You are forgetting that they were all still in the great depression. Something Germany left behind a couple of years ago by detaching itself from world economy.

By the way, did Belton Cooper claim that the “Rhino Sherman” (for clearing Hedgegrows) was an invention of someone in his Division (3rd Armored)? I know Ambose repeats that claim in his books, but everyone who isn’t a fanboy knows that Ambrose was a terrible historian at best.

I ask because I’d also note that the 3rd Armored didn’t actually get into the thick of the hedgegrow fighting for the most part, since the Division first arrived in July and spent most of the month gathering up its component units.

That a newly-arrived Division that fought very few battles in July would somehow come up with a “solution” to the Hedgegrows – as opposed to the US tank battalions who had actually fought in Normandy in both June and July while supporting the US V Corps (1st, 2nd, and 29th Infantry) – comes off to me as pretty damn unlikely.

I am much more inclined to believe that the improvements in US tactics (e.g. Rhino Tanks) were developed by the US V Corps; and that the 3rd Armored only copied their hard-won tactical knowledge during their buildup period in July. That Cooper basically tries to steal credit from them is really something I’ve already come to expect from such a bad source.

Please use a reasonable argument please.

I’m pretty sure the BRL guys studied tank vs. tank combat in the ETO, that is my guess.