AFVs of World War II

[vogtmurr]

For Canada you could include the Ram II as tank I and the Sexton SPG. They were built in some numbers, but the Ram II saw service only as a training tank, though it was probably superior to anything in the British inventory at the time. The Sexton (basically a Ram chassis with 25 pdr gun) saw action and was in service in South Africa into the 60s.

I think its ok to position the contribution of the Dominions collectively as 'British Empire' when we are talking about the major power blocks that constituted the 'allies', even if they did fight independently of British command, (such as Aussies in New Guinea). The Commonwealth air training program after all, was approved by the Brits which saw crew from as far apart as Rhodesia and New Zealand show up in Canada.

 

[say1988]

For example Canada (like the Uk) used the universal carrier, notably the MkIIC "wasp" which was a Canadian variant. We were pretty good at making them.

Canadians liked their fire

They were built in some numbers, but the Ram II saw service only as a training tank, though it was probably superior to anything in the British inventory at the time. The Sexton (basically a Ram chassis with 25 pdr gun) saw action and was in service in South Africa into the 60s..

Actually most were on the Grizzly chassis (the Canadian version of the Sherman) rather than the Ram (the Canadian version of the M3), which was the same as the M7 (initially based on Lee, then move to Sherman chassis for production and logistical reasons).
And they were the primary British SPG from 1943 (as well as Canadian and Western Polish forces). Mainly due to logistical reasons.

A bit nitpicky, and I assume it is just for simplicity, but Universal Carriers and Kangaroos are not half-tracks, but fully tracked vehicles.

For teh Most part, Canadian forces (like the Poles on the Western Front) operated the same equipment as the British (though were often later in recieving new stuff), as they operated as a British army. The Kangaroos were simply a field modification and they did have a greater affinity for vehicles with flamethrowers.

Canada did build a full line of armoured vehicles, but few saw action and, except for Sextons, only as support vehicles (munitions carriers, OP vehicles, etc).
The Grizzly was basically a knockoff of the Sherman and the Ram was a Lee chassis with a better turret.

The only other things I can think of wouldn't be much good for you (such as the CMP trucks).

 

[vogtmurr]

A bit nitpicky, and I assume it is just for simplicity, but Universal Carriers and Kangaroos are not half-tracks, but fully tracked vehicles.
.

yep, they were both APCs, of which halftracks are just one type of.

The Grizzly was basically a knockoff of the Sherman and the Ram was a Lee chassis with a better turret.
.

yep, the Ram was based on Lee chassis. Grizzly was different, but also 2,150 sextons were made from the Ram chassis, they were used in S. Africa and India for some time after.
The Ram had more armour than the Matilda, with the mobility of the Crusader, and a 6 pdr. gun in a larger chassis and turret. It would have matched up to the early versions of the Panzer Mk. IV, but not the later German tanks. The Australian Sentinel was an all original design and better yet. The Shermans arriving in such numbers became the standard equipment, so after serving as training tanks during the build up, the Ram and others became utility or fire support vehicles. None of them were operationally that important, its only to note different developments in other countries.

 

[say1988]

I don't know what you are talking about. The Ram never saw combat (unless the Dutch or Portuguese used them in some colonies after the war) and the Sexton wasn't available until the Italian campaign.
That 2150 is also the total production (Sexton I and II) and exceeded the number of Ram chassis ever produced. The vast majority were Grizzly chassis built after US Sherman production was high enough that we no longer needed a local tank, so the production was switched to Sexton IIs.

 

[Domen]

Poland
Half-Track:
Armored Car: Samochod pancerny wz. 34
Tank Destroyer:
Tank 1: TKS
Tank 2: 7TP
Tank 3: 10TP
Special 1: 14TP
Special 2:

Tank Destroyer (or rather assault gun) TKD, TKS-D and PZInż.160:

http://derela.republika.pl/tkdpl.htm

TKD and TKS-D - over a dozen of these vehicles were already in combat units in 1939.

PZInż.160 - it was only a project, maybe one prototype was built before the war.

Special 2 - there were several different projects of Polish medium tank:

http://www.weu1918-1939.pl/pancerne/czolgi/sredni/dowodztwo_pancerne_czolgi_sredni.html

Of course not even a prototype was built before 1939.

