Why I chose 1942

You might wonder why I chose 1942.

Some of it may be aesthetic, wanting to see more of the early war weapons that were soon eclipsed in WW2 by new developments.

What if the Germans hadn't fought the Russians in 1941, and had never encountered the T-34? The Panther probably wouldn't have been developed, nor would the Tiger's development been accelerated.

If the rapid advance of tank guns and armor hadn't been seen, the early US tanks might have soldiered on much longer. The M3 Stuart would have been effective longer. The M3 Lee would have been the main medium tank instead of an "interim" design.

So this period allows me to field M3 Stuarts and Lees on one side, Panzer IIs, IIIs, IVs on the other. I kinda like that idea.