Ok, I know the M4s are relatively new and that we just recieved news that the B29 is ib...I really think the next addition to the AH community should be the Panther. The Armor we have now is great, but I think this short paragraph would make agree that it deserves to be in the game:
The Best Army Tanks of World War II
The Panther, T-34, Tiger, Mk. IV Panzer, and Sherman
By Chuck Hawks
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion as to which tank was the best of WW II. My criteria for inclusion were that the tanks selected had to be a major factor in the war, be produced in large numbers, and be effective in battle. The German King Tiger, for instance, was not included as it was unreliable, slow, and only 484 were produced. It proved more useful dug-in as a gun emplacement than for maneuver, hardly a great recommendation for a tank.
Here is a quote from Hasso Manteuffel, commander of the German 7th Panzer Division, taken from Basil Hart's book The Other Side of the Hill:
"Tanks must be fast. That, I would say, is the most important lesson of the war in regard to tank design. The Panther was on the right lines, as a prototype."
"Fire-power, armor protection, speed and cross-country performance are the essentials, and the best type of tank is that which combines these conflicting requirements with the most success. In my opinion the German Panzer V, the 'Panther,' was the most satisfactory of all, and would have been close to the ideal had it been possible to design with a lower silhouette."
Following, in order of precedence, are my choices as the best tanks of WW II.
cont
