Early American Tank Development for WWII: M2, M2A2, M3, Type 95 with Rob Cogan at the NACC

[@robertcogan7109]

That M2 Medium was the standard medium tank for the U.S. in 1940. In late 1944, less than four years later, the T26E3 (later the M26 Pershing) was already coming off production lines. Four years. Always blows my mind at the rate of design evolution.

[@TescoVee]

The amount of innovation of that period of time is amazing. From tanks, to aircraft, ships and firearms. I'd be surprised if there were another dozen years in history that saw more.

[@Tinderchaff]

As they say 'necessity is the mother of invention'. And your point about logistics was well made 'an army marches on its stomach'. Without the supplies to feed it, an army will be going nowhere, fast. And the U.S Army wasn't the only one transitioning so fast, at the beginning of the war the British were using Matilda Mk Is, by the end they were getting ready to use the Centurion.

[@linkor1945]

Actually it was M2A1, as the one you show us. slick M2 is slightly different. But wonderful video. And just in time for me becouse I'm designing scale model of that tank.

[@gamebook727]

A lot of it I think was due to the relatively recent introduction of efficient internal combustion engines. This made possible all sorts of things that weren't before, leading to an explosion in design as people built more powerful engines which could drive ever bigger and better vehicles. There are parallels with the introduction of steam engines and armor plate to warships from the 1860's onward, think of how revolutionary the Merrimack, Monitor and HMS Warrior were.

[@luciusvorenus9445]

The fact the welding and turret ring problems were solved in that amount of time and within the constraints of building a vehicle that can be shipped around the world is amazing. @Robert Cogan I enjoy your knowledgeable presentations and passion for this subject! Thank you !

[@robertcogan7109]

Going to correct myself quick: the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go was NOT a medium tank, definitely a light tank. I believe the point I was trying to make was that it served as the MAIN Japanese tank of World War II. Thanks!

[@iivin4233]

It seems like the misunderstanding happens because laymen and perhaps the US Army as well uses terms like "light" and "heavy" metaphorically. I've heard that when WW2 german manuals say heavy, medium, light they are refering to the literal weight of the tank, I imagine for planning bridging and othet logistical purposes. Is this true? Did other nations classify tanks differently? Did they all even think of them as "tanks" aka land ships? Thank you for reading.

[@ovk-ih1zp]

The Japanese logistical train was their greatest weakness in the PTO. The American General Staff quickly figured out(By just looking at a map) that NONE of the fronts that American forces were going to be fighting on were anywhere near the continental United States(And thank god for that), but Absolutely EVERYTHING that an American fighting man was going to use would have to be shipped from the CONTUS to wherever they were fighting. The thought process quickly became "Design the equipment to be easily shipped long distances & if the equipment resists ease of shipping, design shippage that can & will move the more difficult stores." That's a line of thinking that even the British with a world spanning empire didn't place enough thought into. It took time & really didn't get ramped up until mid to late '43, but American logisticians were finding & fixing problems that no one had ever thought of before.

[@eze8970]

@@ovk-ih1zp Good points. No one really looked at shipping tanks pre WW2 as no one had attempted it during a war. Everyone used 'standard' cargo ships as tanks were still relatively light. I'd imagine that they had the same process with trains (so they didn't have anything heavier than a tank to give them this problem), so didn't need pre-war to have a dedicated ship. The British tanks were sadly right at the end of the budget, so they never got the development they deserved. Until WW2, the British used armoured cars & planes to police the empire, or use old tanks which were lighter. The USA, with it's larger spaces, & industrialisation thinking, had the opportunity, design talent, money & capacity to do what no one had done before. The Russians, who had the heaviest WW2 tanks were land locked, so didn't need to develop LSTs. The Japanese did plan an approx 100 ton tank, but it was to be dismantled, then rebuilt in theatre.

[@timonsolus]

Well... the Ha-Go is twice as heavy as a Type 94 Te-Ke tankette (and twice as expensive to build), so it's a 'moderately sized' armoured vehicle by Imperial Japanese standards! 😉

[@HanSolo__]

Sir, do you find the Type 89 Chi-Ro somewhat another piece of the evolution chain started with the Renault FT-17. I mean, like a far cousin. Yet, still visibly one of the successors, a part of the family of the small Renault tank.

[@thearmoredgeorgian2736]

The inter war tanks are really interesting, it’s cool to see how quickly the war changed the design doctrine.

[@AustinLeeds]

08:40 That casual turret push though

[@robertcogan7109]

I work oooooouuuut.

