this post was submitted on 26 Dec 2023
118 points (100.0% liked)
HistoryPorn
4928 readers
222 users here now
If you would like to become a mod in this community, kindly PM the mod.
Relive the Past in Jaw-Dropping Detail!
HistoryPorn is for photographs (or, if it can be found, film) of the past, recent or distant! Give us a little snapshot of history!
Rules
- Be respectful and inclusive.
- No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
- Engage in constructive discussions.
- Share relevant content.
- Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
- Use appropriate language and tone.
- Report violations.
- Foster a continuous learning environment.
- No genocide or atrocity denialism.
Pictures of old artifacts and museum pieces should go to History Artifacts
Illustrations and paintings should go to History Drawings
Related Communities:
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M3_Lee
The design was unusual because the main weapon – a larger caliber, medium-velocity 75 mm gun – was in an offset sponson mounted in the hull with limited traverse. The sponson mount was necessary because, at the time, American tank plants did not have the design experience necessary to make a gun turret capable of holding a 75 mm weapon.
Good context. All true, the M3 was indeed kludged together in a very short time after America didn't invest a lot into interwar tank design.
In addition, the configuration of putting the main gun in the hull was not unprecedented. The French Char B1 did the same thing, and it was considered a very capable tank, even by the Germans up against in in 1940.
If you put yourself in the mindset of a 1930s designer trying to figure out the role of a tank and assuming a kind of breakthrough role, it does make sense to put the lighter weapon meant to target more mobile targets on a traversing turret and the heavier weapon for targeting heavy defensive positions in the hull rather than trying to figure out how to fit such a large gun into a turret.