successfully used against both air and ground targets. The full German name of this beast sounds like Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf.E, while the Allies simply called this car "Tiger".

It accelerated to 38 km / h and had armor without a slope with a thickness of 25 to 125 mm. When it was created in 1942, it suffered from some technical problems, but was soon freed from them, turning into a ruthless mechanical hunter by 1943.

The Tiger was a formidable vehicle, which forced the Allies to develop better tanks. It symbolized the strength and power of the Nazi war machine, and until the middle of the war, not a single Allied tank had sufficient strength and power to withstand the Tiger in a direct collision. However, during the final stages of World War II, the Tiger's dominance was often challenged by better-armed Sherman Fireflies and Soviet IS-2 tanks.

3. IS-2 "Joseph Stalin" (Soviet Union)



The IS-2 tank belonged to a whole family of heavy tanks of the Joseph Stalin type. It had characteristic sloped armor 120 mm thick and a large 122 mm gun. The frontal armor was impenetrable to German 88 mm anti-tank guns at a distance of more than 1 kilometer. Its production began in 1944; a total of 2,252 tanks of the IS family were built, of which about half were modifications of the IS-2.

During the Battle of Berlin, IS-2 tanks destroyed entire German buildings using high-explosive fragmentation shells. It was a real ram of the Red Army when moving towards the heart of Berlin.

2. M26 "Pershing" (USA)



The United States created a heavy tank, which belatedly took part in World War II. It was developed in 1944, the total number of produced tanks was 2,212 units. The Pershing was more complex than the Sherman, with a lower profile and larger tracks, which gave the car better stability.

The main gun had a caliber of 90 millimeters (70 shells were attached to it), powerful enough to penetrate the armor of the Tiger. "Pershing" had the strength and power for a frontal attack of those machines that could be used by the Germans or the Japanese. But only 20 tanks took part in the fighting in Europe and very few were sent to Okinawa. After the end of World War II, the Pershings took part in the Korean War and continued to be used by the American troops. The M26 Pershing could have been a game changer had it been thrown onto the battlefield earlier.

1. "Jagdpanther" (Germany)



The Jagdpanther is one of the most powerful tank destroyers in World War II. It was based on the Panther chassis, entered service in 1943, and served until 1945. It was armed with an 88 mm cannon with 57 rounds and had 100 mm frontal armor. The gun retained accuracy at a distance of up to three kilometers and had a muzzle velocity of over 1000 m/s.

Only 415 tanks were built during the war. The Jagdpanthers went through their baptism of fire on July 30, 1944 near Saint Martin Des Bois, France, where they destroyed eleven Churchill tanks in two minutes. Technical superiority and advanced firepower had little effect on the course of the war due to the late introduction of these monsters.