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The M4 Sherman was a medium tank that was used by the United States, Great Britain and other Allied nations, during World War II [1] and saw the developments of different M4 variants.

Description[]

The first M4 Tank production had an armament consisting of an M3 L/40 75mm gun, two 7.62 mm Browning M1919s, one mounted coaxially and one in the bow, these serves mostly for suppressive fires and there is also an extra M1919 mounted on top of the turret for the Commander. The M4 also have a 12.7 mm Browning M2HB on top of the turret that were found only on the Leading Tank of a Platoon and it's purpose is against low-flying enemy Aircrafts and other soft targets like infantry and armored trucks.

It has frontal hull armor angled at 57 degrees with a 60mm relative thickness with the Driver and co-driver ports visible and the late-war version has 47 degrees hull that has a 90mm of relative thickness. It was about 5.84 meters long and weighed about 33 tons. The M4 Sherman was widely used by the Allies and some that were captured and even used by the only sole nation of the Axis Powers, Germany. The M4 have a vareity of Engines like the Continental R975 Radial Engine, the GM6046 Twin Inline Diesel Engine and the GAA V8 Ford that was capable of propelling the Sherman at speeds of up from 35 to 48 km/h and the vehicle had a crew of five: the Tank Commander, Loader, Gunner, Co-Driver and the Driver.[2]

The Sherman also had a vertical volute suspension system and 5 speed forward, 1 speed reverse transmission. It's upgraded version, the Horizontal Volume Suspension, gives more smoother rides on cross-country with Grousers, Alternate Tracks with Duckbills and Extended End-Connectors, including improved speed traverse.

About 49.234 Shermans were manufactured during the war.

Variants[]

The M4's have a vareity of different variants seen throughout different Theatres due to it's strongest perks for being the most versatile Tank of the War. Be it an Up-Gunned Tank, an Asaault Tank, A Tank Destroyer, An Armored Self-Propelled Gun, a Mine Flayer, A Flamethrower Tank, an Amphibious Vehicle or an Armored Recovery Vehicle.

The first Shermans variants that entered combat in WW2 was the M4A1, used by the British during the Second Battle of El Alamein. The Battle ended with a British Victory, although, there were losses of materials and casualties on both sides. The M4A1 features a cast hull with it's Frontal hull in a curved shape and has a Continental R975 Radial engine.

The Second Variant, the M4A2: It is an M4 variant with a GM6046 Twin Inline Diesel Engine and early M4A2 have 57 degrees of Frontal Armor with Driver and Co-Driver Ports visible. It was not used by the US Army but saw use within the US Marine Corps during the Pacific Theatre and it was also sent to the Eastern Front to assist Soviet forces [3] and many saw use within the Red Army Guard Units. The late-M4A2 have 47 degrees angle on it's Frontal hull, thus it features the newer all-around Vision Cupola and the new M1 76mm Main Gun but the engine remains the same due to the Soviets heavily relied on Diesel fuel.

The third variant, the M4A3: A Sherman equipped with the latest Ford GAA V8 Engine that provides 450-500 Horsepower. This M4 variant was only widely used by the United States Army and some found service within the Marine Corps. It's first early-produced variants was the M4A3 (75)D, it has a 57 Degrees Hull was first to be equipped with 75mm Gun, it saw first combat in the Pacific Theatre. The late-War production of the M4A3 came with 47 Degrees Hull.

The first M4A3's with 76mm guns appeared in Operation Cobra around July 1944 during the Normandy Campaign until it's newer variants around December 1944 were fitted with the Horizontal Volute Suspension System that slowly entered into the M4 Production. The HVSS, regardless if it's M4A1, M4A2 or M4A3, were fitted out with these suspensions would be later became known as "E8's", otherwise known as the "Easy Eight".

IMG 5801

U.S. Tank Driver posing with his M4A3E2.

The M4A3 Sherman also had a subvariant, an Assault Tank called the M4A3E2 or it's postwar given nickname "Jumbo", which had thicker armor and a revised turret, their role is to break though heavy enemy Fortifications and able to withstand 88mm KwK 38 Guns and 75mm KwK 40 Guns used by the Wehrmacht Army at distances, only 254 were produced and entered the European Theatre by September 1944. One M4A3E2 known as the "Cobra King" became famous for reaching the besieged US Forces in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. It's combat performance by the US Army were regarded as "highly successful" and General Patton demanded more E2 Shermans for his Troops, however, since he forbids Sandbags and Wooden Logs that provides no effective protection, he ordered the engineers to modify over 200 ordinary Shermans into makeshift E2's by welding extra armor salvaged from wrecked Tanks or from other Shermans in reserves. These Field Modifications provided extra protection and an additional boost morale amongst the American Tankers, one famous example like M4A3 76(w) HVSS "Thunderbolt VII" under the command of Colonel Creighton Abrams for featuring a well-protected Sherman with additional armor and hollowed armor welded on the sides that provides protection from German Anti-Tank Rockets.

