Despite the fact that in the 20-30s of the twentieth century, the Americans carried out quite intensive work in the field of tank building, and the famous “Christie” constantly presented more and more new ideas, they attached little real importance to tanks. Thus, by the beginning of World War II, there were no more than 400 vehicles of this type in the US Army, and only 18 of them were classified as medium.

But after the German invasion of Poland and France and the events that followed, attitudes towards armored vehicles changed dramatically. Already in 1941, production of the M-3 model began. This tank was quite original, as it had two guns at once: a 75 mm cannon and a 37 mm gun. Since the first one was installed in a sponson, only the 37 mm gun was actually used, which at least could be rotated. In addition, its height of more than three meters made the General Lee an excellent gift for German artillerymen.

Realizing this, the Americans began intensive work in the fall of the same year to create a new, more maneuverable vehicle suitable for modern combat. This is how the Sherman tank appeared. Perhaps this was the best American armored vehicle of that period.

A new approach to building a case

To simplify and speed up production, the body was made of rolled sheets of armor steel. Unlike the “straightforward” Germans, US engineers positioned the top sheet at an angle of 47°, its thickness was 50 millimeters. The stern plates were located at an angle of 10-12°, the sides were straight.

The thickness of the side and stern sheets was 38 millimeters, on the roof - only 18 millimeters. The fastening of the bow of the hull to the power elements is bolted. Note that the frontal part was assembled from seven rolled blanks at once, so the manufacturers were faced with the difficult task of ensuring the highest possible quality of welds. We can say that they coped with the task perfectly.

Why this conclusion? In the small village of Snegiri there is a monument of two Shermans. Their bodies have long been rusty from a layer of rust, but the welded joints are still in perfect condition.

It should be noted that the Sherman tank produced in 1943-1944 is distinguished by an additional armor lining on the starboard side. This was done in order to place an additional set of shells on the floor of the fighting compartment (to ensure the protection of the ammunition). One overlay was welded onto the left side.

However, this did not help much against the Tigers’ guns: the history of the Sherman tank knows many cases when their shells pierced the vehicle right through. But this could be said about any Allied tank, with the exception of the IS-2 and Pershing, which appeared at the very end of the war.

We can say that the duel between the Sherman tank and the Tiger in most cases ended in victory for the latter. The M-3 cannon penetrated this model of the German tank almost from a pistol shot distance, while the KwK 36 L/56 gun of the “German” could effectively hit the Sherman from about a kilometer away.

Tower

The turret in the Sherman tank is cast and cylindrical in shape. Mounted on a hinged support. Its frontal and side parts were protected by armor 75 and 50 millimeters thick. The stern of the tower had a thickness of 50 millimeters, the roof - 25 millimeters. The gun mantlet was best protected, since the thickness of the armor in this place was 90 millimeters.

As you can see, the Sherman tank (drawings of which are in the article) was not much different in terms of protection from the legendary domestic T-34. Despite the claims of American designers about the invulnerability of the gun mantlet, throughout the war there were numerous cases when enemy shells pierced the mantlet right through. This is what, as a rule, caused the death of the loader.

This was especially evident in Normandy: “Panthers” and “Tigers” easily hit the Sherman tank. General Eisenhower's rage was beyond description. Presumably, it was he who forced scientists and engineers to hurry up with the development of a normal tank with a good gun that could fight on equal terms with its German counterparts.

In principle, the general did not achieve much success: the Pershing appeared only at the end of the war, and its attitude towards heavy tanks was rather conditional.

Armament

The American Sherman tank was armed as standard:

• The main weapon is the M3 cannon. Caliber 75 mm, later a long-barreled modification of 76 mm was introduced.
• A Browning M2NV heavy machine gun located directly above the tank hatch.

Do you play World of Tank? The Sherman in this game roughly corresponds to the T-34 in terms of armament balance, which reflects the real state of affairs. Thus, the “American” armor-piercing shells were of much higher quality than domestic ones, but penetrated less armor. On the other hand, domestic products were better in ballistics, but the tankers themselves rarely saw such shots, since the tungsten carbide used in their manufacture was very scarce and expensive.

Useful properties of armor

The Sherman tank had a good reputation among domestic tankers. And the point here is not only about the convenience of internal equipment. So, the Americans had no problems with nickel and other armor additives. As a result, their armor was tough: even if the hull was penetrated, if the shell did not kill one of the crew or disable the engine, the tank continued to carry out its combat mission.

Domestic vehicles had solid armor. If a shell penetrated it (even in an area free of the engine or crew), a whole hurricane of small fragments of scale raged inside the vehicle. Many tankers were killed or maimed precisely for this reason.

Crew working conditions

By the way, how did the crew of the Sherman tank feel? Quite decent when compared with the conditions of Soviet cars. Firstly, everyone noted the high quality of the observation devices, which is why tankers always had excellent visibility. In addition, in addition to the main engine, a small gasoline engine was mounted in the tank for the charging station generator. Why was it valuable?

The fact is that the tank always needed a charged battery. To charge it on the T-34 while parked, the main engine had to be wasted. The result is a huge overconsumption of fuel and the exhaustion of the already meager engine life. Finally, the inside of the Sherman tank was much more spacious, and the quality of the finish was higher.

"Lifebuoy"

In the rear of the Sherman hull there was a niche where a standard radio station was installed. The entrance hatch was located on the roof of the tower and was closed with a double-leaf lid. An anti-aircraft machine gun turret was also mounted there. In this way, the Sherman tank differed from Soviet vehicles, on which machine guns began to be serially installed only after the appearance of the IS-2. Since 1943, the turrets began to be equipped with an oval hatch designed for loading and disembarking the loader.

The fact is that the loader himself, the radio operator and even the mechanic simply could not get out of the same hatch. Why did the driver also get out through it? It's simple: often the gun became jammed as a result of a successful hit by the enemy, after which the driver simply could not use the exit intended for him.

Soviet tankers on the T-34 suffered greatly from gas contamination in the turret. The fact is that the fans, borrowed from the BT, were “dangling” somewhere in the front part of the turret, while the breech of the gun protruded strongly back. The power of the installation was so-so, and therefore most of the powder exhaust remained right there.

The Americans had approximately the same problem with their M-3. But it was solved in the Sherman by installing three fans protected by armored caps.

Did the various modifications of the tank differ from each other?

Note that during the Second World War there were the following modifications of the Sherman tank:

• M4. It featured a Continental R-975 carburetor engine and a simple welded body.
• M4A1. The engine is the same as in the previous case, but the body is cast.
• M4A2. It features a General Motors 6046 diesel engine (loved by Soviet tank crews), and a welded body.
• M4A3, (“Sherman 3”). The tank was equipped with a Ford GAA carburetor-type power plant. The body is standard, made by welding.
• Tank "General Sherman" M4A4. Diesel RD -1820 again. Also made by welding.
• M4A6. Similar to the previous variety in everything. Represents a late, post-war modification. It is distinguished by greater technology and workmanship; the best radio station was installed on the car.

In addition, there was a “theoretical” model of the Sherman tank, the M4A5. This name was reserved in case a plant producing American cars was opened in Canada. These plans were not destined to come to fruition, but the name was never used. More precisely, the Canadian version (Grizzly 1) was actually produced from September 1942 to the fall of 1943, but then production was curtailed, since American supplies more than covered the country's needs.

Model differences

Despite such diversity, outwardly these models were practically no different from each other (except that the shape of the tower was different). The exception is the M4A1, which stood out sharply from the others with its cast body. The placement of units, guns and chassis on all Shermans were exactly the same. It should be noted that American vehicles differed significantly from their Soviet and German counterparts in that they came standard with overhead armor sets.

The tanks of the first series had viewing slots in the front plate. Only then were they completely covered with casings and periscopes were installed. Subsequently, the slope of the frontal armor also changed significantly: it was 47°, and became 56°. It is for this reason that the vehicle in the World of Tanks game has average characteristics. The Sherman there largely corresponds to the T-34. However, this is really so (judging by the feedback from veterans).

Engine

In general, the M4 Sherman tank is a somewhat unique phenomenon, since no one had such a number of engines that were installed on it. What caused this? It's simple. Up until the Second World War, the Americans thought that they did not need medium and heavy tanks in principle. The emphasis was on the development of aviation and navy, and they did an excellent job in this area.

When medium tanks were needed, the question arose of what engines to use for them? Aviation ones, of course, since there were already plenty of aircraft manufacturing factories in America. By the way, it was precisely because of the star engine that was installed on the first Shermans that the car turned out to be tall, since otherwise the engine simply would not have fit there.

In addition, a “civilian” transmission was used, originally adapted for mass-produced and cheap trucks. Its dimensions were large, since the designers in this case did not particularly bother with its compactness. However, the Sherman is a tank whose characteristics were quite consistent with the spirit of the times. In particular, the Germans also massively used parts from trucks when developing the Pz.II, one of the most popular vehicles of that era.

Why were so many power plants used? Everything is also simple. During the war, the Americans not only needed aircraft themselves, but also supplied them to the allies. Accordingly, those enterprises that manufactured engines for them worked at the limit of their capabilities. Often there were simply no engines left for tanks that were designed according to their design, which is why it was necessary to look for analogues. However, first things first.

Characteristics of power plants

The first modifications, that is, the M4 and M4A1, were powered by the Continental R975 C1 radial aircraft engine. It developed 350 horsepower, the speed was 3500 rpm. For comparison, the V-2 of the legendary T-34 developed an operational power of 400 horsepower, delivering 1700 rpm.

A detailed history of the Wright engine (Continental)

Initially, this engine was used for light airplanes. It took engineers a lot of work to turn it into a Sherman tank engine. For example, it was necessary to “screw on” the gearbox, which the plane, for obvious reasons, did not need. In addition, it was necessary to sharply increase torque at low speeds, as well as create a normal air purification system (there are rarely clouds of dust in the sky), simultaneously reducing the amount of oil consumed by the engine.

After a year of operation, bench tests were carried out, in which the engine showed quite acceptable results. In 1940, the M2, the common ancestor of the Lee and Sherman with the Wright engine, was tested at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. In addition, British vehicles took part in the tests, which seemed “sluggish” next to the American tank. The military were satisfied, they liked the model, which would later be called the Sherman tank. The reviews were very good, and it was recommended that the vehicle be put into service as soon as possible.

The total weight of the power plant was 515 kg. It should be noted that aviation fuel with an octane rating of at least 92 should be used as fuel. The compression ratio was 6.3:1.

