M4 "Sherman": review, photos, reviews, first combat use. How to play M4 Sherman? The main American medium tank M4 Sherman Dimensions of the M4 Sherman

The M4 Sherman is an American fifth-tier medium tank, which is loved by many tankers and is considered the best car at your own level. Is it so? We'll learn about this a little later, but now let's try to understand this tank in more detail.

Short description

The M4 Sherman is America's medium tank that was used in World War II. Initially, it had only the index M4 in its name - the modification number in order. When the tank went to serve in Britain, a nominal part was added to the name - “Sherman”, in honor of William Sherman, who was a general in the Northern army during the Civil War. At one time the tank was also called “Emcha”.

Story

The history of the creation of the tank begins in 1941. When World War II began in Europe, the United States had only so-called medium tank prototypes in stock. At that time, in addition to the M3 "Li" and M2A4 "Medium", a stronger tank with a radically different design was required. At the same time, the Americans wanted it to remain as cheap as its previous brothers. On February 1, 1941, accelerated development of the tank began, and within six months the M4 Sherman was presented at the training ground. Photos of the tank immediately began to appear in the press and have since acquired enormous historical value.

Then there was no choice, and the car turned out to be of fairly high quality and relatively cheap. Therefore, the Sherman immediately passed standardization and was put into mass production. By 1945, almost 50 thousand vehicles of this model had been created, and the tank became the most popular in America.

Design

Now let's talk about the appearance of the M4 Sherman. A historical review shows that its features are also visible in German cars. This is not surprising, because initially the very idea of ​​the layout was borrowed from the Germans. The engine compartment was located at the rear of the hull, but the transmission compartment was moved forward. In the center there was a combat zone, which reached right up to the tower.

Throughout the war, this arrangement was used by almost all German and American designers for medium and heavy tanks. The height of the hull, despite the unloading of all parts, continued to be quite significant. This was due to the location of the engine here, which was shaped like a star. The main elements of the transmission also took place here.

The Sherman's combat crew was 5 people: the commander always took a place at the turret and observed the terrain, the loader and gunner sat on either side of the commander, the driver himself, and with him the gunner-radio operator, were in the front of the hull.

Historical characteristics of the tank

Continuing to talk about the M4 Sherman, the review should be moved from the visual aspect to a more significant one - the technical one. Let's start with protective equipment. The armor was rolled steel. It was from such sheets that the entire body was created. In the very first modification, the M4 had 51 mm of frontal armor. The parts are located at an angle of 56 degrees. The side and stern received 38 mm of protection, while the roof and bottom received only 25 mm.

The tower was made by casting. Its frontal part is covered with 76 mm of armor, on the sides - 51 mm. The tower was installed using a shoulder strap and a ball bearing. A hole was made in the front part of the turret for the gun mantlet and machine gun.

Several types of engines were initially used for the Sherman. One of the modifications included an aircraft engine that developed a power of 350 horsepower. There was a version of the tank with twin Ford engines, and the car could accelerate thanks to 500 horsepower.

The chassis was completely taken from its younger brother, the Lee. At that time, there was a popular blocked type using three support trolleys. The track was shallow, with 79 tracks and a width of 420 mm. Initially, a rubber-metal hinge was used here, but later it was completely replaced with a metal one.

The 75-mm cannon from the Medium and Lee tanks was also used for the gun. But, naturally, after several months of development, more modern weapons were installed. Also, the tank was re-equipped more than once to fight heavier opponents; anti-tank guns were installed on it.

To battle

The first combat use of the M4 Sherman took place in 1942. The battle at El Alamein was a confrontation between British (including the Sherman) and a similar class of German equipment. Many historians to this day believe that it was this tank that made the maximum contribution to the victory.

But the first combat use of the M4 Sherman by the Americans occurred in December of the same year in Tunisia. But the Americans were played a cruel joke by their inexperience and inability to use this miracle machine. As a result, the troops were mercilessly defeated. Within a couple of months, the Shermans again met German tanks in the same area. And again, problems arose in the battles, which gave an idea of ​​​​the imperfection of the layout and the weakness of military weapons.

By the way, in 1942 the tank was supplied to the Red Army. Here the M4 was successful in almost all battles. The tanks were good, they confidently helped end the war and reached Berlin together with the troops of our country. After the war, Soviet tank crews spoke very positively about the Sherman, the only thing noted was the frequent rate of fires and a weak gun.

The last gasp for this machine was the battles on Far East already in 1945. The first use of the M4 Sherman brought popularity to this vehicle, and in addition to British, American and Soviet troops, the tank was used during the Korean War in the early 50s. the Chinese, and a little later - the Arabs.

Game version

Before we figure out how to play the M4 Sherman, let's take a closer look at the game version of the American medium tank. As you already know, in the game “Sherman” occupies an honorable fifth level and, as practice shows, can bend opponents well.