IMG 8216

An M4A3 Up-Gunned variant with a 76mm.

The fourth variant, M4A4: A Sherman was once fitted with a Caterpillar D200A and changed to Chrysler A-57 engine which ran on gasoline and its armor had a thickness of 51mm and angled at 57 degrees, giving about 60mm of relative Thickness. Its weight is around 34 tons and it had a length of about 6.5 meters. These Tanks were produced by Chrysler and it was never used by the US Army in Frontline Combat and were used as Training Tanks, however, these Tanks became Lend-Lease vehicles for the British under "Sherman V", which they deem it as a reliable Tank. By 1944, before D-Day, the M4 Lend-Lease Tanks, including M4A4's were fitted out with 17-Pounder Guns that provides great penetration performance in longer distance against thicker German Armor once the British Intelligence were well aware of the presence of a significant numbers of German Heavy Tanks deployed on Normandy. These M4A4's became the "Sherman V "Firefly"" or known as "Sherman VC", "C" in British nomenclature meant that these Tanks were outfitted with a QF 17-Pounder Guns. In the famous Operation Totalize, the one of the British Commonwealth Fireflies managed to defeat one of Germany's famous Tank Ace, Michael Wittmann.

The fifth variant, M4A5 was actually a Canadian tank known as the Ram, and there was only a small number of M4A5 tanks [4]built and they were not used in combat. The sixth variant, the M4A6, were build with longer hulls but never used in combat. The M4A1 Sherman itself even had a Canadian variant that was called the Grizzly I Cruiser Tank. It had a number of modifications differentiating it. Including increased armor protection.

The M4 had it's own Tank Destroyer Variant, the M36B1, is a Sherman turned into a designated Tank Destroyer and armed with a 90mm Gun. Due to the lack of Hulls produced for the M36 Jackson. The US Tank Destroyer Branch needed much Tank Destroyers as possible to destroy the presence of any Heavy German Armor at the Siegfried Line, they chose the M4A3 Hulls before adding the Jackson Turret, these Armored Vehicles saw combat around October 1944 up until the War's end in Europe.

IMG 8205

An M36B1 featuring an M4A3 Hull with an M36 Turret and a 90mm Gun.

The T34 Calliope is a Sherman armed with 114mm M8 Rockets attached to the turret and has 60 tubes containing fin stabilized rockets. It's main purpose role was a Multi-Launcher Rocket Artillery that were meant to take out entrenched infantry, Fortifications and other soft targets in devastating blows.

The M4 "Rhino", during the Normandy Campaign when U.S. Soldiers were experiencing difficulties to cross the French Bocage and running into German Ambush, the Allied Engineers devised a plan to weld Steel Blades that salvaged the Czech Hedgehogs from the Beaches of Normandy before attaching them in front on to the Sherman's transmission housing, the result of this invention provides of it's successful performance of eliminating the Bocage blocking their way by charging head-in first alongside with it's friendly Armored Force and Infantry-alike without costing much time. This device was also used by the British and were called as "Prongs". It played some of its crucial roles in the Normandy Campaign such as Operation Cobra.

IMG 8215

A Sherman Rhino is only featured with the blades located on the lower hull.

The M4 105mm Howitzer is an Armored Mid-Ranged Artillery, it takes mainly as a role of an Self-propelled artillery in order to fire directly against Enemy Fortifications and indirectly against Entrenched Infantry while 105mm HE Shells can produce a lot of lethal shell fragments within a deadly 25-foot radius upon impact. It's 105mm Howitzer Gun has a much more superior High Explosive capabilities than that of the M3 75mm Guns.

The Sherman "Dozer", A Sherman Tank with a Dozer attached on it's chassis, meant for removing wreckage and debris from the roads .

The M4 Sherman "Crocodile", a Flametbrower Sherman meant for disabling Enemy Trenches and Fortifications alike. It saw use in the Pacific Theatre by the Marine Corps to take out dug-in Japanese soldiers.

