The Lima Tank Plant keeps rebuilding the damn things! (Seriously we have like 9000 runners in inventory here in the US). Although, I'm told, if the integral fuel cells are warped/damaged by explosion the hull is a write off. Otherwise: rebuild.
The export versions tend to have less/non classified armour (the same applies to the rest the interesting bits too I'd assume), something like that would still be very cool. Tho I'd love to see chieftain do a video on a modern MBT.
@@MikeyRumi180 T-34 won only because huge numbers and Shermans won only because USA air superiority. Soviet Union loses by germans 83,500 tanks lost: 5,200 heavy tanks, 44,900 medium tanks, 33,400 light tanks (including 11,900 Lend-Lease tanks and self-propelled guns lost 13,000 SPGs lost: 2,300 heavy SPGs, 2,100 medium SPGs, 8,600 light SPGs 37,600 Armoured car and half-track (including 5,000 Lend-Lease armoured personnel carriers lost French 6,126 tanks and self-propelled guns (~2,000 destroyed, ~4,000 captured by Germans in 1939-1940). 946 armoured cars and half-track destroyed or captured by Germans in 1939-1940. At least 1,741 tanks destroyed in 1939-1940, 549 light and medium tanks destroyed in 1944-1945 and 134 combat cars.[6] UK 15,844 tanks and 1,957 armoured cars lost.[7] On the Western Front in 1944-1945, 4,477 British Commonwealth tanks were destroyed, including 2,712 M4 Sherman tanks, 656 Churchill tanks, 609 Cromwell tanks, 433 M3 Stuart light tanks, 39 Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger tanks, 26 Comet tanks, 2 M24 Chaffee light tanks.[8] US ~10,000 tanks/SPGs/tank destroyers lost. From June 6, 1944 through May 15, 1945 for US tank and tank destroyer losses in the European Theater of Operations, United States Army (Western Front): around 7,000 (including 4,295-4,399 M4 tanks, 178 M4 (105mm howitzer), 1,507 M3 Stuart tanks and 909-919 tank destroyers, of which 540 M10 tank destroyers, 217 M18 Hellcat and 152 M36 tank destroyers).[9][10] Losses of 5th Army (Sicily, Italy): 3,377 armored vehicles, including 1,171 M4s.[11][12][13] Several hundred tanks lost in the Pacific Theater. US/UK is especially lame because in western europe there was not even big tank battle. Shermans were worst tanks ever produced. Even T-34 can be used still today while Sherman died long ago
joao rosendo in this series people usually pick their favourite tanks and talk about them a bit. Lindybeige have a great list, Jingles have a great one too and has a TOG II at number 1, so it's not about "stats" here.
Алексей Сафронов True, but The_Chieftain always focuses heavily on ergonomics, logistics, maintenance, and doctrine. I've seen him in another video referring to the obsessive focus on firepower/armor/mobility as the 'Top Trumps' approach (referring to a series of simple statistical card games popular in the UK and - presumably - the RoI); and, frankly, his way is much less boring and much more educational.
If you are going to talk Sherman, you shouldn't base your grading on the version that has an upgraded gun, suspension, tracks, armor, and layout. The M4 75 VVSS was a dog, that got a lot of young American boys killed. The M4 76.2 HVSS fixed a lot of those problems, but did not see service until the last few months of WWII.
My viewpoint is based on statistical analysis of tank crews of Shermans; allies (all of them) throughout the war. The numbers don't lie. The Sherman, even the early version, is not the dog that many people purport it to be. But, go ahead and look at the death/injury rates of British/German tanks vs. Americans in Shermans. The totals may surprise you.
I think of the so-called stories of allied tanks hitting German tanks and a crewman coming out and smiling and waving at them. I'm sure the first thing the Germans did besides fouling themselves after being hit was realizing they had to get into action because the next shot might hit somewhere the armor didn't protect. If you are a veteran tanker then being hit despite surviving means all hell is breaking loose.
As much as I like the Top 5 Tanks videos, I think you've missed a chance for something great here. First you take The Chieftain, and then you take David Fletcher...You stick them together infront of a tank, press the record button, and just let them be for as long as it takes for the battery to run flat, or your memory to fill up.
Really can't argue with his choices, or his reasoning for choosing them. I'm certain that there are fanboys everywhere screaming about the lack of a certain type, but he didn't even choose HIS favorite tank, due to the criteria he chose to judge by. Well played, Sir!
Michael Coulter i would have liked to see his 5 favourite tanks with no criteria just personal preference im going to guess his top 2 would be Chieftain (not really a guess as he states as much at the start of the video) and 2 the Abrams due to his service in both you tend to love what keeps you alive
I'm impressed with his choice of the T55. It was a fantastic tank for the time and was an engineering marvel, having such balanced performance for such a low cost.
Andrew Furey He did tell us his favorites, Chieftain and Abrams, I'd bet that Centurion would be up there too. Having affection for a piece of equipment that kept you alive is pretty much guaranteed, regardless of drawbacks - soldiers have been doing that for as long as there has been soldiers.
Finally....a top 5 that makes sense! Not based on a game but real life! Being an old recce soldier I thank you for acknowledging the important role of armored recce on the battlefield! Well done!
Phil Silvers it depends on the technology, it was justified bc it didn't have like say a camera to look at without going out, that'd be a one man turret's wet dream
Highly amused to see Chieftain's hat sat on a helmet, sat on a gas mask, all perched on the upper glacis of the M4. Also, can I ask that you add a new section to your tank videos? It will be called "Oh my god, the tracks need tensioning".
"Number 2 is the T55." But Chieftain, the T55 appears to be full of holes... Also, anyone else play the game of "Find the Hat on the Tank" for each of the top 5 tanks? I love where he put it on the Sherman :D.
