Tanks of WWIIAndrew LoganMiddle Township High SchoolUS HistoryWilson4/4/14World War II was an era of learning and innovation , despite the disturbing story behind it. Many new technologies have been developed and have led to many things never seen before; Jet planes took their first steps, rocket experiments began, nuclear science reached nuclear levels, scanning radars and huge metal boxes on wheels. These metal boxes evolved a lot during the Second World War. Tanks had such an impact on warfare, and the same is true the other way around. Each nation had a slightly different view of tanks, each evolving over time, and the way tanks were used also varied between countries and changed significantly throughout the war. Interestingly enough, Japan actually had tanks during WWII. Few were deployed during World War II, as most of the fighting took place in the Pacific. Japan purchased tanks from foreign sources before World War II, most of which were obsolete by the time the war broke out. These tanks mostly comprised the British series of Vickers tanks. Japan made a few advanced tanks, but mass production was delayed because they did not have an industry dedicated to heavy industry, and the war ended too quickly for them. The only significant tank that Japan possessed during World War II was the Chi-Nu Type 3 tank. Developed to counter the American M4 Shermans, it carried a 75mm cannon, capable of penetrating the M4 Sherman's armor. However, only 166 of them were built and remained on standby in Japan. Likewise, China had imported tanks from other countries, mainly of the British Vickers series. However, they never manufactured their own tanks during World War II and did not have a significant armored force for most of the war. When the si...... middle of paper ... late, because they were always designing and modifying things for even negligible improvements. They started late in the war with the E series of tanks to standardize. This delay, however, had a pronounced effect. At the Battle of Kursk, the Soviets outnumbered the German armored forces by 1-2. (Cornish, 2002) Overall, it can be said that tanks started out unrefined and relegated to supporting infantry (except for Germany). As the war progressed, the tank's role expanded significantly. Both sides began building better tanks than the other, in an effort to be superior. Standardization came into play when quantity took precedence over quality. 50,000 Sherman M4s were manufactured, compared to only 1,300 Tiger Is. (Nuutinen) Competition in tank design led to better tanks with standardization making manufacturing easier, with expanded roles for tanks on the battlefield..