M32 Sherman - A recovery vehicle to tow disabled Tanks and wreckage.

DD Sherman, otherwise known as "Duplex Drive" - It is an Amphibious Sherman with float modifications that was meant to storm the beaches of Normandy. This vehicle was disastrous when the US deployed them far away from the Beachheads and were sunk due to harsh weathers and the strong currents of the tides, Only Two American DD Shermans made it to the beaches. But the British Commonwealth put them on good use by deploying them near the beaches and a good numbers successfully landed. This Tank saw later use to cross the Rhine River at early 1945.

Medium Tank T6 - A Prototype Armored Vehicle that shared the similar shape and function to it's completed successor that will enter combat 13 months later which will become known as the M4 Medium Tank "Sherman". This vehicle was tested on Aberdeen Proving Grounds in September 2nd 1941 and was approved for mass-production with it's newer design and improvements.

Armaments and Ammunition[]

M3 75mm L/40: It was the first and the most common main armaments for the M4 Sherman when it was first produced in 1942. A medium-velocity gun that has excellent High-Explosive Capabilities against entrenched infantry and Fortifications and has decent armor penetration against Panzer IV's and other soft targets at ranges. However, while the High-Explosive remained satisfactory by 1944, the Tankers began to experience issues with the 75mm to engage well-armored enemies at longer distances while encountering newer German Tanks produced since 1943, under the Allied nomenclature, the German Mk.V Medium Tank or known as the "Panther".

But that isn't the case at the Battle of Arracourt, where oldtype M4's and M18 Tank Destroyers in inferior numbers fighting against their numerical superior German opponents managed to disable 86 Panthers while on the Defensive, which means that the 75mm were only put into good use and to counter heavy German Tanks is that M4's will have to distract them using smoke rounds to blind their line of sight before taking them out by shooting at their vulnerable side areas or continuos fire until the enemy Tank Commander and the crew surrenders. After the Battle of the Bulge, General Dwight D. Eisenhower requested that no more 75mm Shermans were send to Europe due to the heavy presence of German Armor and was slowly fell out of use, it was replaced by Shermans with 76mm Gun which was highly recommended.

The 75mm has five different types of Shell Ammunitions:

  • Armor Piercing Solid Shot, M72: A simple shell that can penetrate up to 102mm of Rolled Homogenous Armor at 250 Meters at 0 degrees. These Shells were mostly used as training rounds but other cases that such Shells were still in use in the Frontlines despite being replaced by the M61 APBC Shells.
  • Armor Piercing Ballistic Cap, M61: A Capped Shell with better aerodynamics designed to defeat Face Hardened Armor and has a penetration of 82mm of FHA at 1250 meters at 0 Degrees, originally, these Shells were produced with explosive filler that provides weakening the surface of the armor before penetration but when the Tankers first received them were inferior rounds that lacked explosive fillers due to Leslie McNairs orders. However, these rounds were inferior in range against late-Panzer IV's that used Hulls with RHA and acquired 500 Yards or less to achieve penetration but the Panzer IV turret remained the same FHA materials.
  • Armor Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped, M61A1: Another variant of a Capped Shell with explosive filler, did not find use within the US Armored Force due to orders of Leslie McNair until late in the War but saw extensive use within the Soviet Armored Force. During the Soviet tests, this shell is 30% more powerful than the M61 APC and achieved 100mm of Armor Penetration at 500 meters and 90mm at 1000 meters against Rolled Homogenous Armor. This shell is one of the main the reasons why the 75mm was well-liked by the Red Army.
  • White Phosphorus Round, M64: A type of shell that produced white smoke of hot burning substance of White Phosphorus, intended to mark for Artillery strikes and to blind enemy line of sight. Other used it to knock out German Tanks as hot substances produced by the smoke may leak into the engine compartments may cause fires on their unprotected fuel storage, other cases might leak into the Tank Turret through the ventilations before suffocating or burning the skins of the Germans Tank Crew, resulting a knock-out when the Crew surrenders.
  • High-Explosive, M48: A High Explosive Shell. Effectively used against Bunkers and Machinegun nests. In some cases were used against German Tanks like the Panthers. The Armor of the Panthers spalled quite more than often due to the armor quality became lowered by Allied Bombings of German Shippings in the Baltic Seas and Factories.
  • High Velocity Armor Piercing, T45: An experimental 75mm round with a Tungsten core and has better penetration capabilities at medium ranges, it was tested but never issued to frontline combat due to issues with the scarcity of Tungsten production.

