The design and deployment of tanks during World War II played an important part in the outcomes of many battles. One of the larger debates among military historians is the potential difference that could have been made had the Germans decided to go with sloped armor in their designs. Perhaps the most discussed in this light will be the Panther tank, featuring two competing designs from MAN and Daimler-Benz. The MAN design, which turned out to be the Panther, adopted over the Daimler-Benz version had better tracks, an enclosed engine compartment for amphibious capabilities, greater range, and a completed turret.
Again, the adoption of the MAN design had nothing to do with trying to avoid looking like a Soviet T-34 knock-off nor did it have anything to do with battlefield confusion. During that time, the MAN Panther was simply a better and more practical design. The T-34 had numerous disadvantages it is often credited with its great sloping armor and heavy general construction. These included poor production values, cramped interiors, too small sights resulting in tunnel vision, and too little training of Soviet tankers. All these factors made the T-34 hopelessly inferior when performing coordinated unit operations, compared to the German tank units that were much more cohesive.
More than anything, the T-34 enjoyed the advantage of massive production numbers rather than battlefield superiority in 1941. German tanks, like the Panzer III and IV, had overcome many of their initial problems and were supplemented with tank destroyers and improved anti-tank guns. Poor situational awareness and mechanical reliability continued to reduce the battlefield effectiveness of the T-34.
During the initial stage of Operation Barbarossa-the invasion of the Soviet Union by Germany heavy tanks of the Red Army, such as the KV-1, accounted for a remarkable holdup in the German advancement. The KV-1 was practically invulnerable to the usual German anti-tank armament at that time, as its armor ranged from seventy to ninety millimeters. This heavy tank constituted the backbone of the main battle tanks of the Soviet armored units, together with the T-34.
The KV-1 first saw action in the Winter War against Finland, where only one tank was lost in action. Later variants, such as the 1940 form KV-1s, would mount higher-velocity guns capable of easily defeating the German Panzers. On the other hand, a lot of the mechanical problems with the KV-1, like poor visibility and unreliable transmission, often made it less operational than it had the potential to be.
One of the most memorable clashes this KV-1 made was during the Battle of Raseiniai. It was one KV-1 that made all supply lines of the German Sixth Panzer Division invalid for a whole twenty-four continuous hours in June 1941. Despite repeated attacks by anti-tank guns, flak guns, and satchel charges, its crew fought valiantly against the Germans until they were finally overcome.
The Battle of Kamenevo, therefore, saw the Soviet Fourth Tank Brigade, commanded by Col. Mikhail Katukov, make an unexpected counterattack against the German Fourth Panzer Division in October 1941. The concentrated rush of T-34 and KV tanks overwhelmed the German force and delayed its advance against Moscow to the point of contributing to the eventual halt of the German offensive due to the start of winter.
Given the success they had at the beginning of their deployment, KV-1 tanks rapidly found themselves at a disadvantage as time passed. Partially nullifying the armor of the KV-1 was the introduction into battle of new German tank models with powerful guns and heavy armor, such as the Tiger and Panther. The Soviet response included the development of the lighter and more reliable KV-1S and the stopgap KV-85, which featured an eighty-five-millimeter gun. It was soon outclassed by the more versatile T-34 series and heavy guns carried on the Joseph Stalin series of tanks.
Conclusion In a nutshell, tank design and deployment were the keys to success and failure in many cases of military operations during World War II. Debated topics concerning sloped armor and the efficiency of heavy tanks like KV-1 significantly complicate a view on armored war and the continuous evolution of tank technology as a response to battlefield challenges.