Please note that in stock condition the tank looks quite bad. He is slow, clumsy and weak. But all gamers of the famous World of Tanks know that any tank in its initial state is bad. Now let's talk a little about the main technical characteristics of the machine.

The M4 Sherman has 460 health units, a speed of 48 kilometers per hour, turret armor of 63 millimeters on all sides, the hull has 51 millimeters in the frontal area, and the sides and rear have 38 millimeters each. Thus, the historical inaccuracy can be immediately traced. Although we all understand that Wargaming is trying to balance the game so that tanks that are radically different in strength do not meet on the battlefield.

Pros and cons of "American"

In principle, at its fifth level, M4 is not particularly different from its colleagues. Some things are worse, some are better, but the car is balanced for playing with opponents. Despite the low speed, the tank is quite maneuverable, in which case it can change its position on the battlefield and be an excellent assistant to heavy vehicles.

The downside of the Sherman is its fairly large size. Although it all depends on what levels he comes across in battle. Nevertheless, its silhouette is quite large, so it is not difficult to hit it. In addition, remember that his armor is not the strongest.

By the way, some players believe that the M4 Sherman is ideal for farming silver. In direct hands, a tank can cause a lot of damage, while spending little on repairs and shells. Probably not everyone will agree with this. As practice shows, for some one tank can become best friend, for others - a sworn enemy.

Gaming weapon

Well, it’s worth talking directly about the “American’s” weapons. In this section, perhaps, you will find the answer to the question of what gun to install on the M4 Sherman. There are two weapon options in the game. The first and most suitable is the sixth level 76 mm gun. Its advantage is its rate of fire. In 60 seconds it fires as many as 14.3 shots. At the same time, the armor penetration is 177 mm, but the damage from them is 110.

If you choose this weapon, keep in mind that you will have a heavy support burden on your shoulders. With such damage and penetration, you shouldn't fly forward and try to enlighten someone. It is best to hide somewhere in the bushes and wait for your opponents to spot you.

But the second gun is a high-explosive weapon with 105 mm. Few people will believe it, but sometimes this gun can destroy some roaming firefly with one shot. Fires 7.5 shots per minute, but armor penetration is 53 with damage of 410.

Looking at the characteristics, it should be said that the high-explosive weapon has very poor accuracy, so it is best to get close to the enemy and surprise him at a short distance. Many players even believe that this is an excellent fun weapon that will bring good mood in battle.

The following tips will help you improve your tank. Let's start by answering the question of what modules to install on the M4 Sherman. First of all, you will need to decide on the role of your car. Most players choose a rammer, reinforced aiming drives and a stabilizer, thereby improving the accuracy of the gun. In some cases, improved ventilation can be installed. And if you want to improve your already excellent visibility, install optics.

But when you have thoroughly upgraded the tank, or rather, the crew, another question will arise: “What skills are needed for the M4 Sherman crew?” First of all, you can bleed the light bulb and repair it. Then we can take perks for review to again improve our search abilities. Then we reduce the spread of the gun and upgrade the perks for stabilization. Well, after that you can take care of the dynamics, and install camouflage for the loader.

How to play?

Having finished the review of the M4 Sherman tank, you can move on to the gameplay itself. There are no important or difficult moments here. The main thing is what was said in the section about the weapon. Depending on the choice of gun on the battlefield, you will become either an assistant or a destroyer. In the first case, you ride behind heavy tanks and distribute damage behind the backs of your courageous allies. In the second case, you should be more careful, but approach the victim closer so that the accuracy of the weapon does not fail at the most crucial moment.

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. the main distinguishing features of which were the type of power plant and the method of manufacturing the hull. 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 tank division 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 tank crews. Both of them easily “pierced” an American tank at a distance of 1000 m and even more. In fact, from the moment of the landing in Normandy, American tank crews began hang garlands of caterpillar tracks on the sides of combat vehicles. The 14th Tank Division 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. cut from damaged 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 During the year, Belgian enterprises in Bastonme were involved in strengthening the armor protection of tanks. By the end of the month, 106 M4AZE8 tanks were converted to them for three tank divisions - the 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 the battle in locality, 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 Sherman company attacked Ser Korean positions near Masan, ran into the position of a platoon of 45-mm 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 to the Soviet vehicle in both 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

There is an interesting monument in the Israeli Armored Forces Museum. There are three tanks on a pedestal of stones - the British Cromwell and the American Sherman. The symbolism is clear: these are the machines 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. 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 difficult 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 later some tanks were rearmed with a 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, insufficient maneuverability in winter conditions and a tendency to rollover due to the high center of gravity were noted.

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 could not be realized (due to specific natural conditions) their advantage in mobility, and the tankers carried 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.

