What perks to put on the M4 Sherman. The main American medium tank M4 Sherman. Equipment for M4 Sherman

In this series I will talk about the main serial modifications, operating features and the history of the development and use of this overseas unit. (I’m planning 3-4 parts in total. The first part is about the main modifications produced in the USA)

M4 Sherman» - US main medium tank period of the Second World War, or almost the main tank in general, because they sawed a ton of modifications for different tasks and I decided to dig up this whole heap in the name of the Satan of humanity.

History of creation (briefly, no seriously, very briefly):

By the beginning of World War II, the United States did not have a single adequate model of a medium or heavy tank in production or service; there were only a handful of “medium” M2 “tanks.” The M3 "Lee" tank, developed in an emergency manner, was considered obsolete in design already at the development stage, therefore requirements had already appeared for the tank that would replace it... They decided (not without reason) that using the components and assemblies of the "Lee" tank would be a good idea - that's why development began February 1, 941, the prototype appeared on September 2 of the same year.

The tank inherited the chassis, lower hull and gun of its predecessor, but abandoned the stubborn design with a cannon in the fuselage and stuffed it into the turret. True, the dimensions remained approximately the same. Tank received the designation M4, and its mass production began in February 1942. M4 turned out to be simpler, more technologically advanced and cheaper to produce than the M3.
This is where the history of creation can end and we can begin to sort it out little by little - what kind of Shermans were they?

T6 Sherman Prototype

Modifications:

There will only be serial ones American cars, Canadian, English and engineering cars I will describe in another post. Only the key differences will be indicated; riveters may not even write anything in the comments

To begin with, it is worth saying that a feature of the production of the M4 was that almost all of its variants were not the result of modernization, but had purely technological differences and were produced almost simultaneously. That is, the difference between M4A1 and M4A2 does not mean that M4A2 denotes a later and more advanced version, it only means that these models were produced at different factories and have differences in design (which will be discussed below). All types underwent modernizations, such as changing the ammunition rack, equipping them with a new turret and gun, and changing the type of suspension, generally at the same time, receiving the army designations W, (76) and HVSS. Factory designations are different and include the letter E and a numeric index. For example, the M4A3(76)W HVSS was factory designated M4A3E8.

The number in brackets indicated the gun mounted on the tank; if there is no numerical designation, then a standard 75mm gun is installed, and for example, the markings M4A1 (105) clearly indicate that this is a Sherman with a cast hull and a 105mm howitzer.

Cast body. M4A1 (perhaps the most familiar appearance for me when I imagine the very first M4 Sherman)

Welded hull of the M4 tank

Perhaps the most interesting version from the Detroit factory: M4 Composite Hull (cast front plate with other welded parts)

In fact, the tank almost completely corresponded to the T6 Prototype (in the cast hull version). The only differences were the gun (the prototype had an M2 gun) and the absence of two stationary and useless machine guns. E The main weapon was the American tank gun 75 mm M3 with a length of 37.5 cal. The gun made it possible to fight most enemy tanks at the time of adoption, although the tank as a whole was considered as an infantry support vehicle because the high-explosive effect of the projectile was more important.

The highlight of the M4 tank (and subsequent modifications with a “regular” gun and not a howitzer) was the vertical stabilizer, which was quite primitive, but it reduced the time until the gun was completely stabilized after stopping (this was also facilitated by the rather soft suspension). So same - tank M4 armed 105mm M4 howitzer and turned out to be somewhat more effective as an infantry support tank, but lost its anti-tank properties and vertical stabilizer.

During the war, SUDDENLY, it turned out that the Germans had both new models of tanks and improved old ones, so in 1944 they began installing 76 mm M1 gun with a barrel length of 55 calibers. True, to install the gun we had to build a new turret (from the experimental T23 tank), but this is much easier and cheaper than cutting a new tank. (As far as I understand, the stabilizer remains on this gun, but I could be wrong). In terms of anti-tank properties, it was on par with the 85mm T-34-85 cannon, inferior to the 75mm Panther cannon and the 88mm Tiger cannon, superior to the Panzer 4 later modifications.

М4А1 with 76mm cannon

The engine on the tank was a 350-horsepower radial, gasoline engine. It generally met the requirements for mobility, although it slightly increased the fire hazard of the vehicle.
The booking amounted to 51/38/38mm, front sheet set at an angle of 56 degrees.

M4A2


M4A2(76)W. Let there be only 1/3 of all the released M4A2s, but there’s a highlight here for variety’s sake. (by the way, here you can see the muzzle brake on a 76mm cannon. And also in the background you can see either an SU-85M or an SU-100. From here we can understand that these are Soviet Lend-Lease vehicles)

In fact, the A2 modification differed only in the twin diesel engines with a total power 375 horse ponies (by the way, the tank could easily move with one engine, this will be discussed a little later in the story about the Shermans in the USSR). It was the M4A2 that was supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease, since one of the requirements for the tank was the presence of a diesel engine. The tank was produced only in its welded version; the production of a cast hull was more labor-intensive and had no advantages over a welded one. Reservation is identical to M4

M4A3 (and its modifications)

M4A3E8 "Easy Eight" ( "Easy Eight" - a new type of suspension, about which a little later)

M4A3

Again, essentially the same M4 with a welded hull, but the highlight of the tank is the 500-horsepower, 8-cylinder V-shaped gasoline engine from Ford, which, with approximately the same weight, significantly increased mobility. Armament, as on previous modifications, varied from 75-76mm to 105mm guns. The armor is identical to the M4.

Separately, it is worth noting the modification М4A3E2 "Sherman Jumbo" and M4A3E8 "Easy Eight".

М4A3E2 "Sherman Jumbo" it differed from the “simple” Sherman by its reinforced frontal armor in the 100mm frontal plate and a thick cast turret; the side armor was also increased to 76mm, however, due to the fact that the modification was intended as an assault weapon, the choice of guns fell on the 75mm and 105mm gun and from The 76mm guns were abandoned due to the weak high-explosive impact of the projectile (as strange as it may be, the 75mm high-explosive projectile was more powerful than the 76mm). Later, at numerous requests from the military, a certain number of 76mm guns were supplied to combat tanks and a long-barreled gun was installed on the tank, practically without significant modifications. Jimbo paid for the increased armor protection with a significant reduction in mobility. The maximum speed along the intersection was only 22 km/h. On the highway, the speed remained almost the same. The specific pressure on the ground also increased, which reduced its cross-country ability.