Some disadvantages

However, further tests showed that the military was too early to rejoice: with the slightest increase in the weight of the test vehicle, a lack of power began to be felt, and the cooling system was completely unable to cope with the increased load. In addition, due to the increase in temperature in the carburetor itself, the density of the air entering there sharply decreased, causing a dangerous drop in power. Under such conditions, the engine of the Sherman tank could only operate for 100 hours, after which it required a complete overhaul.

Reorientation of production

Because of this circumstance, they decided to take production away from the Wright company and transfer the production to the larger Continental company. It was assumed that at least a thousand engines would be produced at its factories every month. By the way, for all the previous time, the Wrights produced only 750 engines.

New engineers eagerly began to remove design flaws. Firstly, the cooling system was redesigned. Secondly, they developed a new air purification filter. Finally, the production itself established strict requirements for the tolerances of manufactured parts, which is why the overall quality of the engines has increased significantly.

The M4A2 was equipped with a twin six-cylinder GM 6046 diesel engine. The engine developed a power of 375 horsepower. Number of revolutions - 2100 rpm. As we said above, our tank crews liked the engine for its unpretentiousness, reliability and maintainability. Moreover, its engine life was several times greater than that of the T-34. In fairness, it is worth noting that these two medium tanks rarely survived more than three or four battles at the beginning of the war.

By 1944-1945 and 1946 (the war against Japan), the B-2 engine was somewhat improved, making the difference less noticeable. Thus, Sherman tanks in the Red Army, together with Soviet equipment, reached Manchuria under their own power. There were no special complaints about Soviet or American-made cars.

Tanks with what engines were delivered to our country?

It is officially believed that only this model was supplied to the USSR under lend-lease. But some Soviet tankers who described the M4 Sherman tank said that “it flared up like a match.” There are also frequent references to gasoline engines. All this suggests that M4 or M4A1 were also supplied to the Soviet Union.

In addition, it can be assumed that a certain number of gasoline Shermans came to our country from England, where the United States supplied both diesel and gasoline modifications (British troops were equally provided with gasoline and diesel fuel). The Americans themselves used mainly gasoline modifications. The only exception was the Marine Corps, which had an unlimited supply of ship diesel fuel.

Actually, this is why the diesel Sherman was so popular in our country. Until about the 1930s, a tank in the USSR (as well as in the USA) was considered an auxiliary unit, a consumable item. When something more serious was needed, it turned out that there was simply not enough gasoline for the tank hordes. We had to use diesel fuel, which in those years was considered a waste product from oil refining.

The most “advanced” model was the M4A3. A V-shaped eight-cylinder Ford GAA engine was specially developed for it. Its power was 500 horsepower. The most complex and cumbersome design was the M4A4: five automobile engines (regular, serial) powered the tank. Just imagine what and how the unfortunate mechanics said, who were forced to repair this miracle of engineering in case of breakdowns.

Where are these cars now?

Where can you see the Sherman tank today? "Fury" (the historical facts in this film are more or less close to reality) shows these cars in cinema. The Paraguayan army (as of 2013) still has four such tanks. Many half-submerged and half-destroyed vehicles are found on the coast of the Philippines, where Shermans were used en masse to break through Japanese defenses. The Sherman tank is “advertised” by the game World of Tanks, where it is quite popular.

Almost in parallel with the design of the MZ, the development of a new tank began, which was supposed to eliminate the shortcomings of the latter, in particular the unsuccessful placement of the 75-mm gun, and at the same time make maximum use of existing components and assemblies. In June 1941, a full-size wooden model of the tank was made, designated T6. Assembly of the prototype with a cast upper hull then began in Aberdeen. At the same time, a vehicle with a welded body, but without a turret, was being created at the Rock Island Arsenal. The Aberdeen prototype was ready by September 2, 1941 and was demonstrated to representatives of the command of the tank forces and the Weapons Department.

Taking into account a number of amendments, the Armaments Committee of the US Congress on September 5, 1941 recommended that this vehicle be adopted by the United States Army under the designation “M4 medium tank.” By a protocol dated December 11, 1941, the Armaments Committee assigned the designation M4 to a tank with a welded hull, and M4A1 to a tank with a cast hull. In the American army, all models of the M4 medium tank were called “General Sherman”, and in the English simply “Sherman”. However, thanks to the light hand of the British, it was the second name that became the most common.

Medium tank M4A2 during testing at the NIIBT Test Site in Kubinka. Summer 1942.

Tank M4A2(76)W at the NIIBT Test Site in Kubinka near Moscow. 1945 Under its American index, this modification of the Sherman never appeared in Soviet wartime documents.

One of two M4A4 tanks delivered to the USSR during World War II at the Kubinka training ground. 1945

From February 1942 to July 1945, 6 main modifications of the M4 tank were in serial production. Fundamentally, all models of the Sherman tank (M4, M4A1, M4A2, M4AZ, M4A4, M4A6) were no different from each other. In appearance, only the M4A1 with its cast body stood out. Guns, turrets, placement of components and assemblies, chassis - everything was the same. All models eventually received a single cast frontal part - the transmission compartment cover (instead of the three-part assembly used previously), the oval loader hatch, bulwarks, applied side armor and much more. Initially, the tanks had viewing slots in the front hull plate, then they were covered with armored casings and periscopes were introduced, and finally, at the end of 1943 - beginning of 1944, a solid front plate appeared, and the hatches were moved to the roof of the hull. True, it was necessary to reduce the angle of the frontal armor from 56° to 47° from the vertical.

The main difference between the Shermans and each other was the type of power plant. Thus, the M4 and M4A1 used a 9-cylinder radial carburetor engine “Continental” R-975; on the M4A2 - a pair of GMC diesel engines; for the M4AZ, a carburetor 8-cylinder Ford GAA-8 engine was designed (by the way, the most powerful of all those used on Shermans - 500 hp at 2600 rpm) and, finally, on the M4A4 five Chrysler Multibank A-57 gasoline engines. To install such a unit, the body had to be slightly lengthened. The M4A6 had a body of the same length, but the Caterpillar RD1820 diesel engine was used as a power plant. On all modifications, the transmission was located in the front part of the hull, which determined the relatively high height of the tank.

By the beginning of 1943, the command of the US Army armored forces came to the conclusion that the war could not be ended with tanks of the modifications being produced. This view led to the first major modernization, which involved the installation of new cast turrets with 76 mm long-barreled guns and 105 mm howitzers. The modernization did not affect only the M4A4 and M4A6 tanks.

By February 1944, Chrysler had developed design documentation and produced prototypes of all new models. In these tanks, the ammunition stowage was moved from the fender niches of the hull to the floor of the fighting compartment and placed on both sides of the driveshaft. An interesting feature of this so-called “wet” ammunition rack was the placement of cannon shots in cassette boxes, the double walls of which were filled with water. It was assumed that if a shell hit the ammunition rack, water would spill out and prevent a fire. On tanks with 105 mm howitzers, the ammunition stowage was “dry”, in armored boxes.

The appearance of a commander's cupola with a periscope device and six beveled triplex blocks made it possible to dramatically improve the visibility from the commander's seat. Somewhat later, the oval loader's hatch was replaced with a round double-leaf one.

The installation of a powerful 76-mm M1A1 cannon (with a muzzle brake - M1A2) with an initial armor-piercing projectile speed of 810 m/s allowed the Shermans to fight heavy German tanks.

The second major modernization of the General Sherman tanks was the introduction of the so-called horizontal suspension and a new 24-inch track. The prototypes were designated M4E8, M4A1E8, M4A2E8 and M4AZE8. The weight of the tank increased slightly, but due to the use of wider tracks, the specific pressure on the ground decreased, and the maneuverability not only did not decrease, but even increased. At the end of March 1945, production of General Sherman tanks with horizontal suspension began. All modifications produced at that time received a new chassis. It is quite difficult to single out any of them as the best, since there were no fundamental differences in tactical and technical data between them. It should be noted that only M4AZ tanks of various variants were not supplied to anyone under Lend-Lease and, as a result, made up more than half of the Shermans available in the US Army. The remaining modifications were intensively exported. Suffice it to say that 17,174 M4 (Sherman I), M4A1 (Sherman II), M4A2 (Sherman III) and IW4A4 (Sherman V) tanks were delivered to England alone under Lend-Lease. The M4AZ received the name “Sherman IV”; 7 of them were delivered to England - the only tanks of this modification exported.

Medium tank M4A2(76)W HVSS with horizontal suspension and 23-inch track during testing at the NIIBT Test Site in Kubinka in 1945.

According to American data, 4063 M4A2 tanks of various variants and two M4A4 tanks were delivered to the Soviet Union. Since M4A2 tanks accounted for more than a third of all tanks our country received from the allies under Lend-Lease during the war, it makes sense to dwell in more detail on the design of these combat vehicles.

The hull of the M4A2 tank was welded from rolled armor plates. Its frontal part consisted of a massive cast part (on tanks of the first series - welded, detachable in three parts), which simultaneously served as a transmission hatch cover and a housing for the turning mechanism, and a top sheet 50 mm thick, located at an angle of 56° to the vertical. The cast frontal part was bolted to the top sheet, side sheets and bottom. From the outside, the final drive housings were attached to it from the sides.

The upper frontal sheet was welded to the sides and roof of the hull. In its lower part, on the right, a ball mount for a machine gun was mounted, to the right and above which there was a cylindrical antenna input socket (in case the tank was equipped with two radio stations). In the upper part of the front plate there were two protrusions in which there were viewing slots with triplexes that opened from inside the tank. From the second half of 1942, armor plates were welded to the protrusions, and then cast caps; instead of viewing slits, periscope observation devices were installed. At the end of 1943, a solid upper frontal sheet without viewing slots was introduced, located at an angle of 47° to the vertical.

The sides of the hull are vertical. On tanks produced in 1943–1944, before the ammunition rack was transferred to the floor of the fighting compartment, two armor plates were welded to the upper right side plate and one to the upper left side plate. 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. The armor of the sides and stern had a thickness of 38 mm, the hull roof - 18 mm.

In the front part of the hull roof above the control compartment there were oval landing hatches for the driver and his assistant, located along the hull and with observation devices built into the covers. Two fans were installed on both sides of the hatches. From the end of 1943, the hatches were located across the hull, the design of the covers was changed, and one fan, located between the hatches, was retained.