[@luciusvorenus9445]

Weirdest cross-fit ever!

[@nonamesplease6288]

This museum has quickly become another item on my tank museum crawl/bucket list. I spent a lot of time as a kid at the old APG museum. The contrast between the care the vehicles are getting now and what they got in the old days is astonishing. Keep up the great work Rob!

[@HanSolo__]

Rob Cogan is wearing a tie 100% of the times I saw him on video. I mean video of any sort, in all possible places, all the occasions. I do know what he accomplished so early in his career. Then, his knowledge, his management skills, engagement, integrity. With the ease of storytelling and teaching. Now, he is such an elegant and modest gentleman - high respect.

[@oldgoat142]

What I've found interesting over all the years I've read about tanks and tank design is that they were made to be serviced by farm boys and city mechanics. Anyone with familiarity with machinery could take care of their tank in the field. The downside was that Army leadership in those days greatly overestimated the ability of the tanks and halftracks to survive main gun rounds from opposing tanks. Thanks for the upload Sofilein. I enjoyed it.

[@chriscamfield7610]

Fantastic video - I have new respect for the M2, even with its nine machine guns. Seeing the beautiful M3 and how easily its turret would rotate was a real thrill, especially in the period building.

[@eaglesquadrongaming9151]

I love these Sofilein videos they are both interesting and educational I learn something new with each one

[@Sofilein]

Glad you like them!

[@eaglesquadrongaming9151]

@@Sofilein I did notice a lack of pats and treats being handed out to all tonks present

[@51KTM51Hurricane]

again learned a lot. but have to wait to see the real beauty till the end

[@georgedoolittle7574]

@@Sofilein "my God the Brazilians have cut off our rubber supplies we're doomed!"

[@whpruitt1]

Rob's very personable manner makes the information of these videos all the more enlightening. Thanks again, Rob and Sofi!

[@robertcogan7109]

Thanks! I appreciate that.

[@mikereger1186]

An American David Fletcher in the making?

[@whpruitt1]

@@mikereger1186 I think so

[@neilwilson5785]

I wish that I had seen this video before seeing Chieftan obsessing with track tension, lol. This guy really knows how to explain stuff. Sofi knows how to interview a person with good knowledge. Just set them off and there we go. Good job.

[@bradm3a3]

Another great video from Rob and Sofilein.

[@Sofilein]

Stop time traveling in my comments lmao

[@Green-Mountainboy]

teach us your ways oh great time traveler

[@bradm3a3]

@@Green-Mountainboy never will tell

[@billcline4647]

What is totally amazing is the leap in the design of US armored vehicles from the late 1930’s through 1945!!!! Rob thanks for informative videos.

[@joaoie]

I love being able to see the more obscure and automotive aspects of these tanks in such an easy video format! Love the work, always great to see Rob

[@eze8970]

Thanks Sofi/Rob, more great stuff! Interesting to see the development from the tankettes all the way up to the monsters!

[@robertl6196]

This guy's a natural instructor.

[@robertcogan7109]

Thank you! I appreciate the feedback.

[@foxtrotromeo25]

Another excellent video from Rob and Sofi. Very interesting and informative.

[@gryph01]

As ex-Canadian Army, I wholeheartedly agree that we prefer our tanks to shoot forwards and not backwards.

[@romgl4513]

But the French...

[@luciusvorenus9445]

Fantastic restoration on that M3. Fantastic video!! Thank you!!

[@bumblebeebob]

We love seeing you Sofie however this is a great series! Please keep it up.

[@luciusvorenus9445]

I second that!

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I love looking at tanks like the M2. The interwar period tanks are some of the most fascinating ever made!

[@bencejuhasz6459]

Greetings from Hungary! It's good that YT allows us to rewind this video otherwise I'd missed it. I didn't know that there is still at least one Christie-suspension tank in the US. If I may ask, have you tried Tank Mechanic Simulator? I think you are going to enjoy it :) A Hungarian Armour Enthusiast

[@vtbmwbiker]

thanks for a great video! Really shows how the Sherman was an evolutionary tank based on years and years of trial and error. The bounce plates? What a concept!

[@kirkmooneyham]

I was impressed how easily Rob was able to push the turret on the M3 around despite the weight. Excellent gearing and bearings!

[@wheels-n-tires1846]

I knew almost nothing of the M2... Thanks for continuing to create great and enlightening videos!!

[@Sofilein]

More to come!

[@t26e4]

The tank that Rob is describing is actually an M2A1 -- a slight improvement over the M2.