M1 76mm: As early as 1942, the US Army Ordnance fitted an M4 Sherman with a 76.2mm Gun. The Gun Prototype is originally 57 Calibers long and rivaled that to the British 17-Pounder Gun, however, the project was abandoned due to the issues with the lack balance of the weight and less room in the small turret. However, the Project was revived once more by 1943 by utilizing newer lightweight materials and the issues with the weight and balance of the gun and Turret was solved when they found out that the T23 Turret was the solution and cut the original Gun from 57 Calibers to 52 Calibers, the drawback of this 52 caliber 76.2mm Gun saw the decrease of velocity, range and penetration over distance. Before D-Day, a significant numbers of American 76mm Shermans were produced before shipping off to Europe and a lot of these Tanks were stationed at first on the British Home Islands. The US Army didn't see any use of them whilst the Tankers choose the 75mm Guns until after the Normandy landings, while sustaining heavy casualties by Land mines, Anti-Tank Ditches and typical German Panzergrenadiers, they've suddenly engaged in a numbers of Panthers, well-Armored Tank Destroyers like the StuG III's, 7.5cm and 88mm Anti-Tank Guns towed by German Infantry that were disabling Allied Armor at longer distances. It was this time that the American Forces in Normandy called for the 76mm Shermans to engage their German opponents at long-range combat in Operation Cobra.

IMG 5282

A Chart featuring the weaknesses of the German Big Cats using the 3-inch Guns (76.2mm) with M62 Shells.

The 76mm M1 Gun has five different types of shells:

  • Armor Piercing Shot, M79: An experimental solid round, maximum penetration 154mm of RHA at 100 meters, although, inferior armor performance at longer ranges due to the lack of windscreen or penetration cap.
  • Armor Piercing Capped, M62: An Armor Piercing Capped Shell, but shares a familiar design of an APCBC. Superior to the M79 AP at longer ranges and achieved 105mm of penetration against FHA at 1750 Meters and 101mm of RHA at 1250 meters. This shell was commonly used.
  • Smoke Round, M88: Use to mark targets for Artillery fire and to blind enemy line of sights.
  • High-Explosive, M42A1: A High-Explosive Shell but inferior to the 75mm M48 Shell due to issues of the shell design.
  • High Velocity Armor Piercing, M93: A shell that contains a Tungsten core and encased within a shell with an aluminum cap that increased flight and range. This shell has armor penetration of 108mm at 2500 Meters at 0 degrees. This round matches the Panthers 7.5cm KwK 40 Guns using APCR. It was used in combat during Normandy Campaign but the Tank Destroyers were the first ones to receive them by July 1944 for the 3-Inch Guns and weren't compatible for the M1 76mm due to different casings. The newer T4 Shell was refined and the M93 Ammunition slowly came into production by mid-1944. They were finally introduced to the Armored Force by September 1944, the first ones that received such Ammunition were the 2nd Armored Division and the 761st Tank Battalion, although, the production is limited due to Tungsten shortage and Tankers have to carry up from 3-5 rounds.

Although, the 76mm M1 have almost the same performance as the M7 3-inch Gun used on the M10 Wolverine.

105mm Howitzer: Sherman armed with a stubby-looking Gun, in fact that the 105mm Howitzer provided superior HE Capabilities than the 75mm and the M4's equipped with the Gun takes it's role as a Mid-Ranged Armored Artillery to take out heavy enemy fortifications such as gun nests and Bunkers. It has two different types of Shells: HE and HEAT.

Crew Survivability[]

Early Shermans produced since 1942 has an 81% Chance to burst into flames like any other Tanks during the Conflict that has the same problem. When the US Army personnel began investigate to eliminate the problem, they found out that improper placements of ammunition in the sponsons and in the turret basket were the real culprit instead of the rumored "Fuel Fires" when Fuel Storage were found still intact in a burned-out Sherman.

The Army created the Wet Storage under the nomenclature (W), the Shermans were fitted with Wet Stowage when Army Engineers removed the Shell Storage from the Sponsons and the Turret Baskets, then placing them underneath the Loader and filled the storage with glycerine and cooled liquid in order to prevent fires if an Anti-Tank shell or a shell fragments that manage to penetrate it through. Along with welded Up-Armored Assault Kits, the results of these improvements makes the Sherman as the most survivable armored combat vehicle from late-1943 to the War's end.

