Quote:
Originally posted by reddog2k:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by T. A. Gardner:
QUOTE]While the T-34 was in some ways a superior vehicle, the Sherman in overall performance outdid it.
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While Soviet units did use the Sherman T-34s far outnumbered them. The USSR produced more tanks than any nation during the war.
The T-34 and the Sherman do share some characteristics mainly they were both easy to produce, and maintain, but the T-34 was far better in combat, because it had sloped armor, a better gun(the first T-34s were equipped with 76mm guns later models were equipped with 88mm guns), the T-34 had a wider track which allowed for better cross country performance, another major advantage of the T-34 is that it used a deisel engine opposed to the gasoline engines of the Shermans.
[/QB]</font>[/quote]On the plus side for the Sherman was far more reliability. The track alone had roughly 4 times the life of a T-34's and it didn't get thrown anywhere near as frequently. The engine and transmission were also far more reliable and far more easily maintained. Armor and guns on both were roughly equal. True, the T-34 had a better armor layout but, the actual thickness was roughly the same even considering slope. The Shermans supplied to the Soviets were diesel models (as were those used by the USMC). The US Army chose gasoline models because they wished to simplify supply of fuel by making all vehicles gasoline powered having started off that way. Switching to diesel would have created a logistics bottleneck, not that it wasn't thought of.
The Sherman also had big advantages in having a 3 man turret, far better optics and, refinements like variable speed power traverse. The T-34/76 buttoned up (a necessity as the commander was also the gunner)was virtually blind. Unless a target presented itself to its front, a T-34/76 was unlikely to spot it. Hence one major reason so many blundered into destruction at the hands of the Germans.
In guns, the 76 mm on the T-34 is almost identical in performance to the Sherman's 75mm. Likewise, the Soviet 85mm is very similar in performance to the US 76mm. There really isn't anything to choose between the two. With HVAP rounds the US 76 is noticably superior.
The T-34 did have superior cross country mobility. That certainly was one area where the Sherman was at a deficit.