M4 シャーマンは、第二次世界大戦中のアメリカの中戦車です。最初のプロトタイプは 1941 年に製造され、1942 年から 1945 年にかけて連続生産が行われました。合計で、すべてのバージョンのこの戦車の約 49,000 のコピーが作成されました。これは、第二次世界大戦で最も生産された戦車の 1 つであり、この紛争中の連合軍の装備で最も重要な戦車の 1 つです。 M4 シャーマンは、M4A1 の単一エンジン バージョンを搭載していました。コンチネンタル R 975 C4 400馬力のパワーで.この車両は、バージョンに応じて、75mm M3 機関砲 1 門または 76mm M1 機関砲 1 門または 105mm M4 榴弾砲 1 門と 7.62mm ブローニング 1919A 機関銃 2 門を装備していました。
M4 シャーマンは、M2 および M3 戦車の後継として開発されましたが、後者のコンポーネントの多くを使用していました。まず第一に、それはM3リー車のわずかに変更されたシャシーを使用しただけです. M4 Sherman を設計する際、主に歩兵支援車両としての役割を果たすことに重点が置かれ、敵の戦車と戦うことはありませんでした。これはアメリカの駆逐戦車の役割でした。カートとの衝突の可能性のみが想定されましたPz.Kpfw III と Pz.Kpfw IV。新しいタンクの大量生産と可能な限り低い生産コストにおいても重要な役割が果たされました。その結果、1942 年から 1943 年初頭にかけて平均的な装甲を備えた優れた武装を備えた戦車が完成しましたが、前板が傾いており、機動性が低く、特に最初のバージョンでは、エンジン ルームに衝突した結果として非常に発火しやすくなりました。しかし同時に、真に大規模な生産が可能であり、大幅な近代化の可能性を秘めた戦車が作成されました。連続生産の過程で多くの開発バージョンが作成されましたM4シャーマン。時系列的には、最初はすでにキャストアーマーを備えたM4A1バージョンでした.別の M4A2 は溶接装甲と 375 ~ 410 馬力の新しいゼネラル モーターズ 6460 エンジンを搭載していましたが、発火しにくくなっています。 M4A3 のバージョンも登場し、105 mm 榴弾砲で武装し、450 HP の容量を持つフォード GAA エンジンを搭載しました。 M4A3 バージョンに基づいて、2 つのサブバージョンが作成されました: 装甲が強化された M4A3E2 ジャンボと、HVSS と 76 mm 砲を備えた M4A3E8 です。興味深い開発バージョンとして、砲塔に誘導されないミサイルを搭載した T34 カリオペもありました。 M4 シャーマンはイギリス軍と赤軍にも大量に供給されました。前者はこれをベースにファイアフライのバージョンを開発し、優れた 17 ポンド対戦車砲を搭載しました。第二次世界大戦中、M4 シャーマン戦車は北アフリカ (1942 ~ 1943)、イタリア (1943 ~ 1945)、ノルマンディー、フランス、西ドイツ (1944 ~ 1945) で戦っただけでなく、太平洋またはランクで戦った東部戦線の赤軍。第二次世界大戦後、M4 シャーマンはアルゼンチン、ベルギー、インド、イスラエル、日本、パキスタン、トルコなど多くの国で使用されました。彼はまた、1965 年の印パ戦争や 1967 年の六日間戦争など、1945 年以降の多くの紛争にも参加しました。
Infantry was the most numerous and one of the most important formations in the Polish armed forces in the interwar period and during the September campaign. During the September campaign of 1939, the basic operational unit of the Polish infantry - as in almost every European army of that time - was a division, which, after mobilization, was to reach approx. 16,500 soldiers. Its basic strike force was three infantry regiments, supported by anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery (27 37 mm cannons in full time) and light and heavy artillery (24 or 12 75 mm cannons in full time, 12 or 24 100 mm cannons, 3 105 mm cannons and 3 howitzers 155 mm). It is worth adding that the Polish infantry division showed many shortcomings compared to the German division. First of all, it had fewer machine guns and, above all, light and heavy artillery. Moreover, in the case of the Wehrmacht, the latter were significantly better equipped with motor vehicles, which improved their mobility and had much better means of communication and communication. For example: the German infantry division had 938 full-time cars, while the Polish - only 76 motor vehicles! This translated into the effectiveness of both formations on the battlefield, as well as their firepower and mobility.
