Wednesday 22 April 2015

American Tank Tires

I've picked on Soviet tires a few times, and even German ones, and now the time has come for American tires. How do they stand up to long road marches and heated chases? Maintenance of Armor in World War II from the Fort Leavensworth library has the answer.



The experience with steel and rubber tracks mirrors Soviet experience in the hot Ukrainian steppes. Rubber tracks tended to melt and fall to pieces, while steel tracks performed much better. Since the terrain was not rocky or mountainous, the drawback of all metal tracks tearing off chunks of tires did not come up. 


Even without any rocks, heat and dust appear to have a negative effect on American vehicles, which is, unfortunately, not quantified.

The British also complained about American tanks blowing bogies, although their experience with steel tracks was poorer:



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