Performance characteristics of the main modifications of M4 tanks and their closest analogues
	M4A1	M4A3(76)W HVSS	T-34 mod. 1942	T-34-85 mod. 1944	Pz.KpfW.IV Ausf.H
Dimensions
Length with gun, m	5,84	7,54	6,62	8,10	7,02
Width, m	2,62	3,00	3,00	3,00	2,88
Height, m	2,74	2,97	2,52	2,72	2,68
Combat weight, t	30,3	33,6	30,9	32,0	25,7
Reservation, mm
Body forehead	51/ 56°	64/ 47°	45/ 60°	45/ 60°	80
Sides and stern of the hull	38	38	45-40 / 40°	45-40 / 40°	30-20
Tower forehead	76	64…89	53	90	50
The sides and stern of the tower	51	51	53	52-75	30
Armament
A gun	75mm M3	76mm M1	1 × 76 mm F-34	1 × 85 mm S-53	75 mm KwK.40 L/48
Machine guns		1 × 12.7 mm M2HB, 2 × 7.62 mm M1919A4	2 × 7.62 mm DT	2 × 7.62 mm DT	2 × 7.92 mm MG-34
Ammunition, shots/cartridges	90 / 300 + 4750	71 / 600 + 6250	77 / 2898	60 / 1890	87 / 3150
Mobility
Engine	Gasoline 9 cylinder radial “Continental” R975 C1, 350 l. With.	Gasoline 8-cylinder V-shaped “Ford” GAA, 450 hp. With.		12 cyl. V-shaped diesel V-2, 500 l. With.	Petrol 12-cylinder Maybach HL 120TRM, 300 l. With.
Maximum speed on the highway, km/h	39	42	54	54	38
Cruising range on the highway, km	190	160	300	300	210

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 cannon matched the characteristics of the Soviet F-34 and ZiS-5 guns, allowing it 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 even surpassed it when using a sub-caliber projectile. 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 workmanship 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.

Its early models were inferior 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. Without much 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 American medium tank M4 Sherman was actively used in several wars and became truly widespread, second in number only to the T-34 along with the T-54. It received its name in honor of General William Sherman, and it was given by the British and only over time did it finally take hold, although in the USSR they used to call it “emcha”.

Appearing in 1942, the M4 Sherman entered service with several countries and received 8 modifications, and also served as the basis for more more special vehicles and self-propelled guns.

Creation

When World War II began, America did not have modern medium tanks in service. Therefore, engineers tried to create a new car based on the M2, later called the M3 Lee. However, even during development, it became clear that it was not suitable for the army, so a new tank had to be developed.

On September 2, 1941, the T6 prototype was developed, in which they decided to use M3 components and a new layout.

Tests were carried out very quickly and in mid-February of the following year the first Sherman was released under the symbol M4.

Design

As already mentioned, the tank borrowed a lot from its predecessor. For example, the engine, transmission, chassis and main weapons. At the same time, it received a completely new body with a traditional US and German layout with a transmission in the front and weapons in a rotating turret, thus getting rid of the main drawback of the M3.

The crew of the vehicle consisted of 5 people, the driver and gunner-radio operator were located in the front part of the hull, and the remaining 3 were in the turret.

Sherman weighed about 30 tons.

Frame

As already mentioned, the layout has become more traditional compared to the M3, with the transmission compartment in the front, the combat compartment in the middle and the engine compartment in the rear.

Despite the fact that the weapons were in the turret, the hull remained very high due to the fact that a radial engine designed for aviation was installed vertically in it.

This feature did not have the best effect on the Sherman, reducing its camouflage capabilities and stability.

The hull of all modifications except the M4A1 was made of rolled armor plates connected to each other by welding, since casting turned out to be too complex for mass production.

The upper frontal part was made up of 7 parts, so the welding was done very well, and the lower part was made of 3, but connected by bolts. Later, the NLD began to be made in one piece at once.

The thickness of the upper frontal armor of the Shermans of the first series was 50 mm at an angle of 47° but was weakened by the hatches of the viewing devices. A little later they were removed, but the angle of inclination was also changed, becoming equal to 56°.

The sides of the hull received a thickness of 38 mm and were positioned vertically, the stern received the same thickness, but at the same time the angle of inclination was about 10°, and the bottom was 13-25 mm.

A special feature of the armor was its viscosity, which slightly reduced its strength, but significantly reduced the number of fragments inside the tank.

There was a hatch in the bottom of the hull, increasing the chances of rescuing the crew from a damaged tank.

Another hatch for the driver, located on the roof of the hull, turned out to be a very poor design, since it tilted upward, which is why the gun could hit it and literally slam the driver with it, breaking his neck. Later this drawback was eliminated by making the hatch sliding to the side.