Fallschirmjäger is the collective term for German airborne units from the interwar period and World War II. The first parachute unit was organized in Nazi Germany in 1936 - perhaps as a result of observations made during the Soviet maneuvers of the previous year. The first paratroopers squad was created on the initiative of Herman Göring and was assigned to the Luftwaffe. A year later (1937), the first unit of this type was subordinated to the Wehrmacht, and more precisely to the land forces. In 1938, these units were combined and expanded to form the 7th Aviation Division under the command of General Kurt Student. It consisted of parachute infantry, troops trained to transport gliders and infantry transported to the battlefield by airplanes. In the course of World War II, more Fallschirmjäger units were created, incl. in 1943, on the basis of the 7th Aviation Division, the 1st and 2nd Parachute Divisions were established. In the period 1939-1941, the German Fallschirmjäger was used for its intended purpose (e.g. during the fighting in Western Europe in 1940), but after the heavy losses suffered in the course of the fighting in Crete in 1941, the German parachute troops began to be used primarily as elite infantry units, in which role they proved to be very successful, earning the nickname "Green Devils" among the Allies.
During World War II, the British Army formed a total of 43 infantry divisions. At the start of the war, the division's staff numbered approximately 13,800 officers and soldiers, while in 1944 this number increased to approximately 18,300 people. This significant change in the number of employees resulted primarily from the increase in various types of support units, and not the increase in the number of infantrymen themselves. In 1944, the British infantry division consisted of three infantry brigades, each with its own headquarters, a staff platoon, 3 infantry battalions, and engineering divisions. It is worth adding that a single infantry battalion had approx. 780 officers and soldiers and had numerous support units (e.g. a mortar platoon or a reconnaissance platoon). The division also included a de facto artillery brigade with five artillery regiments (including one anti-tank and one AA), a battalion of machine guns and mortars, as well as reconnaissance, communication and sapper units. An important element increasing the mobility of the British infantry division was its full motorization. The British infantryman's primary rifle was the Lee Enfield No.1 or No.4 rifle. As machine weapons, among others, Sten submachine guns, Bren manual machine guns and Vickers machine guns were used. The most commonly used anti-tank weapons were the 40 and 57 mm 2- and 6-pounder cannons, and later also the 76-mm 17-pounder cannons. In turn, the main armament of the field artillery was a very successful howitzer Ordnance QF 25-pounder.
Batalia, known in Poland as the Battle of Monte Cassino is, in essence, a series of clashes and battles between the Allied and German armies, which took place from January 17 to May 19, 1944 in today's Italy. About 105,000 people were involved in the battle at one time, in May 1944. allied soldiers and approx. 80 thousand. German soldiers. On the Allied side, the commander-in-chief of this operation was exercised by Field Marshal Harold Alexander, and on the German side - Field Marshal Albert Kesserling. Whereas the commander of the 2nd Corps of the Polish Armed Forces, who broke the German defense at Monte Cassino, was General W³adys³aw Anders. The Liri river valley and the Monte Cassino hill located in its vicinity (along with other hills in this area) were a natural barrier, they could stop the army marching from the south of Italy to the north, towards Rome. Albert Kesserling was well aware of this and for this reason, shortly after the landing of the Allies in Sicily and southern Italy, he ordered the creation of a belt of fortifications in this area, the so-called The Gustav Line. This line proved to be an effective barrier to stop the Allied attacks, which began on January 17, 1944. The subsequent attacks, carried out in February-April 1944, although straining the German positions, did not end with a breakthrough. The attack, which ended with a final breakthrough and in which the Polish army played a huge role, was launched on May 12, 1944, and resumed on May 16. Finally, he took over the ruins of the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino on May 18. The symbolic seal of victory in battle was the playing of the bugle call from the Monte Cassino hill. On the other hand, the heroism of the soldiers of the 2nd Corps was appreciated by the field marshal Alexander, who said after the battle: "[…] If I were given a choice between any soldiers that I would like to have under my command, I would choose you - Poles ”.