M4A3E2 (in the photo we can see the 76mm M1 cannon)

M4A3E8 "Easy Eight"- It differed from the M4A3 by having a new, horizontal type of suspension. At the end of March 1945, the suspension was modernized, the rollers became double, the springs were horizontal, the shape and kinematics of the balancers were also changed, hydraulic shock absorbers . The suspension received wider, 58 cm, tracks. Tanks with such a suspension (dubbed Horisontal Volute Spring Suspension, “horizontal”) had the abbreviation HVSS in the notation. The “horizontal” suspension differs from the “vertical” suspension in that it has a lower specific pressure on the ground, and gives modernized tanks slightly greater cross-country ability. In addition, this suspension is more reliable and less demanding on maintenance. Due to their slightly lower ground pressure, they received the nickname "Easy Eight"

M4A4

М4А4(76)W

It is distinguished by a simple propulsion system consisting of 5 gasoline engines with a total power of 470 horses. The hull had to be lengthened in order for this miracle to fit, which slightly affected the increase in the mass of the tank. Also (as can be seen in the photo above), the place of the Driver and his assistant was protected by additional armor plates due to the fact that they are located at a smaller angle of inclination with the same thickness.
The vehicle was mainly used in the British army under the designation Sherman V and went for conversion to the Sherman Firefly (about which in another post)

M4A6

M4A6
It features a multi-fuel engine system. Similar in design to M4A4. Only 75 pieces were produced, so there is not much information about it. М4А6 did not take part in battles and were used to train crews in the 777th Tank Battalion at Fort Knox

I'll finish with the main modifications here. About engineering machines and foreign-made machines - in the next post

P.S. I apologize for some inconsistencies with M4A3E2, I fixed everything after reading some additional information

In the Israeli Armor Museum tank troops there is an interesting monument. There are three tanks on a pedestal of stones - the British Cromwell and the American Sherman. The symbolism is clear: these are the cars that won the Second World War. And the “Sherman” suffered no less trials than the “thirty-four”.

From 1942 until the end of the war, M4s formed the backbone of American tank forces, fighting Japanese militarists in Asia and the Nazis in Europe. As part of the British troops, Shermans fought in Africa and landed in Italy. Soviet M4s liberated Ukraine and reached Berlin. And further long years The tank, developed back in the early forties, was actively used and won battles with more modern vehicles.

History of the creation of the tank

The United States greeted the beginning of World War II by just starting production of the M2 medium tank. An analysis of the battles in Poland showed that the tank did not meet the real conditions of the war at all, after which the order was reduced and the produced tanks were reclassified as training tanks.

To replace the M2, the M3 tank (later named “Lee” and “Grant”) was developed in an emergency manner (even prototypes were not made). It was considered a temporary measure, and the creation of a new modern tank began immediately after the completion of work on the Lee.

To reduce the time for development and introduction into production, the tank was maximally unified with the M3.

Specifically, the engine, lower casting and suspension were carried over with minimal changes.

In September 1941, a prototype with a cast hull was built, designated T6. It differed from subsequent production vehicles by the presence of two additional machine guns in the front of the hull, as well as the presence of a hatch for the crew on the side of the hull.

Serial production of M4 tanks began in the winter of 1942. The first tanks were assembled at the Lima locomotive plant and belonged to the M4A1 series. And these first tanks were produced for Britain.

Design

The Sherman has the following layout: the transmission is in the front of the hull, the engine is in the stern. The fighting compartment and turret are located between them, almost in the center. The height of the transmission box and the need to place a radial engine in the body predetermined the size of the tank - it turned out to be tall.

All modifications of the Sherman, except for the M4A1, had a welded hull made of rolled armor.

On the M4A1 the body was cast. Common to all versions was the lower frontal part of the body, which also served as a transmission cover. The upper armor plate had a thickness of 51 mm and was installed at an angle of 56 degrees (later - 47 degrees). The sides are vertical, 38 mm thick, the aft armor has the same thickness.

The thickness of the forehead of the cast turret is 76 mm (at a tilt of 60 degrees), the sides and rear are 51 mm. Early turrets had one hatch for the commander and gunner; later a loader's hatch was added. The tower had an electro-hydraulic or electric drive for the rotation mechanism.

In case of failure of the mechanism, it was possible to turn it manually.

The turret of the “long-barreled” Sherman was distinguished by the thickness of its armor – 64mm all around.

Armament

The Sherman's original armament was a 75mm M3 gun. This gun represented a development of the French field gun Model 1897, adopted for service in the USA. In the M2 version, the gun was installed on early M3 tanks, and the later Lees and Shermans received the M3 with a barrel length increased to 40 calibers.

The armor penetration of the gun when using a solid M72 projectile reached 110 mm, while the M61 chamber projectile penetrated armor a little worse - up to 90 mm. In the initial period of the war, however, this was enough to fight any enemy tanks.

The three-inch M1 gun was developed in 1942, when the characteristics of the short-barreled M3 became insufficient, and the more powerful M7 gun for the Sherman turned out to be too heavy.

The “long-barreled” Shermans went into battle in 1944. The penetration of the M62 armor-piercing chamber projectile exceeded 120 mm, which was no longer enough to combat the most heavily armored German vehicles. But the M93 sub-caliber projectile penetrated over 200 mm at short distances.

It is interesting that the production of Shermans with the M3 gun did not stop - the previous gun had a more powerful high-explosive fragmentation projectile, which was critically important for American tank doctrine. Within its framework, the main task of the tanks was to support the infantry, which the “long-barreled” Shermans were less able to cope with.

More than two thousand “Sherman” modifications M4A1 and M4A4, delivered to Great Britain, were rearmed with a “17-pounder” 76.2 mm caliber gun. These machines were named Firefly. A solid armor-piercing projectile fired from a “seventeen-pounder” penetrated armor up to 157 millimeters thick, which made the “Firefly” capable of fighting any German tanks.

The front-mounted machine gun from the Fireflies was removed to increase the gun's ammunition load. This also entailed a reduction in the crew to four people. The gun stabilizer was removed.

Some Shermans of the M4 and M4A3 series were armed with the 105mm M4 howitzer. They were supposed to become "assault guns" for direct infantry support. Howitzer Shermans were not intended to be used for anti-tank purposes, but, nevertheless, the ammunition included cumulative projectile M67, penetrating up to 130 mm of armor.