[@gamebook727]

While the M2 clearly had a lot of design flaws and room for improvement it was a very useful stopgap on which American troops could train and develop tactics while the tank designers learned what to and what not to do for its successors.

[@battlefieldbartender5671]

Loved this walk through history, great job Rob and Sofi!

[@supervegito5104]

Awesome video! Hey Sofie! Have you ever thought of starting a blog on tanks where you can simplify concepts and write interesting information, anecdotes etc. ?

[@gryph01]

I finally caught a video. I subscribed and have all notifications but rarely comes up in my feed. Thanks for the video!

[@Sofilein]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@JimWarford1]

Rob and Sofi; another great and informative video...keep up the good work!

[@thegodofhellfire]

These videos with Rob are great!

[@williscox2309]

enjoy getting ton of knowledge. that man is goldmine for tank fans.. thanx Rob Thanx Sofi

[@michaeldillon3022]

Great vid Sofi......good to see the lineage of American armor up to WWII!!

[@ABrit-bt6ce]

Dude is great, Sophie is an excellent promoter. Oh, yeah and TANKS too.

[@Andrew-se4tg]

I love early tanks! Thanks Sofi!

[@mikewysko2268]

Enjoyed the history lecture. Well done!

[@Colinpark]

Great seeing interior shots of these rare tanks. I climbed into the turret of the early M3 Light tank at Littlefields, holy cow is that TC hatch small!!!

[@p.d.hutton1090]

Sofilein, your videos never disappoint. You’re a great source of information. I watch military documentaries and you make them make sense. Thanks.

[@Taceau]

If this video would have lasted for 2 hours I'd have watched it without taking a break. Thank you Rob!

[@robertcogan7109]

You're welcome! I appreciate the feedback!

[@Sedan57Chevy]

Another truly fantastic presentation on these historic vehicles. The amount of great information being made available on armored vehicles today is truly astounding, and is definitely appreciated!

[@stephenbritton9297]

Logistics, logistic, logistics... its all about logistics, well, that and Sofi being an amazing human being too!

[@SmokingRun]

Wow this video was so informative and Professional. Its wonderful to see the progression of this channel! Thanks Sofilein

[@Sofilein]

Improving every day! Thank you ❤️

[@rolfagten857]

Awesome! Such an M3-Grant is also in the 1995 "Sahara" film with James Belushi. They call her Lullubelle.

[@simonrooney7942]

Outstanding Rob ‘n’ Sofi. Very enjoyable and informative. Hope to visit u one day after this COVID stuff is gone. Stay safe.

[@doughudgens9275]

Great job Rob. Very informative! Also Sofielin, for getting out of the way and letting the experts talk. To many interviewers like to hear themselves talk. While watching you learn, and comment, is interesting (especially for the males in your audience), letting your subject expound on the material is better. You can ask questions if it helps inform the viewer. Having given presentations without notes, I sometimes forget stuff, so questions help fill in these gaps. Maybe towards the end of their talk, give them a signal you want to ask a question before they wrap it up. That way they can transition better. You have found a great source, please keep these up!

[@rudolfabelin383]

Thanks. Very cool knowledge.

[@DeliveryMcGee]

Needs more of Sofi and/or Rob doing the "Oh bugger, the tank is on fire." challenge. It'd be interesting to see an average-sized person bail out of a tank, compared to the ridiculously tall The Chieftain

[@mbr5742]

Can we get Sofi in a long flowing robe and do a "Aren't you a big tall for a tanker" :)

[@wes11bravo]

The M3 and the M24 are my favorite US tanks from WWII. The M3's ability to shit 'n git, its compliment of machine guns - just the ticket going up against Japanese tanks. And the M24 - an order of magnitude of improvement in just a few years. I think there are a few still kicking around in South America.

[@gamebook727]

The British sent all their M3's out to Burma after they got M4's. It proved useful in the jungle as when driving down a jungle trail you could point the turret backwards while having the 75mm covering forward, so if Japanese troops popped out of the jungle from any or all directions you could always engage them.

[@treadheadpete4770]

Somehow, I missed this! lol Great vid Sofie, and Rob, thanks!

[@SebastiaanKr]

The workshops, are the best places 😍

[@t26e4]

Bravo Rob and Sofi! Great to see the holdings. The M2A1 really captures my interest! I'll definitely be taking tons of pics of it the next time I can get down to Columbus.

[@iaincollins5743]

Great stuff. Thanks for posting!

[@grumpyboomer61]

I love the early philosophy of US tank design and doctrine. You can never have too many machine guns.