I'm very glad the Sherman is finally getting the recognition it deserves. A weapon's systems effectiveness and worth go so far beyond it's fire power and armour. The Sherman had it's drawbacks, but also a lot of strengths. As does any other tank. He mentions Steven Zaloga. I highly recommend his book Armored thunderbolt. It gives a very nuanced and honest history of the sherman. It's not a bashing book like death traps but it's also not a fanboy picture book. It's a detailed history written by a historian. I'd also recommend watching Nicholas Moran's lecture on myths of American armour in WW2.
germany couldn't produce 50k Pz IV , because of the resources and the manpower , so they decided that the little amount of people had the Best of the Best , that's what they wanted , so that's because we see unnecessary big guns , armor and penetration
The Sherman tank get an A++ for adequate the gun might not be sexy sexy but it worked. The hot and bothered of the Sherman is the ease of maintenance and how it fit everywhere, logistics roads and ships the Sherman was just right!
His first name is Greek "Nikolaos". Spastic is derived from the Greek word "spastikos" and refers to sufferers of cerebral palsy and is an affliction that has nothing to do with the knowledge or derivation of personal identifiers.
@@wierdalien1 Not the same company though. There has been a lawsuit of some sort and Energizer got screwed over. Duracell have basically taken their marketing material and adopted as their own - at least that's how I remember it.
Only 16 minutes? Knowing the Chieftain, I would've expected it to be 16 minutes per tank! Still a fantastic video though. Your joke about the carpet monster is indeed quite relatable
They asked me to keep it brief, with a total running time of about fifteen minutes. I generally go on about all those tanks in my other videos anyway, so you can listen if you want. :)
A testament to the up-gunned Sherman is that it was still active through the Korean war, which took place almost a full decade after the end of WW2, operating alongside modern Cold-War era tanks like the first TWO generations of the Patton tank, and the Walker Bulldog. When the Sherman was no longer the best option for front-line combat, it still did good service as mobile artillery platforms - There are images of Korean War Shermans driven up steep inclines to give a howitzer-like affect from its main-gun, lobbing shells into enemy positions. I am one of those that, in my youth, took a negative opinion of the Sherman - You know, calling it a matchbox and a widow-maker, etc. But the truth is, it was one of the most effective and most competent tanks there ever was. A German panzer commander and colonel wrote in his memoir that he considered the Sherman's predecessor, the M3 Lee/Grant, which the Sherman shared many components and technologies with, to actually be the best tank on either side of the war up until the introduction of the F2 type Panzer IV, the first long barreled German tank.
The FT 17 was last used in combat by the Afghanis rebels agianst the Russians when they invaded Afghanistan' in 1980. Yes they had an FT17 which didn't ladt long.
Very thoughtful, very insightful. I am proud to say that you are a fellow U.S. Army officer. Well, OK, you are Irish, but we are all mixed breeds in this country anyway. I think I have some Irish ancestors, not to mention Scottish, German, Welsh, etc. Anyway, you obviously put some good thought, research and analysis into this, which proves that the taxpayers’ resources were not wasted on all that military education! 😉
Even in Germany we name our Leopards, mostly names though like "Berta" or "Schulz" but who needs names for it, when it is already named after a big cat lol
The start with the S-Tank and Lindy was pretty funny. Also, can't seem to escape the mighty TOG II, that tank is appearing more often than not it seems... The M4 being reliable is true, unless you let The Mighty Jingles touch one, then it will break down.... Joking aside, very nice video, can't go wrong with The Chieftain.
The Sherman is underrated, short or long barrel, both good for his primary mission. Easy to use, easy to repair, easy to build but you need alot of them.
I have a family connection to both the chieftain and the challanger mk1 at the tank museum as they were both the tanks that my late father drove during his army career finally leaving the army in 1992.
For some reason I'm really intrigued to know what tanks are David Willey's top five favourite tanks. Get your beloved museum's curator to do one. Him... Or David Fletcher. Double David would be great too...
I'm glad the Chieftain put the FT-17 on his list, its a superb tank. My personal list would probably be 5. Somua S35 4. Comet 3. Centurion 2. FT-17 1.Sherman (particularly the M4A38 "Easy 8" Sherman and Firefly) I'd also have to give a an honorable mention to the Panzer IV.
An excellent video,thankyou. As a side comment I appreciate your comments on track tension. The tank is a large and complex machine and in order to keep it going the crew will want to keep as much of the technical adjustments correct.
Chieftain, my old friend. Many a time on a lonely north German exercise area, it was good to see a line of Chieftains deploying, a truly great sight to see! UK used the CVRT as light tanks in the falklands!
Great video, and a great museum. I got to visit Bovington this summer and the museum was absolutely brilliant!! Plus I got to see Challenger 2's on the roads, and it was also the home of Lawrence of Arabia. Go if you can, these guys have been my lockdown heroes.
Another Great Top 5! I hope we'll see even more of this in the Future. And i really hope that Mr. Fletcher does a Tank Chat about the IS-3 you're going to show at Tankfest. That would be amazing
The trick with tiny model pieces is not to try cut the part straight off the sprue but to cut a bit of sprue off with the part then trim the left over sprue off . Even if it goes flying into the carpet much easier to find .
Also the Hungarians had a key part in the L7 development. They drove that T-54 to the embassy (after getting their hands on it) and sent all the data they could mine out of the tank and the cannon itself to the British through the embassy. It's a really cool story
I get what he means really the FT is like the Fordson F tractor (was made of stressed parts not needing a chassis) or the Austin 7 car with the pedal configuration still in use now
Totally agree that the Reynault FT17 should be a top pick . IMO, add 2 more to the top selections - Panzer Mk III and all its variants - Bren Gun Carrier - although strictly not a tank , these tracked vehicles were to prove incredibly versatile and useful in moving firepower to where it was needed . .
For me from a British perspective in WWII the Sherman was the top tank just pipping the Churchill. 1. It came when we needed it the desert. 2. What else could have put a 17 pdr in? 3. We made it swim. 4. It is flail when it wasn't blowing up a minefield scared the living daylights out of the Germans. 5. It was a fast tank with a reasonable punch. 6. Later on it would follow on from M3 and M7s in the Kangaroo configuration. 7. It was reliable compared to earlier British concoctions.
