# Tanks WW2
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 20, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777 "2002-11-20T18:50:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@toscar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toscar)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/1 "2002-11-20T18:50:24Z")
Bailing out of a disabled tank via the turret exposed the crew to hostile fire.
Was there an alternative exit?
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### Author:  [@Trucido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trucido)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/2 "2002-11-20T19:11:03Z")
Shermans had a hatch on the floor of the tank. Inventive crewman used it to relieve themselves.
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### Author:  [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/3 "2002-11-20T19:27:52Z")
The floor hatch in the Shermans turned out to be a design flaw rivalled only by the rivetted hull. (Zippos - you only have to hit them once, and they light up.)
Anti-vehicle mines wreaked havoc on these things during the German retreat, because the belly hatch was a serious weak point.
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### Author:  [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/4 "2002-11-20T19:41:55Z")
If you look at picture 9 on [this page](http://www.kithobbyist.com/AFVInteriors/t34/t34a.html), you’ll see that the Soviet T-34 had a forward escape hatch which appears to allow the driver and machine gunner to crawl out and under the tank for protection. The hatch swung forward and down, which might provide some small-arms protection while exiting.
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/5 "2002-11-20T20:19:50Z")
the Sheman had a cast hull, not riveted. It burned because it used a petrol engine, rather than diesel.
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### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/6 "2002-11-20T21:14:22Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Exgineer \*
> \*\*(Zippos - you only have to hit them once, and they light up.)
> \*\*
I’d read somewhere that the British slightly altered the pronunciation of “Sherman” to “Ronson” for this reason. Also, when crewmen skedaddled out the top hatch of a burning tank it was called “boiling out” in reference to the tank’s resemblance to a tea kettle.
Of course, I’m waiting for ExTank to post in for the extended SD.
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### Author:  [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/7 "2002-11-21T00:34:50Z")
The [M22 “LOCUST” LIGHT AIRBORNE TANK](http://www.roberts.ezpublishing.com/rarmory/m22.htm) had an escape hatch in the floor. The linked page includes the following on rivets:
> [@](#):
>
> Riveted construction methods had long since fallen from favor because of the disastrous propensity of rivets to bounce around inside the vehicle when the outside rivet head was sheared by anti-tank munitions.
The French [Hotchkiss H-39](http://www.wwiivehicles.com/html/france/h35_h38_h39.html) and [Somua S-35](http://www.wwiitechpubs.com/garage/afv-francaise/afv-fr-mt-somua-s35/afv-fr-mt-somua-s35-br.html) both had an escape hatch in the floor, as did later models of the American [M3A1 Grant](http://www.wwiivehicles.com/html/usa/m3_mediumtank.html), [M5A1 Stuart](http://www.wwiivehicles.com/html/usa/m3_m5_lighttanks.html) and the [M24 Chaffee](http://www.wwiivehicles.com/html/usa/m24_chaffee.html). The American [M26 Pershing](http://www.wwiivehicles.com/html/usa/m26_pershing.html) had two in the floor.
The German [Panther SdKfz171](http://www.wwiivehicles.com/html/germany/pzkpfw_v.html) had escape hatches on the hull sides.
That’s hardly a complete list, but it does demonstrate that a few folks had contemplated the problem.
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### Author:  [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/8 "2002-11-21T01:21:26Z")
IIRC, the French [Char B1 heavy tank](http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/france/France-Heavy.html) had a hatch on the side of the hull, which was also one of the tank’s weak points.
I know that the US[M3 Lee](http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/UnitedStates/mediumtanks/M3/M3.html) medium tank had one.
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### Author:  [@Eidolon909](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eidolon909)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2002, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/9 "2002-11-21T04:58:14Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Michael Ellis \*
> \*\*IIRC, the French [Char B1 heavy tank](http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/france/France-Heavy.html) had a hatch on the side of the hull, which was also one of the tank’s weak points.
>
> \*\*
The Char B1 bis had a radiator grill on the side, not a hatch. But yes, it was a weak point for obvious reasons.
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### Author:  [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2002, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/10 "2002-11-21T06:21:45Z")
Radiator grill, that was it. I knew that.
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### Author:  [@flano1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flano1)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2002, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/11 "2002-11-21T08:21:43Z")
slight hijack whilst all you tankheads are about:
Could any WW2 tank roll, swivel turret, and fire at the same time?
For that matter, can any modern tank?
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### Author:  [@Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milton_De_La_Warre)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2002, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/12 "2002-11-21T12:38:18Z")
Early Shermans had a cast hull, distinguishable by its very round edges. Later production versions had wleded hulls, distinguishable by “sharp” edges.
The earlier Grant and Lee tanks had riveted hulls.
flano1: Modern tanks with atuomatic gun stabilization can do as you describe. This is a huge advantge as they can fire on the move, making it harder to shoot back successfully at them and keeping the momentum of the attack going. They can shoot and hit targets while on the move.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2002, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/13 "2002-11-21T12:55:15Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Tanks WW2
your welcome.
Love & Kisses,
The War Of 1812
😃
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2002, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/14 "2002-11-21T14:07:05Z")
The mighty Sheman also was fitted with gun stab(ilization). It never really worked and the crews usually disabled it. More trouble than it is worth.
Of course any thank (I supose) can shake rattle roll and fire at the smae time. It really is an issue of can they hit anything while doing so.
As noted the Abrams can.
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### Author:  [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2002, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/15 "2002-11-21T14:52:04Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \*
> \*\*your welcome.
>
> Love & Kisses,
>
> The War Of 1812
>
> 😃 \*\*
WAAAAHahahahahaa!
\
\
🙂
RR
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### Author:  [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tanks-ww2/137777/16 "2002-11-21T16:44:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Slithy Tove \*
> \*\*I’d read somewhere that the British slightly altered the pronunciation of “Sherman” to “Ronson” for this reason. Also, when crewmen skedaddled out the top hatch of a burning tank it was called “boiling out” in reference to the tank’s resemblance to a tea kettle.
>
> Of course, I’m waiting for ExTank to post in for the extended SD. \*\*
The Germans called the Sherman a “Tommy Cooker”. And it was not " boiling out " but "Brewing up " that being the British name for making a cup of tea.