>Hey folks.....let's put the T-34 in perspective.
...>... it was the product of WW II experience on both sides of the
>battlefield, and had some of the West's best designers helping out.
>Diesel fueled engines ...
>Thanks to our providing thousands of Shermans to the Russians, they were
able
>to have time to develop a really good tank.
======================================
Also to help keep things in perspective:
Canada built 1,420 Valentine tanks between 1941-43. "Since the U.K. design
was incomplete at the inception of the program, the Canadian design was
incorporated, including cast turret and bow components and the utilization
of an excellent General Motors diesel bus engine. ... was extremely reliable
and gratefully received by the Russian army with which most of the Canadian
Valentine production served." (Blueprint to Victory - by Dr. William Gregg
p. 173) "These tanks were reported, by the Russian Army, as being the best
allied vehicles supplied to them during the war." (Blueprint to Victory p.
175).
The Sherman design incidently traces some of its development to the Canadian
designed and built Ram tank. Canada also built some Shermans - as the
Grizzly. Many of these are now preserved in Europe and Canada.
The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa has examples of these tanks T-34 (mint
from war reserves storage apparently), Ram, Canadian built Valentine
(salvaged from a bog in the USSR where it sank during a battle).
The USA had Lend-Lease. Often overlooked is the fact that Canada also had
its give away program during WWII supplying thousands vehicles, weapons,
ammunition etc. to allies. There was also a similar program after the war
and this is one major reason why there are so many excellent condition CMP
vehicles in Europe today.
Colin Macgregor Stevens
MVPA Member 954 (since 1977)
& member B Coy 1 Canadian Parachute Battalion (Living History)
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada
E-mail: colin@pacdat.net
Personal web site: http://bcoy1cpb.pacdat.net
1944 Willys MB
1942 BSA airborne bicycles (2)
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