From D-Day
to Berlin. US Tank Destroyers
In an effort to quickly minimize the disparity between the Sherman and the heavier German tanks, the US resorted, as did Germany, to tracked vehicles with larger guns. The US, however, not being as short on material or production capacity as Germany, produced tank destroyers with full turrets. For this reason, it is difficult to distinguish between US tanks and tank destroyers. As a general rule, the tank destroyer mounts a larger gun, but is usually slower and protected with less armor than a tank. The tank destroyer, on the tactical level, is more suited for a defensive role, although we can be sure they were used extensively in all roles.
Below are pictures of two successful US tank destroyers, the M10 and M18.
The M10 mounts a (76MM) cannon, and is mounted on the reliable Sherman chassis.
From D-Day
to Berlin.
The M18 is larger, mounting a 90mm gun. This gun was generally successful in stopping Panthers and Tigers, particularly with flank shots.
M18 from D-Day
to Berlin.
D-Day to Berlin
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by Chris Shimp March 1, 2001