The 75mm Main Gun
The original Sherman 75mm main gun proved to be somewhat useless against a full-on frontal assault on later-generation German tanks. It proved all well and good against the Panzerkampfwagen III and early IV tanks in North Africa but the arrival of the Panzerkampfwagen V "Panther" and the Panzerkampfwagen VI "Tiger" soon changed its effectiveness. Many after-action reports describe incidences where multiple direct hits were placed on an enemy tank with no noticeable effects to the target, the Sherman's 75mm rounds seemingly "bouncing" off the Panzers. This led many of the Sherman tank crews to hold their mounts in suspect, believing their adversaries to have the better weapon on the battlefield. American General George S. Patton stood proudly by the design and encouraged his crews to open fire first using an AP (Armor Piercing round) to achieve first hit. This action was then to be followed by the use of a white phosphorous round smoke round. White phosphorous proved effective in igniting any residual oil or grease inherent on many of the German tank designs. The resulting fire was enough to force the Panzer crew to take action and - most likely - exit their vehicles rather than burn to death. It proved common practice on both sides of the conflict to machine gun any exiting enemy tank personnel. Better to have both tank and experienced crew out of the war indefinitely than to have the crew return tomorrow with a new tank ready to do the same to you.
Tactics in World War 2
As a result of their inherent inferior main armament, Sherman crews were also encouraged to engage their Panzer brethren at closer ranges and from the rear or flanks. In practice, this proved suicidal on many levels. Firstly, to achieve a flanking move on a Panzer required the Sherman to execute its obscenely long turning radius (Panzers enjoyed a much shorter turn radius). This was made further ineffective by the fact that Panzer tank tread systems allowed for one to move in opposite direction of the other, effectively allowing the tank to "turn in place", matching the movement of the flanking Sherman step by step. Secondly, the thought of bringing the Sherman in closer range to a German Panzer was not a happy one as German Panzers had the uncanny ability to decimate Allied tanks at any range with their potent primary armament.
The M4 Sherman In Action in World War 2
Like the M3, the British Army was the first Allied force to field the Sherman in anger, this occurring in the battles covering North Africa and, in particular, at the Second Battle of El Alamein of October 1942, fighting with the men of the British 8th Army. British M4 Shermans were known as "Sherman I's" while M4A1's were known as "Sherman II's". Ultimately, the British represented at least 80% of all Lend-Lease Sherman production (the Soviet Union received their fair share as well), mainly M4 and M4A1 models. Though under the British Commonwealth banner, Canada instead chose to manufacture their own version of the Sherman in the "Grizzly I Cruiser", a tank limited to just 188 production examples as the M4 Sherman became available in such great quantities. The Soviet Union became the other wartime user of the M4 Sherman via Lend-Lease.
First American use of the Sherman occurred in the November 1942 Operation Torch landings - the Allied invasion of North Africa - interestingly alongside their forerunning M3 Lee/Grant counterparts. Sherman deliveries by the hundreds would eventually force the M3's into secondary roles and ultimate disuse. The M4 and M4A1 represented early American M4 production models and these production models miraculously finished off the war despite being replaced in frontline service by the improved M4A3 models.
In Europe, anti-tank (AT) teams proved an equally worse fate for a surprising number of Shermans than German tanks themselves. As AT teams had the luxury of concealment and mobility, they proved tough pickings for Sherman crews forced to spot them through their small vision blocks. German AT weapons were ready for the task of defeating Shermans armor and ambushes were quite frequent and effective. From a logistical perspective, anti-tank weapons - be them either hand-held rocket launchers or crew-served mobile cannons - were simply cheaper to produce and easier to train personnel on - making their use on Allied tanks not much of a surprise. German AT teams were given the single-shot disposable Panzerfaust systems or the reusable Bazooka-inspired Panzerschrecks. Panzerfausts were so simple to use that they were issued in great quantity to Berlin residents before the Soviet invasion of the German capital at war's end. Panzerschrecks were simply larger copies of the American anti-tank Bazooka and equally feared as anti-tank systems among the Allied ranks.
In the Pacific, Shermans fared a bit better for Japanese anti-tank weapons were not on par with what the Germans were fielding in Europe. Besides anti-tank cannons (some German-inspired copies) and complex, high-power, anti-materiel rifles, the Japanese resorted to other anti-tank tricks including mines made from torpedoes and the like. When facing off against the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks and Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks, the Sherman's 75mm main gun proved ever the effective measure against these uninspiring tank designs. Japanese tank design clearly lacked behind their naval and air implements from the outset of the war and never materialized once the war was in full swing. Sherman flamethrowing tanks also proved horrifically useful in "flushing out" stubborn Japanese infantrymen from their network of underground tunnels and fortress structures.