Such vehicles also had some design differences - the gun did not have a stabilizer, and the frontal armor was strengthened.

Additional weapons, according to the standards of that time, consisted of a frontal machine gun mounted in a ball mask in the frontal plate and a machine gun coaxial with a cannon.

In both cases, the M1919A4 model was used. Caliber – 7.62mm (.30-06). The gunner-radio operator fired from the front machine gun, and the gunner fired from the coaxial machine gun, using an electric trigger.

Above the commander's hatch in the turret mount was located a 12.7mm M2HB machine gun, suitable for anti-aircraft fire. Equipping a tank with a large-caliber anti-aircraft machine gun was an innovation at that time, and only towards the end of the war it began to be used everywhere.

Since 1943, all Shermans were equipped with a mortar for setting up smoke screens.

Crew accommodation and tank equipment

The crew of five people was placed in the tank as follows: the driver and his assistant (also a gunner-radio operator) were placed on both sides of the transmission box. Each had a hatch with an observation periscope, located in the protrusion of the frontal part or in the roof in front of the tower. The gunner and tank commander sit behind each other in the right half of the turret, and the loader occupies the left half.

On linear Shermans, a VHF radio station was installed, located in the rear niche of the turret. Its antenna was located on the roof of the tower. Command tanks additionally had a short-wave radio station in the right fender, with an antenna located through the frontal armor plate.

The tank intercom was part of a standard radio station; an additional telephone could be installed to communicate with the tank of the accompanying infantry.
For driving in heavy weather conditions the tank was equipped with a gyrocompass.

The tank with a 75mm gun was equipped with a three-fold telescopic sight M55 and a reserve sight M38A1 built into the gunner's periscope.

Howitzer tanks had the M77C model instead of the M38A1 sight. “Long-barreled” M4s were equipped with M51 and M47A2 sights.

Later they were replaced with a universal M10 periscope, into which two telescopic sights were built - six-fold and without magnification. This device replaced all the previous variety of sights. For firing from closed positions, a gun aiming angle indicator was used. The M3 and M1 guns had a gyroscopic stabilizer.

Engine and transmission

Different versions of the Sherman had different engines. The M4 and M4A1 were equipped with an R975 aircraft radial engine. The M4A2 received a power plant consisting of two interlocked GM 6-71 two-stroke diesel engines. The M4A3 was equipped with a Ford GAA eight-cylinder gasoline engine (developed as an aircraft engine, but found use only in armored vehicles).

A structure of five six-cylinder automobile engines produced by Chrysler was mounted in the elongated hull of the M4A4 tank. Finally, the low-production M4A6 had a Caterpillar radial diesel engine. Engine power ranged from 350 to 500 hp.

In contrast to the variety of engines, there was only one gearbox for the Sherman - a five-speed manual with synchronizers.

The transmission was located in the frontal part of the hull, and its outer armored steel casing simultaneously served as the lower frontal part.

This placement of the transmission ensured better weight distribution, increased its maintainability, and in the event of a hit, its components could protect crew members from injury. The disadvantage was the increased vulnerability of the transmission itself, which could be disabled by secondary armor fragments even without penetrating it.

Chassis

The tank's suspension is generally similar to that used on the M3 tanks, with three double-roller bogies. Each of the trolleys has two vertical springs. During combat use, the shortcomings of such a suspension were revealed - on a soft surface the tank's maneuverability decreased, and the service life of the components was low.

As a result, by the end of the war, a suspension with horizontal springs and dual rubber-coated rollers went into production.

The early suspension was designated as VVSS, the later - HVSS.

Special tanks, self-propelled guns and armored vehicles

The M4A3E2 “Jumbo” assault tank was created on the basis of the A3 series tank. Additional 38mm thick armor plates were welded onto the front plate and top of the side, and the transmission cover was reinforced. "Jumbo" was not intended for tank battles, it carried an M3 cannon, but subsequently some tanks were rearmed with the long-barreled M1 and used as heavy fighters tanks.

The Calliope MLRS was installed on the roof of the turret of some tanks - 60 guides for launching M8 missiles of 114mm caliber. There were several versions of the Sherman flamethrower.

“Shermans” equipped with mine trawls and bulldozer knives were used in engineering units. The amphibious modification DD was used when crossing rivers.
On the basis of the Sherman, “tank destroyers” were built - highly mobile lightly armored vehicles with an open turret. These include the M10 with a 76mm gun and the M36 with a 90mm gun.

The M7 self-propelled gun was equipped with a 105mm howitzer in an open wheelhouse, and guns with a caliber of up to 203mm were installed on a special chassis with an open platform.

For repair and evacuation work, the M32 and its modernized version M74 were created. They were equipped with a crane, winches and a bulldozer blade. The M32, without recovery equipment, served as an artillery tractor.

Post-war options

After the war, countries that could not afford newest tanks, tried to increase the efficiency of the Sherman with modernizations.

In Israel, Shermans underwent their first rearmament in 1956. They were assigned the index M50. Three hundred of these tanks received a French 75mm gun. During the next modernization, in 1962, the Israeli M4A1 was equipped with Cummins VT8-460 diesel engines, the gun was replaced with a 105mm gun, and called the M51. In the 1970s, some vehicles were transferred to Chile, where they served until the 90s.

The Egyptian “Shermans” were M4A4, with a diesel engine from the M4A2. Instead of the “native” turret, an AMX-13 light tank swinging one was installed. The turret was supplied with a 75mm gun and an automatic loader.

Lend-Lease supplies and combat use

British troops received 17,181 Sherman tanks. The Shermans were modified to meet British standards and received new designations. The changes included, for example, the replacement of radios with British ones, the installation of a smoke mortar, and additional fire extinguishing systems.

For the first time, British Shermans went into battle in Africa in mid-1942.

As part of the British forces, they took part in the battle of El Alamein, and, according to the British, made a significant contribution to the victory. At the end of the same year, American Shermans also appeared in Tunisia. The African campaign proved the high combat qualities of the M4, but after the appearance of German Tiger tanks in Tunisia, the insufficient armament of the tank became obvious.

Since 1943, diesel M4A2s have been supplied to the USSR, amounting to 4065 units.