Churchills had amazing armor for the time and they could go anywhere literally anywhere they got those things up hills that make me go damn. And for that the british deserve credit. That and the sheer insane numbers of Trains you guys built and moved to europe and all over to move equipment during the war. British trains even in wartime were some of the best looking.
theminecartgaming I would like that as long as Rimmer did some more reading first. Stopped watching his when he said it took 5 Shermans to kill a Tiger.
Armored reconnaissance vehicles are so underrated. Stuff like the LAV-25, M3 Bradley CFV, BRDM-2, Luchs, AMX-10RC, and of course the CVR(T) are so critical to the proper running of an armored force but they are so often overlooked. The only ones that get the attention they deserve are the LAV, which more often acts as an IFV than a reconnaissance vehicle, and the BRDM, which is impossible to ignore.
After watching Chieftain videos, I've grown a great respect for tank ergonomics as well. To see tanks from different views. Great man, great mentor. And a nice hat too
Lol Chiefy likes track tension so much no wonder the FT was his first choice, the track tension was essentially done automatically and manual track tensioning wasn't hard at all.
Thanks Chiefy! Impressed that you went back to give 1st prize to the old FT17. Very apt. As an ex-Cav and special grunt I do agree with the Track Tension topic you talk about again and again. My era tanking was a grease tension-er too with it causing a lot of problems if there was a leak, grease nipple broken of grease gun broken or....out of grease. Throwing a track is as good as a kill on an active battlefield so having good tension can avoid it a lot of the time. Cheers mate!
Nickolas, FYI about 1800 Valentines were manufactured in Canada before the production was switched to Shermans. Except for a handful kept for training, ALL were shipped to the U.S.S.R. Although U.S armour plate was imported for the Valentines, and American parts used in the first batches of (M4-A4's?), by the middle and later years domestic factories were producing these AFV's from scratch using superior amour plate developed in house. Source is Canada in WWll, Harold F. Stanfield (1945). I am happy to a have copy #84 from my Fathers' collection...
Funny Nick, I talked to you before, I was in Taji training Iraqi National Guard Troops from 03 to 05 and we received a big shipment of "Spartans" from Jordan. I had never seen one before and boy were they fun! In addition to having my own Hummer now I had my own Spartan. I say that because it must be of the same family as the first vehicle you reviewed here. From one 1st Cav. to another, well done. First Team!
FT 17 guys !!! First modern tank, the only tank that every major nation used (France, UK, USA, Russia, Germany, China, Japan, Turkey, Italy, Poland, Spain, Brazil ...) and first tank to have some variants.
Ernest Gross I hope I don't get lost but I did take several orienteering courses as an eagles scout so here's hoping for a smooth start to my military career
LOL! My story is, I was commissioned in Indiana, but my civilian job took me to Virginia, where I became XO of C Battery, 1-246th Field Artillery in Danville, VA. I was supposed to lead the main body on a Friday night of drill north to Fort A.P. Hill. I missed the turn to get on the tollway around Richmond, and ended up leading what forever after became known in Charlie Battery as "The West Richmond Expeditionary Force".
The Renault was an inspired and deserving choice. Soon as you chose T-55 it was obvious you weren't going to mention the T-34, which got me thinking about what ancestor of all 'modern' tanks you might choose. Your service in the USA Army got me thinking of an interesting factoid: I wondered how many know that George S Patton III set up the USA's tank force in France in WWI using them, and was uniquely suited for the role in part due to his being fluent in French.
My list, based on actual historical battle impact (not design or capability): 1) 1916 MkIV 2) Pzkw IV (edges out the III with adaptability/longevity) 3) T-34 4) M4 5) Centurion (incl. Israeli sho't version)
He refused to leave. When museum staff tried to escort him out but he simply clicked his heels together and vanished in a puff of smoke, only to re-appear at another part of the museum.
@@anther4520 He would make a terrible guide here. Watch his own Top 5 video, as well as his others on tanks. He knows nothing about them and only serves to perpetuate the myths that we've been trying to clear up since the 70s.
7:28 They were. Around 400 Matilda IIs were shipped to and used by the Australians in the Far East theatre. They were also sent to Russia, North Africa and East Africa.
The problem isn't "Far East", it's well known the Aussies used them in their campaigns like Borneo. It's the China-Burma-India theater which is more of a problem.
Admit it. You were all thinking about it. The T-55 is the AK-47/AKM of tanks. It is everywhere, and althought it is old and very much obsolete. It still works!
Wow, I wish I had a lever inside to adjust track tension on the old M113A3 I had to drive my platoon commander around in. Nick is exactly correct breaking down the entire grease gun debacle as there is nothing more enjoyable than tensioning track with a grease gun up to your ankles in mud while removing mud from the tensioner cylinder. Bear in mind when out in the field you have no access to running water. (Aside from the jerry can you tip over to wash one hand at a time if you want to go through the trouble.) I can still taste the old vegetable cracker with jalapeno cheese spread and a nice finishing note of grease/mud grit.
Also a note on the Sherman It could open field running, Will say roughly 35 40 mph, all day long day after day this combined with a general such as Patton could and did produce strategic affects My great uncles served in World War II from Normandie to The bridge at Remagan his opinion was a little bit different though he said “it was criminal to put Americans in a tank like the M4 when facing German tanks” I was not there and I did not see Americans get slaughtered in the m4 So of course my view is a little bit different but I do try and show a balance between historical analysis and first person events Which don’t always add up Best and thanks excellent work as always
I think there were some major differences in NATO tanks pre Challenger, but I agree with you, the Leopard 2, CR2, M1 are so similar there’s practically no difference. I think the greatest tank innovation was the Tank Laser Sight, it took us away from guesstimation, optical (trigonometry) range finders, ranging gun, to a very high precision laser range finder. With TLS and known windage we could achieve first round kills (only first round of the day would miss). Some of our gunners could beat an IFCS shoot. My personal best was beating the timekeeper, the target was still in the process of coming up when I fired (I still remember my commanders immortal words “That’s the loudest laser I’ve heard”, round went straight thru the center of the screen).
2:05 Rumours that Lindy lives in the Tank Museum, Bovinginton, INSIDE the S-Tank are greatly overstated. It's his holiday home.
