Most Powerful Tank of WW2

[Frostwulf]

I'm not trying to rehash old threads, but to further clarify what others would consider the most powerful tank of WW2 that saw action. To me this would be a combination of offense(firepower-accuracy, rate of fire and penetration), defensive capability (armor-deflective and absorption). I would not include reliability, adaptability, etc. This would simply be who would be able to destroy the other first, basically a tank duel (terrain need not apply).

To me it would seem to be the King Tiger with its 88 kwk 43 L/71 cannon and its excellent armor. I think the IS2 would be a close runner up with its very good design. I could be wrong on this as I don't have the stats to back this up, this is the way I remember it being. If someone does have the stats on this please put them down.
As far as tanks that were built that didn't see any action in the war, what would you consider? For me I would have to go with the Maus.

[antaeus]

you might want to re-assess the first half sentence of your thread. because its blatantly what the net result will be.

a rehash of many many threads.

to sum up, you will get people going "german *insert tank here* is best" arguing with people who go soviet/american/british tank was better

then you will get 10 pages of pseudo stats and fanboyery which will lead to the conclusion that its entirely subjective and there is no definitive answer.

ok, i wont be entirely unconstructive, here's a pretty good assessment of where the VV is at with ww2 tanks.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=165942

[Spartacus the Irish]

to sum up, you will get people going "german *insert tank here* is best" arguing with people who go soviet/american/british tank was better

then you will get 10 pages of pseudo stats and fanboyery which will lead to the conclusion that its entirely subjective and there is no definitive answer.

I bow to antea's Nostradamus-esque power of foresight.
Really, what will this thread accomplish?

[Valiant Champion]

I notice you dont seem to put much emphasis on mobility. Mobility is the chief purpose of a tank, than armor, then a gun. Without speed you will not be able to exploit a break in the enemies line.

You might actually do pretty good with a motorcycle and a gun slung around your back.

Even better with an armored car with only machine guns as you can make it to a headquarters or supply depot which would be lightly guarded and shoot the place up.

Of course you will do much better with the three together and be able to take out other vehicles.

Having said all of this I believe without a doubt that the Jadgpanther was the best armored vehicle/ Tank of the war.

[Perkele]

I notice you dont seem to put much emphasis on mobility. Mobility is the chief purpose of a tank, than armor, then a gun. Without speed you will not be able to exploit a break in the enemies line.

You might actually do pretty good with a motorcycle and a gun slung around your back.

Even better with an armored car with only machine guns as you can make it to a headquarters or supply depot which would be lightly guarded and shoot the place up.

No.

[Sidmen]

On a flat battlefield with no other factors, the competition is down to the IS2 and the King Tiger. The victor is whomever scored the first shot.

[Boyar Son]

M26 pershing from what I heard (in company of heroes).

[tomdidiot]

On a flat battlefield with no other factors, the competition is down to the IS2 and the King Tiger. The victor is whomever scored the first shot.

The IS-2 was not a very good tank, IMO. Even though it had great armour, OK mobility, and a gun that looked good on paper, the 122mm on the IS-2 was simply too unwieldy (it was not easy to load, and the shells were massive, so it couldn't store much of them.)

The IS-3 still didn't solve the gun problem present on the IS-2.

To answer the original poster's question If I had to use a tank as a pillbox and shoot another tank being used as a pillbox, I'd take the King Tiger late production models. I think the later (Henschel) turrets were better designed than the original (Porsche) turrets.

[Tankfriend]

lack of fuel is a mechanical problem? you sound like my girlfriend

not insult ment

No insult taken, but I hope you have noticed that I have placed commas there rather than brackets, hyphens or any letters or symbols that would imply that I think lack of fuel to be included in mechanical problems.
So, to avoid any misunderstandings, I'm removing the comma after "et cetera", that should do the trick.

[Hounf of Culan]

Sorry if this is the same as the KingTiger,I don't remember, but the German Tiger II was pretty pimping. It had, for the time, incredibly modern and sophisticated sloped armor, a terribly effective maingun. I remember seeing a thing on the History Channel that it would often take 7-10 Shermans to take out 1 Tiger II because it was so well armoured and it would normally kill 3 or 4 Shermans in the process. The show also said that in the hands of an experienced German tank commander, the Tiger II proved near invincible to Allied tanks.

[Sidmen]

The King Tiger is the Tiger 2

Interestingly enough, combat between shermans and the Tiger 2 played out almost the same as it did with the Panther. That is, The panther ( a smaller, lighter, cheaper vehicle) took out as many Shermans as a Tiger 2 did when defending, and much more than the Tiger when on the offensive.

[Hounf of Culan]

Oh ok, I thought they were the same. I think there was a also a significant psychological impact for the KingTiger. I certainly would have been scared if I was in a crappy old Sherman and saw a KingTiger coming around the corner.

[antaeus]

Oh ok, I thought they were the same. I think there was a also a significant psychological impact for the KingTiger. I certainly would have been scared if I was in a crappy old Sherman and saw a KingTiger coming around the corner.

i dont know why, it probably would have broken down, then the 30 other shermans beside you would have swarmed around it and shot it up from all sides, or, its crew would have simply ditched it and ran off, leaving the empty king tiger waiting to be shipped off to some museum in the states.

[cherryfunk]

T-34 was the most powerful, especially since when you blew one up, four more came along to take its place

[Farnan]

Its a competition between the Super Pershing, the King Tiger, and the IS2

[DAVIDE]

I vote super-pershing!

In Feb 1945 in Colony, a single S-P, destroyed 2 panther tiger tanks with a single shot

[Dr. Croccer]

Jagdpanzer, King Tiger or T-34.

[Farnan]

T-34 is one of the best tanks, but not one of the most powerful...

The Super Pershing may win this as it was able to destroy a King Tiger in battle, but only one of them ever saw combat.

[Dr. Croccer]

Jagdpanther, on second thought. It could take out a Pershing, because it was meant to.

[Lord Romanus III]

I think Pershing if you want most powerful. hat is for tank-on-tank though, with nothing else involved.