RCEA,

We did have some degree of developement on Gyros in WW II, but not complete stabilization. The M-3 Lee had stabilization for gun elevation only in both the 37 and 75mm guns, but they had problems with gun balance which was never fully resolved. Early Shermans
were equipped with stabilizers for elevation only, which were also not reliable and required special training to use. Most crews disconnected them or never turned them on. In 1943, both Ordnance and IBM developed a gyrostabilizer system for the M-4A3 and they were still working to improve it in 1945. It was also very unreliable and the Easy 8s in Korea did not make use of it. The gyros in the 105 Sherman were discontinued in 1943 as unsatisfactory. I believe the M-24 had the better system, but have heard or read nearly nothing about it's performance. I recall one TC talking about an M-24 laying upside down and seeing the gun bouncing up and down, still trying to elevate, so it must have had full gyro. in the Korean countryside, a stabilizer, or even power elevation would have been very welcome. To engage shooting down into a valley, then have to traverse and fire at something on a hill was a big workout for the gunner in a Pershing, M-46, Easy 8 and the M-41, although the M-41 neven got to Korea until 1955.

I made a typo on my post regarding classification;;;;I wrote 90-105mm guns were mediums, but have to add the 75-76mm Shermans to the mediums.

Have to agree fully with RC "combat". It's the biggest turn-off, seeing tanks slam from forward to reverse and pivoting like a screwdriver in a totally unrealistic manner. With all the minute detailing some guys put into these tanks, it would reasonable assume that the tank should be operated like the 1;1 scale and move in accordance with what that tank was capable to doing. A Sherman could not pivot and going from forward to reverse, it had to sit and wait for the manual tranny to slow down for the driver to grate it into reverse...only way out was hold the clutch until the engine nearly stalled, which made it easier to get to reverse. They didn't operate like a Ford mustang, let alone the speed they get out of them. 25mph was flying in an Easy 8. The M-41 IS a drag racer and speed and maneuvering was awesome.