Jingles also has his holiday home in the Tank Museum. It's the Tog.
Jingles does have it better I think.
More room :D
No, but I suspect he’d like to!
Judging by the clothes he ware in his videos i would say he lives under that tank.
He usually stays in the Churchill of course.
That bit with Lindeybeige
Thought I might find you here.
Yeah I'm finding him everywhere too...
Even the cameraman couldn't hold it
The Iron Armenian aka G.I. Haigs is he homosexual ?
Nice bit of comedy fro mthe chieftain.
Bloody Lindybeige just popping up yelling: WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS YOUR FIFTH FAVOURITE
i rolled laughing
Yea lol... that was a pleasant surprise!
Wow Chieftain can't catch a break. Even in the Tank Museum he is confronted by Trolls.
Great choice ....
Looking at Lindybeige, one might think he's the museum's resident hobo, sleeping in the tank hall and apparently yelling at passersby.
Mr. Pilgrim what do you mean he isn't?
I second the motion for the US to donate an Abrams to Bovington. Surely there must be a knackered M1A1 doing nothing in their inventory
The Lima Tank Plant keeps rebuilding the damn things! (Seriously we have like 9000 runners in inventory here in the US). Although, I'm told, if the integral fuel cells are warped/damaged by explosion the hull is a write off. Otherwise: rebuild.
Surely there has to be a base M1 somewhere. Unless the Americans literally upgraded them all to the M1A1 standard and beyond.
rowmk9 we are mass producing those things
Pretty sure that the reason they haven't donated one is that the Armor Plating on an Abrams is still classified.
The export versions tend to have less/non classified armour (the same applies to the rest the interesting bits too I'd assume), something like that would still be very cool. Tho I'd love to see chieftain do a video on a modern MBT.
The little French Renault tank is the perfect #1 choice because it is the essence of what the future tank design became.
I like Chieftain's picks.
I'm staggered this wasn't just 5 different Sherman variants.
@chris younts if you havent watched Nick's youtube channel you wouldnt get the underlying joke
@chris younts lol
@@komrade_kam Well if you were triggered about the M4, at least your gun was stabilized.
give it a rest! the Sherman and t-34 WON the WAR. suck it.
@@MikeyRumi180 T-34 won only because huge numbers and Shermans won only because USA air superiority.
Soviet Union loses by germans
83,500 tanks lost: 5,200 heavy tanks, 44,900 medium tanks, 33,400 light tanks (including 11,900 Lend-Lease tanks and self-propelled guns lost
13,000 SPGs lost: 2,300 heavy SPGs, 2,100 medium SPGs, 8,600 light SPGs
37,600 Armoured car and half-track (including 5,000 Lend-Lease armoured personnel carriers lost
French
6,126 tanks and self-propelled guns (~2,000 destroyed, ~4,000 captured by Germans in 1939-1940).
946 armoured cars and half-track destroyed or captured by Germans in 1939-1940.
At least 1,741 tanks destroyed in 1939-1940, 549 light and medium tanks destroyed in 1944-1945 and 134 combat cars.[6]
UK
15,844 tanks and 1,957 armoured cars lost.[7]
On the Western Front in 1944-1945, 4,477 British Commonwealth tanks were destroyed, including 2,712 M4 Sherman tanks, 656 Churchill tanks, 609 Cromwell tanks, 433 M3 Stuart light tanks, 39 Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger tanks, 26 Comet tanks, 2 M24 Chaffee light tanks.[8]
US
~10,000 tanks/SPGs/tank destroyers lost.
From June 6, 1944 through May 15, 1945 for US tank and tank destroyer losses in the European Theater of Operations, United States Army (Western Front): around 7,000 (including 4,295-4,399 M4 tanks, 178 M4 (105mm howitzer), 1,507 M3 Stuart tanks and 909-919 tank destroyers, of which 540 M10 tank destroyers, 217 M18 Hellcat and 152 M36 tank destroyers).[9][10] Losses of 5th Army (Sicily, Italy): 3,377 armored vehicles, including 1,171 M4s.[11][12][13] Several hundred tanks lost in the Pacific Theater.
US/UK is especially lame because in western europe there was not even big tank battle. Shermans were worst tanks ever produced. Even T-34 can be used still today while Sherman died long ago
Refreshing to see someone speak of the practical useage of tank instead of just ranking them in terms of firepower, armor, mobility.
joao rosendo in this series people usually pick their favourite tanks and talk about them a bit. Lindybeige have a great list, Jingles have a great one too and has a TOG II at number 1, so it's not about "stats" here.
Алексей Сафронов True, but The_Chieftain always focuses heavily on ergonomics, logistics, maintenance, and doctrine. I've seen him in another video referring to the obsessive focus on firepower/armor/mobility as the 'Top Trumps' approach (referring to a series of simple statistical card games popular in the UK and - presumably - the RoI); and, frankly, his way is much less boring and much more educational.
He has really enlightened my view of the M4 Sherman over the last 3 years. I love his research.
If you are going to talk Sherman, you shouldn't base your grading on the version that has an upgraded gun, suspension, tracks, armor, and layout. The M4 75 VVSS was a dog, that got a lot of young American boys killed. The M4 76.2 HVSS fixed a lot of those problems, but did not see service until the last few months of WWII.
My viewpoint is based on statistical analysis of tank crews of Shermans; allies (all of them) throughout the war. The numbers don't lie. The Sherman, even the early version, is not the dog that many people purport it to be. But, go ahead and look at the death/injury rates of British/German tanks vs. Americans in Shermans. The totals may surprise you.
1400 tankers were killed in US service in the entire war. shermans had a 3% death rate, on average 0.6 crewman were killed per tank kill
I think of the so-called stories of allied tanks hitting German tanks and a crewman coming out and smiling and waving at them. I'm sure the first thing the Germans did besides fouling themselves after being hit was realizing they had to get into action because the next shot might hit somewhere the armor didn't protect. If you are a veteran tanker then being hit despite surviving means all hell is breaking loose.