Part of the ammunition was located on the sides of the hull, which is why powder gases easily ignited when a projectile hit the hull.

Later, around mid-1944, a new ammunition rack appeared, moved to the floor of the fighting compartment and with water between the ammunition slots, which significantly increased its protection.

Tower

The cast turret received a cylindrical shape, a rear niche and a pistol embrasure on the left. The thickness of its forehead was 76 mm, and the angle of inclination was 60°; additional protection was provided by a gun mask with a thickness of 89 mm. The sides and rear of the tower received the same thickness of 51 mm.

The rotation was carried out using an electro-hydraulic or electric drive, depending on the Sherman modification; there was also the possibility of a manual drive, and a 360° turn was made in just 15 seconds.

The loader's position was located inside on the left, and on the other side were the gunner and commander behind him.

On the roof of the turret of early modifications there was one hatch, later a second one appeared for the loader, and on the commander’s cover there was an anti-aircraft machine gun turret.

Part of the ammunition was located on the turret floor, and another part was located in the rear of the basket.

Armament

The main gun of the first series of tanks was the 75 mm M3 L/37.5 cannon installed on the M3; a little later, in October 1942, the Sherman was equipped with an improved cannon mantlet, a coaxial machine gun and a telescopic sight for the gunner.

The weapons had several interesting features, namely vertical stabilization using a gyroscope, installation of a gun, with a rotation of 90° in order to control the shutter in a horizontal rather than vertical plane, and large aiming angles from -10° to +25°.

In general, such a weapon was approximately equivalent in effectiveness to the F-34 mounted on the Soviet T-34 and was capable of hitting all early German technology, only later versions of the PzKpfW VI were relatively protected from it.

Later, with the advent of the medium Panther tank and the heavy Tiger, it was necessary to install a long-barreled M1 rifled gun with a caliber of 76.2 mm and a barrel length of 55 calibers. It also received several options, for example, with a thread for a removable muzzle brake, with displaced trunnions or changed rifling pitch.

The British army using Shermans installed its own 17-pounder MkIV guns, which did not require alteration of the turret.

American tanks used for artillery support of infantry received a rifled 105 mm M4 howitzer and lost their stabilizer due to the poor balance of the gun.

The ammunition load of different guns varied greatly, for example, for the M3 it was 90 shells, for the MkIV 77, for the M4 howitzer 66.

Several machine guns were installed on the Sherman as auxiliary weapons.

The gunner had a 7.62 mm M1919A4 coaxial cannon with an electric trigger, the gunner-radio operator was the same, mounted in a ball mount on the VLD, their total ammunition load was 4,750 rounds.

On the commander's hatch there was a turret with an M2H anti-aircraft machine gun of 12.7 mm caliber and 300 rounds of ammunition.

In June 1943, Sherman received a 51 mm M3 smoke mortar on the roof of the left turret with the breech under the armor and controlled by the loader.

Engine and transmission

As already stated, greater height The tank received a hull due to the vertical installation of a star-shaped aircraft engine Continental R975 C1, developing a power of 350 hp.

In addition to it, Sherman received 4 more power plant options, resulting in 6 modifications.

The M4 and M4A1 received the engine described above, and the M4A2 version, used in the USSR under Lend-Lease, had to install a pair of six-cylinder GM 6046 engines with a power of 375 hp. s., because Soviet troops accustomed to using diesel fuel.

M4A3 received a powerful V8Ford GAA, developing 500 hp. s., and M4A4 an interesting power plant Chrysler A57 multibank with a power of 470 hp, assembled from 5 L6 gasoline automobile engines and forcing the developers to lengthen the body.

The last option was the M4A6 with a Caterpillar RD1820 diesel engine with 450 hp, but the order for it was soon canceled because the diesel engine had poor performance characteristics.

To warm up the engine and charge the battery, a single-cylinder auxiliary power unit was installed on the Sherman, which made it possible to do without starting the main engine.

The transmission located in front additionally protected the crew, but if it was penetrated, it could burn with hot oil and increased the risk of immobilization even without penetration.

The tank was equipped with a mechanical five-speed gearbox with reverse gear, and turns were carried out using two separate brakes controlled by levers with servo drives.

The torque was transmitted via a driveshaft and a Cletrac double differential.

The transmission did not undergo any special changes, except that its protection became completely cast, and the parking brake control was changed from manual to foot.

Chassis

The suspension was borrowed from the M3 with minimal changes, so on each side the tank received the usual three support bogies to which were attached two rubberized road wheels and two buffer springs mounted vertically.

This suspension was called VVSS (Vertical Volute Spring Suspension), that is, “vertical”, in March 1945 it was modernized, receiving double rollers and horizontal springs along with hydraulic shock absorbers, wider tracks and the designation HVSS (Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension), that is, "horizontal".