IMG 8217

U.S. Sherman Tank Loader placing Shells within the Wet Ammunition Racks.

In the official Army Documents, Casualties and Non-Battle Deaths Final Report 1946, it shows that the Armored Force suffered over than 6.000 Casualties on every Theatre. Out of 6.000, only 1.398 US Tankers died over the course of the War.

Noticeable Equipments[]

All-Around Vision Cupolas: Early Shermans have spring hatches and periscope for the Driver, Co-Driver and Commander but lacked a hatch for the Loader. It features one rotating periscope on the Commanders hatch but it provides unreliable field of vision. With the development of the T23 Turret from the abandoned T23 Project, this changed when the Army Ordnance re-design the turret with the loaders hatch and a new Commanders Cupola with 6 vision blocks and a periscope added for the turret that provided good all-around field of vision and great unity sights which is better than the German Tank's Field of Vision upon fighting within Sub-Urban and Urban combat.

One-Axis Gun Gyrostabilizer System: This feature was seen in early American Tanks like the Stuart's and M3 Lee's used on the 37mm Guns. However, a newer Stabilizer was made for the medium-caliber M3 75mm in which no other operational Tanks from other Nations was equipped with it. The Stabilizers only features that it offers good stabilization of the gun while on the move and keep their targets on sight, it can also help the gun to fire accurately while on the move at 15-20mp/h as demonstrated by the Canadians Sherman Tankers in training who were used to use the Stabilizers.

Early in the War, US Tankers have little-to-no experience using the Stabilizers due to the complexity of the device. However, Veteran Tankers coming back from North Africa and Italy provides instructions for the Tankers in training based on their experiences while the newer Stabilizers are becoming much more improvised and made it more simpler during development and extensively saw use in combat. These Gun Stabilizers were powered both Hydraulically and Electrically.

Alternate Tracks: While M4 Sherman doesn't have any issues on road, it might have problems to go around on soft mud and swampy terrains. But these issues were fixed when the Tankers were provided with End-Connectors and Duckbills made of chevrons to provide stabilization of flotation, Grousers and Platypus Grouser Tracks became available and were also capable to climb up at steeper grades. The much more improved suspensions like HVSS excelled these but with much more better flotation and smoother rides on cross-roads.

SCR Radios: The Shermans used a vareity of SCR Radios and all of them were FM Band Radios, it's first radio, the SCR-508 has a BC-605 Radio Transmitter and two BC-603 mounted on an FT-237 Mounting Tray, it has a more similar function to the German AM Radio's, but much more clearer. The SCR-508 has BC-606 Interphone Control Boxes that was mainly used for Platoon Leaders and Overall Company Tank Commanders.

Armored Doctrine and Platoon Organization[]

The Armored Doctrine stated in Field Manual 100-5, Operations:

The armored division is organized primarily to perform missions that require great mobility and firepower. It is given decisive missions. It is capable of engaging in all forms of combat, but its primary role is in offensive operations against hostile rear areas.

There was a misconception regarding the myth that the M4 Sherman was believed to used as a primary Infantry Tank and not meant against Enemy Tanks, in truth: it wasn't, and the Field Manual didn't stated that they shouldn't engage Enemy Armor. Furthermore, in Field Manual 17-33 Tank Battalion, Light and Medium published in September 1942 to describe fighting enemy Tanks was one of the necessary primary roles. The M4 Sherman only serves as the Striking Echelon that was meant against all forms and types of enemies, such as Infantry, weapon platforms and armored vehicles it was facing once a breakthrough was made in the enemy lines and have to fight deeper into the hostile rear areas while the Infantry serves for the supporting echelons to protect friendly armor from enemies in all forms.

The smallest Tank Unit within the US Army during WW2 was a platoon consists of only five Tanks, like any other Nations like Great Britain and Germany.