Princeofcups Poc Did it? How come US Sherman tanker losses were so low early on?
As much as I like the Top 5 Tanks videos, I think you've missed a chance for something great here.
First you take The Chieftain, and then you take David Fletcher...You stick them together infront of a tank, press the record button, and just let them be for as long as it takes for the battery to run flat, or your memory to fill up.
I'm up for it, but David F's sortof on the retired list. Still, we can have a go with David W. What say you, Roz?
The_Chieftain F. is infinitely more amusing, but I wouldn't turn down W.
Put the curator of Bovington and the German Panzeruseum in there as well and it would be magic.
That Lindybeige cameo made me think of Monty Pithon
Lindy could have been a Python, but was born too late!
@@cryptotharg7400
No...Monty Python was made too soon!
They have to make a movie about Monty Python, and Lindy as Graham Chapman!
He looks similar to late Graham Chapman!
He reminds me of hugh laurie in blackadder
No one expects the Spanish Inquis - . . . , er, the Swedish Lindybeige!
Really can't argue with his choices, or his reasoning for choosing them.
I'm certain that there are fanboys everywhere screaming about the lack of a certain type, but he didn't even choose HIS favorite tank, due to the criteria he chose to judge by.
Well played, Sir!
Michael Coulter i would have liked to see his 5 favourite tanks with no criteria just personal preference im going to guess his top 2 would be Chieftain (not really a guess as he states as much at the start of the video) and 2 the Abrams due to his service in both you tend to love what keeps you alive
I'm impressed with his choice of the T55. It was a fantastic tank for the time and was an engineering marvel, having such balanced performance for such a low cost.
Andrew Furey
He did tell us his favorites, Chieftain and Abrams, I'd bet that Centurion would be up there too.
Having affection for a piece of equipment that kept you alive is pretty much guaranteed, regardless of drawbacks - soldiers have been doing that for as long as there has been soldiers.
James Georgi
Yeah, imo the T-55 was the death knell for heavy tanks, giving rise to the MBT that is standard in every army today.
@@michaelcoulter1114 Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that the Centurion was the tank that defined the MBT.
love to see someone stick up for the Sherman - such an overly criticised tank, however was a fantastic AFV for the war the allies were fighting.
Its because its american. The abrams is talked bad about aswell
It's also just a darn good tank in it's own right.
People just love to hate on the winners. ;)
The problem is that it's good in all the ways that don't show up in your average game's stat page.
That's because people who acquire their knowledge from video games are uneducated.
If you would like to see him go into more detail on it, ua-cam.com/video/bNjp_4jY8pY/v-deo.html
Even the cameraman couldn't help but laugh when Lloyd had his moment. Beautiful. This video went from interesting to beautiful in no time.
Finally....a top 5 that makes sense! Not based on a game but real life! Being an old recce soldier I thank you for acknowledging the important role of armored recce on the battlefield! Well done!
And here I was expecting 5 different m4s :D
Haha ha
I bet he chose all these tanks cuz of there track tensioners bruh
Christ I had no idea the FT17 was so small. It looks like a Dalek in a wheelchair.
Lee - I think it was Lindy who made a vid on why one-man turrets were bad, and three-man turrets were good!
Phil Silvers Good luck cramming three people into an FT17 turret.
Phil Silvers it depends on the technology, it was justified bc it didn't have like say a camera to look at without going out, that'd be a one man turret's wet dream
A Dalek IS an armoured wheelchair. You need Dr Who tuition!
Thank heavens I was not drinking when I read that! Also, just so you know, I shall also steal it (but will attribute).
Highly amused to see Chieftain's hat sat on a helmet, sat on a gas mask, all perched on the upper glacis of the M4.
Also, can I ask that you add a new section to your tank videos? It will be called "Oh my god, the tracks need tensioning".
It would usually require the presence of the right tools, and a couple of men. I think I'll pass on it, though it's a good idea.
I was looking 4 this
@@TheChieftainsHatch OMQ
"Number 2 is the T55." But Chieftain, the T55 appears to be full of holes...
Also, anyone else play the game of "Find the Hat on the Tank" for each of the top 5 tanks? I love where he put it on the Sherman :D.
It’s the lightweight version for hot, dry climates.
Had to go back through the vid now looking for the bl**dy hat!!! Lol
I'm very glad the Sherman is finally getting the recognition it deserves. A weapon's systems effectiveness and worth go so far beyond it's fire power and armour. The Sherman had it's drawbacks, but also a lot of strengths. As does any other tank.
He mentions Steven Zaloga. I highly recommend his book Armored thunderbolt. It gives a very nuanced and honest history of the sherman. It's not a bashing book like death traps but it's also not a fanboy picture book. It's a detailed history written by a historian.
I'd also recommend watching Nicholas Moran's lecture on myths of American armour in WW2.
germany couldn't produce 50k Pz IV , because of the resources and the manpower , so they decided that the little amount of people had the Best of the Best , that's what they wanted , so that's because we see unnecessary big guns , armor and penetration
The Sherman tank get an A++ for adequate the gun might not be sexy sexy but it worked. The hot and bothered of the Sherman is the ease of maintenance and how it fit everywhere, logistics roads and ships the Sherman was just right!
Great video! Wish I could come visit and do my own videos there
You should ask them and see
Hi mastamusa
An Irish man with a Greek name, wearing a Cavalry hat and calling himself "chieftain". You should do a side line in diversity consulting.
Moran is a very common name in Ireland, usually off Sligo direction.
His first name is Greek "Nikolaos". Spastic is derived from the Greek word "spastikos" and refers to sufferers of cerebral palsy and is an affliction that has nothing to do with the knowledge or derivation of personal identifiers.
Mouse Steering ftw are you sure it's not spelled "Nicholas?"
Mouse Steering ftw on his profile it is spelled Nicholas--which is not so Greek as the way you spelled it.
I'm named after my grandfather, Nicholas Chrissafitou, in good Greek tradition. Mother is 100% Greek by birth and raising (Thessaloniki).