The tower is cast, cylindrical in shape with a small aft niche. The forehead and sides were protected by 75 mm and 50 mm armor, respectively, the rear - 50 mm, and the turret roof - 25 mm. A mask installation was attached to the front of the turret (armor thickness - 90 mm). On the roof of the turret there was a landing hatch, a ventilation hatch for the fighting compartment, covered with an armored cap, two hatches for surveillance devices and an antenna input. The landing hatch was closed with a double-leaf lid mounted on hinges in the rotating turret of the anti-aircraft machine gun. Since December 1943, an oval loader's hatch appeared on the roof of the turret.

The tower was rotated by a hydroelectric turning mechanism or manually. Using a hydroelectric mechanism, the tower could be rotated 360° in a time from 16 to 840 s, depending on the angle of rotation of the control handle. The mechanism had an additional drive to the tank commander, when turned on, the gunner's drive was turned off.

Since May 1944, a new cast turret of increased size was installed on the tank, but with the same clear diameter of the turret ring. The weapons were mounted in a new mask installation (armor thickness - 100 mm). On the roof of the tower there was a commander's cupola with six triplex glass blocks and a periscope observation device, an oval loader hatch, an observation device hatch, 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 for the fighting compartment was mounted at the stern.

The Sherman tractor from the Morozovskaya railway station in the North Caucasus is now on display in the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow. On the frontal armor of the hull traces of welding of the crane-boom attachment points are clearly visible.

The M4A2 was equipped with a 75-mm MZ cannon with a barrel length of 37.5 calibers. Since 1944, the M4A2(76)W tank was equipped with a 76-mm M1A1 gun, and then an M1A1C or M1A2 with a 52-caliber barrel length. All guns had vertical wedge breech gates and semi-automatic copy type. Vertical aiming - from -10° to +25°. The guns were stabilized in the vertical guidance plane.

The tank was equipped with two 7.62-mm Browning М1919А4 machine guns, one coaxial with a cannon, the other with a forward-facing one, and a 50.8-mm MZ smoke grenade launcher. A 12.7 mm Browning M2HB anti-aircraft heavy machine gun was mounted on the roof of the turret.

The ammunition load of the M4A2 tank consisted of 97 artillery rounds, 300 12.7 mm and 4750 7.62 mm cartridges, 12 smoke grenades; tank M4A2(76)W - 71 artillery rounds, 600 12.7 mm and 6250 7.62 mm cartridges, 14 smoke grenades.

The M4A2 tank was equipped with a GMC 6046 model 71 power plant, which consisted of two 6-cylinder two-stroke uncompressor in-line diesel engines, arranged in parallel and connected into one unit with a power of 375 hp. at 2100 rpm. The engines were started by electric starters. To facilitate winter starting, two flare nozzles with glow plugs were used for each engine.

The transmission consisted of two single-disc main dry friction clutches (one per engine), a transverse connecting gear, a driveshaft, a gearbox, a turning mechanism and final drives. The gearbox is mechanical, five-speed (5+1), with synchronizers in all gears except 1st and reverse. The turning mechanism is a double differential of the “Kletrak” type.

M4A2 tank of senior lieutenant N. Sumarokov. 3rd Ukrainian Front, 1944.

A column of M4A2 tanks with troops on armor. 1943 Despite the smooth ride, it was difficult to stay on the Sherman, since the tank completely lacked any handrails or brackets. In the American army, motorized infantry was transported in armored personnel carriers and cars.

M4A2 tanks on the march to the front line. 1944

The chassis of the M4A2 and M4A2(76)W tanks, applied to one side, consisted of six single rubber-coated road wheels, interlocked in pairs into three balance bogies, suspended on two vertical buffer springs each; three support rollers, a guide wheel, a front drive wheel with removable toothed rims (pinion engagement). Each caterpillar has 79 double-ridge tracks with a width of 420.6 mm, and a track pitch of 152 mm. Metal or rubber-metal tracks with a silent block.

The chassis of the M4A2(76)W HVSS tank, applied to one side, consisted of six double rubberized road wheels, interlocked in pairs into three balance bogies, suspended on two horizontal buffer springs each; three single and two double support rollers, a rubber-coated guide wheel, a front drive wheel with removable gear rims (pinion engagement). Each caterpillar has 79 single-ridge tracks with a width of 584.2 mm, and a track pitch of 152 mm. Metal or rubber-metal tracks with a silent block. A hydraulic shock absorber was installed in each suspension bogie.

10,968 M4A2 tanks of all variants were produced, of which 8,053 were equipped with a 75 mm cannon. Since the American army received only tanks with gasoline engines, the M4A2s were used in the USA as training tanks and were supplied under Lend-Lease to other countries, mainly to England (7418 units). A number of M4A2s were used by the US Marine Corps in combat in the Pacific. The main manufacturers were Fisher Tank Arsenal and Pullman Standard; at the end of 1942 they were joined by American Locomotive, Federal Machinery and Welder and Baldwin. Production of the M4A2 with 75 mm guns was completed in May 1944. Then the Fisher Tank Arsenal company, the main manufacturer of diesel Shermans, switched to the production of M4A2 (76)W and until May 1945 produced 2894 tanks, 21 vehicles were produced by the Pressed Steel Car company. Total production of the M4A2 with the 76 mm gun was 2,915 units.

According to American data, 1,990 tanks with a 75-mm gun and 2,073 with a 76-mm gun were delivered to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease. In May 1945, the Red Army also received a number of tanks with horizontal suspension.

The first Shermans arrived in the USSR in November 1942. This modification was not chosen by chance. The Soviet specialists, with whom the range of supplied equipment was agreed upon, were well aware of the difficulties that arose during the operation of MZs and MZL tanks in the USSR, whose gasoline engines could only run on imported high-octane gasoline.

It should be noted that the above number of vehicles sent does not match the number received. Thus, according to the admissions committees of the GBTU of the Red Army, in 1942, 36 M4A2 tanks arrived in the USSR, in 1943 - 469, in 1944–2345, in 1945 - 814. In total, in four years - 3664 vehicles.

The M4A2 tank supports the infantry attack. 2nd Ukrainian Front, 1944.

The first to receive new American tanks were the 5th Guards Tank Brigade and the 563rd Separate Tank Battalion of the North Caucasus Front. On January 5, 1943, the latter had nine M4A2 tanks and 21 MZL tanks. Soon, by order of the front commander, the 563rd separate tank battalion transferred its Shermans to the 5th Guards Tank Brigade, receiving MZL in return. Such an exchange was necessary to equip the 563rd battalion with light tanks, which were planned to be used in the landing in South Ozereyka. In July 1943, the 299th Separate Tank Regiment, armed with 38 M4A2s, was included in the 48th Army of the Central Front.

The new American tanks were well received by the armored units of the Red Army. For example, the report of the 5th Guards Tank Brigade, dated October 23, 1943, noted:

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

According to reviews from the troops, when tanks were fired upon even with fragmentation ammunition, small fragments broke off from the inside of the armor. This did not happen on all vehicles, but the Americans were nevertheless notified of this defect already in April - May 1943. Almost immediately after this, the shipment of M4A2 to the USSR was suspended, and the vehicles arriving from November 1943 had better quality armor.

M4A2 tanks pass through the Romanian city of Batosani. April 1944.

Residents of the liberated city of Balti welcome Soviet tankers entering the city on M4A2 tanks. August 31, 1944.

An M4A2 tank from one of the units of the 8th Guards Tank Corps passes along the street of liberated Lublin. Poland, July 27, 1944.

In addition to summarizing the experience of military operation, during 1943 the Shermans were subjected to intensive testing at specialized training grounds. Here are some excerpts from the “Report on testing the medium American tank M4A2 in summer conditions. 1943 NIIBT Testing ground GBTU KA":

“Goal: to establish the reliability of the tank as a whole and its individual units and mechanisms.

Tank produced in 1942 by Fisher Tank Arsenal.

Before the start of summer testing, the M4A2 tank covered 1,285 km in winter and spring conditions. The engines worked for 89 hours.

During summer testing, the tank covered 1,765 km, 450 km along the highway. The engines worked in summer conditions for 87 hours.

By the end of the tests, the tank had covered 3050 km, the engines had worked for 176 hours.

Conclusion.

1) The American M4A2 tank has good operational reliability and requires minimal maintenance time.

2) Compliance with the frequency and scope of tank maintenance specified in the “Memo to the crew of the M4A2 tank” compiled by the Research Institute BT Polygon completely ensures normal and reliable operation of the tank.

3) GMC engines installed on the M4A2 tank operate reliably on domestic DT diesel fuel and diesel oil. The engine oil must be changed after 50–60 hours of operation.

4) The tank’s transmission can operate normally for 4000–5000 km without changing the American refill with SAE-50 oil, with which M4L2 tanks arrive in the USSR. The transmission must be refueled with domestic aviation oil “MK” or “MS”.

5) Metal and rubber-metal tracks are equivalent in their adhesion to the ground in summer conditions. When operating the M4A2 tank on a metal track, the reliability of the chassis is reduced (the service life of the rubber tires of the road wheels is especially reduced).”

It is difficult to add anything to this assessment of the Sherman’s reliability given by Soviet test officers. It is worth emphasizing that during the hostilities of 1944–1945 it was fully confirmed. Looking ahead, we will say that, unfortunately, the fact of increased wear of the rubber tires of the road wheels during intensive use of tanks on metal tracks has also been confirmed. Such a disaster, for example, happened to units of the 5th Mechanized Corps during the Iasi-Kishinev operation in August 1944.

Massive equipping of various units and formations of the Red Army with Shermans began in the spring of 1944.

On February 13, 1944, the 4th Guards Mechanized Corps was assigned the 212th separate tank regiment, armed with M4A2 tanks. Together with other units and formations of the corps, the regiment took part in the Bereznegovato-Snigirevo offensive operation, carried out by troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front.

On March 13, 1944, the track chain of the M4A2 tank of Guard Junior Lieutenant V.A. Sivkov from the 212th Tank Regiment was torn by an aircraft bomb. The crew spent the whole day repairing the tank. And all this time, German planes, as soon as they detected the movement of people around the tank, immediately tried to shoot them with machine gun and cannon fire. In one of the enemy air raids, driver-mechanic senior sergeant Ivan Volodin and gunner sergeant Boris Kalinichenko were killed. There were only two left in the crew - the commander and gunner-radio operator, Private P.K. Krestyaninov.

