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The M4 Sherman remains one of the most iconic tanks in military history, symbolizing the industrial might and innovation of the United States during the war. When the M4 tank went into combat in North Africa with the British Army at the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942, it increased the advantage of Allied armor over Axis armor and was ...
The first standard-production 76 mm gun Sherman was an M4A1, accepted in January 1944, and the first standard-production 105 mm howitzer Sherman was an M4 accepted in February 1944. In June–July 1944, the Army accepted a limited run of 254 M4A3E2 Jumbo Shermans, which had very thick armor, and the 75 mm gun in a new, heavier T23-style turret ...
Originally designed in 1941, M4 variants were still used by Israel during the 1967 and 1973 wars with its Arab neighbors. [1] Sherman ARV MK I, Recovery vehicle, photographed around Caen in July–August 1944. The many special duties that a tank might be made to do were just being explored by armies around the world in the early 1940s.
The Lee was superseded by the Medium M4 Sherman. This originally carried a 75 mm gun; later versions of the Sherman were armed with a 76 mm gun or a 105 mm howitzer. On the Sherman hull, the M10 and M36 tank destroyers (officially called "Gun Motor Carriages") were produced.
Arracourt was the largest tank battle involving U.S. forces on the Western Front until the Battle of the Bulge, and has been used as an example of how crew quality and tactical training can be far more important factors in determining the outcome of a tank battle than the technical merits of the tanks themselves. [17] [18]
The most important American design of the war was the M4 Medium Tank, or "Sherman" in British service. The M4 Medium became the second-most-produced tank of World War II, and was the only tank to be used by virtually all Allied forces (thanks to the American lend-lease program); approximately 40,000 M4 Mediums were produced during the war. [30]
The first Sherman to enter combat with the 76 mm gun (July 1944) was the M4A1, closely followed by the M4A3. By the end of the war, half the U.S. Army Shermans in Europe had the 76 mm gun. The first HVSS Sherman to see combat was the M4A3E8(76)W in December 1944. The M4A3E8 (76)W was arguably the best of the US Sherman tanks.
The invasion force included 150 tanks, over 100 of which were M4 Sherman tanks. [67] The M4 Sherman tank was superior to the medium tank used by the Japanese, the Type 97. [68] It was primarily used to support infantry and was considered one of the most effective weapons for destroying enemy emplacements. [69] Flame throwers were extensively used.