Best Tank of WWII

[bugs]

kv-2. It is not the best tank of the war but in 1940 when it was introduced no enemy tank in the world could match it.
Matilda and Char B1 had similar armor but not the same firepower.
to zraver
js 3-46.5 tonnes-heavy tank ?
centurion-52 tonnes -medium tank ?

[dalem]

kv-2. It is not the best tank of the war

Well, that doesn't answer the poll question then, does it? ;)

-dale

[bugs]

Well, that doesn't answer the poll question then, does it? ;)

-dale

no, but it`s a wrong question...
1941 tanks were better than 1940 tanks and 1942 tanks were better than 1941 tanks.
Actualy zraver point is quite good but i doubt that the american M2, M3, M5 are the best light tanks. no argument about the M-24.
My point was that kv-2 is superior to char b1 bis.

[bugs]

anyway here is my answer:
1940-light tank bt-7m, medium tank Pz-IV D, heavy tank kv-2
1941-light tank bt-7m,medium tank t-34 ,heavy tank kv-1
1942-light tank t-70, medium tank Pz-IV f2, heavy tank kv-1
1943-light tank t-70, medium tank Panter, heavy tank Tiger I.
1944-light tank t-70, medium tank js-2, heavy tank king tiger.
1945-light tank m-24, medium tank js-3, heavy tank centurion.

[glyn]

anyway here is my answer:
1940-light tank bt-7m, medium tank Pz-IV D, heavy tank kv-2
1941-light tank bt-7m,medium tank t-34 ,heavy tank kv-1
1942-light tank t-70, medium tank Pz-IV f2, heavy tank kv-1
1943-light tank t-70, medium tank Panter, heavy tank Tiger I.
1944-light tank t-70, medium tank js-2, heavy tank king tiger.
1945-light tank m-24, medium tank js-3, heavy tank centurion.

I don't think that many will agree with you. Why are you calling the JS 3 a medium tank? Check on its weight and armament.

[bugs]

Panther tank 44.8 tonnes-75 mm gun
js -3 tank 46.5 tonnes-122 mm gun

why is panther called a medium tank ? The 75 mm gun actually had more penetrating power than the main gun of the Tiger I heavy tank, the 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56.

[zraver]

1942, the best medium was the M4A3 Sherman it was faster than the Mk IV, had a better gun than the T-34 and universal radios, and thicker armor than either.

[dalem]

Panther tank 44.8 tonnes-75 mm gun
js -3 tank 46.5 tonnes-122 mm gun

why is panther called a medium tank ? The 75 mm gun actually had more penetrating power than the main gun of the Tiger I heavy tank, the 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56.

It's how they were used, not weight or gun.

The Panther was used as a medium tank, i.e. populated one of the standard panzer battalions of the mid- late-war panzer regiments of the panzer divisions. The heavy tanks were the Tigers, and they were pretty much relegated to the Schwere battalions held at the Corps and Army level.

The IS3 was used as a heavy tank by the Sovs so it was a heavy tank.

-dale

[Feanor]

kv-2. It is not the best tank of the war but in 1940 when it was introduced no enemy tank in the world could match it.
Matilda and Char B1 had similar armor but not the same firepower.
to zraver
js 3-46.5 tonnes-heavy tank ?
centurion-52 tonnes -medium tank ?

The KV-2 was not a proper tank. It was an artillery tank. It's main weapon was a 152mm Howitzer, and it only carried 36 rounds on it. It was clearly not meant to be used in a conventional tank role. In addition to this, given it's weight and profile, it was incredibly lacking in armor.

Both by purpose, and design, it resembles more the modern day self-propelled artillery (like the M109, or the Msta-M) then it does a WWII heavy tank.

The Russian Battlefield

[bugs]

The KV-2 was not a proper tank. It was an artillery tank. It's main weapon was a 152mm Howitzer, and it only carried 36 rounds on it. It was clearly not meant to be used in a conventional tank role.
The Russian Battlefield

The pz-IV d could also be considered a artillery tank , so does the char b1 bis or the m 3 grant.By conventional tank role do you mean tank batles?

[zraver]

Actualy zraver point is quite good but i doubt that the american M2, M3, M5 are the best light tanks.

Have you looked at the armored protection of the Honey/Stuart family, they had thicker hides than many mediums. They were also reliable, fast, hard to hit because of thier small size, lethal vs infantry with thier heavy MG loadout, and the 37mm was the best light tank gun of the war till the Chaffee with its M6 75mm.

[Feanor]

The pz-IV d could also be considered a artillery tank , so does the char b1 bis or the m 3 grant.By conventional tank role do you mean tank batles?

Infantry support, assaulting enemy positions, tank to tank battles etc. The Kv-2 was very different from the char and grant in that it carried a very large gun, but was under armored for the role of a heavy tank. Once more by design it resembles modern SP howitzers a lot more then it resembles other tanks of the period.

[zraver]

Infantry support, assaulting enemy positions, tank to tank battles etc. The Kv-2 was very different from the char and grant in that it carried a very large gun, but was under armored for the role of a heavy tank. Once more by design it resembles modern SP howitzers a lot more then it resembles other tanks of the period.

The KV-2 heavy assault tank had massive armor for its day upto 90mm thick making it impervious to anything the Germans had but the Flak 15/18 88mm guns.

It was a direct doctrinal ancestor of the Schneider CA/CA1 assault tank of WW1

[Feanor]

Doubt it. It carried a 152mm short-barreled howitzer with only 36 shells in the tank. It had no anti-armor nor anti-bunker shells developed for it.

Armor was 75mm on the front and turret, 60mm on the rear parts, 40mm bottom, 30mm roof.

Though perhaps I was mistaken, as in memoirs it often comes up that KV-2 was used often in an anti tank role.

Энциклопедия бронетехники РККА

[zraver]

Doubt it. It carried a 152mm short-barreled howitzer with only 36 shells in the tank. It had no anti-armor nor anti-bunker shells developed for it.

Armor was 75mm on the front and turret, 60mm on the rear parts, 40mm bottom, 30mm roof.

Though perhaps I was mistaken, as in memoirs it often comes up that KV-2 was used often in an anti tank role.

Энциклопедия бронетехники РККА

IIRC the KV-2 had a special anti-concrete shell called the dustbin.