WW2 myth busting info sought

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

Is that to the top of the turret roof, or the top of the cupola?

Spielberger’s Der Panzer-Kampfwagen Panther und seine Abarten has the Panther as 2.85 m tall with closed commander's cupola and 3.10 m with it open. Though it doesn’t indicate which Panther type these data are for, the 25 cm difference implies the later cupola with the hatch that has a “parasol” position.

Also, it doesn’t include a height to the turret roof, but does indicate the turret is 1.15 m tall including the cupola. Measuring in a drawing in the same book has the turret with cupola as 20 mm tall and the cupola alone as 6 mm, so the cupola would be 115 ÷ 20 × 6 ≈ 35 cm tall, meaning roof height would be 2.50 m.

Similarly, his Der Panzerkampfwagen IV und seine Abarten gives a total height of 2.68 m for all variants I checked. Again, the height to the turret roof isn’t shown but a little quick measuring in a drawing gives an approximate height of 2.33 m.

Hunnicutt’s Sherman: The History of the American Medium Tank has the height of the basic M4 with 75 mm gun as 108 inches, or 2.74 m, to the top of the turret hatch. For the M4A3 (75) W, so probably with the later vision cupola, the height is 115.7 inches, or 2.94 m, and for both the M4A2 (76) VVSS and M4A3 (76) HVSS, as 117 inches, or 2.97 m. Height to the turret roof is not indicated, but with the original two-piece hatch would be only a little less than with the hatch — call it 5 cm or so.