The Red Army appreciated the tanks - the crews praised the ease of use, the quality of the instruments and communications. The less noisy nature of the Sherman made them ideal for covert attacks. At the same time, there was insufficient patency in winter conditions and a tendency to roll over due to the high center of gravity.

In the Soviet Union, the first Shermans took part in the Battle of Kursk. True, then there were few of these tanks. But since 1944, the number of incoming Shermans has made it possible to create even separate hulls from them. Soviet M4A2s took part in all subsequent battles of the war, including the defeat of the Kwantung Army.

In Europe, Shermans appeared during the landing in Sicily. And by the time of the invasion of Normandy, modifications with enhanced weapons had already been prepared. But during the first battles, the M4 tanks failed to realize (due to specific natural conditions) their advantage in mobility, and the tankers suffered heavy losses.

The situation changed only after the Allied forces entered the operational space. Also during the battles, the Sherman’s insufficient adaptability to urban battles became obvious. But by this time the tank was already assessed as obsolete, and this problem had to be solved with new tanks.

In the Pacific theater of operations, Shermans were rarely seen. Enemy tanks were too few in number and weak in armament to be an effective force. The nature of the fighting made it possible to fully reveal all the strengths of the American tank, as well as its missile and flamethrower modifications.

By the beginning of the Korean War, the Sherman was already considered obsolete, but only the Shermans could be quickly transferred to the front from Japan.

And later it turned out that the more powerful and modern M26s in the Korean mountains lacked mobility. So the Sherman remained the main American tank in that war. In battles with the T-34-85, both tanks showed themselves to be approximately equal opponents, and often the outcome of the battle was decided by the best training of the American tank crews.

During the Suez Crisis, modernized Egyptian Shermans clashed with modernized Israeli ones. As a result, most of the Egyptian vehicles were either destroyed or captured by the Israelis.

By the 1967 war, Israeli Shermans were used in secondary directions, but they managed to prove themselves there too, destroying, for example, a column of Egyptian T-54s.
Shermans were used as second-line vehicles by both sides in the Indo-Pakistani wars. According to some reports, in the 1990s, Shermans were used in Yugoslavia, but there is no exact evidence of this.

Performance characteristics

The table shows the characteristics of the “early” and “late” Shermans in comparison with its closest analogues.

It should be noted that the modification of the Pz.IV tank shown in the table is “intermediate” between the early and late ones. But it differed from the previous T-4 mainly in its optimized design without changing the main characteristics, and in later series the changes were reduced to simplification and reduction in cost. So the Sherman was clearly not inferior to its main rival, and if it had been able to meet it in 1941, it would have surpassed it.

Machine evaluation

The Sherman’s armament at the time of its appearance can be considered “adequate.” The 75mm M3 gun corresponded in its characteristics to Soviet guns F-34 and ZiS-5, allowing you to fight any enemy medium tanks. The appearance of Pz.IV tanks with reinforced armor, as well as Tigers and Panthers, made it ineffective.

The 76mm M1 gun was only slightly inferior in terms of armor penetration to the Soviet 85mm D-5 cannon, and when used sub-caliber projectile even surpassed it. Such “Shermans” could fight even heavy enemy tanks. The main disadvantage of the gun was the low power of the high-explosive fragmentation projectile. Due to high initial speed the thickness of the projectile walls had to be increased, while reducing the mass of the explosive charge to a minimum.

In general, the M4 was comparable in armament to its contemporary medium tanks, and even surpassed it in the efficiency of its use - due to high-quality optics and the presence of a stabilizer.

When assessing the security of the Sherman, it should be remembered that during the years of its development, the typical armament of most tanks were 40-45mm guns.

And the infantry had at its disposal only anti-tank rifles and heavy machine guns. In comparison with the T-34, the Sherman was inferior to it in terms of the thickness of the sides, which were devoid of slope. But the sides of even the later versions of the German Pz.IV were thinner than those of the M4.

According to the results of German tests, the frontal armor of the Sherman could withstand hits from the 88mm Tiger gun with a slight additional rotation of the hull. The M4A4E2 with enhanced armor was, of course, superior to its competitors in terms of protection, but there were few such tanks.

Early Shermans with ammunition racks located in the fenders suffered from detonation of ammunition when the hull was penetrated. This drawback was corrected by placing the ammunition rack on the floor of the hull in boxes with a water jacket (the so-called “wet” ammunition rack).

The tactical and strategic mobility of the Sherman was highly rated. Due to its small dimensions, the tank was easily loaded onto all types of transport, including railway. When moving under its own power, the engine capacity allowed it to cover long distances, the rubber-coated tracks did not break up the roads, and the suspension design provided the crew with some comfort.

The Sherman had good speed and good maneuverability, which was somewhat limited by the inability to turn on the spot. On tanks of the E2 series, to maintain mobility with increased weight, other transmission ratios were used.

Reliability

The high production culture at American factories gave the Shermans high quality manufacturing and very good reliability. The tank components did not require frequent adjustments. The maintainability of the tank also deserves the highest praise. Soviet tanks were also inferior to the Sherman in this regard.

Due to low production standards and technological equipment, the tolerances were such that the components had to be adjusted manually.

The downside was that the tanks were demanding of the level of qualifications of the operating personnel.

Tank analogues

The Soviet analogue, the T-34, was somewhat superior to the Sherman in terms of the effectiveness of its side armor, was approximately similar in armament, and was significantly inferior in terms of crew comfort.

The later T-34-85 had a powerful high-explosive fragmentation projectile (the absence of which forced the continuation of the production of “short-barreled Shermans”), and its efficiency improved due to the separation of the duties of the gunner and commander. It is worth noting that in the “fire hazardous” Sherman, the fuel tanks were located in the engine compartment, and in the T-34 - in the fighting compartment.

The main German analogue of the M4 was the Pz.IV.

His early models They lost to the Sherman in all respects, but by the middle of the war they were approximately equal in armament and armor protection. At the same time, the later “Panthers” (Pz.V (T-5)) were distinguished by poor build quality.

Although the Panther was superior to the Sherman both in terms of armament power (with an equal gun caliber) and in armor thickness. Its main drawback was low reliability.
The British Army had two tanks of its own design, roughly similar to the Sherman. The first was the Cromwell, which went into battle in 1944. Its 57mm gun was inferior to American guns, and it was weaker in protection.

