America's World War II Sherman Tank Was Far From Perfect, But It Was Good Enough

Kyle Mizokami

Technology, Americas

To defeat Hitler.

Key Point: Armor and lethality don’t tell the whole story.

American tanks in World War II were generally inferior to their German counterparts. German tanks boasted better armor protection and more firepower.

But armor and lethality don’t tell the whole story. The same American tanks were superior to their rivals in other important ways. The M-4 Sherman, in particular, helped the U.S. Army win the war—even though...