4 ms·
very very tangentially related, but I think interesting. US Sherman tanks were not very good tanks. But there were a lot of them, and they were crewed by kids
by jfoutz 6y ago
very very tangentially related, but I think interesting.
US Sherman tanks were not very good tanks. But there were a lot of them, and they were crewed by kids who grew up on farms. Those kids likely spend a fair amount of time keeping the tractor running.
Two big things going for them. 1, a ready supply of spare parts, from other tanks that didn't make it. 2, some understanding of the system, allowing people to macgyver solutions out of bubblegum and bailing wire.
As to your side note, I agree. I'd want something dirt simple, partly because, even though I might be able to pull off an amazing feat of engineering, I'd rather have the solution be obvious.
Since we're wishing, I'd also like everyone in a 1000 mile radius to have the same car, so I can find a dead one to strip if I need parts. (but that's not realistic given the implicit remoteness of the situation described).
- Mauricebranagh 6y agoThe Sherman was a good tank for its role it wasn't as "Gucci" as a Panther or a Tiger. And fixing a Sherman is far more complex than a tractor but a hell of a lot less of a PITA than a German tank. Of course if you had a major malfunction you said "oh dear my tank/jeep/rifel is buggered" get me a new one. There is the secondary q of should they have up gunned the US Sherman's quicker and had more hot ammo.
- protomyth 6y ago"US Sherman tanks were not very good tanks." The main person's opinion[1] has been debunked by multiple authors. It was a very good tank and fulfilled the American objectives. Particularly when you take into account the US Army's belief "tanks shouldn’t take on other tanks". The later gun upgrade even took care the of late war tank-on-tank battles. 1) ‘Death Traps’ by Belton Cooper
- lmilcin 6y agoI would add that better is the enemy of the good. It is better to have a good tank in large numbers than a better one but so expensive that you can only have limited numbers of it. Germans had better tanks but it did not help because they were expensive to produce and were heavily outnumbered.
- protomyth 6y agoThe Germans also committed the criminal sin of tinkering on the production line. Consistency is the foundation of logistics. Its amazing how some lessons from WWII might benefit software developers in the present.