Dusk was already falling on the ground, and air raids had stopped. The tank was ready for battle again, but exactly half of the crew was missing. There was no one to drive the tank, but the tankers did not think of staying in the desert steppe. Pyotr Krestyaninov took the place of the driver, and Vadim Sivkov took his place in the tower.

Under the cover of evening twilight, the tank rushed south at maximum speed. The tankers wanted to catch up with their regiment as quickly as possible, which, according to their calculations, was supposed to be in the area of ​​the village. I'm in the cinema. You can find out what happened next from the award sheet:

“... Junior Lieutenant V. A. Sivkov, on the night of March 13-14, following the regiment’s route, learned along the way that there was an enemy along his route in the village of Yavkino. This did not bother him, and he decided to fight his way to his unit no matter what. Approaching close to the village of Yavkin, junior lieutenant Sivkov opened hurricane fire from all types of weapons of the M4A2 tank and burst into the village at top speed. Skillfully maneuvering through the streets, he created the appearance that at least 10 tanks had burst into the village. The enemy rushed in panic from one house to another, from one street to another, but everywhere they came under heavy fire and tank tracks...

On the night of March 14-15, the enemy, having pulled up significant forces, launched a counterattack on the village of Yavkino. While repelling an enemy attack and maneuvering through the village, the tank fell into an anti-tank ditch. Not being able to use a cannon and machine guns, he gave the enemy the opportunity to come close to the tank and invite the crew to surrender, to which Sivkov responded by opening fire and shouting: “Komsomol members do not surrender!” - he threw grenades at them.

The enemy fled, leaving a dozen corpses near the tank. Then junior lieutenant Sivkov, using an anti-aircraft gun, began to shoot the fleeing enemy. Having used up all the ammunition and unable to conduct further combat, junior lieutenant Sivkov blew himself up and set the tank on fire.

Conclusion: I submit posthumously for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

(Commander of the 212th Separate Tank Regiment of the Guard, Major Barbashin.")

Our troops, having entered Yavkino on March 15, discovered an exploded Soviet tank. Inside it was found a small package and in it two sheets of finely written paper, which stated:

“We, the remaining two in tank No. 17, Vadim Aleksandrovich Sivkov (tank commander, junior lieutenant) and radio operator Pyotr Konstantinovich Krestyaninov, decided it was better to die in our own tank than to leave it.

We don’t think about surrendering, leaving two or three cartridges for ourselves...

The Germans approached the tank twice, but were unable to open it. At the last minute of life, we will blow up the tank with grenades so that it does not hit the enemy.”

For courage, bravery and boundless devotion to the Motherland, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 3, 1944, junior lieutenant V. A. Sivkov and private P. K. Krestyaninov were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

M4A2(76)W tanks on the march. 2nd Ukrainian Front, Austria, March 1945.

"Emcha" crosses a water barrier along a floating bridge on the approaches to Vienna. April 1945.

Tankers of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps of the Guard, Lieutenant I. G. Dronov and Guard Sergeant N. Idrisov, in their Sherman, were the first to break into Vienna. April 1945.

The arrival of a significant number of Shermans made it possible to equip large formations with them. So, for example, on June 22, 1944, the 3rd Guards Stalingrad Mechanized Corps, operating as part of the 3rd Belorussian Front, had 196 tanks, mostly foreign-made: 110 M4A2, 70 Valentine IX and 16 T-34.

On July 2, 1944, five Sherman tanks from the 9th Guards Tank Brigade of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps, marching in the head outpost under the command of Guard Senior Lieutenant G.G. Kiyashko, crossed the river. Berezina and received the task of breaking into the city of Krasnoye and, in case of successful developments, capturing it. The enemy garrison did not expect the appearance of Soviet troops. Tanks burst into streets filled with German vehicles. Firing from cannons and machine guns, armor and tracks, the guards smashed enemy personnel and equipment. The enemy was driven out of the city. During the battle, the guards destroyed four guns, more than 30 vehicles, about 80 Nazis, losing only one Sherman, junior lieutenant A.E. Bashmakov. Tankers cut off the highway and railway leading to Krasnoye from Minsk. In order to hold out until the main forces arrived, Kiyashko placed three tanks in an ambush. By this time, the tank of Lieutenant E.N. Smirnov, whose gun’s rotating mechanism was damaged during the ramming, took the wounded and left to join the main forces of the brigade.

Soon, Soviet vehicles were attacked by German troops retreating from Minsk to Molodechno via Krasnoye. Against three Soviet tanks, the Germans threw 20 tanks and self-propelled guns, including several Panthers, and up to an infantry battalion. Over the course of several hours of unequal battle, three Shermans knocked out six German Pz tanks. IV, one Panther and a StuG III assault gun, destroyed up to a company of infantrymen. But the forces were unequal. All Soviet tanks were knocked out, the remnants of the crews managed to break through to their own.

Here's another combat example. On July 26, 1944, tank crews of the 44th Guards Tank Regiment began fighting on the outskirts of Siauliai.

“The tank crews of the Guard, Lieutenant G. Milkov, V. Silysh and A. Safonov, exterminated the Nazis with the crushing fire of their cannons. The commander of the 1st Tank Company of the Guard, Captain Volkov, who was on one of the vehicles, skillfully led the battle. The walls of houses collapsed, and under their rubble the enemy guns and machine guns fell silent. Enemy vehicles caught fire and the boxes of ammunition in their bodies exploded. House by house, street by street, brave Soviet soldiers cleared the resisting enemy.”

"Shermans" of the 43rd, 44th and 45th Guards Tank Regiments of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps liberated Siauliai and Jelgava and participated in the defeat of the enemy's Kurland group.

Veteran of the 44th Guards Tank Regiment N.Z. Aleksandrov shares his impressions of his acquaintance with the Sherman.

“We received new materiel - Shermans. How we didn’t want to board these tanks! Their armor is not sloped. The T-34 has friction clutches - it can spin in place. And they have satellites, he turned around like a car in a circle. The short-barreled 75 mm gun was weak. One of the positive aspects is the presence of an anti-aircraft machine gun. The inside of the tank is very comfortable - everything is painted white, the handles are nickel-plated, the seats are covered in leather. Rubber tracks are very quiet. It was possible to sneak up on the enemy. I had such a case in the Baltic states.

We walked along the road through a field framed by forest. In front of a populated area we were fired upon. The Germans had a self-propelled gun and an anti-tank gun in their defense. We moved back a little and along the edge of the forest, crushing the bushes, at low throttle we reached their flank. I walked on foot with four machine gunners, and a tank behind. We crept up about three hundred meters. He ordered the machine gunners to take up defensive positions so as not to let anyone in, and he himself returned to the tank. The armor-piercing ones burned the self-propelled gun and then destroyed the gun. The German infantry fled. Thus, the road was opened.

We fought in Shermans for a short time, and by the fall of 1944 they were replaced with T-34-85s.”

To be honest, some of the veteran tankman’s judgments are surprising, in particular criticism about the “non-sloping” armor and the “weak” 75 mm gun. It is clear that neither one nor the other is unfair. Compared to the T-34, the Sherman only had non-sloping side armor. However, the main indicator of a tank's security is its frontal armor. In terms of side armor characteristics, tanks are never compared at all. And the frontal armor of the Sherman was more powerful than that of the T-34. As for the 75-mm cannon, its ballistic characteristics were identical to our F-34. Due to the better quality of ammunition, the American gun was superior to the Soviet one in armor penetration. The Sherman, which had a double differential as a turning mechanism, really could not turn around on the spot. However, the veteran does not mention how much physical effort it cost the driver of the T-34 to turn on the spot. All Soviet tank crews noted the quiet movement of the American tank. This was especially noticeable against the background of the T-34. The “Thirty-Four” with its roaring engine without mufflers and rattling ridge-toothed tracks, according to front-line soldiers, could be heard 3 km away on a quiet moonlit night!

And finally, something doesn’t fit in with the veteran’s rearmament with the T-34–85. According to documents, by January 1945, already operating as part of the 1st Baltic Front, the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps had 176 M4A2 (of which 108 with a 76-mm cannon) and 21 Valentine IX. There were no T-34–85s in sight.

"Shermans" of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Guards Tank Army on the street of Vienna. Austria, April 1945.

Column of "Shermans" on the street in Brno. 2nd Ukrainian Front, Czechoslovakia, April 1945.

On the street of Berlin - Sherman of the 219th Tank Brigade of the 1st Mechanized Corps. 1st Belorussian Front, May 1945.

The tankers are greeted by Soviet girls freed from fascist captivity. In the background is an M4A2 tank. Berlin, May 1945.

By the way, the Sherman was distinguished not only by its quiet, but also by its smooth running, which was especially appreciated by motorized infantry tank paratroopers. According to the recollections of many veterans, from the second half of 1944, M4A2 tanks were actively used to fight the Faustians. It was done like this. Four or five machine gunners sat on the tank, and they were tied with waist belts to brackets on the turret. While the vehicle was moving, the infantrymen fired at any cover within a radius of 100–150 m, behind which there could be “fa-ustniks”. This technique was called "broom". Moreover, only Shermans were suitable for the “broom”. On the T-34, due to its spark plug suspension and its inherent longitudinal swing, it was almost impossible for infantrymen tied with a waist belt to hold on.

Another advantage of the Shermans over domestic vehicles was appreciated by tankers - these were excellent radio stations that provided reliable and high-quality radio communications! Here is how D. F. Loza spoke about this:

“I must say that the quality of the radio stations on the Sherman tanks aroused the envy of the tank crews who fought on our tanks, and not only among them, but also among soldiers of other branches of the military. We even allowed ourselves to give gifts with radio stations, which were perceived as “royal”, primarily to our artillerymen...

For the first time, the radio communications of the brigade units were subjected to a comprehensive test in the January-March battles of 1944 in Right Bank Ukraine and near Iasi.

As you know, every Sherman had two radio stations: VHF and HF. The first is for communication within platoons and companies over a distance of 1.5–2 kilometers. The second type of radio station was intended for communication with the senior commander. Good equipment. We especially liked that, having established a connection, it was possible to firmly record this wave - no shaking of the tank could knock it down.

And one more unit in the American tank still evokes my admiration. I don’t think we’ve talked about it before. This is a small-sized gasoline engine designed to recharge batteries. Wonderful thing! It was located in the fighting compartment, and its exhaust pipe was located outside on the starboard side. It could be started to recharge the batteries at any time. On Soviet T-34s during the Great Patriotic War, to maintain the battery in working condition, it was necessary to drive five hundred horsepower of the engine, which was quite expensive, considering the consumption of engine life and fuel...

