Axis and Allied armoured developments.
Germany
Flakpanzer Panzer IV ‘Wirbelwind’ and ‘Ostwind’ (as per OTL)
After studying a few captured British flakpanzers the utility of such machines became obvious. This lead to the development of two variants of the Flakpanzer that entered common service in mid 1942. The first had a single barrelled 37mm gun in an open topped shield mount. Originally developed to be mounted on the Panzer III the turret arrangement was too cumbersome and was mated with the Panzer IV to produce a fearsome AA weapon. For low altitude engagements the quad 20mm Wirbelwind mount was just as fearsome and in the opening stages of the Barbarossa campaign where there was little threat from Soviet aircraft it proved to be deadly against light vehicles and infantry. Both machines were produced in limited numbers at first as the need for Panzer IV tanks was greater and the Luftwaffe was usually dominant in any theatre, this changed in late 1943 – early 1944 with both being produced in large numbers.
Panzer IV
Little changed with the Panzer IV, the 50mm L60 was fitted and it was able to penetrate British armour but there were already moves to upgun the tank to give it a more appreciative punch than just being an enlarged Panzer IV. General Rommel was pressing for a more potent gun but development was slow until the first new KwK 40 75mm guns entered service on the Panzer IV F variant, some being deployed to the see-saw battles in North Africa where they outranged any of the British tanks and could punch through their armour with ease. It was this gun that helped lessen the shock of the Soviet KV-1 and T-34 somewhat, but there was not enough of them to go around. Very quickly the 75mm gunned Panzer IV became top priority for the German army as well as an ‘answer’ to the Soviet machines.
VK3601 – Luchs
A machine of mixed parentage and of mixed results the Luchs was a knee jerk response to the appearance of the T-34 and KV-1 tanks and was stricken with a host of bugs, faults and issues that crippled the tank forcing it to be taken out of service within a year. Armed with a fearsome L70 KwK42 75mm gun and well armoured the tanks engine was a poorly designed maintenance nightmare. The four dozen produced were sent to the Leningrad front along with the new Tiger tank and it was a disaster, of the eighteen lost, all but three were due to maintenance and breakdown problems and a dozen suffered catastrophic engine fires. Its replacement the Panther (as per OTL) whilst more complex to produce and build and suffering from reliability problems at first would be later regarded as one of the finest tanks of the war, especially as it was a refinement of the Luchs.
*VK3601 - Luchs
Tiger Tank
As per OTL – Production halted in 1944.
Panther Tank
As per OTL but suffering from less mechanical issues once it entered service.
Lowe Heavy tank.
The ultimate expression of German tank design the Lowe (Lion) lived up to its name although few were produced and were the sole ‘property’ of the Waffen SS Divisions. A development of the Tiger and Panther the Lowe featured the best of both with wide tracks, sloped armour and a devastating 105mm L/70 gun the 76 tonne behemoth was a nightmare for tanks that faced it. Even the formidable 122mm guns of the Soviet IS guns could not penetrate the well sloped armour of the German tank frontally without being at close range but it was vulnerable to being flanked by faster machines like the American M7 and British Cromwell.
USA
Caught in a doctrinal ‘war’ between with its tank and tank destroyer roles the USA was a late comer to tank production and their first machines were at best, adequate, roughly equivalent to the Matilda/Excelsior in service, late war tanks how ever were far more formidable and showed that the US had learned from experience in North Africa and Italy.
M3 ‘Stonewall’
A variant of the M3 Grant tank the ‘Stonewall’ was its unofficial nickname amongst the troops and was a rather unique machine. Designed to give long range fire support to attacking tanks and act as a tank destroyer the Stonewall started off as a workshop trial in the US. One enterprising designer altered the M3 hull to fit two 75mm sponsons, one port and one starboard. This cost the tank its 37mm turret but a crude cupola was fitted for the commander to look out from. Displayed before the Ordanence board the Stonewall was accepted for production in 1942 as the Grant was already obsolete and the new M4 Sherman was entering service and it seemed a good use for the hulls.
When deployed the machine was praised by the mechanics and logistics but disliked by its 6 man crew who had to fight in its cramped interior. In battle their crews quickly learned to fire one gun after the other, as the blast of both guns firing would kick up a huge amount of dust and dirt, obscuring vision and indicating where the machine was.
M4 Sherman
As per OTL but built to E8 standards.
M7 Scott - 1944
Designed to supplement and replace the M4 the Scott started life as the T-20 experimental tank and was an evolutionary development, fast, agile and with a sloped hull and good suspention the tank also featured the same 90mm gun of the Hellcat, although the length of the gun did mean it had to return to a fixed elevation to reload. Appearing at the same time as the British Cromwell and its high velocity 77mm gun the Scott and Cromwell were fearsome killers of Panzers and to this day armour fans and TV shows debate the advantages of both and try to figure out which was a superior machine. Most say that the M7 had superior firepower and its engine was more reliable whilst crediting the Cromwell with superior off road mobility and speed, with protection being roughly equal.
Soviet Union.
The Soviet tanks do not differ much from the OTL, the only change being the slightly earlier introduction of the somewhat unsuccessful but fearsome looking IS-3 in limited numbers in 1945 to try and counter the Lowe.