I swear Lindybeige just lives in the museum at this point, he lives in hidden room in the maintenance shop and takes things from the gift shop
Of course Lindeybaige popped up. STOP GIVING THAT MAN COFFEE AND STUFF.
It's more energy in that man than i that duracell rabbit.
=0P
Lennart Jensen I assume they were all filmed together with their 40 minute casual chat.
Duracell rabbit? I think you mean Energizer.
I don’t know why I know anything about battery brands.
Bookhead714 no in UK its duracell rabbit.
@@wierdalien1 Not the same company though. There has been a lawsuit of some sort and Energizer got screwed over. Duracell have basically taken their marketing material and adopted as their own - at least that's how I remember it.
@@janchovanec8624 Never said it was
Only 16 minutes? Knowing the Chieftain, I would've expected it to be 16 minutes per tank! Still a fantastic video though.
Your joke about the carpet monster is indeed quite relatable
We need a follow-on where he shows us his top 5 tank interiors!
JustSomeCanuck well, we know the #1 for that would be the Sherman... Not the Firefly though
They asked me to keep it brief, with a total running time of about fifteen minutes. I generally go on about all those tanks in my other videos anyway, so you can listen if you want. :)
A testament to the up-gunned Sherman is that it was still active through the Korean war, which took place almost a full decade after the end of WW2, operating alongside modern Cold-War era tanks like the first TWO generations of the Patton tank, and the Walker Bulldog. When the Sherman was no longer the best option for front-line combat, it still did good service as mobile artillery platforms - There are images of Korean War Shermans driven up steep inclines to give a howitzer-like affect from its main-gun, lobbing shells into enemy positions.
I am one of those that, in my youth, took a negative opinion of the Sherman - You know, calling it a matchbox and a widow-maker, etc. But the truth is, it was one of the most effective and most competent tanks there ever was. A German panzer commander and colonel wrote in his memoir that he considered the Sherman's predecessor, the M3 Lee/Grant, which the Sherman shared many components and technologies with, to actually be the best tank on either side of the war up until the introduction of the F2 type Panzer IV, the first long barreled German tank.
The issue with the Sherman was its gun
The 75 mil gun wasn’t effective enough against tanks in 1944
M1 Abrams... "Fort Benning get on it!"
The FT 17 was last used in combat by the Afghanis rebels agianst the Russians when they invaded Afghanistan' in 1980. Yes they had an FT17 which didn't ladt long.
tasman006 cruelty to small tanks should be a war crime ;)
Theres a now privately (i think) owned Renault FT in the states that was found in Afghanistan and was rescued and restored to working condition.
Knock it out with a 50 Cal lol
@@1320crusier Several were found in an Afghan boneyard and as the US Army didn't have a copy, they were sent back to the US and residde at Ft Benning
@@enlightenedwarrior7119 Exactly why .50 bmg was developed.
Very thoughtful, very insightful. I am proud to say that you are a fellow U.S. Army officer. Well, OK, you are Irish, but we are all mixed breeds in this country anyway. I think I have some Irish ancestors, not to mention Scottish, German, Welsh, etc. Anyway, you obviously put some good thought, research and analysis into this, which proves that the taxpayers’ resources were not wasted on all that military education! 😉
Lindeybeige~!
Coen van Haaster he is getting everywhere.
Xplosion51 so?
Xplosion51 so is intolerance.
Xplosion51 and sinister means left whats your point?
I love how you can hear the cameraman laugh as Lindy does his bit :)
10:17 ROFL "Barely Legal"
Perfect name if you ask me
Benhard Satrio To be fair a lot of pilots and tankers loved to name their vehicles. It made plane or tank symbolic to the crew in that machine.
MasterofBlitz Yeah, but this name by far takes the cake. Hillarious and memorable.
Even in Germany we name our Leopards, mostly names though like "Berta" or "Schulz" but who needs names for it, when it is already named after a big cat lol
US Army tradition is the vehicle name begins with the first letter being the name of the company/troop. So Barely Legal was part of B company
Single best explanation of the M4s importance I've heard yet.
Look up The Chieftain's video US AFV Development in WW2, or, "Why the Sherman was what it was" if you have a spare 90mins
Thanks I will!
Here you go. ua-cam.com/video/TwIlrAosYiM/v-deo.html
Generals, talking strategically: This tank will win us the war.
Troops, talking tactically: This thing will get us killed.
Both were right.
Forbes Hutton - M4 actually had excellent crew survivability.
That was amazing. Kind of hard to argue that the tank with the largest impact is the one which every single one after is essentially an evolution of.
The start with the S-Tank and Lindy was pretty funny.
Also, can't seem to escape the mighty TOG II, that tank is appearing more often than not it seems...
The M4 being reliable is true, unless you let The Mighty Jingles touch one, then it will break down....
Joking aside, very nice video, can't go wrong with The Chieftain.
TOG II is so big it photobombs every picture in the county.
@@b1laxson so big you could have a dance party in it
The adventures of Lindy and chieftain I'd totally watch that
they make a good team. humour and anecdotes combined with practical knowledge
Be a bit like the Frye and Laurie of the tanking world, I think. Very funny.
Man, this is the best/ most interesting/ deep presentation of huge junks of metal on all internets! Thanks!
I could watch this man go on about tanks for hours straight. Also, nice Lindybeige cameo.
I think i could watch this guy go on about how to watch paint dry and enjoy it
Actually yes. But tanks make everything cooler :P
I’ll try an experiment. I need to repaint one of the bedrooms in my house in a couple of weeks. I shall record and comment upon the drying process.
Haha, I would so watch that.
So, when can we expect the video?
That Lindybeige right there was kinda surprising
Lindybeige surprise cameo?? Amazing!
Excellent video! love the Lindeybeige cross over!
The Sherman is underrated, short or long barrel, both good for his primary mission. Easy to use, easy to repair, easy to build but you need alot of them.
Great thought out list. Not your typical spill of the popular tanks.
I have a family connection to both the chieftain and the challanger mk1 at the tank museum as they were both the tanks that my late father drove during his army career finally leaving the army in 1992.