It gave the Sherman better cross-country ability and reliability along with maintainability.

In general, the suspension turned out to be successful, providing a smoother ride and less noise compared to the T-34, which allowed infantry located on the armor to fire on the move.

Combat use

This tank actively participated in World War II, and later in the Korean, Arab-Israeli and Indo-Pakistani wars.

Sherman first saw action on October 23, 1942, as part of the British Army. The battle took place near El Alamein, during which the new tanks had to face German PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV. A successful design was demonstrated here, with a reasonable combination of protection, firepower and mobility.

Since November, it began to arrive in the USSR, where it turned out that it was very similar to the T-34, had weaker side protection, but was significantly superior in comfort, but the T-34-85 began to surpass the American tank in protection and firepower.

The US Army used Shermans a little later, on December 6 of the same year in Tunisia, their inexperience led to heavy losses, but the tank itself showed good results.

The military's joy ended on February 14 of the following year, when the new PzKpfw VI Tiger showed that Sherman was not capable of resisting them.

On June 6, 1944, when the famous Normandy landings began, the Americans Once again faced Tigers and Panthers, losing 1348 Shermans and another 600 tanks for other reasons over 10 months of fighting.

It finally became clear that the Sherman was poorly suited for anti-tank warfare or urban combat due to weak protection and weapons, but had excellent mobility and good conditions for the crew.

In Korea, Shermans received a 76 mm gun, which allowed them to match the Soviet T-34-85 in firepower, while surpassing them in visibility, comfort, having a stabilizer and more experienced crews.

Epilogue

The M4 Sherman was produced in quantities of more than 49,000 units, becoming the most popular American tank. It was used with pleasure in other countries, for example, in the USSR and Great Britain, since it turned out to be quite successful.

The Sherman had an excessive hull height, its first versions caught fire easily, the armor did not protect very well, the power of the guns of the first versions was often insufficient, and the design itself did not bring anything revolutionary or new, but was quite modern and left a lot of room for modernization.

The designers put a lot of effort into crew comfort, maintainability, reliability and ease of mass production, and this costs a lot in war.

Its armament was comparable to the T-34 or PzKpfw IV, inferior to the Panther and Tiger; its armor was also at the level of medium tanks, second only to heavy ones.

Significant advantages were mobility, reliability, unpretentiousness and high level noise, which made it possible to use the tank in any operations. The only drawback in this regard was the high fuel consumption, which limited the range to 190 kilometers, but a good support system completely solved this problem.

It’s not for nothing that many people call the M4 Sherman one of the best tanks of World War II, because it successfully combined all the necessary features of a medium tank without having any major drawbacks.

Not long ago, another Hollywood military blockbuster, Fury, starring Brad Pitt, who played a tough tank sergeant, was released worldwide. The film turned out to be quite controversial and caused a lot of discussions, but the daily work of a tank crew is shown quite well in it. However, the main role in this film was played not by Pitt, but by the famous American M4 Sherman tank, which in the film has its own name Fury - “Fury”.

The M4 Sherman was the main medium tank of the American Army during World War II. The tank received its name in honor of the American General William Sherman.

In addition to the US armed forces, this combat vehicle was also supplied to American allies: Great Britain, the USSR, Australia, and Canada. After the end of the war, Shermans were in service with Israel, Pakistan, Italy, France, India, Japan and Yugoslavia.

As part of the Lend-Lease program, the USSR received more than 4 thousand Sherman tanks. Soviet tank crews called this combat vehicle “emcha” (from the designation M4) and loved it. Getting to serve on an American tank was considered lucky. The ease of operation of the crews distinguished the M4 from any Soviet vehicles. Soviet tank crews also noted the high level of production of the Shermans, the excellent quality of the instruments and the powerful radio. Each American tank included a coffee maker, a fact that invariably made a powerful impression on Soviet soldiers.

Beginning in 1943, the Sherman became the main tank that came from the United States under Lend-Lease. This combat vehicle was also supplied to Great Britain in significant quantities.

The Sherman tank began its combat journey in North Africa, followed by the Allied landing in Normandy and fighting in Europe. The Americans used the M4 in the Pacific theater of operations.

And after the end of the World War, the service of this combat vehicle continued. The Sherman was in service with the US Army until the end of the 50s, and took part in the Korean War, where it clashed with Soviet tanks T-34-85.

Due to the huge number of combat vehicles produced, after the war, the Americans willingly transferred Shermans to the armies of the liberated countries and allied states. M4s were used by the Israeli army during the War of Independence and the Six Day War. During the Indo-Pakistani conflict of 1965, these combat vehicles were used by both India and Pakistan.

