This Factor Gave the Allies a Huge Advantage in WW2

In this video, Survive History presenter Louee Dessent explains one of the reasons the Allies had a huge advantage over Germany in World War Two. Filming next to genuine Sherman tanks from the Second World War, he explains how Allied tanks and armoured vehicles could be recovered by ordnance units during the invasion of Europe, while German tanks often had to be abandoned.

[CHEESYHEAD]

Repairing a tank saves so much logistics. The tank is already mostly together and already transported across the ocean, which was huge.

[no-legjohnny]

Another big factor to consider wasn't just recovery, but also how often things would be destroyed or break on their own, and how long it would take to fix it.

Shermans typically didn't suffer many mechanical failures and would mostly need repairs after significant battle damage. With some adept workers, a Sherman could usually be serviced and ready for combat by the end of the next day, if not just a couple hours.

On the other hand, 50% or more of all Panther tanks lost in combat were due purely to mechanical failures, the rest being actual knock-outs from the enemy. With a good service crew, it could possibly take anywhere from several hours to a few days to get back into working order. So not only did tanks have to come into the metaphorical repair shop far more often, but it also took much longer to be repaired and leave as well.

[tundranomad]

And a hell of a job cleaning out the crew compartment.

[owynlukasz]

Everyone saying Rommel did this first is not bright. Any army taking ground would have retrieved their equipment behind their own lines and reequipped it it’s not exclusively German or American lol

[CONNELL]

This ignores the experience of Commonwealth forces in the earliest phases of the desert war in North Africa. Rommel's forces did a MUCH better job of retrieving damaged tanks. Hundreds of Allied tanks were abandoned after minor damage such as a damaged tank track. Rommel was very aware of his numerical disadvantages, and so compensated by retrieving as much as possible from the battlefield at night after a skirmish.

[sussurus]

It was a huge advantage to the Allies winning the war that they won battles? Yeah, I should think so.

[wspencerwatkins]

Is this supposed to be a child’s POV or a little person or what? Why is he trying to intimidate me?

[lyndoncmp]

The US 2nd Armored Division only "tore across Europe" for a few weeks in August 1944. Then moved like a snail.

[james-prt]

the key to allied armor was how cheap compared to a tiger or panzer tank they wer

[petervegh]

The factor that gave allies a huge advantage was called soviet union as by 1944 the germans were mostly defeated by those folks.

[LastTechnocrat]

The germans are 0 for 2 in the 20th century. Partially due to the inability to make reliable equipment and support it in the field of combat.