tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post773773544030487436..comments2024-03-28T14:35:30.147-04:00Comments on Tank Archives: Short-Term Queen of the DesertPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09622237223229485503noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-90483571662988737602018-05-22T08:26:50.753-04:002018-05-22T08:26:50.753-04:00Baytor, very good point and right on target. The U...Baytor, very good point and right on target. The USA also had massive casting capability so we used the heck out of it. Germany obviously didn't, or at least chose not to use it extensively for tank production. The largest castings you see on German AFVs were occasional mantlets.Dat34https://www.blogger.com/profile/05191197983174208313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-83518971326541130412018-05-21T16:20:49.796-04:002018-05-21T16:20:49.796-04:00One thing to consider with regards to tank buildin...One thing to consider with regards to tank building (especially in the UK) was that the manufacturer's capabilities had a huge effect on the finished product. The Vulcan Foundry primarily made steam locomotives, so they just stuck to what they knew and cast as much as they could.<br /><br />Anyway, always nice to see articles about the Matilda. I live a couple of towns across from the Vulcan, and it still surprises me that something like a third of all Matildas were built just six miles down the road.Baytorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05609450463532371016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-76593398752722856942018-05-21T11:36:05.681-04:002018-05-21T11:36:05.681-04:00The Canadians loved casting and introduced a cast ...The Canadians loved casting and introduced a cast nose into the Valentine Mk.VIIA.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09622237223229485503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-33536502716236303902018-05-21T08:06:55.706-04:002018-05-21T08:06:55.706-04:00The castings used in the Matilda were very difficu...The castings used in the Matilda were very difficult to produce and the nose, in particular, was a production bottleneck, not a time saver. Much of the impetus for the development of the Valentine was simply to have a tank of similar capability but cheaper and faster to build. And most Valentines had no large castings. <br /><br />Both the USA and USSR, of course, used very large castings extensively, especially for turrets, throughout the war. Dat34https://www.blogger.com/profile/05191197983174208313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-977852673363271402018-05-21T02:13:54.265-04:002018-05-21T02:13:54.265-04:00Awesome article with good pics. Always liked the M...Awesome article with good pics. Always liked the Matilda, but a slow moving tank with a gun without effective HE was trouble. It served well with the Australians vs the Japanese in the pacific.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05523379366754338588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-72332168833378112742018-05-21T00:42:53.081-04:002018-05-21T00:42:53.081-04:00Casting was a great way to accelerate production. ...Casting was a great way to accelerate production. The Soviets initially went from rivets to welding as well, but cast parts became hot in 1940 and then only picked up popularity with the IS series and later better armoured tanks. Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09622237223229485503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030145265861917845.post-22346700629316559952018-05-20T21:23:54.597-04:002018-05-20T21:23:54.597-04:00I notice how both England and France resorted to l...I notice how both England and France resorted to large number of cast parts to free up their tanks from the danger of rivets flying around. Germany meanwhile switched over to welding. The Matilda 11 was a tough nut to crack, but to modify the tank required totally new castings. A classic example of designing oneself into a corner. Be that as it may, I've never seen that photo of a Matilda with the Cruiser tank turret added. I wonder if the German's were impressed with the pre-selector transmission from the Matilda and incorporated this feature into their Tiger design? Sager ,William A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06830369127449299646noreply@blogger.com