The M4 Sherman is one of the most popular tanks in history; in three years (from 1942 to 1945), the Americans managed to produce more than 49 thousand of these combat vehicles. Only the Soviet T-34 and T-55 are more widespread.

Many experts - primarily foreign, of course - call the Sherman medium tank the best combat vehicle of the Second World War, placing it ahead of the Soviet T-34. This issue is highly debatable, but these two tanks were definitely worth each other and are comparable in combat power and armor protection.

However, before starting a review of the Sherman tank, a few words should be said about the history of its creation and modifications of the vehicle.

History of creation

The US Army approached the beginning of World War II without not only no tank troops, but even no normal medium tank in mass production. Possessing a serious automotive industry and developed tractor manufacturing, American generals tanks were not considered something worthy of serious attention. It was believed that enemy vehicles would be destroyed by artillery and self-propelled gun fire.

Although, serious work in the field of tank building was carried out in the USA: the tanks of the American designer Christie became the model for the creation of the English Crusader and Soviet BT.

The history of the Sherman tank begins in 1939. The American military was stunned by the epic tank battles, taking place in Europe, as well as the effectiveness with which the Wehrmacht used tank troops in its campaigns. At the same time, the US Army possessed several hundred tanks, which, in terms of their characteristics, could not be compared with their European counterparts.

The only production American tank was the M2, armed with a 37 mm cannon and eight machine guns. It was planned to go into large-scale production in 1940, but at the last moment the order was canceled. Compared to the characteristics of German tanks, the 37 mm gun looked absolutely pitiful and hopeless. But it was impossible to install a more powerful 75 mm gun in the existing turret. It was then that the idea was born to create a multi-turreted tank with a 75 mm cannon in the side sponson.

This is how the M3 Lee tank appeared. However, it also ceased to satisfy the American military already at the development stage. The M3 “Li” was nevertheless put into mass production (more than 6 thousand units were produced) and adopted for service. This “freak” was even supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease and received the well-deserved nickname from Soviet soldiers “ mass grave"(the crew consisted of seven people).

In parallel with work on the M3, the development of another tank began, which was supposed to be armed with one 75-mm cannon located in a circular rotation turret. In its design it was planned to use the chassis of the M3 tank, its chassis, suspension, transmission and engine, that is, almost the entire lower part of the combat vehicle. The prototype of the future Sherman was ready on September 2, 1941 and received the designation T6. It had side doors and a commander's cupola, which were removed after the prototype was shown to military leaders. There were other minor comments; after modifications, the tank was accepted for service.

Serial production began in February 1942. The modification of the tank with a welded hull was designated M4, and with a cast hull - M4A1.

Initially, the tank was planned to be equipped with a new 76-mm M3 gun, but due to its unavailability, the Sherman was equipped with an old 75-mm gun from the M3 Lee tank.

The cost of one M4 tank was 45-50 thousand dollars, which was ten percent less than the M3 Lee.

The prototype of the T6 tank was manufactured at the Aberdeen Proving Ground by military personnel and technical personnel. Dozens of private contractors were involved in the mass production of the machine. Usually one plant was engaged in the manufacture of one or another element: part of the chassis, engine or weapons.

Modifications

The Sherman had a large number of modifications, and the peculiarity of this vehicle was that various versions of the tank did not appear as a result of modernization, but simply had significant technological differences and were produced in parallel. Often they were associated with the characteristics of the enterprises where the combat vehicles were made. For example, the M4A1 modification is formally considered the second, but it was put into production several months earlier than the M4.

Main differences various modifications The main features of the Sherman tank are the method of manufacturing the hull and the different type of power plant. At the same time, different types of combat vehicles periodically underwent various improvements, but this happened at approximately the same time. At the same time, the modernized tank received additional letters in the designation: W, (76) and HVSS. Factory designations were different; they included the letter E and a number. For example, the M4A3E8 Sherman tank.

Here are the main modifications of the combat vehicle:

• M4. One of the first modifications of the tank, its production began in mid-1942 and continued until January 1944. The car had a welded body and a Continental R-975 carburetor engine. Total There were 8,389 tanks of this modification, 6,748 of which were armed with the M3, and another 1,641 with the 105 mm howitzer.
• M4A1. The very first modification that went into mass production. This tank had a die-cast hull and a Continental R-975 engine, and is almost identical to the T6 prototype. Production of this combat vehicle continued from the beginning of 1942 to the end of 1943. The total number of vehicles produced was 9,677, 6,281 of which were armed with the M3 cannon, and 3,396 tanks received the new M1 gun. Initially, M4A1s had an M2 gun and two front-mounted machine guns.
• M4A2. A modification with a welded body, equipped with a power plant consisting of two General Motors 6046 diesel engines. Its production lasted from April 1942 to May 1945. The total number of manufactured vehicles of this modification is 11,283 units, of which 8,053 were armed with the M3 cannon, 3,230 vehicles received the M1 cannon.
• M4A3. Modification with a welded body and a Ford GAA gasoline engine. The tank was produced from June 1942 to March 1945. Total number: 11,424 units, 5,015 of which were armed with the M3 gun, 3,039 units (M4A3(105)) were armed with the 105 mm howitzer, and 3,370 units (M4A3(76)W) with the M1 gun.
• M4A4. A modification that had a welded elongated body and a power plant consisting of five automobile engines. A total of 7,499 combat vehicles of this modification were produced. All of them were armed with an M3 gun and were distinguished by a slightly different turret shape; a radio station was located in the rear niche, and on the left side of the turret there was a hatch for firing personal weapons.
• M4A5. This designation was originally reserved for the Canadian Ram tank, but it was never assigned to it. This vehicle is interesting because, in fact, it is a significantly modernized version of the M3 tank. The combat vehicle was armed with an English 6-pounder cannon, it had a cast turret and a cast hull with a side door, and the chassis was almost similar to the M3. A total of 1,948 vehicles were produced. The M4A5 did not see combat because the gun was too weak, but several armored vehicles were made based on it.
• M4A6. A modification with a welded hull, similar in shape and size to the M4A4, but with a cast frontal part. The power plant consisted of a Caterpillar D200A diesel engine. A total of 75 tanks of this model were produced.
• Grizzly Bear. This is a modification of the M4A1 tank, which was mass-produced in Canada; the vehicles had slight differences in the chassis. 188 tanks of this model were produced.

In addition to modifications, there were also special tanks, created on the basis of this combat vehicle. For example, Sherman Firefly - tanks of the M4A1 and M4A4 modifications, armed with an English 17-pounder (76.2 mm) anti-tank gun, or Sherman Jumbo - an assault tank, with reinforced armor and a 75-mm M3 cannon.

Very interesting vehicles were the so-called missile tanks: Sherman Calliope and T40 Whizbang, equipped with launchers rockets. Mine clearance vehicles (Sherman Crab), engineering (M4 Dozer) and flamethrower tanks were created on the basis of the Sherman.

Description of design

The Sherman tank was made according to a design more typical of German tank building of those years: its transmission and control compartment were located in the front part of the hull, and the engine compartment was located in the rear. Between them there is a fighting compartment with a circular rotation turret, which is located in the center of the hull. The crew consisted of five people.

The inside of the tank was covered with a foam rubber lining, which protected the crew from fragments.

This arrangement increased the height of the combat vehicle: the designers had to place a driveshaft in the body, which went from the engine to the gearbox. Increased the height of the tank and the vertical position of the engine.

Different modifications of the tank differed little in their design, so below is a description of the M4A2 model with a diesel engine, which was most widely supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease.

In the front part of the hull there was a control compartment, which housed the workstations of the driver and his assistant, control instruments and control levers, transmission elements and a machine gun with ammunition.

Behind it was a fighting compartment with a rotating turret. It contained seats for the vehicle commander, gunner and loader, gun ammunition, fire extinguishers and batteries. The turret housed a gun, sighting devices and observation devices, a gun lifting mechanism, a coaxial machine gun and a radio station. Also in the fighting compartment there was a turret rotation mechanism.

At the rear of the tank there was an engine compartment, which was separated from the combat compartment by a special partition.

The hull of the M4A2 modification tank was made of rolled armor plates, which were connected by welding. The frontal part of the machine was one massive cast part, which was located at an angle of 56° and had a thickness of 51 mm. The thickness of the sides of the hull was 38 mm. On the right at the bottom of the sheet there was a ball machine gun mount. There was a hatch in the bottom of the hull, which was used to evacuate the crew under enemy fire. Above the control compartment there were two landing hatches with built-in surveillance devices.

The Sherman had a cast turret with a small rear niche, the thickness of its frontal armor was 76 mm, the sides and rear had 51 mm of armor, and the gun mantlet had 89 mm of armor. On the roof of the turret there was a double-leaf commander's hatch, which was used to evacuate all crew members in the fighting compartment. On later series of the vehicle, another hatch for the loader was added to it.

Initially, the tank's main ammunition was located in the fenders, which had additional armor on the outside. However, practice has shown that this arrangement led to the detonation of the ammunition, so on later production vehicles it was moved to the floor of the fighting compartment, and the so-called wet ammunition rack was used: the shells were filled with water with the addition of ethylene glycol.

Initially, the M4A2 modification tank was equipped with a 75-mm M3 gun, and since 1943, a 76-mm M1A1 gun. A machine gun was coaxial with the cannon, and a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun was mounted on the roof of the turret.

The tank's sighting devices consisted of an M55 telescopic sight and an M38 periscope device. The Sherman gun was stabilized in a vertical plane.