Historical Notes[]

  • The M4 Sherman tank was used throughout World War II on almost every front. The T-34 was the only tank that beat the M4 Sherman's production numbers but the M4 beat the T-34 on several ways in terms of ergonomics, field of vision, reliability and equipments. The M4 Sherman was used in several crucial battles such as El Alamein, Tarawa, Saipan, Operation Cobra, Operation Totalize, Battle of Arracourt, the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Berlin.
  • The dangers that the Sherman Tanks and it's crews face were German Anti-Tank Infantry such as the Panzergrenadiers armed with Anti-Tank Rockets, Satchel Charges, Towed Guns, Dangerous obstacles like Landmines, Deep Anti-Tank Ditches and German tanks such as the Panzer IV's. While Tiger-I's became rare in the Western Front, it' successor, the Panther, were still numerous and proved to be the most very dangerous threat. But the ones that inflicted the massive material losses and casualties against the M4 Sherman were mostly done by Infantry Panzergrenadiers and Landmines.
  • The M4 Sherman in the Pacific Theater first saw combat was at Tarawa Island in 1943 where it fought against Japanese tanks such as the Type 97 Chi-Ha. In this area of operations, the Shermans were better than the Chi-Ha due to the Sherman's armor was thicker than the Chi-Ha, and the M4 Sherman also had better firepower. The Japanese Army began develop countermeasures to take out Shemans such as the Towed 47mm Guns that were capable to penetrate certain parts of its armor at shorter distances, however, other methods were used under extreme suicidical measures such as soldiers who voluntarily use Type 99 hand-thrown Mines or Lunge Mines.
  • While only a bit of over 49.000 M4's being produced, only half of those production of the M4s and other variants were given to other Allied Nations including Great Britain, France and Soviet Union under the Lend Lease Program.[5]
  • One interesting piece of information when the Waffenamt experimented a captured Sherman featuring a 47 degree Frontal Hull with medium-caliber Anti-Tank guns, they found that the upper glacis angled 60 degrees sideways was impervious to the 88mm KwK 38 at any ranges and the 75mm KwK 40 needed 100 meters to achieve penetration.
  • Since the M4 VC "Fireflies" saw extensive use within the British Army in North-Western Europe. The Shermans armed with American M1 76mm Guns also saw service within the British Commonwealth Tank Battalions stationed in Italy due to the lack of M4 Fireflies. All of these which are M4A1 76(w) or known as "Sherman IIA" in British nomenclature.
  • During the Battle of Berlin, the M4A2's in services of the 8th Guards Mechanized Corps and the 11th Tank Guards Corps of the 1st Tank Guards Army were the first Tanks that breach into the German Capital City.

Gallery[]

  1. IMG 8053 IMG 8201 IMG 8202 IMG 8204 IMG 8203

References[]

  • The name "Ronson" was a Nickname referred to the sole Flamethrowing Sherman Tank. The Nickname was not widely used by the US Army, except for the crew who named their Flamethrowing Tank. The "Ronson" slogan was a popular Cigarette Commercial during pre-War and post-War, it was not named by the Troops until the name was popularized decades later after the War for it's mythical reputation.
  • The name "Tommy Cooker" given by the Germans were referred to the British Tanks and other Lend-Lease vehicles in general. "Tommy" was a nickname to the British Soldiers and it's origins of the name traced back to the First World War. In some cases, British Tankers have a habit to overload their shell ammunition capacity which increases the chances of fires.
  • There was a misconception that the name "Sherman" was used during the War. However, it was a Post-War given nickname by the British under the name "General Sherman". The US Army during the War only referred them as "M4" or "M4 Mediums".
  • Source: Hunnicutt R.P., Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank
  • Source: Zaloga, Armored Thunderbolt: The US Army Sherman during WW II
  • Source: Nicholas Moran, "Myths of American Armor"
  • Source: TankArchives.com
  • Source: The Sherman Tank site

[6]

Image Archive Icon This article has an image archive! Click the category M4 Sherman to see it!
  1. http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vehiclesarmor/p/M4Sherman.htm
  2. http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=40
  3. http://www.wwiivehicles.com/usa/tanks-medium/m4a2.asp
  4. Armaments and Crew Survivability
  5. http://ww2total.com/WW2/Weapons/Vehicles/Tanks/US/Sherman/-tank/M4-Sherman.htm
  6. Note: The slogan "Ronson" was not used for the M4 Sherman until it saw a wide commercial use in the 1950's. Note: The infamous nickname "Tommy Cookers" named by the Germans were referred to British Armor and Lend-Lease Tanks in general. Some Tankers has a tendency to overload their ammunition capacity which increase the chances of fires. Source: Zaloga, Armored Thunderbolt: The US Army Sherman of WW II Source: Hunnicutt R.P, Sherman: A history of the American Medium Tank Source: Nicholas Moran, Myth of American Armor Source: The Sherman Tank site Source: TankArchives.com
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