The second tank is the Komet, armed with a shortened version of the 17-pounder cannon. In terms of firepower, it was approximately equal to the American Shermans (but somewhat inferior to the Fireflies), had equivalent protection and greater mobility due to its powerful engine.

The Sherman tank was a real triumph of American industry. Not having great experience In tank building, the Americans were not only able to quickly develop a tank of a successful and well-thought-out design - they mass-produced it, maintaining high quality workmanship and finishing. And the modernization potential of the Sherman allowed it to successfully withstand more modern tanks.

Video

The first 26 Shermans arrived in the USSR in November 1942. The first to receive new tanks were the 5th Guards Tank Brigade and the 563rd Separate Tank Battalion of the North Caucasus Front. January 5, 1943 563rd separate battalion consisted of nine Shermans and 21 Stuart MZs, and the 5th Guards Tank Brigade on January 17, 1943 had only two Shermans, four Lee MZs, 16 Stuart MZs and 18 Walsteins.

In accordance with order No. 08/OR of the front commander, the 563rd separate battalion became part of the 5th Guards Tank Brigade. At the same time, all the Shermans from both units were assembled as part of the 5th GTB, and the 563rd battalion received nine MZ Stuart tanks from the 5th guards brigade.

These reshuffles were intended to completely transfer the battalion to light tanks, since it was planned to be used in the amphibious landing in South Ozereyka.

Tank M4A2 "Sherman" by senior lieutenant Sumarokov, 3rd Ukrainian Front, winter 1944.

BT-5 and M3A1 "Stuart", 192nd Tank Brigade. Kalinin Front, December 1942.

M4A2 Sherman tanks, 71st Separate Tank Regiment, 5th Guards Cavalry Corps, 2nd Ukrainian Front, Romania, September 1944.

M4A2 "Sherman", 6th Tank Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, Botosani, Romania, August 1944.

M4A2 Sherman tanks, 6th Tank Army, Romania, August 1944.

Damaged and abandoned M4A2 Sherman cars from an unidentified unit, Kovel area, April 1944.

German M4A2 Sherman tank from the 14th Tank Division. The tank previously belonged to part of the 2nd Baltic Front, October 1944.

Column of M4A2 Sherman tanks, 5th Guards Tank Army, May 1944.

M4A2 "Sherman", 2nd Tank Army, Lublin area, July 1944. Column of Polish infantry from the 1st Infantry Division.

M4A2(76W) "Sherman", 1st Guards Mechanized Corps. Tank supporting infantry actions, Vienna, April 1945.

Lieutenant I. G. Dronov and Sergeant N. Idrisov against the background of a Sherman, 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, Vienna, April 16, 1945.

M4A2(76) Sherman tanks, 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Guards Tank Army, Vienna, April 1945.

M4A2(76)W "Sherman", 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, Vienna, April 1945.

M4A2(76)W "Sherman", 2nd Tank Army of the 1st Belorussian Front, Berlin, April 1945.

M4A2(76) Sherman tanks, 2nd Ukrainian Front, Berlin, May 1945.

Top photo - M4A2 Sherman medium tanks, unknown cavalry unit, Poland, autumn 1944. The tank is equipped with T49 tracks.

Bottom photo - M4A2(76)W "Sherman", 2nd Tank Army of the 1st Belorussian Front, Berlin, April 1945.

М4А2(76) "Sherman", 64th Guards Tank Regiment of the 2nd Belorussian Front, Gdansk region, January 1945.

M4A2 Sherman, unknown part. Crossing near Narva, February-March 1944.

Top photo - Sherman, 2nd Tank Army, outskirts of Lublin, July 26, 1944.

Bottom photo - M4A2(76)W "Sherman", 9th Mechanized Corps, 6th Tank Army, Transbaikal Front, Manchuria, August 1945.

Soviet tank crews The M4A2 Sherman tanks were well received. On October 23, 1943, the 5th Guards Tank Brigade reported:

"Thanks to high speed, the M4A2 tank is very convenient for pursuit and has great maneuverability. The armament is fully consistent with its design, since it has fragmentation and armor-piercing shells (blanks), the penetration ability of which is very high. The 75-mm cannon and two Browning machine guns operate flawlessly. The disadvantages of the tank include its high altitude, which makes it a target on the battlefield. The armor, despite its large thickness (60 mm), is of poor quality, as there were cases when it was penetrated by anti-tank guns at a distance of 80 meters. In addition, there were a number of cases when Yu-87 bombed tanks with 20-mm cannons and pierced the side armor of the turret and side armor, resulting in losses among the crews. Compared to the T-34, the M4A2 is easier to control and more durable during long marches, since the engines do not require frequent adjustments. These tanks perform well in battle.”

The smooth ride of the Shermans was appreciated by the infantry paratroopers. Old soldiers recalled that in the second half of 1944, M4A2 tanks were used to hunt German Faustians. Six to eight machine gunners climbed onto the tank and tied themselves with belts to brackets on the armor. The tank was driving, and the soldiers fired at all suspicious objects at a distance of 100–150 m from the tank.

This tactical technique was nicknamed "broom". Only Shermans were suitable for its implementation. On the T-34, due to the too rigid suspension, the landing party was shaking and there was no talk of any targeted shooting. It should also be noted the greater comfort for the Sherman crew compared to the Thirty-Four.

In July 1943, the 299th separate tank regiment, equipped with 38 M4A2 tanks, arrived in the 48th Army of the Central Front. But the mass equipping of tank units of the Red Army with Sherman tanks began only in the spring of 1944.

Two types of units equipped with M4A2 Sherman tanks can be distinguished: separate mixed tank regiments and tank or mechanized corps. Regiments usually had 11 M4A2 tanks and ten Valentine IX tanks. They operated as part of combined arms armies on various fronts.

Tank and mechanized corps were part of the tank armies. For example, the 3rd Stalingrad Guards Mechanized Corps operated as part of the 3rd Belarusian Front on June 22, 1944, and had 196 tanks: 110 M4A2, 70 Valentine IX, 16 T-34. The 2nd and 4th Guards Mechanized Corps were fully equipped with Soviet tanks.