At any rate, Shermans proved susceptible to having their armor defeating in a myriad of ways. Pictures of embattled Shermans are common to find, with clean holes driven through their critical parts from enemy anti-tank weapons. Since heavier armored Shermans were not meant to be in any sort of quantitative amounts, Sherman crews developed field modifications to help ensure their survival. This came in the form of welding steel plates or the addition of sandbags or spare tracks to the front hulls in an effort to preemptively defeat incoming enemy projectiles before they were allowed to penetrate the armor surfaces of the Sherman. Though a Sherman's armor proved effective in early engagements, it was essentially designed against the top German anti-tank weapons of the time. Newer and heavier-caliber Axis anti-tank weapons and armament forced new Sherman survival tactics to be utilized. Furthermore, at least 20 percent of all Allied tanks lost in World War 2 came at the hands of land mines while the rest came from general tank-versus-tank and anti-tank combat actions.
Up Gunning the Sherman
By this time, the Sherman was already operating along all major front lines across the world. After action reports were forging the next Sherman version. The main gun issue was addressed with the accepting of a new 76.2mm main gun armament. A new suspension system and wider tracks greeted the new Shermans as did with a new commander's cupola featuring six vision blocks. A 360-degree periscope on the turret was another grateful addition to the turret crew. The driver and bow gunner hatches were also revised and feature a more integrated front facing without the protruding sharp angled faces of the original Sherman design. A new hatch above the loader was also added for improved emergency exiting of the vehicle. By the end of the war, nearly half of all operational production Shermans were sporting the more lethal 76mm main gun armament.
The Base Sherman at a Glance
A standard Sherman model mounted the 75mm M3 L/40 main gun with 90 projectiles in tow. Anti-aircraft armament consisted of a heavy caliber 12.7mm Browning M2HB machine gun with 300 rounds. Anti-infantry defense constituted a .30-06 Browning M1919A4 machine gun in the bow and a similar machine gun mounted co-axially in the turret with the main gun. Power was supplied through the Continental R975 C1 gasoline engine which developed up to 400 horsepower when at 2,400rpm. The power-to-weight ratio was listed at 14 hp/tonne. Suspension was provided for via the Vertical Volute Spring Suspension (VVSS) system. Operational range was listed at 120 miles with a top speed of 25 miles per hour, achieved in bursts.
Numerous Sherman Variants
A broad run down of variants were available in the highly-produced Sherman series line. Among them were the M4 and M4A1 which inherited their exhaust systems and engines directly from the M3 Lee developments. The M4A1 also fit the 76mm main gun and saw first combat in this form in July of 1944.
The M4(105) sported a 105mm howitzer in place of the smaller caliber main gun and was powered by the Continental gasoline-fueled R975 radial piston engine and featured a welded hull. The M4 "Composite" Sherman was a 75mm-armed Sherman and a hybrid in terms of its construction. The tank featured a cast front hull but welded sides. Again, the powerplant was the Continental R975 gasoline engine. The M4A1(76)W fitted the improved 76.2mm main gun (US Army sources state it simply as the "76") and featured a cast hull with the Continental R975 radial gasoline engine. The M4A2 sported the familiar 75mm main gun, a welded hull and the General Motors GM 6046 2x6 diesel engine. The M4A3 were fitted with the Ford GAA V8 gasoline engines and 75mm armament. Only seven of the type were received by the British whom designated them as "Sherman IV's" and ended using them solely in testing roles. The M4A3W fitted the 75mm main gun with a welded hull and the Ford GAA V8 gasoline engine. This model was also the first Sherman to feature the Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS) system along with wider tracks. The M4A4 was fitted with the 75mm main gun along with a lengthened welded hull. Power came from a Chrysler A57 5xL6 gasoline engine. These served primarily with British Army forces under the designation of "Sherman V". The M4A6 was another 75mm gun entry and featured the lengthened hull with a cast front hull and welded sides. Power stemmed from the Caterpillar D22A diesel radial piston engine.
The "Jumbo" Sherman
The M4A3E2 "Jumbo" were fitted with either 75mm or 76mm main gun armament. Welded hulls were the norm in this model as was the Ford GAA V8 gasoline engine. Armor was increased in this Sherman version and a new T23-styleturret was developed to accept the new main gun armament. Jumbo Shermans appeared in very limited numbers and were designed with the intention of use in the Normandy beach landings. However, the Jumbo did not enter service until August of 1944. In practice, the Jumbo Sherman proved to have thicker armor than her German Tiger I counterpart.
