what' is the difference between front wheel dirve and rear wheel drive
in a tank? the german tanks in world war 2 all chose the former;
whereras the russians, their t-34 for example, was rear wheel drive,
as well as virtually all the main battle tanks designed and
manufactured in the post war era?

It has a lot to do with the type of transmission used along with the suspension.

A good book is Design and Development of Fighting Vehicles  by R. M. Ogorkiewicz

Kemlo

Supposedly, part of the reason that the Germans lost the war is that
their tanks were too expensive.

I expect that the Germans started with a front wheel drive, which
worked pretty well, and just stuck with once they had tooled up for
production.

Personally, I suspect that all the experience in the war showed that a
rear wheel drive was better.  The tracks become looser with use,
longer, and it is probably better to have the rear wheels pulling the
tracks and letting the play in them drape between the upper guide
wheels, rather than a front wheel drive pulling the upper part of the
tracks and having the slack on the ground.  This may also reduce wear,
since less of the track is under full tension.

stanmartin1952,

My understanding is that Germany lost WWII for three reasons. Only one
has to do with their tanks.

1. Germany tried to invade Russia, and couldn't get past the
combination of Russian troops and Russian winter. If Germany hadn't
expended that effort, the WWII might have been far different.

2. Germany didn't finish its atomic bomb project. 'Nuff said.

3. The tanks? The Panzers were WWII's best, but Germany didn't have
enough gas for them at the end.

Sorry, erichshih, I know this doesn't answer your question.

dtc