For some reason I'm really intrigued to know what tanks are David Willey's top five favourite tanks. Get your beloved museum's curator to do one. Him... Or David Fletcher. Double David would be great too...
I'm glad the Chieftain put the FT-17 on his list, its a superb tank. My personal list would probably be 5. Somua S35 4. Comet 3. Centurion 2. FT-17 1.Sherman (particularly the M4A38 "Easy 8" Sherman and Firefly) I'd also have to give a an honorable mention to the Panzer IV.
An excellent video,thankyou. As a side comment I appreciate your comments on track tension. The tank is a large and complex machine and in order to keep it going the crew will want to keep as much of the technical adjustments correct.
I'm surprised nobody pointed out that all of the tanks he picked is wearing a hat. ;)
#tankswithhats
Wiseguy7 that's his hat
I'm well aware of that. It's a thing he used to do on social media where he posts pictures of tanks with his hat on them.
Wiseguy7 🙄
That's an important feature when picking a tank: Does it have somewhere to hang your hat?
"T-55: The Toyota Hilux of tanks." Nice Top Gear inspired comparison
Chieftain, my old friend. Many a time on a lonely north German exercise area, it was good to see a line of Chieftains deploying, a truly great sight to see! UK used the CVRT as light tanks in the falklands!
That was a great top 5. I really like his take on these tanks. Time for Chieftain top 6-10. 😁
I love how in the part with Lindeybeige you hear a laugh on the background
For some reason i lost it at "the driver has a button".
Great video, and a great museum.
I got to visit Bovington this summer and the museum was absolutely brilliant!! Plus I got to see Challenger 2's on the roads, and it was also the home of Lawrence of Arabia.
Go if you can, these guys have been my lockdown heroes.
Hey!
it's my fav tank historian!
glad to hear your list....
Another Great Top 5!
I hope we'll see even more of this in the Future.
And i really hope that Mr. Fletcher does a Tank Chat about the IS-3 you're going to show at Tankfest. That would be amazing
It is always a blast when Chieftain and Lindybeige are in the same room :)
The trick with tiny model pieces is not to try cut the part straight off the sprue but to cut a bit of sprue off with the part then trim the left over sprue off . Even if it goes flying into the carpet much easier to find .
man i could listen to the chieftain go on for hours about paint drying and i would find it interesting.
Go to his channel. He literally has a video about this.
Also the Hungarians had a key part in the L7 development. They drove that T-54 to the embassy (after getting their hands on it) and sent all the data they could mine out of the tank and the cannon itself to the British through the embassy.
It's a really cool story
Fantastic. Well done to the Tank Museum they really get this format.
I get what he means really the FT is like the Fordson F tractor (was made of stressed parts not needing a chassis) or the Austin 7 car with the pedal configuration still in use now
lmao lindybeige cameo was gold XD
Totally agree that the Reynault FT17 should be a top pick .
IMO, add 2 more to the top selections
- Panzer Mk III and all its variants
- Bren Gun Carrier - although strictly not a tank , these tracked vehicles were to prove incredibly versatile and useful in moving firepower to where it was needed .
.
For me from a British perspective in WWII the Sherman was the top tank just pipping the Churchill. 1. It came when we needed it the desert. 2. What else could have put a 17 pdr in? 3. We made it swim. 4. It is flail when it wasn't blowing up a minefield scared the living daylights out of the Germans. 5. It was a fast tank with a reasonable punch. 6. Later on it would follow on from M3 and M7s in the Kangaroo configuration. 7. It was reliable compared to earlier British concoctions.
Churchills had amazing armor for the time and they could go anywhere literally anywhere they got those things up hills that make me go damn. And for that the british deserve credit. That and the sheer insane numbers of Trains you guys built and moved to europe and all over to move equipment during the war. British trains even in wartime were some of the best looking.
Always an outstanding video and presentation. Thank you.
so Lindy, david fletcher, jingles and chris barrie join the cheftain for think-tank mk 2?
theminecartgaming I would like that as long as Rimmer did some more reading first. Stopped watching his when he said it took 5 Shermans to kill a Tiger.
ok more the ultimimate tank chat. hell get them to all operate a tank together!
Armored reconnaissance vehicles are so underrated. Stuff like the LAV-25, M3 Bradley CFV, BRDM-2, Luchs, AMX-10RC, and of course the CVR(T) are so critical to the proper running of an armored force but they are so often overlooked. The only ones that get the attention they deserve are the LAV, which more often acts as an IFV than a reconnaissance vehicle, and the BRDM, which is impossible to ignore.
So glad you went with the FT17 for #1!
After watching Chieftain videos, I've grown a great respect for tank ergonomics as well. To see tanks from different views. Great man, great mentor. And a nice hat too
Another great video. I'm really enjoying these.
That part about doing track tension on the Abrams had me geeking. I don't know about other countries tanks but the Abrams is sure labor intensive.
Lol Chiefy likes track tension so much no wonder the FT was his first choice, the track tension was essentially done automatically and manual track tensioning wasn't hard at all.
This is a superbly informative, considered and intelligent choice of tanks. I really enjoyed this video.
HUA! RECON!! Scouts Out! Thanks for the recognition!!!
Thanks Chiefy! Impressed that you went back to give 1st prize to the old FT17. Very apt. As an ex-Cav and special grunt I do agree with the Track Tension topic you talk about again and again. My era tanking was a grease tension-er too with it causing a lot of problems if there was a leak, grease nipple broken of grease gun broken or....out of grease. Throwing a track is as good as a kill on an active battlefield so having good tension can avoid it a lot of the time. Cheers mate!
AND A HOMELESS MAN BREAKS INTO THE MUSEUM AND BEGINS BUILDING HIS NEST ON A TANK
That bit about track tension on Abrams is the most accurate thing I’ve bet heard, I’m glad the feeling is universal.
11:49 Well that story explains the obsession with the track tension...
Nickolas, FYI about 1800 Valentines were manufactured in Canada before the production was switched to Shermans. Except for a handful kept for training, ALL were shipped to the U.S.S.R. Although U.S armour plate was imported for the Valentines, and American parts used in the first batches of (M4-A4's?), by the middle and later years domestic factories were producing these AFV's from scratch using superior amour plate developed in house. Source is Canada in WWll, Harold F. Stanfield (1945). I am happy to a have copy #84 from my Fathers' collection...
