Armed Tanks of American Vehicles in World War II
In the heat of World War II, the importance of firepower in American tank combat was undeniable. Tank commanders debated the merits of the .50-cal. MG, considering it for both coaxial and anti-aircraft roles. However, concerns about ammunition storage space led them to conclude that the .30-cal. MG was a fully adequate substitute.
Some crews of the 35th Tank Battalion opted to mount airplane .50-cal. machine guns coaxially in the turret, providing an added layer of defence. The .50-cal. MG was used against enemy anti-tank guns, half-tracks, and personnel, earning a reputation among the Germans as a formidable weapon.
The M1A1 Carbine was the standard small arm for many tank regiments, known for its compact size and ease of use within confined spaces. As the war progressed, the M3 .45-cal. submachine gun, or the "Grease Gun," became the most common SMG in the hands of tankers.
The crew member who operated the .50-cal. MG assisted the tank commander by watching for targets on the left flank. The bow machine gun was much used in combat operations, but was extremely hard to fire accurately. Crews suggested increasing the percentage of tracer rounds to improve aim.
The combat law of averages was not kind to the more than 12,000 U.S. tank crew casualties. Every time an M4 Sherman was penetrated by a German anti-tank weapon, one crewman was killed and another one seriously wounded. In the last year of the war, infantry weapons like the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck were responsible for 21 percent of all American vehicle crew losses.
The U.S. Army publication "Combat Lessons," published in the summer of 1944, advised that tankers should be familiar with all infantry weapons. General Bruce C. Clarke of the 4th Armored Division commented on the .50-cal. Browning M2 machine gun: "I told my men that the greatest thing on a tank was a free .50 Cal. MG in the hands of the tank commander." Some tank crews even added an extra crew member to operate the .50-cal. MG.
The .50-cal. MG on the M4 Sherman was initially mounted ahead of the commander's hatch, but later variants relocated it to the rear of the turret. A rack that holds 12 boxes of .50-cal. ammunition was built on the rear of the turret to ensure a steady supply of ammunition.
Despite the losses, the M1911 pistol was the firearm that made the most sense for tank crew members when outside their vehicles. Most American armored vehicles had provision for at least one submachine gun and a few hundred rounds of ammunition.
The cost of war was evident in the statistics. More than 6,000 American tanks and tank destroyers were lost in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) alone. Tank commanders recommended providing a means of sighting for the bow machine gun and a mount for the Cal. .50 machine gun that would permit firing at ground targets with ease. The lessons learned from these battles would prove invaluable in the years to come.
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