Could the Tiger I have been able to mount the 8.8 cm KwK 43 with no problem?

The M4A3E8 Sherman had the 105mm howitzer, and "were used in headquarter companiesto provide fire support.". there were aboot 4680 of them built...Don't see any mention of it being employed for direct fire against tanks, although it prolly happened.

 

The 17 pdr had no trouble hitting/killing the 3 Tigers at a distance on 8/8/44

 

The Sherman 105mm avoided enemy tanks as much as possible. While it certainly had a heavy shell it was a howitzer meaning it had even worse velocity and drop than the 75mm.
Thus close range engagements would have favored it more, save for 1 thing. In order to cram as many 105mm shells into the tank as possible they removed the power
turret traverse. So the Shermans strength that of getting close in and moving faster than the German tanks turret could traverse is now negated.

 

P- Removed the power traverse? Does that mean they would actually remove parts, or the extra weight negated the power traverse? Cheers eh.

 

Apparently the one caused the other. Due to the unbalanced weight of the installed 105mm gun the power traverse failed to work on a 30 degree slope.
Therefore they removed the power traverse and gyro systems entirely which also allowed them to place more rounds of ammo inside the tank.

 

If you are referring to "wittman's charge" I think there were five not three and Ken Tout said the Northants Yeomanry orders were for the 75mm shemans to distract the Germans. The argument is whether it was Joe Ekins or onew of the Canadians who KO'ed Wittman's tank.

 

Ekins got 3 Tigers at distance. No problems with accuracy and no problems with penetration.

 

The problem is that by 1944 the Tiger is not the invulnerable behemoth the internet would love it to be. Before anyone starts it was a heavily armoured and armed tank, it could kill most of it's opponents at most ranges (probably all on the Western Front). But by 1944 it wasn't unbeatable. The 17pdr was perfectly capable of killing it out to 1000yds with normal ammunition, it didn't need APDS and whilst the Tiger could kill a Firefly well beyond that, in Normandy the average engagement range would be lower than that.

 

This is something that Guderian was trying to drum into the heads of Tiger crews for some time. He knew that sooner or later the Allies were going to come up with better guns and that the Tiger commanders better start using proper tactics. In this regard he forbade any panzer periodical to use the term "invulnerable" or such, when referring to the Tiger.

 

Wow, this really turned into a lively discussion, and so full of insightful info, awesome!

 

Not to mention that even Sherman tanks armed with the 75mm gun were able to defeat the vaunted tiger when hit from the side and rear, and this did happen often during the fighting in Normandy.