In offensive battles on the territory of Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Austria, communications worked uninterruptedly. Even when the advanced units were separated from the main forces at a distance of 15–20 kilometers, communication was carried out by microphone or key if the terrain turned out to be rough.”

The presence of radio stations generally distinguished all Lend-Lease tanks for the better from domestic ones. The latter, as is known, began to be 100% equipped with radio stations only from the second half of 1943.

It should be noted that all Lend-Lease armored vehicles supplied to the USSR, including Shermans, were equipped with English Wireless Sets No. 19 Mk radio stations. II. WS 19 radios were produced in England from 1941, and from 1942 they were also produced in Canada and the USA. WS 19 began to arrive in the USSR at the end of 1941, along with the British Matilda and Valentine tanks, and from 1942, in addition to the English ones, radio stations of Canadian and American production began to arrive. The latter had all operational inscriptions in English and Russian. It is no coincidence that all imported armored vehicles are equipped with English-designed radio stations, but this is not a tribute to unification. The fact is that American tanks communicated in the range of 20...28 MHz, using frequency modulation, while the WS 19 radio stations had ranges of 2...8 MHz and 229...241 MHz, working in them by telegraph or amplitude modulation, that is, they were completely incompatible with standard radio stations of American tanks.

At the same time, WS 19 completely covered the frequency range of 4...5.63 MHz, in which Soviet-made tank radio stations operated, and could be used without modifications in the armored and mechanized forces of the Red Army.

In 1944, the Shermans replaced foreign tanks of other brands, with the exception of the Valentines, from the tank units of the Red Army. For example, the 5th Guards Tank Army - the main striking force of the 3rd Belorussian Front in Operation Bagration - was equipped with equipment of both domestic and foreign production. It consisted of 350 T-34 tanks, 64 Sherman tanks, 39 Valentine IX tanks, 29 IS tanks, 23 ISU-152 tanks, 42 SU-85 tanks, 22 SU-76 tanks, 21 M10 self-propelled guns and 37 SU-57 (T48) . Thus, imported combat vehicles accounted for 25% of the entire army fleet. It should be noted that in the tank and mechanized units of the Soviet fronts that took part in Operation Bagration, Shermans were second only to T-34s in number.

Sherman tanks were used in the Red Army until the end of the war. For example, the 8th Guards Alexandria Mechanized Corps of the 2nd Belorussian Front on January 14, 1945 consisted of 185 M4A2, five T-34, 21 IS, 21 SU-85, 21 SU-76, 53 MZA1 “scouts”, 52 BA-64 and 19 3SU Ml7.

During the Vistula-Oder operation, the 2nd Guards Tank Army included the 1st Mechanized Corps, equipped with Sherman and Valentine tanks. Subsequently, the corps took part in the assault on Berlin.

M4A2 tanks, especially in the version with a powerful 76-mm cannon, were loved by Soviet tankers. They were given quite a few friendly nicknames and nicknames. “Emcha” (from “em four”), “humpback”, “chafer beetle”, “brontosaurus” in the hands of an experienced crew who knew their vehicle well, its strengths and weaknesses, was terrible for the enemy. This is evidenced by many combat examples.

On March 23, 1945, near the city of Veszprem in Hungary, the battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps, commanded by Senior Lieutenant D.F. Loza, distinguished itself. The award sheet stated the following: “The battalion knocked out and burned 29 enemy tanks and self-propelled guns, captured 20 and destroyed 10 vehicles, and destroyed about 250 enemy soldiers and officers.”

As Dmitry Loza himself recalls, it went like this:

“The reconnaissance sent out - a platoon of guard Lieutenant Ivan Tuzhikov - reached the approaches to Veszprém and camouflaged themselves in the forest to the left of the highway. She discovered a large enemy tank column. “Fascist tanks are pressing towards you,” the platoon commander reported to me... We had to quickly withdraw the battalion and deploy it, preparing an ambush for the approaching column... I give the command: “Don’t linger!” Everyone, follow to the crossing!“ Ionov reported that he was behind the steel highway. I order him to walk another kilometer and turn around to the right of the road. He knows about the approach of the enemy column, as do all the officers of the battalion.

Danilchenko’s platoons reached the southern outskirts of Khaimashker. Twelve cars were coming towards him from the west along the dirt road at speed. An excellent goal!.. It was clear from everything that the enemy did not know the latest information about the situation in this area. He had no reconnaissance or security...

At the signal, eight Shermans of Grigory Danilchenko fired their cannons. The trucks were engulfed in flames. The surviving infantry began to jump out of the bodies of vehicles and run away in different directions, but only a few managed to escape...

I order Danilchenko’s company to follow me. We pass a crossing, a fork in the road, walk about eight hundred meters forward, leave the highway to the right and deploy into battle formation. How lucky we are! The units found themselves on an enemy artillery range, pockmarked with countless positions for guns of various calibers and shelters for their tractors. Well, just a case! We took those that suited us in size.

Meanwhile, the enemy column, unaware of anything, continued to move north along the highway. Lieutenant Tuzhikov's platoon was still watching her. Behind the forest the sun had already risen above the horizon. Visibility has improved. The time that passed from the moment the Shermans occupied positions until the appearance of the lead fascist tank seemed like an eternity to us... Finally, at a turn in the highway, we saw the head of the enemy column. The tanks moved at shortened distances. Very good! If they suddenly stop, which is inevitable when they come under our fire, the enemy’s marching order will be “compressed,” and then the commanders of the “emcha” guns will not miss. I have given the strictest order not to open fire until my tank’s cannon fires, and all the tanks are silent. I patiently wait for the moment when the entire column is in our field of vision. The commander of the gun of my guard tank, senior sergeant Anatoly Romashkin, constantly keeps his sights on the lead enemy vehicle. The tail German tanks are constantly being “watched” by the barrels of the Sherman guns of Tuzhikov’s platoon. All enemy tanks are distributed and targeted. “A little more, just a second,” I restrain myself. And now all the enemy tanks are in full view. I command: “Fire!” The air was torn apart by seventeen shots that sounded like one. The lead car immediately caught fire. The tank froze in place at the tail of the stopped column. Having come under unexpected massive fire, the Nazis rushed about. Some tanks began to turn around right on the road in order to expose their thicker frontal armor to our shots. Those who managed to do this returned fire, which hit one Sherman. The only survivors were the guard gun commander, Sergeant Petrosyan, and the guard mechanic-driver, senior sergeant Ruzov. Together, they continued to fire from the spot, not allowing the enemy to enter the battalion’s flank. The German resistance was short-lived, and after fifteen minutes it was all over. The highway was blazing with bright fires. Enemy tanks, vehicles, and fuel tankers were burning. The sky was clouded with smoke. As a result of the battle, twenty-one enemy tanks and twelve armored personnel carriers were destroyed.

The Shermans began to emerge from the shelters they had occupied to continue moving towards Veszprém. Suddenly a sharp cannon shot sounded from the forest, and the left-flank vehicle of the guard company of Senior Lieutenant Ionov was pushed to the side, and it tilted to the right side and stopped. Four crew members were seriously injured. The stocky, strong mechanic-driver of the guard, Sergeant Ivan Lobanov, rushed to the aid of his comrades. He bandaged them and, pulling them out through the emergency hatch, laid them under the tank. For a split second his gaze lingered on the edge of the grove. Along it, breaking young bushes, Artshturm slowly crawled towards the road. Lobanov quickly returned to the tank, loaded the gun with an armor-piercing shell and, sitting in the gunner’s place, caught an enemy self-propelled gun in the crosshairs. The shell pierced the side of the armored vehicle, and its engine compartment was engulfed in flames. One after another, the Nazis began to jump out of the self-propelled guns. Lobanov, without wasting time, grabbed a machine gun, jumped out of the car and, hiding behind the body of the Emcha, shot the German tank crews. It should be noted that during moments of respite and during reorganization, the tank crews of the battalion always practiced the interchangeability of crew members. In this situation, the driver’s skills in handling tank weapons came in handy, which were later rewarded by the battalion command.

About half an hour later, the battalion units approached Veszprém. What we saw on the immediate approaches to the city was worthy of surprise. On both sides of the highway, in carefully equipped positions, there were eight “Panthers”, which did not respond to our fire and were shot from a short distance. The soon-to-be captured prisoners told stories that the German soldiers and officers were so shocked and depressed by the shooting of the tank column that when our units, raising clouds of dust, approached a well-equipped defensive line at full speed, the Panther crews abandoned their vehicles and, along with the infantry, They ran away in panic."

For skillful management of the battalion and personal courage of the guard, senior lieutenant Dmitry Fedorovich Loza was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The brilliant result of this battle is not particularly surprising. The battalion commander competently organized the ambush, and the crews skillfully used the firepower of their tanks.

Regarding the latter, one can sometimes hear undeserved criticism. Especially often, the 76-mm Sherman cannon is contrasted with the 85-mm T-34–85 cannon, reducing everything to a comparison of calibers. However, if the caliber is larger, this does not mean that the gun is better. In any case, the Soviet 85-mm cannon, due to its larger caliber, was superior to the American one only in terms of the high-explosive effect of shells. Otherwise, it did not have any advantages, as can be seen in the following example.

In the fall of 1944, shelling tests were carried out on the captured German heavy tank “Royal Tiger” at the Kubinka training ground. The test report states in black and white:

“American 76-mm armor-piercing shells penetrate the side plates of the Tiger-B tank from a distance 1.5–2 times greater than domestic 85-mm armor-piercing shells.”

Here, as they say, nothing can be added or subtracted...

Comrades in arms - Sherman and T-34–85 of the 6th Guards Tank Army in the mountains of Austria. May 1945.

Tank M4A2(76)W9-ro of the Guards Mechanized Corps in Manchuria. Transbaikal Front, August 1945.