Lindy Beige cameo was so funny!
not a Cameo actually, beside Lindy lives in the museum,
Funny Nick, I talked to you before, I was in Taji training Iraqi National Guard Troops from 03 to 05 and we received a big shipment of "Spartans" from Jordan. I had never seen one before and boy were they fun! In addition to having my own Hummer now I had my own Spartan. I say that because it must be of the same family as the first vehicle you reviewed here. From one 1st Cav. to another, well done. First Team!
I appreciate the british sense of humor, placing the "fire exit" sign next to the M4 Sherman
FT 17 guys !!! First modern tank, the only tank that every major nation used (France, UK, USA, Russia, Germany, China, Japan, Turkey, Italy, Poland, Spain, Brazil ...) and first tank to have some variants.
2lt with a map is very dangerous to anyone who is not an enemy
SteelWarrior115, I never actually got lost until I was a 1LT. 😉
Ernest Gross I hope I don't get lost but I did take several orienteering courses as an eagles scout so here's hoping for a smooth start to my military career
I got off to an early start, I got lost as an Officer Candidate.
LOL! My story is, I was commissioned in Indiana, but my civilian job took me to Virginia, where I became XO of C Battery, 1-246th Field Artillery in Danville, VA. I was supposed to lead the main body on a Friday night of drill north to Fort A.P. Hill. I missed the turn to get on the tollway around Richmond, and ended up leading what forever after became known in Charlie Battery as "The West Richmond Expeditionary Force".
The Renault was an inspired and deserving choice. Soon as you chose T-55 it was obvious you weren't going to mention the T-34, which got me thinking about what ancestor of all 'modern' tanks you might choose.
Your service in the USA Army got me thinking of an interesting factoid: I wondered how many know that George S Patton III set up the USA's tank force in France in WWI using them, and was uniquely suited for the role in part due to his being fluent in French.
Interesting choices , this is a great series. More top 5's please 👍
My list, based on actual historical battle impact (not design or capability):
1) 1916 MkIV
2) Pzkw IV (edges out the III with adaptability/longevity)
3) T-34
4) M4
5) Centurion (incl. Israeli sho't version)
Lindybeige can see himself out.
If this youtube thing doesn't work out for him, he could always just get a proper job at the tank museum as a tour guide. ;-)
He refused to leave. When museum staff tried to escort him out but he simply clicked his heels together and vanished in a puff of smoke, only to re-appear at another part of the museum.
@@anther4520 He would make a terrible guide here. Watch his own Top 5 video, as well as his others on tanks. He knows nothing about them and only serves to perpetuate the myths that we've been trying to clear up since the 70s.
@@Panzermeister36 It was a joke :-) But thank you for replying anyway.
7:28 They were. Around 400 Matilda IIs were shipped to and used by the Australians in the Far East theatre. They were also sent to Russia, North Africa and East Africa.
The problem isn't "Far East", it's well known the Aussies used them in their campaigns like Borneo. It's the China-Burma-India theater which is more of a problem.
Matilda was used extensively through the Borneo, also it was used in Tarakan.
Admit it. You were all thinking about it. The T-55 is the AK-47/AKM of tanks. It is everywhere, and althought it is old and very much obsolete. It still works!
Wow, I wish I had a lever inside to adjust track tension on the old M113A3 I had to drive my platoon commander around in. Nick is exactly correct breaking down the entire grease gun debacle as there is nothing more enjoyable than tensioning track with a grease gun up to your ankles in mud while removing mud from the tensioner cylinder. Bear in mind when out in the field you have no access to running water. (Aside from the jerry can you tip over to wash one hand at a time if you want to go through the trouble.) I can still taste the old vegetable cracker with jalapeno cheese spread and a nice finishing note of grease/mud grit.
I must comment on how glad I was when someone who even served with the US army pronounced jaguar correctly
Stefan Rogers yeah but he is irish and served in the irish army before the US army so has plenty of experience of the correct pronunciation
And rumor has it that he can drink thick black lukewarm beer without instantly heaving.
That rumour is false. I strongly dislike ales, even stout ones.
The_Chieftain - Defection explained.
Jim Fupanda to true
Also a note on the Sherman It could open field running, Will say roughly 35 40 mph, all day long day after day this combined with a general such as Patton could and did produce strategic affects
My great uncles served in World War II from Normandie to The bridge at Remagan his opinion was a little bit different though he said “it was criminal to put Americans in a tank like the M4 when facing German tanks”
I was not there and I did not see Americans get slaughtered in the m4 So of course my view is a little bit different but I do try and show a balance between historical analysis and first person events Which don’t always add up
Best and thanks excellent work as always
The cameo.....that clinches it! This is the best "Top 5 Tanks" video of them all. Sorry, Chris Barrie.
I think there were some major differences in NATO tanks pre Challenger, but I agree with you, the Leopard 2, CR2, M1 are so similar there’s practically no difference.
I think the greatest tank innovation was the Tank Laser Sight, it took us away from guesstimation, optical (trigonometry) range finders, ranging gun, to a very high precision laser range finder. With TLS and known windage we could achieve first round kills (only first round of the day would miss).
Some of our gunners could beat an IFCS shoot. My personal best was beating the timekeeper, the target was still in the process of coming up when I fired (I still remember my commanders immortal words “That’s the loudest laser I’ve heard”, round went straight thru the center of the screen).
Dear Tank Museum, More Top 5's please! David Fletcher especially.
And how about Corbyn, and May? Oprah and the Donald? (Was joke.)
Not just David Fletcher, but David Willey too.
I like how when he's talking about the Sherman he put his hat on top of the gas masked German helmet
grand presentation, many thanks!
That description of The Chieftan's M1A1 is priceless!
As for the Sherman, was that the one used in the movie (Fury)? 😊
Excellent comments on the Sherman. Wherever the Sherman falls on anybody's list, practical explanation