[@Canis_Lupus_Rex]

MORE DAKKA!

[@luciusvorenus9445]

Like 5 year old boy "Why so many machine guns?" "Because they're cool! Duh" lol

[@demonprinces17]

When can't mount a cannon add what you can

[@Ragnar.Lothbrok.3.14]

Love your history videos! The training tank rounds caught my eye, any chance they'll let you do a walk around and talk about the random small stuff like that? Or have a walkthrough of their maintenance/machine shop? That would be really neat to see what their machinists ae up to!

[@dj1NM3]

I'm surprised that nobody seems to have noticed that the Ha-Go type 95 tank looks like a slightly stretched (length and width) Renault FT-17, just enough that a Ha-Go crew enters and exits through hatches instead of the whole front of the tank hinging open. That turret shape looks very FT-17 like.

[@MGB-learning]

Outstanding video and presentation.

[@Ruckweiler73]

There is a Type 95 at the Army Museum in Honolulu. In the past it sat next to the Post Museum at Schofield Barracks.

[@jamessotherden5909]

Awesome video, Nice history on those early tanks.

[@methalox4717]

Very interesting to see how armored tractors just turned into more effective light combat cars.

[@frankieblue1945]

Freaking awesome. I LOVE your content Sofi. Ooh Rah!

[@kevinbarry7547]

Thank you once again Sofi. You always bring us the most interesting tanks. Thanks to Rob as well for the fascinating view of some early American tanks. I believe I may have seen the Ha-Go on the Mall at the Smithsonian in DC in the 50s. It was there along with a midget sub (Japanese or German I am not sure) and other WWII hardware.

[@andrewcoffman2213]

The still pictures you have in here of the tanks are awesome. Do those pictures live somewhere that's accessible? I'd love to take time to look at each one in more detail.

[@yakidin63]

The track system was loved by the Commonwealth crews in the Western desert because the British tanks lost tracks often. Its a shame they couldnt have a bigger gun but the allies stuck with their 37mm and 2 pounders for too long. I have tried getting into a Stuart turret but it was too tight. hahaha and Im not fat either. hahaha

[@i_nameless_i-jgsdf]

The Type 95 Ha-Go was also among the first tanks to feature bulletproof optics for its crews. This one is in really good condition, is it also in running state ?

[@i_nameless_i-jgsdf]

And is it also in its original paint or it is repainted in the US ?

[@spacetexan8695]

This guy is my favorite guest

[@Agent77X]

The M2 is still the best U.S. tank ever made! Solid as a tank!😁

[@davidkilby1043]

Thanks. I learned a lot from this

[@roadstarman58]

I shot a practice rocket or two out of a LAW at an M2 medium during boot camp at Fort Knox in '76. I wasn't sure what it was at the time, but I was familiar enough with the M3 medium to see the family resemblance.

[@bennettrogers7921]

Saw a hull with turret, as well as assorted parts for a M2A4 in a private stash of recovered military parts on Guadalcanal a couple of years ago. Hope it is restored, not too many of those around I’d suppose. Also had a few m3 Stuart’s at an eod site.

[@fireabend_1226]

Hello, another very nice and interesting video. At last you can see that something is being done for the old vehicles too. The condition is often in bad shape. On the part of the museum, among other things, one often forgets places to interest young people looking at these vehicles in these tanks. This would be a good place to keep veterans busy. Please keep it up and enjoy more videos.

[@earlyriser8998]

i can't beleive it took until 1940 for them to form a dedicated tank force. I realize the depression was till on until 1939 when we became the world's arsenal...BUT Patton and other Generals existed and understood the power and potential of the tank.

[@gamebook727]

Most of WWII was made up as it went along. Early battles had to be fought with whatever jumble of armaments and half-baked tactics were available, it was only later in the war that efficient and balanced forces became the norm. The Germans were slightly ahead of the curve on this one which is why they won so many early victories.

[@gsr4535]

Very nice presentation. 👍

[@genek8630]

Very interesting video, towards the end of the video, did I see a Tiger 1 in the background, and if so was that the Tiger 1 that sat outside at Aberdeen for years?

[@Sofilein]

Yes, and yes!

[@billd.iniowa2263]

Very good! Thanx so much. Can you go into detail about "live tracks" and show us what the difference is?

[@rayrose5594]

thanks for posting............

[@johnsteiner3417]

Did you do a video of tanks and vehicles driving off LCACs, and if not is that something you're planning?

