Pre-Writing Assignment #3

As is most likely obvious from my previous posts, I enjoy studying World War II. Unfortunately, most of my knowledge is of the fighting on the European mainland, which occurred two years after this photograph was taken. Thus, I got a few details wrong; such as the most likely time this picture was taken. This new information changes some aspects of the argument this photograph is making.

It is unfortunately necessary to make much of this post a history lesson. War is a continuum of troop and civilian morale. In order to understand the intended argument of a photograph, we must first understand what soldiers and civilians of the time were feeling.

The tank pictured is an M3 Lee (otherwise known as the M3 Grant). A better picture of the tank itself is included in this post.

Unfortunately, the exact date is not given for the photograph. In fact, the website states it was taken between 1940 and 1946. Given the historical context of the M3 (which was quickly phased out for the M4 Sherman) and teaching British soldiers how to use it, we can assume it was taken early in the war—probably 1942.

At the time, the M3 was the most advanced tank the Allies had developed. The British tanks were inferior to those of the Germans. (militaryfactory.com) This would have been a major source of national pride to Americans. The United States was the newcomer to the war, and its military technology had already eclipsed that of the British. This picture is a testament to that American ingenuity. It demonstrates that, while the Americans may be late, they are still superior to the British and have something to offer in this war.

As mentioned in an earlier post, this picture also attempts to strengthen the American resolve in the war effort. The armies of the United States had already seen action against the Vichy French and had been met with incredible success. The defeats mentioned in previous posts would come in 1943. This picture, with the confident countenance of the American teacher, shows the American public and troops that the Americans could indeed win the war.

As stated before, many of the “decisions” such as lighting and contrast are simply products of period technology. However, it seems difficult for the background to be completely white on accident. Given the historical context, the photographer could have been making the argument that, no matter where the two sides clashed, the M3 and the Allies would be victorious.

Because of the relative danger of operation Shermans, American WW2 tanks are known today as deathtraps. (Hawks) We see death and dying whenever we see an American tank from the period. This view is unchanged by the exact date of a photograph or the make of a tank. Even though we see death, the viewers of the time saw hope. This can be plainly seen when we examine the historical context of the photograph.

Works Cited:

Staff Writer, miliartyfactory.com, "Medium Tank, M3 (Lee / Grant)", (c) 2003-2010

"A Brief History of WWII: North Africa", Worldwariihistory.info, adapted from "A Brief History of the U.S. Army in World War II" by the U.S. Army Center for Military History.

Hawks, Chuck, chuckhawks.com, "The Best Army Tanks of World War II"