The M4A2 power plant consisted of two GM 6046 diesel engines with six cylinders each. The total power was 375 hp. With. The tank's fuel tank capacity was 590 liters.

The Sherman was equipped with a 5-speed manual gearbox; torque from the engine was transmitted to it via a driveshaft.

The chassis of the tank consisted of six single road wheels on each side; they were combined in pairs into three bogies, each of which was suspended on two springs. In addition, on each side there were three support rollers, a driving front wheel and idler wheels. In mid-1942, the chassis of the tanks was somewhat modernized.

The Shermans were equipped with powerful radios.

Efficiency and combat use

The first Shermans began to enter service in mid-1942, but American tank crews were never able to master new technology: Soon all combat vehicles were handed over to the British. At this time, British units were engaged in heavy fighting in North Africa, and the situation there was clearly not in their favor. Churchill personally asked American President about help.

In September 1942, 318 Sherman tanks arrived in Egypt and were almost immediately thrown into battle. For the Germans, the appearance of hundreds of modern tanks among the enemy was a real shock. Most of the tanks of the German Afrika Korps could not penetrate the armor of an American tank. We can say that the battle of El Alamein was largely won thanks to the Shermans.

American tankers on Shermans first entered into battle during the landing in Tunisia. Due to the lack of training of the crews, many vehicles were lost in the first battles, but later, after working tactics, the Americans used the Shermans very successfully. In general, it should be noted that this tank was perfect for desert conditions. In February 1943, the M4 first encountered a German novelty - heavy tank PzKpfw VI Tiger. It quickly became clear that the Sherman could not compete on an equal footing with this German vehicle.

M4 and M4A1 tanks took part in the landing of Allied troops in Sicily. True, there were practically no major tank battles in Italy.

The next significant operation involving the Sherman was the Allied landing in Normandy. American cars It was difficult in Normandy. The Germans actively used the latest Panther tanks against them, against which the M4 had little chance. In addition, the rugged terrain of northern France did not allow the Shermans to demonstrate their best qualities: speed and maneuverability. Big losses American cars carried from "

In nine months of fighting, the 3rd Panzer Division alone lost 1,348 combat vehicles.

In November 1942, the first M4s arrived in Soviet Union. The diesel modification of the M4A2 tank was most widely supplied to the USSR, since Western gasoline tanks did not “digest” domestic fuel very well. The 5th Guards Tank Army in the North Caucasus was the first to receive new vehicles.

The M4 was actively used in the 1944 and 1945 campaigns. Shermans were most widely used during Operation Bagration, although these vehicles fought along the entire line of the Soviet-German front, from the Black Sea to the Baltic.

Soviet tank crews loved the American tank. It was much more convenient for the crew to operate than Soviet combat vehicles. But, most importantly, he was usually much more reliable than them. The undoubted advantage of the Shermans were sighting devices and surveillance devices, a powerful radio station, a high level of armor and sufficient firepower. The suspension of the M4 was much softer than that of the T-34, it made much less noise. The American tank's gun had stabilization, which increased shooting accuracy while moving.

The design of the Sherman used many components and assemblies of production vehicles, which ensured the high reliability of the tank.

Among the disadvantages is the design of the caterpillar tracks, which were not very suitable for the conditions of the Russian winter. They provided poor traction with the ground, which is why the tank often slipped. The disadvantages of the Shermans include too high a silhouette and a peculiar hull shape. The fact is that the Sherman was tall and narrow, which, coupled with poor tracks, often led to the vehicle overturning.

The 75-mm M3 cannon roughly corresponded to the Soviet F-34 cannon, the 76-mm M1 cannon allowed the Shermans to confidently hit the German Pz.IV, but to fight the Tigers and Panthers it was necessary to use sub-caliber shells.

Sherman vs T-34

There is a lot of debate about which tank was better than the T-34 or Sherman. These tanks clashed several times in battle, but only after World War II. During the Korean War, the Sherman's main opponent was the Soviet T-34-85, which was flown by Korean and Chinese tank crews. Most often, confrontations between Soviet and American tanks ended in favor of the latter.

The T-34 and Sherman were vehicles of the same class: they were not inferior to each other in armor, the American 76-mm gun due to ballistics and ammunition best quality at least it was no worse than the Soviet 85-mm ZIS-S-53, and the mobility of these tanks was similar. However, the Sherman had an advantage due to greater crew comfort, shooting accuracy and gun rate. The American's sights were also of higher quality.

Another important advantage of the M4 was its reliability. The build quality of the wartime 34 very often left much to be desired.

Considering the state of the US tank industry at the beginning of the war and the almost complete lack of experience in this area, it should be recognized that the creation of the Sherman in such a short time was a huge achievement for the Americans.

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