The 3rd Guards Tank Corps (1st Baltic Front) was also equipped with allied tanks. On August 15, 1944, the corps had 99 Shermans and 23 Valentine IXs. In May 1944, allied tanks were equipped with the 1st Mechanized Corps named after. Red Guard of the 1st Belorussian Front. The brigades and regiments of the corps contained 136 M4A2 tanks, 44 Valentine IX, five Valentine X, 21 SU-76 self-propelled guns, 21 SU-85 self-propelled guns, 43 BA-64 armored vehicles and 47 Scout cars. From July 29, 1944, the corps took part in the battles of Slutsk and Baranovichi, and later participated in the liberation of Brest. 5th Guards Tank Army - main impact force 3rd Belorussian Front during Operation Bagration - was the largest strike formation, equipped with a noticeable number Western technology. In total, the army had 350 T-34 tanks. 64 Shermans, 38 Valentine IX tanks, 29 IS-2 tanks, 23 ISU-152 self-propelled guns, 42 SU-85:, 22 SU-76, 21 M10 and 37 SU-57.

With the liberation of Belarus, the qualitative development of Soviet tank forces begins. According to the degree of preparation, experience and ability to conduct combat operations Soviet tank units were on par with units and formations of all levels of the Wehrmacht and SS troops.

On July 2, 1944, five Sherman tanks, led by Guard Senior Lieutenant G. G. Kiyashko (from the 9th Guards Mechanized Brigade of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps) attacked the enemy and crossed the Berezina in the first echelon. Here the tankers received an order to immediately break into the town of Krasnoye, and if there was no enemy resistance, take the place. The enemy garrison did not expect an attack, so the tanks burst into the streets of the town, clogged with German trucks. Shooting from cannons and machine guns, throwing hand grenades, crushing tank tracks, the tankers destroyed Nazi equipment. Several tanks broke through to the neighboring railway station.

The commander of another platoon, Lieutenant Smirnov, received a radio message from Kiyashko and managed to intercept two locomotives and several cars from which military equipment was unloaded. Soon the Nazis were finally driven out of the town. During the battle, the guards destroyed four field guns, almost 30 vehicles, killed 80 German soldiers, losing only one Sherman, Sergeant Major A.E. Bashmakov. Tankers cut the highway and railway, leading to Minsk. Kiyashko ordered that three serviceable Shermans organized an ambush, and E.N. Smirnov’s vehicle, which as a result of the ramming received damage to the turret rotation mechanism, took the wounded and retreated to the location of the main forces of the brigade.

Soon the remaining soviet tanks were attacked by a German group leaving Minsk for Molodechno via Krasnoye. 20 tanks and self-propelled guns (including several Panthers) and up to an infantry battalion were thrown against the crews of three Soviet tanks. In just a few hours of battle, three Shermans knocked out six Germans. PzKpfw tanks IV, one Panther and a StuG III self-propelled artillery mount were destroyed down to a company of infantry. But the forces were not equal. All Soviet tanks were knocked out, the remnants of the crews managed to break through to their own.

Meanwhile, with the approach of the main forces of the brigade, the battles for Krasnoye flared up with renewed vigor. On July 3, having lost seven Shermans, the tankers did not take the city. The German defenses were strong. The next day, having bypassed the city from the flanks, our units forced the enemy to begin retreating, and on July 5, the Soviet cavalry of General Oslikovsky burst into Krasnoe and completely cleared the city of the Germans.

M4A2(76)W HVSS Sherman tank chassis with 23-inch tracks. The chassis was used to start generators until the end of the 60s. Some machines were put into practice as early as 1996! In the summer of 1945, the USSR managed to receive a batch of such tanks, which it used in the war with Japan.

M4A2(76)W Sherman tanks, 9th Mechanized Corps, 6th Tank Army. Transbaikal Front, formation before the start of the war with Japan, August 8, 1945.

Sherman tanks were used in the Red Army until the end of the war. For example, the 8th Guards Alexandria Mechanized Corps of the 2nd Belorussian Front on January 14, 1945 had 185 M4A2, five T-34, 21 IS, 21 SU-85, 21 SU-76, 53 Scouts, 52 BA-64 and 19 M17 ZSU. The 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 2nd Ukrainian Front on August 10, 1944 consisted of 100 M4A2, 40 Valentine IX and three SU-76s, and the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps on August 5, 1944 had 26 T-34, 41 M4A2 and 19 SU-76. Sherman tanks took Vienna (as part of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps) and participated in the Berlin operation (as part of the troops of the 2nd Tank and 33rd armies). They ended their combat journey in the Red Army at Pacific Ocean: during the war with Japan, the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front had more than 250 of these vehicles, in the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Guards Tank Army there were 137 Shermans, in the 201st Tank Brigade - 65, and in the 48th Separate tank battalion has two T-34s, two Shermans and two SU-100s.

As you know, during World War II, several modifications of the most popular American medium tank, the M4 General Sherman, were produced. It should be emphasized that all of them were not fundamentally different from the basic version in their tactical and technical characteristics. The reasons that prompted factories to start producing them were more of a technological nature, taking into account the capabilities of a particular enterprise, traditional related factories, etc. From February 1942 to July 1945, six main modifications of the M4 tank were in serial production. main distinctive features which were the type power plant and a method for manufacturing the housing. Thus, the M4 and M4A1 models were equipped with star-shaped carburetor engines Continental R-975 and had welded and cast hulls, respectively. The tanks of the M4A2 variant were equipped with General Motors 6046 diesel engines, M4AZ - Ford GAA carburetor engines, M4A4 - blocks of five Chrysler A57 carburetor motors and, finally, on the M4A6 - the RD-1820 diesel engine. All these modifications had welded bodies.

From the point of view of the layout of the power compartment, the General Motors 6046 and Ford GAA engines turned out to be the most successful. However, the first, which was a pair of automobile diesel engines, did not meet the requirements of the US Army, in which a carburetor engine was considered standard. Therefore, M4A2 tanks were mainly supplied to the allies of the United States in the anti-Hitler coalition and only entered service with the corps in small quantities. Marine Corps USA. As for the second, it became the “heart” of the most widespread modification of the Sherman.

