The tale of Sgt Melvin C. Anderson of the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion

[Aristus]

7. Both of these views are valid, and I respect them.

Unfortunately, despite the success of the tank destroyer on the battlefield, the TD program diverted resources away from tank development, resulting in the mediocre Sherman as the go-to tank in our arsenal until the final months of the war.

Now, the Sherman was very reliable mechanically, and easy to manufacture in staggering numbers. But still, the fielding of a tank superior to the Sherman, the Pershing ( not without it's own developmental problems, of course ), was pushed back until its presence on the battlefield was obviated by the dwindling numbers of superior German tanks.

There's a reason why tank destroyers and their development didn't survive the war.