Comments by "" (@TheArklyte) on "M3 Medium Tank: A Modern Antique" video.

@Edv1718 Valentine? Yes. Matilda? Not so much. Plus you need to consider HOW they used them. Valentine was used by soviet as small infantry tank aka as intended and it was replacing obsolete T-26 in this role so it was doing great. M3 was viewed as medium tank armed with 75mm gun and forced to fill in gaps of T-34... which it obviously couldn't do. So here's the difference of expectations. Problem of Matilda II is that it ran out of modification reserve. Both soviets and british tried to upgun it, but to no result, there was no room, no reserve left in suspension and engines, the tank hit its limits even before it rolled out of the factory. Yes, it had armor that could match KV-1... but also low reliability to match KV-1(or Tiger B), weak niche armament and technical speed too low even for infantry tank. Meanwhile Valentine was providing armor of T-34 in light and compact package with acceptable speed and good reliability and repairability. And later on, it matched armaments of T-34-76 too. Best infantry tank of the WWII if not ever.
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@roberthoward9500 no, just no. Stop giving tanks "points" based solely on their armor. Pz.III and IV were much better then Matilda II just like M48 is much better then Tiger B despite shorter gun and less armour thickness. Not in a straight fight maybe, but better as tanks overall compared to that blind and deaf immobile bunker without proper HE shells. Matilda II's reputation as "queen of the desert" is based mostly on performance against early italian tanks(which were quite far from german "medium" tanks).
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@roberthoward9500 and so was Maginot Line... which has comparable mobility to Matilda II;)
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I have a feeling that majority of the bad reputation of M3(even if deserved one) comes from their use by soviets. And here: 1)poor thing was being compared to T-34-76 and Pzkw.IVF2; 2)it was late production M3 with welded side doors and still 7 men crew. Hence "coffin for 7 comrades" reputation. They should have sent Grants to USSR instead of Lee's, left side doors to ease escape since armor wasn't holding either way by that point and specifically mention NOT to use it as medium alongside T-34-76. Then it might have gotten a better reputation.
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