[@michaelusswisconsin6002]

The by the mid 1940s to keep production at a all time high, most of the US armored vehicles( light, medium,TD, SPG) were based on the Stuart or Sherman chassis.

[@gusgone4527]

Great video. It's nice to know the development process and evolution of what has become iconic heavy metal. I still think that the Centurion was the greatest leap forward in design until the modern era with Abrahams and Challenger. Had the USA licenced produced Centurion and aided in it's development rather than go down the M47 to M60 route. This would have progressed much faster.

[@Green-Mountainboy]

Love these videos.

[@estebahnquantum9350]

Amazing how they were formulating tank design back when they were trying create doctrine on how to use armor in warfare . Do you send your armor out without infantry support or artillery ? The Germans answered those questions later and Patton read rommel book .

[@MrAxlzero]

small note on the Japanese tanks most of them were weak compared to the European theatre so after North African campain a lot of the m3 lee/grant tanks were sent to India and Australia to use in Burma against the Japanese were they were still effective the rest were sent to Russia for the soviets the lee was more then a match against all Japanese tanks and were used by Indian and Anzac forces against the Japanese so newer better tanks could go to Europe they also got a lot of cruiser tanks sent to fight japan like the couventer and the crusader

[@martininsfran4107]

En el Paraguay aún tenemos los Stuart, para entrenamiento, yo mismo aprendí a conducir tanques a bordo de uno de estos durante mi servicio militar.

[@saulhendrix]

Girl, this is channel of yours is so rad!!, very awesome and interesting vids PD: You deserve a lot more subs!!!!, Keep it up the Amazing Work!!!

[@MisterApol]

Ah, I do love old iron.

[@zipperedlizzard5065]

Where is the museum, Ft. Benning, GA?

[@hunterdunker1011]

Wow a cute little tank!😎

[@MasterKeyMagic]

I've got a question for you Sofi. Just about every tank had a hull machine gun in WW2 and the germans even went the extra effort to add one onto the elephants after Kursk. But today, I can't think of a main battle tank that has a hull machine gun from any country. Why is that? Was there some study done by someone after ww2 that determined it wasnt effective? I would think having a dedicated guy with a quick finger on a trigger ready to pop anybody hiding with a bazooka ahead would be a good idea, or at the very least, having an extra set of eyes forward and a helping hand.

I wish the German tank Museum had such a nice facility for restarations

[@landlocked4771]

I don't suppose Soflein that you could show us one of those ships you showed in this video where you can just drive the tanks off of? I would guess they used them all for target pactice. Just was interested to see one, if its out there you could find it and it would be so cool to have a tank museum on one of those ships.

[@eze8970]

They used to be all around the world, used as storage vessels, or abandoned. There was one a short distance from me in the 1980's (it's gone now tho).

[@landlocked4771]

@@eze8970 Thank you

[@stevemiller7433]

fascinating.

[@bramster-b9v]

I am always surprised how innovative the American tanks were and are.

[@henriknilsson7851]

It is cool to see technology change as new ideas are given a try. I love the old stuff like this. Too bad they did not let Tank Girl sit in the Japanese tank, peering out the open front hatch!

[@roblastname9133]

Theres been so many brake throughs because of war,medicine,technology only 2. Necessity is the mother of invention..just a shame people have to do all that killing and dieing. Another great vid cheers 👌👍

[@fazole]

In 30 yrs, aircraft went from flimsy fabric covered furniture averaging 100 mph in 1917 to the Mach 1 Bell X-1! in 1947! It's a mind boggling quantum leap in technology.

[@kasha1702]

Здорово !!! 👍

[@ovk-ih1zp]

Robb needs to do long format documentaries & post them on KZbin. But that takes time, which undoubtedly he is in very short supply of.

[@Sofilein]

There are some concepts for this in the future! Stand by

[@robertcogan7109]

@@Sofilein wait, whaaaaa...

[@MojoDevirus]

Hey, May I ask what is the camera set up you are using? The pictures looks amazing. =)

[@Sofilein]

Sony FDR AX53

[@iyaayas200]

favorite early tank is the M2A4 utilized by 3-66 Armor

[@biggiecheese2088]

Will they ever open up the forbidden warehouse to the public? I’ve seen so many pictures, I just want to go check it out and hug a Stug…

[@davidmeek8017]

Well done! Mahalo nui loa!

[@luftgetrockneterleguan7744]

Kalter Stahl und heiße Frau. Diese Mischung lässt mich glücklich sein!

[@townsville69]

(spots Tiger resto in background) Well, well, well what have we here ?