The first copy of the new tank, designated M4AZ, was manufactured by Ford Motor Company at the end of May 1942. Early production vehicles still had inspection slots in the frontal part of the hull, but the transmission hatch cover was already solid, and the upper frontal sheet of the hull, unlike other models, was welded from fewer parts. The production of the first series of M4AZ with a 75-mm cannon and dry ammunition rack was completed in September 1943, and in February 1944, the Fisher Tank Arsenal plant began production of these tanks, but with a wet ammunition rack (model M4A3(75)W). Tanks with a 76-mm gun began leaving the workshops of the Detroit Tank Arsenal plant, part of the Chrysler concern, in March 1944. By the end of September, 1,400 M4A3(76)W were manufactured, which also had a vertical suspension and 421 mm wide tracks. But already in August they began to produce the M4A3(76)W HVSS version with horizontal suspension, in the production of which from September to December 1944 the Fisher Tank Arsenal plant took part, producing 525 units. Production of the M4A3(76)W HVSS in Detroit ended in June 1945, when the last 1217th tank of this modification left the factory gates. Thus, a total of 1,742 M4A3(76)W HVSS tanks were produced.

At the same time, it’s worth immediately making a reservation that the official index assigned by the Military Department is M4A3(76)W HVSS, which contained in encrypted form all the main stages of modernization of the M4AZ tank (“76” - 76-mm gun, W - wet ammunition rack, HVSS - horizontal suspension system), did not take root among the troops. A simpler version of the index - M4A3E (J, which this tank was designated at the testing stage, on the contrary, gained wide popularity. This is what everyone called this vehicle - from a soldier to a general. The letter "E" in the index, which is received in the American designation system prototypes, the soldiers deciphered it in their own way, giving their favorite tank the nickname Easy Eight - “comfortable eight”. On this car, deservedly considered the best version M4AZ, it makes sense to dwell in more detail.

The hull of the M4AZE8 tank was welded from rolled armor plates. Its frontal part consisted of a massive cast part, which simultaneously served as a transmission hatch cover and a turning mechanism housing, and a top sheet 108 mm thick, located at an angle of 56° to the vertical. A ball mount for a 7.62 mm Browning M1919A4 machine gun was mounted in its lower part on the right. The sides of the hull were vertical and had a thickness of 38 mm.

The aft part of the hull consisted of two inclined (10°...12°) sheets - upper and lower. The upper one was shifted relative to the lower one so that a pocket was formed between them for the air coming from the fans to escape. In the front part of the hull roof above the control compartment there were oval landing hatches for the driver and his assistant, located across the hull and having MB surveillance devices built into the covers; between the hatches there is an exhaust fan. In the middle part of the hull roof, a fixed turret ring was attached, around which a protective armor visor was welded. In the aft part of the roof there was a large over-engine hatch, closed with a double-leaf lattice cover.

On the roof of the cast T23 turret there was a commander's cupola with six triplex glass blocks and a periscope observation device MB, an oval loader hatch, a hatch for the MB observation device, an anti-aircraft machine gun bracket and an antenna input. There was a hatch on the left side of the turret for firing personal weapons, and a fan was mounted at the stern fighting compartment. The walls of the tower had a thickness of 63.5 mm, the roof - 25.4 mm. In the front part of the turret, in the M62 mask mount (armor shield thickness - 90 mm), there was a 76-mm M1A1S or M1A2 cannon with a 52-caliber barrel length. The gun barrel was equipped with a double-chamber muzzle brake. Vertical aiming was possible within the range from -10° to +25°. The gun had a vertical wedge breech and semi-automatic copy type. A coaxial Browning M1919A4 machine gun was installed next to the mantled gun, and a 12.7 mm machine gun was mounted on the roof of the turret. anti-aircraft machine gun Browning M2HB. A 2-inch MZ smoke grenade launcher was located in the left front part of the turret roof. The gun was aimed at the target using the M71D telescopic sight and the M4A1 periscopic sight with a built-in M47A2 telescopic sight. The gun was stabilized in the vertical guidance plane. The Westinghouse stabilizer was a type of gyroscopic stabilizer with indicator pendulum gyroscopes and a power hydraulic servo system.

The tower was rotated by a hydroelectric turning mechanism or manually. Using a hydroelectric mechanism, the tower could be rotated 360° in 15 seconds. The mechanism had an additional drive to the tank commander, when turned on, the gunner's drive was turned off.

The tank's ammunition consisted of 71 artva arrows, 600 rounds of 12.7 mm caliber, 6250 rounds of 7.62 mm caliber and 12 smoke fans. The M4AZE8 tank had a so-called wet type ammunition rack, as evidenced by the letter W in its designation (W - wet - wet). The ammunition was stored in two boxes located on the bottom of the hull and filled with water. To prevent the water from freezing in winter, ethylene glycol was added to it. Placing the ammunition on the floor of the fighting compartment increased the survivability of the vehicle, and filling it with water helped save it from detonation.

An 8-cylinder V-shaped carburetor liquid-cooled Ford GAA engine with a maximum power of 500 hp was installed in the power compartment. at 2600 rpm. The capacity of the fuel tanks was 635 liters of gasoline with an octane rating of at least 80.

The torque from the engine, located in the rear part, was transmitted via a cardan shaft passing under the rotating turret floor to a double-disc main one located in the control compartment in the bow of the tank.

dry friction clutch, gearbox, double cylindrical differential and final drives Five-speed, mechanical gearbox with constant mesh special gears with synchronizers in all gears except 1st and reverse

The chassis of the M4AZE8 tank, in relation to one bot, consisted of six double rubberized support rollers, interlocked in pairs into three balanor bogies suspended on two horizontal buffer springs each, three single and two double support rollers of the rubberized guide wheel of the front drive wheel with removable gear rims (gearing lantern) Each track had 79 single-ridge toaks with a width of 584.2 mm (23 inches) and a track pitch of 152 mm. The tracks are metal or rubber-metal with a silent block. A hydraulic shock absorber was installed in each suspension bogie

The engine, transmission and chassis allowed the 33.7 combat vehicle to reach a maximum speed on the highway of 42 km/h. The cruising range was 160 km.

All tanks were equipped with SCR 508, 528 and 538 radio stations. The SCR 506 radio station was available only on command tanks.

M4AZE8 tanks began to arrive to American troops in Europe on December 1, 1944 - at the height of the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes. In particular, the 4th Panzer Division of the 3rd American army successfully used them in heavy battles near Bastogne in late December - early January 1945. These tanks differed only from the previous version - M4A3(76)W chassis, but this turned out to be a lot. Wide tracks made it easier for the new tanks to move through snow and muddy ground, which is why tankers immediately fell in love with them. And no wonder - body pressure for M4AZE8 was 0.77 kg/cm2 versus 1 kg/cm2 for M4A3! The use of greasy T66 tracks with developed ground surfaces further improved cross-country ability. The crews also evaluated the characteristics of the horizontal suspension - it turned out to be significantly softer than the vertical one. When driving over rough terrain, the tank got rid of longitudinal rocking, and on the highway the ride comfort became comparable to a car. The increased smoothness had a positive effect on shooting accuracy, reducing the load on the gun's aiming stabilizer. All these advantages of the M4AZE8, combined with the reliability and ease of operation traditional for Shermans, apparently became the reason for its nickname.

