WW2 tank performance needs re-examination in context especially logistics. For example, no one would dispute an M1A2 is probably one of if not the best tank in existence, but how much fuel would it need to operate as the Germans were operating their tanks?
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I see the argument that the M1 is to much of a fuel hog and all that, so I today I looked up other tanks and figured our their fuel/mile ration. With one (kind of two) outlier the M1 is not that bad (no one will ever say that it gets great fuel economy).
Starting WWII working our way to today (not using every tank, but trying to hit most and make sure to get the highlights)
Light Tanks
M3/M5 Stuart (104 gallons/100 miles) got .96 mile per gallon, M24 Chaffee (110 gallons/100 miles) .90 mile per gallon, M41 Walker Bulldog (140 gallons/100 miles) .71 mile per gallon
Medium Tanks
M3 Lee/Grant (175 gallons/119 miles) got .68 mile per gallon, M4 Sherman (138 to 175 gallons/100 to 150 miles) got between .57 and 1.08 mile per gallon (many different versions, most gas but some diesel, and this is the kind of second outlier. My guess is that the 100 miles is gas, and the 150 is diesel but could not find what fuel tank went to what version).
Heavy
M26 Pershing (183 gallons/100 miles) got .54 mile per gallon
Post WWII tanks
M46 Patton (232 gallons/80 miles) got .34 mile per gallon, M47 Patton (233 gallons/100 miles) got .42 mile per gallon, M48 Patton (200 gallons/70 to 310 miles) got between .35 and 1.55 mile per gallon (this is the outlier it is the last US gas tank, switching late in its life to diesel, but the massive jump does not look right, a almost 4.5 times the 1.5 of the Sherman I can believe but this is just to massive for me to believe with out more research. It is however what the numbers say.) M60 Patton (385 gallons/300 miles) .77 miles per gallon, and the M1 (500 gallons/295 miles) .59 miles per gallon.
So no the M1 is not fuel efficient but at least to me it is not historically as bad as opponents try to make it sound.
Best to worst
M48 Patton - 1.55 mile per gallon (changes to much going gas to diesel to look right, included for completeness)
M4 Sherman - 1.04 mile per gallon (changes a fair amount going gas to diesel but may be right, included for completeness)
M5 Stuart - .96 mile per gallon
M24 Chaffee - .90 mile per gallon
M60 Patton - .77 mile per gallon
M41 Walker Bulldog - .71 mile per gallon
M3 Lee/Grant - .68 mile per gallon
M1 Abrams - .59 mile per gallonM4 Sherman - .57 mile per gallon
M26 Pershing - .54 mile per gallon
M47 Patton - .42 mile per gallon
M48 Patton - .35 mile per gallon
M46 Patton - .34 mile per gallon
Magical average
- .95 mile per gallon (.89 when outliers taken out) for all tanks
- .68 mile per gallon (.53 when outliers taken out) for medium and larger tanks only.