The Wilmington morning star., 1942-07-06
Interpreting
The War
American I anks Are Bette,
Than Those Of German,
Declares General Campbell
BY EDWARD E. BOMAR
Wide KOrld War Analyst

the Army's chief of ordnance tb., A.
American tanks and other macbi1o
weapons are superior to the Nazi,,
should clear away doubts which
appeared to be assuming consjder'
| able proportions.
n both the United States and
Canada there were published ~
ports that the 2S-ton medium tank
had been found wanting in tho
North African desert fighting
Dispatches from the front Con,
tributed to the uneasiness by
stressing the hard blows dealt by
the Nazi's 88 millimeter anti-tan5
guns. Questions as to the battIo
Qualities of the American tanEs
which the British dubbed 'Can
eral Grants became SO insistent
that some government Officials
even supected sinister emmy promo.
ganda.
The questions demanded an ey.
PLANTATION after Prime Minister
Churchill reported to parHampnf
that on June 13 all but 70 Of Some
300 British tanks in action in tbo
desert-many of them presumsblv
American Grants-Were knocked
out by General Rommeps arnv
1t was against this backgronns
that Major General Levin \
Campbell, Jr., declared in an In.
dependence Day address that "ollr
tanks are superior to anything tbe
enemy has," as proven both by
engineering comparisons and the
test of battle.
The 75-millimeter high volociy
guns on the General Grants be
said, 'far and away outrange the
best the Germans have on the
armored vehicles forming the
spearhead of Rommels drive into
Egypt.
AS for the vaunted Nazi 88.mDT
meter gun, it is not mounted d,
tanks at all, but is relatiet
cumbersome and slow firing thou,
hard-hitting weapon which CAM.
bell asserted was more than
matched by several American field
and special anti tank artillery
pieces.
Criticism of the M-3 model tank
-hich incidentally did not stem
from the British who manned them
was directed largely at the 10.
cation of its 75-mi1limeter gun on
the side where it could not be
swung in a complete circle.
This mounting has been changed
to the center turret in later model
now in production, but official
champions of the side location are
unwilling nevertheless to concede
that its weaknesses outweigh its
advantages. The side mounting
they contend, gives greater free.
dom to the gunners, permits the
addition of 37-millimeter gun, and
awards the center location to an.
other gun to beat off dive bomber
attacks.
They argue, too, that it is easie,
and safer for the driver to chang
the course of the tank itself than
for the gunner to swing the BIZ
gun to fire at right angle, thus
exposing the tanks lorgest siI.
hcuette to an enemy shell.
One acknowledged weakness Of
the side mounting is that il limits
the ability Of a disabled tank 10
keep on fighting when it can no
longer maneuver.
AS Mr.. Churchill conceded. Ron,
mers forces enjoyed an advantage
IN the 88-millimeter gun, bu. al
most entirely because of the nun.
bers that were in action. This dua.
purpose weapon was devised de-
cade or more ago for use agars
planes and tanks. Against the f''-
mer 1t was found to be slew, but
It's hlgh-velocity projectile ye4.
Ietrates any tank armor.
Inc prime Importance of this
gun just now is the large numbor
that Rommel has available. Cor
versely, the principal weakness Of
american tanks is that relatively
lew found their way to the desert
battle field in time, because of the
war urgent demands on shipping
Ihe explanation of the threaten,
ed catastrophe in Egypt must thus
be placed elsewhere than on the
quality OF American weapons. P O.
vlded the battered Eighth Army
holos on for a while longer, il
may be neWly-arrived G eneraI
Grants that will yet turn the tide
decisively.