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by gherkinnn 2281 days ago
1000km (600m) is a long way to go in a metal box. And you’d need to carry fuel, spare parts, and ammo. Tanks are vulnerable without infantry, so better have them there too. Tracks are very inefficient (and can tear up roads), so it’s better to load them on to trains or lorries.

It’s not just a tank. It’s all the logistics that go in to supporting one.

2 comments

One of SOE's achievements around D-Day was introducing abrasive materials into the axle bearings of the trank transporters for the SS Das Reich division - they were stationed in the south of France and had to try to make their own way there rather than using transporters - which fortunately didn't go well.

An entire division of experienced and well equipped troops pretty much neutralised with some gritty powder in the right places....

A tank is not just the individual tank like it was in ww1 - its the complete weapon system plus its supporting arms