The "Easy-Eight" Sherman
The M4A3E8(76)W "Easy Eight" was similar in fitting a 76mm main gun, a welded hull and the Ford GAA V8 gasoline engine. The nickname "Easy Eight" was developed from its experimental "E8" designation. The Easy Eight became the first Sherman to sport the HVSS suspension system and saw combat in December of 1944. Easy Eights were kept online following the war in both 76mm and 105mm forms eventually seeing service in the upcoming Korean War.
The Sherman Firefly
The British went ahead with their own up-gunned Sherman and created the Sherman "Firefly" when their 17-pdr Cromwell tank model was delayed. Sherman Fireflies featured the Royal Ordnance QF 17-pounder gun of 76.2mm. It proved significantly better than the American main gun (with better penetration value than even the fabled German "88") and made for an effective British tank-killer. All British Shermans were eventually displaced by the Tank Cruiser Comet design and the stellar Centurion main battle tanks - the latter just on the horizon following the close of World War 2.
The Sherman Chassis and Its Various Implementations
The Sherman chassis was utilized in a myriad of other battlefield implementations. These included the popular Sherman Calliope - a basic Sherman tank with an overhead T34 rack fitting 60 x 4.5" battlefield rockets. Dozer attachments allowed the Sherman to act as a bulldozer and clear blocked roads of objects. Duplex Drives were developed to make Shermans "swim" along the water for use in amphibious assults. The R3 flamethrower created the Zippo flamer tanks. The M34 and M74 were converted Shermans for the armored recovery vehicle role. The M34 and M35 were artillery tractor mules. The M7B1, M12, M40 and M43 were all self-propelled artillery vehicles in the Sherman mold. Likewise, the M10 and M36 tank destroyers were purpose-designed killers stemming from the base Sherman design. The notable M7 "Priest" self-propelled artillery also utilizes the M4 chassis. Shermans also formed the basis of a series of mobile assault bridges and mine-clearers.
The Post-War Sherman
The Sherman remained in great numbers in the post-war years so much so, in fact, that the tank was readily available for use by the time of the Korean War. Use of the M4 was eventually relegated to second line duties as more and more potent war machines made their ways to the frontlines - the most notable of these being the M46 Patton, whose design stemmed from the World War 2-era M26 Pershing heavy tank.
Shermans in Korea
North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25th, 1950 and began the Korean War (1950-1953). The Soviet-designed T-34/85 main battle tanks (themselves originating from the successful wartime T-34's) were the primary armored units at the North's disposal. The United Nations, led by America, intervened on behalf of the South Korean government and people. The M4 Sherman was still available in large quantities at this time and therefore fielded en mass. The M4A3(76)W Shermans with their HVSS suspension systems were the primary mount of the US Army at the time. The United States Marine Corps utilized their 105mm-armed Shermans. United Nations armor was essentially made up of a mish-mash of new- and old-school tank systems.
Fighting against the North Korean army proved an intimate affair with close-quarter combat very likely in any given engagement. Tank crews found themselves fighting both tanks at range and North Korean infantrymen attempting to rush and penetrate the insides of Allied tanks by any means possible. Shermans eventually played their successful part in the grand campaigns that ultimately left the conflict in an armistice - though no affirmed peace treaty existed between the two sides. By the end of the war, armor superiority was firmly in the hands of the West. It is reported that 70 percent of all Allied tank losses in the conflict could be attribute to anti-tank mines rather than direct enemy anti-tank fire. By this time, the M4 Sherman's combat days in American service were all but over, paving the way for the much-improved M46 Patton followed by the still-improved M47 Patton.
Conclusion
Besides its involvement in World War 2 and the Korean War, the Sherman lived a long and productive combat life thanks to the other spate of global conflicts dotting the Cold War years. These included the Greek Civil War, the Arab-Israeli War, the Suez Crisis, the Indo-Pak Conflict of 1965, the Six Day War, the Indo-Pak Conflict of 1971 and the Yom Kipper War. Besides the United States and Great Britain, Israel represented the third major effective user of the type - an operator finding success with may post-American products through practice and never-ending combat experience.
Some 50,000 Sherman tanks are thought to have been produced, showing off her invaluable contribution to the World War 2 effort and the ensuing Cold War years. Beyond the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union and Israeli service, the Sherman was also utilized at one point or another by many world military forces including Brazil, France, India, Pakistan, Poland, Egypt and New Zealand (see operators section below for full listing). The Sherman was in United States service from 1942 through 1955.
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