Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomsdad
It had another specific issue, it final drive system was weak and prone to breaking if not handled carefully enough. Not so much an issue if you have an experienced driver used to handling tanks in variable off road conditions (not to mention the stresses of combat) etc, but by 1944/45 the Germans were running out of those and less able to train their replacements as well. Put too much pressure on it / get too excited with it and it will go and the tank stops, trying to recover a stuck tank when you lack resources and you are generally retreating isn't easy.
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Despite that, it had acceptable serviceability rates up until Germany was unable to keep tanks in field of any type, once the major problems with the engine and transmission had been mitigated. Yes, it had defects, but it had strengths as well, like having very good cross-country mobility, and getting bogged down puts a tank out of service too, and M4s bogged down quite easily because their tracks were thinner than they really should've been.