Tenth Greatest: M4 Sherman (06:56)

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Sherman tanks helped win World War II for the Allied forces with perfectly operating 75-millimeter guns, speed, driving ease, and large production numbers. Soldiers found creative ways to do laundry, make tea, and use the bathroom utilizing features of the tank. German Tank Killers could blast through its armor.

Ninth Greatest: M551 Sheridan (04:19)

Sheridans were developed for air transport, attained 45 mile per hour speeds, and equipped with missile firing guns. Frontend lifting recoil and counterfire vulnerability were compromises made to produce a suitably performing vehicle.

Eighth Greatest: Panther (06:06)

Nazi Germany's Panther revolutionized tank technology, reengineering Russian types used against them. Fire power, cross country capabilities, and carefully designed armor made it a superior weapon to Allied Forces models, but its complexity prohibited production numbers.

Seventh Greatest: T 72 (03:47)

The Soviets built the T 72 in anticipation of advancing on Europe during World War II. Low profile, speed, and maneuverability made it a difficult target while a revolutionary automatic loading system for its 125-millimeter caliber gun increased offensive capabilities.

Sixth Greatest: S Tank (05:42)

The S Tank was engineered to fight Russian forces on Swedish terrain. It was turretless, easy to handle, and featured reverse driver position enabling retreat while keeping sights on enemies; its fixed gun was aimed by hull hydraulics, requiring it be stopped while firing.

Fifth Greatest: Centurion (03:24)

Affordability, technologically advanced firepower, and 350,000 mile operation span made the Centurion longest-serving battle tank ever. For 15 years, it was considered best in spite of driving difficulties and fuel inefficiency.

Fourth Greatest: Merkava (05:13)

Israeli Defense Forces built the Merkava to fight on urban and country terrains; it employed various protection technologies, and spring suspension increased efficiency and passenger comfort. It doubled as infantry carrier, but too heavy for air transport.

Third Greatest: T 34 (03:48)

The Soviet Union won the Patriot War with the mass-produced T 34; it was easy to drive, well armored, cross country capable, and equipped with a 76-millimeter gun. Its V12 diesel engine was lightweight and easy to maintain, but vibrations exhausted its operators.

Second Greatest: M1 Abrams (04:03)

The M1 Abrams is large, fast, and its laminate armor built to withstand rocket-propelled grenades. It is user friendly with a fire control system that can destroy a battalion in minutes, but its 1500 horsepower jet engine requires massive fuel amounts and creates superheated exhaust.

Greatest Ever: Leopard 2 (06:30)

Sweden adopted the German made Leopard II, finding it faster, smaller, and more user friendly than own models. Its modular design is easily maintained and diagnosed by laptop while its large, reliable engine delivers 15 times more torque than a car.

Credits: Episode Three: Tanks (00:37)

Credits: Episode Three: Tanks