European History : Panther vs Sherman Battle of the Bulge 1944 Duel
M3 Medium Tank vs Panzer III: Kasserine Pass, 1943 (Duel) | 
 | 80% Recommended by our customers.
Catalog:
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
Release Date: 2008-09-23
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $17.95
Our Price: $10.29
Used Price: $11.23
(all prices are subject to changes)
More Details
Amazon international :
| |
- ISBN13: 9781846032929
- Condition: New
- Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
|
|
A good analysis of a duel many wouldn't consider looking at
Something that's been "common" knowledge in the wargamer/studiers of history arena is the superiority of the Panther while the Sherman was kind of a mediocre vehicle. When I saw this book awhile back I was intrigued because I wanted to see how Mr. Zaloga analyzed these two combatants.
The analysis was presented in a simple and direct fashion; development of the Sherman and Panther, their crews (their training and experience levels in 1944), and engagements between them during the Battle of the Bulge (there is some mention of other battles). Each section is done very nicely with good analysis and presentation. The analysis is direct and to the point, presenting the pluses and minuses of the vehicle for the item its being assessed against. For analysis of combat performance, Mr. Zagola looks at one engagement where Shermans (76mm) and Panthers fought directly against each other. Other engagements (including the use of Panthers at Krinkelt-Rocherath, as Mr. Zagola calls it, the Panther Graveyard) are included. Most sections are direct and to the point in typical Osprey fashion. Their tables in the Statistics and Analysis section are a little weak. The pictures, as usual for most of Osprey's books are very good.
I'm calling this one a weak 4 star book. Mr. Zagola does a good job presenting here with the Osprey format but there's not enough depth or story to call this one strong due to the constraints of Osprey's format (in and out in 80 pages or so, a different format would have enabled more opportunity for Mr. Zagola to assess things). This is an interesting story for wargamers and studiers of history, especially since Mr. Zagola assessment is of something most wargamers and studiers of history would consider this a forgone conclusion.
Tanking at the Battle of the Bulge
This is one of those Osprey books, this time in the "Duel" series. The duel here? Sherman tanks versus Panthers in the Battle of the Bulge.
On paper, the Panther was a superior tank, so the so-called duel would seem to have been one-sided. However, as the book argues, there were simply more Shermans than Panthers and American tank crews were better than the depleted German tankers. As a result, the Sherman tanks ended up, as a group, doing well. The author notes that (Page 4): "On the face of it, the contest between Sherman and Panther seems preordained in the Panther's favor." But, obviously, the Panther did not carry the day for the German forces as they launched their surprise attack in the Ardennes, precipitating the Battle of the Bulge.
The book features many photographs, specifications of the competing tanks, and maps. The book considers a number of factors, from the technical specifications of the two tanks, to the tank crews who fought one another, to the strategic situation, to the nitty gritty of combat. The Conclusion notes why the Panthers did not perform better. The legacy of these tanks? The book concludes by noting that (Page 75): "It can certainly be argued that the Panther was the forebear of the modern main battle tank concept."
 A Good Comparison
Osprey offers excellent books. Their graphics are nonpareil, and information outstanding. This book outlines the pros and cons of two tanks fighting it out in 1944 Europe, the American Sherman and the German Panther.
Missed by some commentaries on tank action in Europe is simply that the Sherman's job involved attacking fixed fortifications manned by infantry. The Sherman hit the infantry line and broke through, then a different allied tank, the Tank Destroyer with a larger gun, came up and defeated the German (or whomever) tank's counter attack. After that, the Shermans took off and ran around behind the lines shooting everyone up and making the breakthrough stick. Thus, the Shermans were not supposed to fight other tanks very often. This was the theory. In practice, things seldom worked according to the theory.
The Panther development stemmed from German dismay at the Russian T-34. General Heinz Guderian set forth the necessary requirements which were not filled. Because of political infighting, the best design lost out. Then Panthers were rushed into production, hampered by design changes on the fly, and other problems encountered because of Nazi mismanagement. Panthers improved as the war went on, but many basic design flaws remained throughout its production.
Osprey covers all the Panther's production problems; however, they fail to mention the tactical differences in the theory of the Sherman's use and its actual use. I view this as a major oversight.
The author, Steven J. Zaloga, does outstanding work in showing how the Sherman's strengths are overlooked, while the Panther's weaknesses are often ignored. It seems the tanks were each blessed and cursed, but the blessings could be an overwhelming advantage at some points, but overcome by the curses at others. For example, high fuel usage by the Panther, coupled with Germany's inability to produce enough fuel, proved a major shortcoming; however,its optical sights were superior to the Shermans, and coupled with the excellent 76mm high velocity gun,they enabled the Panther to destroy Shermans at long range. So, what is more important, high fuel usage (a negative) or long range striking power? As Germany's fuel shortage was acute, that disadvantage gains importance. Also, the Sherman detailed in the book is the 76mm gun version. Superior to the 75mm low velocity gun originally mounted.
In the end, it seems a toss up on some levels. You, the reader, can decide. My conclusion is the Sherman comes off better than expected.
I took another star away for a sophomoric error by an excellent company: the stats for the Sherman are in feet and inches while the measurements for the Panther are in metric units. Now I have to do conversions. Uncool. Please use only one unit of measurement. Mixing the units is simply unacceptable.
AD2
Needs a Better Editor
It's the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte, not Liebstandarte. Otherwise, it's an enjoyable small book.
 Not his best.
I recently purchased this book expecting a 'straight down the middle'evaluation of the pros and cons of these two famous tanks.What I got was a work full of Mr Zaloga's skewed logic regarding German technological achievements.He frequently cites examples of sherman successes whilst ignoring most of the more numerous panther examples.More research into original German and American combat reports and statistical documentation by the author would have helped to even out the many incorrect pieces of data.Not his most authoritative work.
|
|
|