Subsequently, M4A2(76)W tanks of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps took part in the capture of Budapest and in repelling a German counterattack near Lake. Balaton, in the liberation of Vienna. After the end of hostilities in Europe, leaving, like all formations of the 6th Guards Tank Army, its equipment in the previous area of ​​deployment, the corps was transferred to the Far East. Upon arrival in the Borzya and Choibalsan areas, the corps brigades received 183 brand new Shermans, just arrived from the United States. There is reason to believe that some of them were M4A2(76)W HVSS tanks with horizontal suspension. Together with the T-34–85 of the 5th Guards Tank and 7th Guards Mechanized Corps, the Shermans of the 9th Mechanized Corps crossed the Greater Khingan and reached the Central Manchurian Plain. The rapid actions of the 6th Guards Tank Army had a decisive influence on the course of the entire operation in Manchuria. Brigades of the 9th Mechanized Corps took part in the capture of Changchun and Mukden, the liberation of the Liaodong Peninsula, and after the end of the war with Japan, the Guards Shermans also became Red Banners. On September 20, 1945, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the 46th Guards Tank Brigade was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, the 18th and 30th Guards Mechanized Brigades were given the honorary name of Khingan, and the 31st Guards Mechanized Brigade became Port Arthur.

Tank M4A2(76)W HVSS, converted after the war into a tractor.

Imported armored vehicles were in service with the Soviet army for some time after the end of World War II. For example, in the already mentioned 46th Guards Mechanized Brigade, Shermans were used until the summer of 1946. Then the order came to prepare the equipment for transfer to the Americans. However, it was soon cancelled: some of the tanks were written off, some of the vehicles were converted into tractors. In different parts, apparently, they were redone differently. In the 46th brigade, the turrets were simply removed, and the vehicles were then used in the Krasnoyarsk Territory for logging. There was another modification option: the hole formed in the roof of the hull was welded with a steel sheet, on which the commander’s cupola from the Sherman was mounted. The tractors were equipped with a traction winch and a boom crane. Most of the vehicles converted in this way entered the restoration trains of the railways of the North Caucasus and Ukraine, where they were operated until the end of the 1960s. Individual vehicles could be found in Ukraine in the 1980s, and the Sherman tractor was used in the restoration train at the Morozovskaya railway station in the North Caucasus until 1996!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The main American medium tank M4 "Sherman"

The United States of America entered World War II with virtually no armored vehicles of its own. This was largely due to the long-term policy of “isolationism” and confidence in the complete security of the country, separated from restless Europe by an entire ocean. The Americans had neither their own school of tank building nor experience in using at least foreign combat vehicles. All the more surprising is the progress achieved by this country in a matter of years: it was in the USA that the Sherman was created, the only tank comparable to the Soviet T-34 combat vehicles not only in its tactical and technical characteristics, but also in terms of mass production.

History of creation

The design of the M4 medium tank began on February 1, 1941, and the first production Shermans appeared in the American army in the summer of 1942. Such rapid developments make a strong impression: for example, the development of the T-34 lasted about three years, and to create the German “ Panthers took almost two years. In addition, both of these cars then had to be long and persistently rid of numerous “childhood diseases”, which led to frequent breakdowns of the suspension, transmission and engine, while the Sherman from the very beginning demonstrated a very high level of chassis reliability.

To explain such success of American designers only by high production standards would mean making a mistake, since Germany in this respect was in no way inferior to its overseas enemy. The reason was different - when creating many components of the M4 tank, the developments of the US automotive industry were used, and in those years it was the most developed and advanced in the whole world. In addition, the Sherman did not appear out of nowhere - it had predecessors.

The M2 is considered the first American medium tank. It was developed at the state-owned Rock Island Arsenal, which by modern standards looks quite unusual for the United States. It was assumed that this particular tank would become the main one for the American army, but serial production of the combat vehicle, which began in the summer of 1939, was quickly curtailed.

The main reason for this decision was the analysis of the hostilities that unfolded in Europe after the outbreak of World War II. The armament of the M2 tank, which consisted of one thirty-seven-millimeter cannon and six to eight machine guns, was becoming clearly insufficient to compete with the best examples of German armored vehicles of those years. Both the military and the designers understood that the combat vehicle required a much more powerful weapon.

Ultimately, it was decided to arm the tank with a 75 mm cannon. Two main options were considered: the old M2 gun, which appeared in the US Army during the First World War, and the newer M3, which featured a longer barrel and improved armor penetration characteristics.

The recoil force and weight of both of these guns did not allow them to be placed in the small and weakly fixed rotating turret of the tank. It would seem that it should have been replaced with a larger and more durable one, however, American designers took a different path. They redesigned the body of the combat vehicle, adding a sponson in which the gun was placed. This is how the M3 Lee tank appeared - an extremely unsuccessful combat vehicle.

Apparently, the designers themselves understood all the shortcomings of such an arrangement. In any case, consideration of an alternative option, which involved creating a tank with a 75 mm gun in a new rotating turret, began early in the design of the M3. But things did not go beyond rather vague plans at this stage - apparently, the leaders of the Rock Island Arsenal, from whom the military had already begun to demand practical results, believed that creating a tank with a cannon in the sponson would be much easier.

Only in February 1941, after all the necessary technical documentation for the M3 Lee had been completed, did designers begin designing the M4, the future Sherman. However, this tank inherited a lot from its predecessor - in particular, it received the same suspension, transmission and engine, as well as a significant part of the hull. At the same time, the possibility of installing a more powerful power plant was also envisaged - for this purpose the volume of the engine compartment was increased.

The new turret allowed for the installation of several weapon options:

1. M2 gun (75 mm);
2. Howitzer (105 mm);
3. Two M6 guns (37 mm);
4. QF 6 pounder – English “six-pounder” gun, or its American version M1. Caliber – 57 mm.

All these guns were installed together with a 7.62 mm machine gun. It was also planned to produce an “anti-aircraft” modification of the turret with three heavy machine guns instead of a cannon.

The crew of the combat vehicle was reduced - on the M3 Lee it consisted of seven people, and on the M4 - five. The driver and gunner-radio operator were located in the front of the tank, and the commander, gunner and loader were located in the turret.

The production of prototypes began in the summer of 1941, simultaneously in the Rock Island Arsenal and in the workshops of the Aberdeen Military Proving Ground, where the task was completed a little earlier, preparing the car for display by September 2, 1941. The tank was tentatively designated T6 and differed in many ways from the future Sherman. In particular, the prototype had side doors “inherited” from the M3 Lee. In addition, the tank was “crowned” with a commander’s cupola with a separate 7.62-caliber machine gun – it was supposed to be used for protection against aircraft.

Representatives of the command of the tank forces, having examined the vehicle, proposed eliminating the side doors, since they clearly weakened the armor protection. In addition, to protect against air strikes, it would have been more expedient to install a heavy machine gun, but since it did not fit in the turret, all that remained was to place it openly.

On September 5, 1941, the Armament Committee of the American Congress made a recommendation that the T6 be adopted for service under the standard designation M4. This vehicle also received the additional name "General Sherman". Subsequently, the shortened “British” version was more often used - simply “Sherman”.

In November 1941, production of the first experimental batch of M4 tanks began in Aberdeen, and large-scale production began in February 1942. It continued until the victorious July of 1945. Six main modifications of the combat vehicle were produced simultaneously. The design of the tank was repeatedly refined and modernized during the war. This led to the appearance of submodifications, often significantly different from the base model.

Design Features

The M4 Sherman is a medium tank with a classic layout. At the front of the machine is the control compartment. It contains instruments that control the operation of the engine and the speed of the tank, as well as levers and pedals used by the driver. In addition, on the right side of the fighting compartment there is a front-facing machine gun with ammunition. This weapon is controlled by an assistant driver, who is also a radio operator.

The middle part of the vehicle is occupied by the fighting compartment. There are seats for the other three crew members - the commander, loader and gunner. In addition, the fighting compartment houses ammunition for the gun and coaxial machine gun, a battery with a charger and fire extinguishers.

The M4 turret was cast and mounted on a ball mount, directly above the fighting compartment. Inside it, in addition to weapons, there were sighting equipment, observation devices, a rotating mechanism, a radio station and a gyrostabilizer for the gun. The gun, in addition, was equipped with a mechanism for raising and lowering the barrel.

At the rear of the tank, behind the partition, there was an engine compartment designed to house the engine and all its maintenance systems. A characteristic feature of the Shermans was that its transmission was located in the control compartment. An inclined driveshaft, which transmits rotation from the engine to the gearbox, runs through the entire tank.

A similar transmission arrangement was used on German tanks, but there it was more “elegant” - the shaft extended almost horizontally, without tilting. Sometimes for this it was necessary to make it composite. American designers took a simpler approach, which forced them to slightly increase the height of the tank, thereby increasing the likelihood of its destruction.

The main material for making the hull of the M4 tank is rolled armor plates. Welding was used to connect them. The upper front sheet is inclined at an angle of 56 degrees, and a massive cast frontal part is bolted to it (it doubles as the rotary mechanism housing and the transmission hatch cover).

The side armor of the tank has no slopes. On tanks produced in 1943-44, it was additionally reinforced with steel linings. The frontal sheet initially had protrusions for viewing slots, but later they began to be “sealed”, and from the second half of 1943 the potentially vulnerable spots completely disappeared. At the same time, the angle of inclination of the front sheet decreased to 47 degrees.

To enter the fighting compartment, a hatch located on the roof of the turret was used. Beginning in December 1943, tanks began to be equipped with a separate hatch for the loader. The driver and his assistant took their places in the control compartment, using the hatches in the front of the hull.

The Sherman turret was equipped with a floor mounted on racks. On its left side there was a hatch through which it was possible to fire from personal weapons. The rotation of the tower was carried out using a hydroelectric mechanism or a manual drive.

Beginning in May 1944, M4 tanks were equipped with a modernized turret. It differed from the old one, first of all, in its size, becoming larger. In addition, a commander's turret, equipped with devices for all-round observation, reappeared on the roof.

Specifications

Since the American M4 Sherman tank was produced in many variants, it is quite difficult to provide a complete list of its characteristics. The table contains data on the first production modification of the M4A1, the Lendlease M4A2 tank and one of the later M4A3(76) W HVSS vehicles with improved suspension.

