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I was a tanker in the M1 during the Desert Storm era. The inside is cramped (yea, it's a tank), But damn luxurious when compared to that Tiger.
That would have SUCKED!!!!!
They point out a lot of salient issues...mainly maintenance.
I don't think people understand how often a tank breaks down. They are quite complex. Even during peace time, keeping all 14 tanks in the company operational was rough. Always 1-2 were down with something. The M1 is fairly modular. Fairly easy to fix. #1 The track and wheels are a MOFO. The worse case was throwing both tracks to the inside in 3 foot of mud at 2:00 am. Those tracks/wheels on the Tiger would be a total b*tch. #2 Transmission issues. They occur frequently. I can't even IMAGINE the tiger maintenance in the middle of battle.
The crew compartment size of the Tiger surprised me. It is quite important to be able to switch positions.
They illustrated those points well. Tank design is programed to fail at something. Armor, movement and fire power are the main constraints. They are pitted against each other. They noted that as well.
The key take away: Tiger fit the bill for its' designed purpose.
I am glad I didn't have to fight in it. I guess that would apply to most WWII tanks though!
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