The fighting qualities of American tanks as compared with the German
Tiger and Panther tanks, was the cause of a heated, but brief,
discussion in Congress early in 1945. General Patton’s report to the
Deputy Chief of Staff, which was read into the Congressional Reoord,
included the following:
“In the current operation had the Fourth Armored Division been
equipped with Tiger and Panther tanks and been required to make the
move from Saarguemines to Arlon, then through to Bastogne, from
Bastogne to the Rhine, and now to Mainz--it would have been necessary
to rearmor it twice; and furthermore, it would have had serious if not
insurmountable difficulty in crossing rivers.”
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