Half-Track:

Half-Track (but not armored) - artillery tractor C4P:

http://www.s-model.com.pl/_strony/e019_23ang.htm

Armored Car: Samochod pancerny wz. 34

Just "Wz. 34" (or "Type 34", since Wz. = Wzór = Type, in English). "Samochod pancerny" means "armored car":

http://derela.republika.pl/wz34pl.htm#ver

Soviet Union
Half-Track:
Armored Car:
Tank Destroyer:
Tank 1: T-26
Tank 2: BT-8
Tank 3: T-34
Special 1:
Special 2:

Soviet AFVs in 1939:

Armoured cars:

Light - FAI, BA-20
Medium - BA-6, BA-10

Tanks:

Tankettes - T-27
Reconnaissance - T-37, T-38
Light - T-26 (one-turret and two-turrets versions), BT-2, BT-5, BT-7 (as well as BT-7M)
Medium - T-28
Heavy - T-35

Chemical (flame-thrower) tanks (based on T-37 or T-26 chassis):

OT-26
OT-37
OT-130

Assault guns (in 1939 - most of them were only prototypes or produced in small quantity):

SU-1, KT-27, T-26A-39 (T-26-4; with 76,2mm KT-28 gun), SU-5 (versions SU-5-1, SU-5-2 and SU-5-3), SU-6, AT-1, BT-7A, SU-37

Half-Tracks:

TR-26, TB-26, TC-26, T-26-C, T-20 "Komsomolec", T-26T

 

[vogtmurr]

I don't know what you are talking about. The Ram never saw combat (unless the Dutch or Portuguese used them in some colonies after the war) and the Sexton wasn't available until the Italian campaign.

Thats what I just said - they only served as training vehicles. They later became utility or fire support vehicles, meaning they were converted in the process.

That 2150 is also the total production (Sexton I and II) and exceeded the number of Ram chassis ever produced. The vast majority were Grizzly chassis built after US Sherman production was high enough that we no longer needed a local tank, so the production was switched to Sexton IIs.

I'm not sure where the contradiction lies, but the info I have from two different sources is that 2150 Sextons were built from the chassis of Rams. It could be they are inaccurate or maybe the grizzly is something totally different.

 

[say1988]

Thats what I just said - they only served as training vehicles. They later became utility or fire support vehicles, meaning they were converted in the process.

Yeah, I wasn't sure what you were talking about in much of that post. And going back, completely misread some parts.

I suspect your source is mistaken. It is quite a common error (just like many sources state that Priests were all on the Lee chassis as well, while it was later replaced with the Sherman), but most Sextons were on purpose built Grizzly chassis, rather than conversions of existing tanks, out of Montreal Locomotive Works (where the Ram was produced). It was decided that using US built Shermans was more efficient (both in production and logistics) and the US could supply enough, with only a couple hundred actually completed as tanks. Meanwhile, the factory was all set up to produce that chassis when the Sexton entered mass production. Keeping in mind that the Ram and Grizzly chassis were actually quite similar to begin with.

The fact is that there weren't even 2000 Ram chassis built. Not enough for the amount of Sextons constructed, let alone the training vehicles (some of which were still operating post-war and sent to the Netherlands and Portugal), Kangaroos, munitions carriers, and all the other conversions made.

 

[Jolly Rogerer]

IIRC Tank Destroyers are turreted vehicles which are purpose built to house anti-tank guns and tend to have less armor and machine guns than tanks. Self Propelled guns are typically turretless vehicles which have artillery pieces mounted on them, either high velocity anti-tank, or lower velocity howitzers and the like. Typically tank destroyers were converted from tanks, while SP guns were converted from tank chassis and were significantly cheaper to produce. The Soviet designation SU is equivalent to SP btw.

 

[say1988]

Tank destroyer basically referred to any vehicle designed primarily for destroying enemy tanks.
In the US they were any vehicle with a big gun. Initially they were based on half tracks and jeeps with limited traverse, but quickly supplanted by tank chassis (though later designs were purpose built and lighter than tanks) with full turrets. According to American doctrine, the Firefly was actually a tank destroyer.

Germans and Soviet tank destroyers were turretless self propelled guns. Equipped with anti-tank guns they were designed specifically to destroy tanks. The British Archer followed this too, but had a rear facing gun.

Self propelled guns generally consisted of three groups:
1) Howitzers - Primarily used for indirect fire
2) Assault guns - infantry support vehicles, intended to provide direct fire support against defensive positions. Typically have a shorter barrelled gun and use HE rounds
3) Tank destroyers - armed with high velocity AT guns their job was simply to destroy tanks.

There was a lot of overlap between the three groups, though. The famous StuGs were assault guns that were found to be good tank destroyers and were later equipped with AT guns. And the Soviet ISU-152 assault gun fired big enough shells that it could destroy tanks, but was not designed as such. And there were gun-howitzers and the like.

The fact is that terminolgy isn't very precise since each country did things differently and many weapons filled multiple roles.

 

[cardgame]

Assault guns are also commonly turretless, such as the Stug III

 

[Terrance888]

KV-1, Initial Soviet heavy Tank in the early, and inspired German heavy tank efforts, helped hold off german attacks in Leningrad with the factory (they would finish one, fill it with worker volunteers from the factory, and drive it right to the battle until the supplies are shut down).

 

[.Shane.]

Chile? South Africa?

 

[.Shane.]

Company of Heroes Online

Moderator Action: Moved to history.

If the OP is truly gathering this list for a game, maybe other games is a better place? There's no interest in discussion here and the list is haphazard.