	M4A1	M4A2	M4A3(76)W HVSS
Tank length	5.84 m	6.08 m	6.27 m
Length with gun	5.84 m	6.08 m	7.54 m
Height	2.74 m	2.88 m	2.97 m
Width	2.62 m	2.69 m	3m
Speed	Up to 39 km/h	Up to 45 km/h	Up to 42 km/h
Power reserve	160 km	240 km	160 km
Motor power	350 hp	375 hp	450 hp
Weight	30.3 tons	30.9 tons	33.6 tons
Frontal armor	51 mm	64 mm	64 mm
Side armor	38 mm	38 mm	38 mm
Tower forehead	76 mm	76-89 mm	64-89 mm
Tower sides	51 mm	51 mm	51 mm

Armament

M4 Sherman tanks could be equipped with the following types of artillery pieces:

1. M3 cannon with horizontal wedge breech. Caliber - 75 mm, barrel length 37.5 calibers. The barrel tilt range is from -10 to +25 degrees. Gun weight - 405.4 kg;
2. Cannon M Caliber - 76 mm, barrel length 55 calibers. The barrel angle range is the same as on the M3. Several variants of this gun could be installed - M1A1 with improved balance, M1A1S with a muzzle brake, M1A2 with a shortened rifling pitch. The weight of these guns is from 518 to 578 kg;
3. Ordnance QF 17 pounder Mk.IV. British "seventeen pound" gun. The caliber according to the usual standard is 76.2 mm, the barrel has a length of 55 calibers. There is a muzzle brake. This gun was installed on tanks used by the British army, the Americans did not use it, although it was better than the M1;
4. Howitzer M4. Caliber – 105 mm. The barrel is 24.5 caliber long. Tanks with this gun did not have a gyrostabilizer and a hydraulic drive for the turret rotation mechanism.

In addition to the cannon, the Sherman tank was armed with three machine guns. One Browning M1919A4 was paired with an artillery gun, the other was a course gun. The third machine gun, the heavy-caliber Browining M2HB, was mounted on the roof of the turret and was intended for air defense. In real battles, however, it was used much more often against ground targets.

In addition, some M4 submodifications were equipped with a 50.8 mm M3 smoke grenade launcher. It was installed in the tower.

The composition of the Sherman's ammunition was not the same for different versions of the tank. As an example, two submodifications can be given:

	M4A2	M4A2(76)W
Shells	97	71
Ammo 7.62	4 750	6 250
Cartridges 12.7	300	600
Smoke grenades	12	14

Firing accuracy was ensured not only by sighting devices, but also by a gyrostabilizer developed by Westinghouse, which dampened vibrations in the vertical plane. Thanks to this device, the Sherman could fire not only from short stops, but also on the move.

Modifications

The basic modification of the Sherman was simply called the M4. In fact, however, such tanks began to be produced much later than the M4A1. The basic one differed from all other options primarily by its complete refusal to use cast parts. The body was completely welded. This ensured not only a simplification of the technological cycle, but also an increase in internal volume, which made it possible to take on board up to seven additional projectiles. The power plant of the basic modification of the M4 was the Continental R975 C1 engine. This aircraft engine ran on gasoline and developed a power of 350 horsepower.

It should be noted that later the basic version of the tank was produced with partial use of cast parts and gradually became closer to other modifications. The total production volume was 8,389 units, including 1,641 tanks with a 105 mm howitzer.

M4A1

This version of the Sherman tank became its first production modification. It arose as a result of eliminating comments on the “Aberdeen” prototype T6. The side doors on the demonstration model were welded, and later the hulls began to be cast in one piece, without openings.

They decided to carry out military tests of the first two production vehicles in England, for which it was necessary to equip the tanks with short-barreled M2 guns - work on placing the “standard” M3 had not yet been completed.

At first, M4A1 tanks were equipped with the R-975-EC2 engine, but they were almost immediately replaced with the R-975-C1, the same as on the base model. In general, the cars of this first production modification had to undergo much more transformations than subsequent versions. In particular, it was on the M4A1 that the M1 gun, created specifically to enhance the Sherman's anti-tank capabilities, was first installed. At the same time, it was necessary to significantly change the shape and size of the tower, as well as increase its weight.

Another important innovation tested on the M4A1 was the use of a “wet” ammunition rack. Initially, shots to the gun were placed in this tank on the side shelves, which led to their detonation when the armor was penetrated by enemy shells and the immediate death of the entire crew. To increase safety, the boxes with ammunition were moved to the bottom and filled with water with the addition of ethylene glycol. As a result, the survivability of the tank increased significantly.

The M4A1(76)W HVSS submodification deserves special mention. These vehicles were equipped with an improved suspension with horizontal buffer springs. In addition, the width of the tracks has increased and the design of the road wheels has been changed.

The British made a special contribution to the modernization of the M4A1, arming this tank with a fairly effective seventeen-pound cannon. This version of the combat vehicle was designated Sherman IIC.

A total of 9,677 M4A1s were produced, including 3,396 tanks with various versions of the M1 gun.

M4A2

This modification was put into production in April 1942 (that is, even before the base model). The main feature of this version of the tank was its power plant, composed of two General Motors 6046 diesel engines. These engines were created for cars and provided a significantly increased range.

In terms of hull design, the M4A2 is closer to the base model than the M4A1 - it is welded. It was on this modification that they first began to weld the front viewing slots, and then the entire frontal sheet became solid, and its angle of inclination decreased.

A significant number of M4A2s were sent to the USSR under the Lend-Lease program, and it was this variant that Soviet tank crews were best acquainted with. Total production reached 11,283, including 3,230 M4A2(76)W with different versions of the M1 gun.

M4A3

The main difference between this version of the tank was the Ford GAA engine. This eight-cylinder aircraft engine had a power of 500 horsepower, which made it possible to sharply increase the Sherman's power supply. Serial production of the M4A3 began in May 1942.

Subsequently, these tanks underwent the same upgrades as the first production modification - the front plate became solid, a “wet” ammunition rack was introduced, the hull design was simplified, and towards the end of the war the vehicles received an improved suspension.

Before the start of Operation Overlord, a special submodification of this tank was created - M4A3E2. It was distinguished by reinforced armor on the forehead and sides. The car weighed up to 38 tons, and its increased dimensions were visually noticeable, which led to the appearance of the unofficial nickname Jumbo - named after the baby elephant from Walt Disney cartoons.

The thickness of the Jumbo's frontal armor reached 102 mm, which by pre-war standards already corresponded to the parameters of heavy tanks. But the new tower with walls of 152 mm became especially protected. This made it possible to use the vehicle when storming heavily fortified positions, without fear of fire from most types of anti-tank artillery.

11,424 M4A3 tanks were produced, of which 3,039 were armed with a 105 mm howitzer, and 3,370 were armed with various versions of the M1 cannon.

M4A4

Tanks of this modification were equipped with a complex power unit consisting of five six-cylinder automobile carburetor engines connected into a single unit. This star-shaped installation had a total power of 370 horsepower.

Production of the M4A4 lasted just over a year, from July 1942 to September 1943. During this period, 7,499 tanks were made. These vehicles, unlike other modifications of the Sherman, were not subject to modernization. The exception was the tanks sent to the UK - where they were equipped with seventeen-pound Mk IV or Mk VII guns. The designation Sherman VC was used for these vehicles, and their unofficial nickname was Firefly.

M4A5

This designation was not officially used. It was supposed to be introduced for the Canadian Ram Tank combat vehicle, which was a deep modernization of the M3 Lee tank, carried out, apparently, taking into account the experience gained when creating the T6 prototype. The M4A5 was armed with a six-pound English cannon housed in a cast turret, the design of which had almost nothing in common with the similar part of the Sherman.

1948 of these tanks were produced, but they were never sent to the front because the weapons did not meet the requirements of the Second World War.

M4A6

This tank, originally made on the basis of the M4A4 modification, was equipped with a Caterpillar D200A multi-fuel diesel engine. Such a power plant could potentially become common to all Shermans. A prototype of the tank with a new engine, tentatively designated M4E1, was manufactured in December 1942.

Serial production of the M4A6 began in October 1943, but after the production of seventy-five vehicles it was stopped. The American military was not ready for the transition from gasoline engines to multi-fuel diesel engines, which led to the abandonment of the promising modification.

Grizzly Bear

These tanks were a Canadian “adaptation” of the M4A1 modification. In addition, there were several “just” M4s that received the same designation. In general, the design of this vehicle coincided with the American models, but the tracks and drive wheels underwent changes. Very few of these tanks were produced - only 188 copies.

It must be emphasized that the listed modifications of the Sherman are far from the only ones. On the basis of this tank, serial production of self-propelled artillery mounts, multiple launch rocket systems, bridge layers and armored vehicles was carried out. In addition, flamethrower versions of the tank were also produced.

Combat use

The first time M4 Sherman tanks were used was during the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942. These vehicles were armed with the 1st and 10th British tank divisions, as well as the 9th and 24th separate tank brigades. The total number of Shermans reached 251 units.

The introduction of new tanks into battle was completely unexpected for the German command. The British were able to assemble noticeably superior forces - together with the Shermans, they had more than a thousand combat vehicles against 559 in Rommel’s group. In addition, only some of the German tanks could penetrate the M4 armor - 88 Pz.III and 30 Pz.IV with long-barreled guns. The result was a very important victory for this theater of war, to which new American combat vehicles made a significant contribution.

In December 1942, Shermans, part of the US Army, were brought into battle. At first, these battles were accompanied by heavy losses. At first, they were caused by the inexperience of the American crews, and in February 1943, M4 tanks first encountered Tigers, against which they simply had no chance. During the first two days of these battles, the US Army irretrievably lost 84 Shermans. True, the Americans themselves announced that 19 German tanks had been hit, but these, apparently, were not Tigers.

The landing in Sicily in July 1943 was also accompanied by the use of Shermans. During the largest battle, 14 Tigers and 30 other German tanks were destroyed, but in this case most of them were knocked out by artillery fire, as well as bazookas.

For the landing in France, some of the Shermans were equipped with special devices that were intended to give the tank amphibious properties. In total, in the first wave of landings there were four battalions of M4 tanks - two in the Utah sector and the same number in the notorious Omaha sector. Due to a number of errors, 27 of the 32 tanks of the 741st battalion simply sank, and only 30 of the 51st tanks of the 743rd battalion survived.

The British carried out their part of the landing much better, losing only six tanks out of forty. However, the main troubles for the Shermans were just beginning - after all, meetings with numerous Tigers and Panthers awaited them ahead. And yet, the Germans no longer had anything to count on - after huge losses on the Eastern Front, they simply could not oppose anything to the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Allies.

From November 20, 1944 to January 20, 1945, 1,137 Sherman tanks were lost in battle - a very noticeable loss. But the total number of these vehicles in the American and British armies was about 15,000 by November, and another 10,000 were put into reserve. Thus, even the Wehrmacht counteroffensive in the Ardennes only slightly weakened the Allied group. We can say that one of the best qualities of the M4 tank was clearly demonstrated here - its excellent adaptability to mass production.