In the troops, the “convenient eights” did not undergo any alterations or modifications, with the exception, perhaps, of the constant desire of the crews to at least somehow strengthen their armor protection. And it’s not that it was too weak - the frontal armor of the Shermans was superior, at least it corresponded to that of other medium-sized aircraft. . tanks of those years, the Soviet T-34-85 and the German Pz.IV. In general, M4AZE8 could fight on equal terms with the latest ones! But the Germans also had a “Panther” and an 88-mm Pak 43 cannon - the worst nightmare of American tankers. Both of them “pierced” with ease. American tank at a distance of 1000 m and even more. In fact, from the moment of the landing in Normandy, American tankers began to hang garlands of caterpillar tracks on the sides of combat vehicles. In the 14th Tank Division they went even further and welded frame structures filled with sandbags onto the sides. But perhaps the most professional and thorough approach to resolving this issue was in the 3rd Army of General George Patton. After the end of the fighting in the Ardennes, armor plates began to be welded onto the M4A3E8 hulls. carved from destroyed American and German tanks. Moreover, exactly the same sheet was welded onto the inclined berm sheet, which doubled its thickness. Thinner sheets were attached to the cast transmission cover on the sides of the hull and turret. Very quickly, the 3rd Army realized that it would not be possible to cope with such work with the help of army repair shops alone. Therefore, in February 1945 year, Belgian enterprises in Bastonme were involved in strengthening the armor protection of tanks. Until the end of the month, 106 M4AZE8 tanks were converted to them for three tank divisions- 4th, 6th and 11th. Thus, each received 36 cars.

Work to strengthen tank armor turned out to be very popular among the crews of Takappimer. According to reviews from tankers from the 6th Tank Division, tanks with additional armor easily withstood fire from the 75-mm cannon of the Panther tank. As a result, in March 1945, additional armoring of combat vehicles continued. The example of the 3rd Army was followed by separate formations of the 7th and 1st armies. In some, for example in the 3rd Tank Division, additional armor was carried out according to the design developed in the army of General Paton, in others they created their own schemes.

Meanwhile, in the 3rd Army, not content with just additional armor, they began to re-equip the “convenient eights.” On some of the vehicles, a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun was replaced by a large-caliber 12.7-mm machine gun. At the same time, its barrel noticeably protruded beyond the dimensions of the anti-aircraft mask installation the large-caliber machine gun was moved forward by welding its bracket in front of the loader's hatch. Well, in front of the commander's cupola they placed a bracket for a non-standard 7.62-mm Browning M1919A4 machine gun. With such additional armament, air defense capabilities increased slightly, since it was impossible to shoot at planes from both machine guns at once - they simply interfered with each other But for combat in a populated area, for shelling the upper floors of buildings where German “Faustniks” could be holed up. two machine guns were very useful

M4AZE8 tanks, as well as Shermans of other modifications, fought until the end of World War II, and then were in service with battalions of medium tanks of tank divisions until the mid-1950s. These combat vehicles actively used in the Korean War

It must be said that the situation with tank units The USA was deplorable by the summer of 1950. Numerous American armored forces were almost completely demobilized after the end of the Second World War. On the territory of the country there were only three (!) tank battalions of the 6th (M26 tanks), the 70th training battalion at Fort Knox (M4AZ and M26/ and the 73rd at the infantry school at Fort Benning (M26; In these conditions, the command 8th Army, Military, which was located in Japan and South Korea, removed from storage and repaired 54 M4AZE8 tanks and formed them into the 89th battalion, which arrived at the Busan bridgehead at the end of July 1950, and entered the battle on 2 Argust. A company of Shermans attacked Ser Korean positions near Masan and “ran into” the position of a 45-mm platoon anti-tank guns lost 8 tanks and retreated

There were few tank battles in Korea. The sides suffered the main losses from artillery fire, bazookas and anti-tank rifles. In response to the Korean T 34-85 tanks, the Americans sought to use their M26 and M46, which were superior Soviet car both in firepower and armor protection. The same clash between the T-34-85 and the M4AZE8 occurred at the end of September 1950, when American troops who had landed at Inchon fought their way towards the troops from the Pusan ​​bridgehead. Ten thirty-fours attacked the Shermans of the 2nd platoon of Company C of the 70th Tank Battalion. M4AZE8 were shot down in a matter of seconds. Then one T-34-85 “ironed” a transport convoy, smashing 15 trucks and jeeps into splinters, and was hit at point-blank range from a 105-mm howitzer. Four more T-34-85s became victims of bazooka fire, and the core of the Serero-Korean tanks was knocked out from the rear by the approaching main forces of the 70th Tank Battalion

At the end of 1950, American troops in Korea numbered 1,326 tanks, 679 of which were M4AZE8. The troops of the Chinese People's Volunteers, which went on the offensive in October 1950, initially had no tanks at all. However, having thrown 31 infantry divisions against 18 American ones, by the beginning of 1951 the Chinese pushed them back beyond the 38th parallel. By mid-January, 670 tanks remained in the 8th Army, of which 317 were M4AZE8 and M4AZE5). Active in April fighting ended on the land front in Korea. At the same time, the combat career of the “convenient eight” practically ended.

Few of them were supplied to other countries - there were plenty of Shermans of other modifications that found themselves in abundance in the United States, Great Britain and France after World War II. Apparently, the most recent and notable combat episode with their participation is associated with Cuba. Seven M4AZE8s were in service with the Batista regime and were used against the rebels. In December 1958, in the city of Santa Clara, partisans captured five Shermans without a fight - Che Guevara persuaded the tankers and they went over to the side of the rebels. On January 1, 1959, Havana rebelled and the Batista regime was swept away. And on January 8, the Rebel Army entered the city. Fidel Castro greeted the jubilant Havanese, standing in the open hatch of the comfortable figure eight.”

M. Baryatinsky,
"Modeler-constructor" No. 3 "2006