Panther vs. Pershing - And other tank-rambling...

Warlord -
I wouldn't go as far as to say that the Churchill's inbility to mount the 17 pounder was a design fault as when it was laid down in around 1941 - it was to be an assault Tank - at about the same time the 6 pounder was going through it's trials and so everyone thought that this was the bees knees.... but....somehere else the 17 pounder was being made and trialled.... left hand - right hand etc

FOUR 17 pounders landed in North Africa in Nov '42 - spirited down to Medinine - wshere they did a fabulous job in making Rommel unemployed - then spirited back to the uk for a new carriage...meaanwhile - back at the ranch - the 21st and25th Tank bdes who had been chosen for the fatc that the 6 pounder was ideal - landed in North Africa - with 2 pounders - the 6 pounders came on a later ship ! so it was more of acse of left hand - right hand all very secret I supect !

By thetime the Centurian in late ' 44 the Black Prince was way behind and so the age of the Battle Tank had finally dawned.

Cheers

 

I voted for the Pershing becuz of the reliabilty of the vehicle as opposed to the problematic nature of the Panther. Also, the suspension of the Pershing looks to be easier to "short track" in an emergency than the Panther.

Also, I just love the way the Pershing looks. I think it is pretty, like a 1957 Dodge!

 

I heard a story that Shermans ate spark plugs and that scavengers were sent out at night to retrieve them from broken vehicles as they became so valuable. Is this true? If so, did the Pershing have the same "apetite"?

 

I heard a story that Shermans ate spark plugs and that scavengers were sent out at night to retrieve them from broken vehicles as they became so valuable. Is this true? If so, did the Pershing have the same "apetite"?



SH,

Sherman rumours are pet hate in WT&E...

I'd watch yourself young man, expect to be told.



Kev

 

I am waiting for my mate to get back to me as to what book it was that he read it in. It is the biography of... oh my memory... once I get the email I'll add it to this post.

 

SH,
Sherman rumours are pet hate in WT&E...
Kev

WT&E ??? What is that?

 

On the radial engines the plugs did tend to become fouled, and it was standard procedure to remove the plugs from the lower cylinders to let the gunk drain and cleaning the same before attempting start up. I suppose this wouldn't be too healthy on them. I have a start-up and shut-down checklist somewhere among my stuff, and it wasn't a simple turnkey operation.

 

Is it from Cooper? (The plug thing). I seem to recall comment on the excessive fouling of Radial plugs... Though I'm not sure I remember scavenging, just lots of cleaning??(

Aparently it is abook by a chap called Cooper. Me mate says that Cooper says that the radial engines are designed for high RPM but use in the Sherman (early ones until a more conventional in-line engine was used) was very low, resulting in fowling of plugs – few spares were bought at d-day, and each tank needed 18. Hence any knocked out tanks would have their plugs scavenged.

Sorry, looks like I miss remembered. The plugs werent so much "eaten" as "gummed"

So I guess if a Pershing didnt have the radial engine... Problem solved !

 

The "gummed and fouled" plugs would be quite likely in a radial, but not so much in the Ford GAA, GAF, and other GA style engines. I believe they all used a Champion J-8 plug. The same plug the CCKW, GP(W) "jeep", Harley 45, the Dodge Power Wagon, and other allied units used.

I'm not sure but I believe even that bizarro 30 cylinder Chrysler engine the Lend-Lease tanks made for the UK used the J-8 as well. Changing the bottom six on the two lower engines would be a bitch I'll bet. That was the engine that had five, six-cylinder Plymouth flat-head engines mounted onto a single crankshaft. Only the Brits got that monster.

It created two advantages however, it's extra length made the hull of the Sherman sent to the UK longer, and the center of gravity was further towards the rear. This came in handy when they modified their Shermans to the "Firefly", longer hull and different CoG made the longer barrel of the 17 pounder less of a modification problem. The second advantage was that when that particular Sherman was adapted to the DD (Duplex Drive) it floated higher in the sea and had more "freeboard" to the top of its canvas float sheilds. About a foot or more over the American versions. More sea-worthy.

 

I had never looked for that one!

Chrysler produced the A57 by combining five 6-cylinder in-lines for a total of 30 cylinders! The engine developed 370 hp @ 2,850 crankshaft rpm and was used in the M3A4 (109) and M4A4 (7,499).



photo photo2

 

I had never looked for that one!





photo photo2

There ya go! Now, consider changing those twelve plugs on the bottom two engines while the motor is down inside of the engine compartment of the Sherman! The top 18 would be easy as pie, the bottom 12? My knuckles started bleeding just looking at that engine a couple of years ago when I found those pictures you posted. Ouuuuch.

 

Those plugs are horizontal, but how do you access them?

 

Me mate sent me the link to the book he read this in
Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II: Amazon.co.uk: Benton Y. Cooper: Books
Aparently well worth the read.
vonPoop, is this the book you were thinking of? Is it any good?

 

Those plugs are horizontal, but how do you access them?


Through the rear engine doors.

Front bank may be a touch difficult, though i looks like the exhaust is tucked out the way.... ouch!

Kev

 

Yes Kevin, that I can see, but I still don't know how easy it would be to disconnect, unscrew, remove and ditto in reverse on the front three or four plugs within the tight confines of an engine compartment without a few skinned knuckles

As for Cooper's book, the subtitle should be "He had an axe to grind" !

 

Yes Kevin, that I can see, but I still don't know how easy it would be to disconnect, unscrew, remove and ditto in reverse on the front three or four plugs within the tight confines of an engine compartment without a few skinned knuckles

!

Skinned knuckles are not a problem, having my arm welded to a pipe via 3rd degree burns not so keen on.

Obviously you have never owned a Honda VFR.

Kev

 

Thankfully no