World War 2 In Review

Tanks of the 2nd RCA in Oran, 1943. The French Renault D1 tanks fought against the American armored forces at Oran in late 1942. by William R. Betson The Oran landings were part of Operation Torch, the 1942 Anglo-American invasion of North Africa. Oran was selected because it is a major Mediterranean port and its nearby airfields were vital. Algeria, then a colony of defeated France, was administered and defended by the Nazi-imposed Vichy French regime. The Germans permitted the Vichy government to maintain an army in North Africa for the external defense and internal security of their colonies there. Appreciating Oran's qualities as a potential air and logistical base, the French Army stationed some 16,000 men in the port and its environs and organized them into the Oran Division of eleven infantry, seven cavalry, and five artillery battalions. The division was at about 80-85 percent strength, but Axis restrictions on vehicles and spare parts kept it relatively immobile and ...

Medium Tank M3, Fort Knox, June 1942. The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called by two names based on the turret configuration. Tanks employing US pattern turrets were called the "Lee," named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Variants using British pattern turrets were known as "Grant," named after U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant. Design commenced in July 1940 and the first M3s were operational in late 1941. The U.S. Army needed a good tank and coupled with the United Kingdom's demand for 3,650 medium tanks immediately, the Lee began production by late 1940. The design was a compromise meant to produce a tank as soon as possible. The M3 had considerable firepower as it was well armed and provided good protection, but had certain serious drawbacks in its general design and shape, such as: a high silhouette, an archaic sponson mounting of the main gun, riveted construction, and poor off-road performan...