The war in the Pacific, due to its specifics, was fought with only a small number of tanks. The Sherman in this region did not have any worthy opponents at all - Japanese armored vehicles were absolutely not suitable for such a role. The Americans acted with virtual impunity, only occasionally losing single vehicles.

The use of tanks supplied to the USSR under the Lend-Lease program began in the spring of 1943, but their most active use occurred in a later period. These vehicles played a very important role during the battles for Ukraine in the winter and spring of 1944. Soviet tank crews who fought on Shermans noted that this tank had significantly higher maneuverability than other Lend-Lease models of military equipment. At the same time, compared to the T-34, the Sherman turned out to be much more convenient for the crew. There were certain advantages in the composition of the on-board equipment.

During the Belarusian offensive operation, the saturation of Soviet troops with M4 tanks reached its maximum. Now they were second in number only to the ubiquitous “thirty-fours”. It must be said that reviews of the use of Shermans are rather stingy and contradictory. Most likely, the reason for this was a combination of the most significant shortcomings of this tank with its very significant advantages - the M4 was very reliable and made it possible to carry out deep raids, but when faced with the heaviest German armored vehicles, it was often powerless.

Equipped with Shermans, the 1st Mechanized Corps of the 2nd Guards Tank Army directly participated in the assault on Berlin. The 9th Guards Mechanized Corps, which received 183 M4s in the summer of 1945, was used during the war against Japan. In the latter case, the Shermans performed simply brilliantly, covering enormous distances without significant breakdowns.

After the defeat of Germany and Japan, M4 tanks were no longer produced, but their military service continued. In particular, these vehicles were actively used by the US Army during the Korean War. It was here that the American Sherman tank was first used against Soviet T-34s.

It is necessary, of course, to take into account that the battles involving these vehicles were sporadic. Before the start of the war, North Korea had 258 T-34-85 tanks, which for a long time the Americans could only counter with the obviously weaker M-24s - with quite predictable consequences. Then the situation changed - the Shermans entered the battle, and with them the M26 Pershing and M46 Patton.

By the end of 1950, North Korea had lost all of its tanks. The ratio of losses in direct tank battles was 34:97 in favor of the United States. This, however, does not speak about the advantage of the Sherman, since all available information indicates that the Americans relied mainly on the more powerful, heavily armored and well-armed Pershings and Pattons, which in their characteristics were more similar to IS-2 than with T-34-85.

An example is the battle that took place in September 1950, when 10 North Korean tanks shot down three M4A3E8s with impunity in less than a minute. One of the T-34-85s then attacked and destroyed up to 15 trucks making up the transport convoy. At the same time, the Korean tank crews acted carelessly - four of their vehicles were burned by shots from super bazookas, one was destroyed by a 105-mm howitzer, and two more were hit by Shermans that arrived in time.

When the overall results of this armed conflict were subsequently assessed in the United States, it was noted that the M4s had generally become more effective than other American combat vehicles. There was no talk of competition with the T-34, the emphasis was rather on generalized “usefulness” in relation to the cost of operation and reliability of the equipment.

The use of Shermans during the Arab-Israeli wars was also quite widespread, and, interestingly, both warring sides had these tanks. Since the cars were frankly outdated by the 50s, they were actively modernized and rearmed. Israel especially distinguished itself in this field, creating the M50 and M51 tanks, which were called “Super Sherman”. Egypt, however, also tried to keep up. Of course, all this was a forced improvisation - with all their improvements, such vehicles were still outright inferior even to the IS-3, not to mention the newer Soviet tanks of the 50s and 60s.

Comparison with analogues in the world

The most commonly used standard for comparison with the Sherman is the Soviet T-34 tank. This is understandable, but perhaps not entirely correct, since the M4 had other powerful rivals. One of them, in particular, was the German medium tank Pz IV.

The original modifications of this vehicle are not worth considering, since they were used even when the Sherman simply did not exist. It is more correct to focus on the Pz.IVG and Pz.IVH variants. The armament of this vehicle was a 75 mm cannon, capable of penetrating 82 mm thick armor at a distance of one kilometer. A Sherman with an M3 gun at the same distance was capable of hitting a target protected by a layer of armor of 60 mm.

Now you need to compare the level of protection of both machines. The armor of the M4 in the first years of production was 51 mm at the front of the hull and 76 mm at the turret. The Pz.IVG tank was protected by a 50 mm layer of metal, and the Pz.IVH tank by 80 mm. It follows from this that in a “duel” clash between the Sherman and the early modification of the four, the chances would be equal, but in a battle with the Pz.IVH, the American vehicle is clearly inferior.

Only the Sherman, equipped with an M1 cannon (or an English seventeen-pounder), managed to achieve equality with the main and most common German tank (and the Pz.IV is exactly that). This gun provided armor penetration of 88 millimeters at the same distance of a thousand meters. Such guns, however, were installed on less than half of all M4s produced.

Here, of course, it is logical to ask the question - what, exactly, prevented the mighty American industry from rearming all tanks? The answer is simple - the high-explosive fragmentation shells for the M1 cannon were too weak and did not allow it to be used as an effective anti-personnel weapon. As a result, the Americans were forced to make their tank formations mixed - they were made up of tanks with different types of guns. All this, of course, does not speak in favor of the Sherman.

It is apparently necessary to compare the M4 also with the German Panther. True, the Pz.V was classified as a heavy tank in both the American and Red Army, but in the Wehrmacht it was considered a medium tank and was used accordingly. The Panther is characterized primarily by its very powerful weapon. At a distance of 1000 meters, it penetrated up to 150 mm of armor with a sub-caliber projectile. Thus, the fire superiority over even the best Sherman variants was enormous.

The protection of the Pz,V tank also makes an impressive impression - the turret forehead reached 110 mm, and the front armor plate, inclined at an angle of 55 degrees, had a thickness of 80 mm. It is not surprising that the very thought of entering into battle with the Panther did not arouse any enthusiasm among the American tankers - there could be even less chance of success unless in a battle with the Tiger.

However, as you know, the German tanks were knocked out by the end of the war, and the Shermans eventually won. This happened because not all characteristics can be included in the table. In particular, such a parameter as reliability never gets there. The Panther was an excellent, but crude tank. It was only partially possible to “fine-tune” the design under military conditions. As a result, the wonderful German “predators” broke down, and the mediocre American “Shermans” continued to fight.

The second “invisible” criterion is manufacturability. American industry produced more than 49 thousand Shermans. The Germans barely managed to build 6 thousand Panthers, and they were much more expensive than American tanks. Thus, the Pz.V may not have prolonged the existence of the “Third Reich” so much as contributed to its speedy defeat due to the complete depletion of resources.

Now it's time to talk about the T-34. As is known, its two main variants are the T-34-76 and T-34-85. The first of these tanks is quite comparable in its basic characteristics to the Shermans armed with the 75 mm M3 cannon. But this is a purely “tabular” comparison. In general, we can say that the Soviet vehicle has higher maneuverability with the same armament and armor, but in terms of instrumentation and level of comfort for the crew, the M4 looks preferable.

It should also be noted that in the first years of operation of the T-34-76, this tank was not reliable enough, and its engine did not have the necessary service life. “Sherman” relied on a more than solid foundation of the American automobile industry and therefore such significant difficulties did not arise with its development.

T-34-85 tanks are again comparable to the M4, but only to those that were armed with the M1 cannon. The armor protection of both vehicles is almost the same, but different types of metal are used. As a result, the T-34 is somewhat less likely to be penetrated by the same ammunition, but the American vehicle, with its more viscous armor, can boast of a noticeably smaller number of secondary fragments flying off the inner layer of steel during a direct hit.

The T-34-85 gun has noticeably higher power than the M1 gun. Thanks to this, it is not even possible to use sub-caliber shells to defeat the Sherman. At the same time, American tankers will have to use exactly this type of ammunition to even the odds. To this we can add that the M4 turret rotates, although quickly, but still somewhat slower than that of the T-34-85.

In terms of reliability, both vehicles are approximately the same, which was demonstrated, in particular, during the defeat of the Kwantung Army in August 1945. Huge marches were completed quite successfully by both T-34-85 and Sherman tanks.

To summarize, it can be noted that neither the T-34 nor the M4 has an overwhelming advantage. The outcome of a collision between similar tanks is decided by the skill of the crews and the level of competence of the command.

Advantages and disadvantages

During combat operations and during subsequent peaceful service, Sherman tanks demonstrated the following positive qualities:

1. High reliability of the chassis and its good maintainability;
2. Cheapness of manufacturing a tank during mass serial production;
3. Shermans are comfortable for all crew members. You can move around quite freely inside the car without resorting to any effort;
4. The tank is equipped with numerous instruments that provide excellent all-round visibility. In this respect, the Sherman is superior to both Soviet and German tanks of the Second World War;
5. The gun is stabilized in a vertical plane, which greatly simplifies aiming and increases the accuracy of fire, especially while moving;
6. The tank is equipped with a heavy machine gun, which fits well into the weapon system and is useful not only against aircraft;
7. A powerful engine makes the Sherman the most mobile tank in its class.

Some of their disadvantages, characteristic of the M4, have already been mentioned. Nevertheless, it makes sense to list them in a general list:

1. The transmission layout is clearly unsuccessful. It was necessary to either move the gearbox back, or provide a different placement of the driveshaft;
2. The M4 tank is quite narrow and has a considerable height. This makes the car insufficiently stable when driving along folds of the terrain;
3. The tank's armament is not unified. The 75 mm gun does not have the necessary armor penetration, and the M1 gun never received sufficiently powerful high-explosive fragmentation shells;
4. The tank is not suitable for transporting troops. This was acutely felt on the Soviet-German front, since the Red Army did not yet have armored personnel carriers at its disposal.

In conclusion, it must be emphasized that any assessment of the technology of the war years must certainly take into account the difficult circumstances that characterized this difficult time. The Americans created their main medium tank on a very weak basis, but managed to make it a real “workhorse” for their own army, and it would be a mistake not to recognize this achievement. Nowadays the Sherman is as much a part of history as the T-34, and for a long time both of these tanks fought on the same side.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

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

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

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

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

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

T6 Sherman Prototype

Modifications:

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

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

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

M4 (as well as M4A1, the only difference being the presence of a cast body)

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

Welded hull of the M4 tank

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

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

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

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

М4А1 with 76mm cannon

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

M4A2


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

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

M4A3 (and its modifications)

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

M4A3

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

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

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


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

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

M4A4

М4А4(76)W

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

M4A6

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

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

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