How fast did the sherman tank go

Though frequently outgunned by their German counterparts, Shermans proved easier to maintain—often fixed on the battlefield. No unit markings were discovered when previous coats of paint were removed from the tank. Because the tank was manufactured in , it is almost certain that it was deployed overseas during the war, although no battle damage was discovered. When the Sherman tank arrived at the Museum in December , its engine was completely rusted and it was painted in a color appropriate to the Korean War era rather than World War II.

The M4 was rugged and could endure a miles km run before requiring any form of maintenance. The first factory which delivered the M4 was the Lima Locomotive Works. They found themselves instrumental in many operations which turned the tide of the war in this sector in favor of the Allies. At first, production rate was of M4s a month, but rose quickly as more factories were involved 11 total , to a figure of each month by mid These included for all variants Pressed Steel Cars Co.

A total of M4s from July to January were produced, as well as of the late variant equipped with a mm 4. The gun mantlet also evolved from the M34 to the more protective M34A. This first major version was introduced early on in February It had a fully cast, rounded upper hull. Production of the regular M4A1 totaled machines until December , but it was replaced by the M4A1 76 W, which received a more recent 76 mm 2.

The maximum range was 14 km 8. Following a painful war experience, the ammo racks and fuel tanks were protected by watery jackets. The commander cupola was also new, featuring 6 prismatic vision blocks 76 mm 3 inches thick with laminated bullet-proof glass. The engine was the modernized Continental RC1. This evolution came in April , with a new General Motors engine two GM General Motors Diesel engines , welded hull with extra applique armor on the hull sides and gunner position left side of the turret.

It was produced to a total of until May The rear hull plate was sloped. A transitional version built by Fisher, the M4A2 75 D, had a one-piece degree glacis, with large hatches, but it still used dry ammo bins and applique armor.

The hull frontal glacis was mm 4. The M4A2 76 W was the upgunned late variant, of which over will be delivered until May With the GM diesel and liters gal of fuel, the range was km mi. The weight rose to The mm 4. By early , the HVSS suspension was fitted.

Work on this variant of the M4 started in March The tank borrowed much from the T20E3, another prototype medium tank that would use the same suspension and a 24 inch 0. The performance of the suspension on this particular vehicle proved unsatisfactory, and field maintenance too complex.

As such, the project was canceled. One of the prototype vehicles at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds — Photo: thearmoredpatrol. It was produced to a total of by all manufacturers combined.

The next had wet ammo stowage and a newer commander cupola. The suspension was the unchanged VVSS, but the transmission was now protected by a one-piece cast steel armored cover. Driver vision slots were augmented by bullet-proof glass and protective covers. Mid-production they also saw the adoption of duckbills, extended end connectors for the tracks, which improved the grip on soft terrains.

Early series also saw extra 25 mm 1 in thick applique armor welded over the ammo storage bins and the turret gunner position, later removed. By , the recognition white stars were usually painted black or olive drab in order to mask them to enemy gunners, which used them as an aiming point. Over were delivered until March The modification range was similar to the M4A2 75 W. The 76 mm 3 in version, the M4A3 76 W was first introduced in March and a total of were delivered until April Modifications range was similar to the M4A2 76 W.

Many had upper side skirt protection. These saw action in the latest phases of the conflict in Europe and in the Pacific. To achieve this, the bogey trucks were space-out at approximately 4.

The modification did work, but by this time the wider HVSS track system had become available, and this essentially overshadowed the variant. As such only one vehicle is believed to have existed. This series was first introduced in July and produced until November , to a total of machines. This model was not particularly appreciated with US crews and most went to the British and other Allied forces. But by mid, up-armored and up-gunned models gradually replaced them. Losses had been heavy, not only because of enemy fire.

The engine rarely caught fire when hit, but caused trouble because of complicated maintenance issues and long or delayed repairs. This model had a cast front with welded and lengthened sides and was propelled by a diesel Caterpillar DA radial. A total of only 75 were delivered between October and February by Detroit Arsenal. Bigger weapons existed but were usually mounted in open topped armoured vehicles — useful for distant radio directed fire but not really suitable for close assault. Sometimes the only way to clear such obstacles was to close in and fire point blank with as larger round as possible.

The Russians and Germans went on to increase their high explosive power through mounting mm, mm, mm, even mm guns on armoured vehicles. Some of these were fitted in fully superstructures. It was recognised that a genuine howitzer weapon may lose some AP potential compared to the 75 mm but this did not matter so much. It was the case that for most of the north western European campaign, the US were more commonly in assault mode against an enemy dug in with anti-tank guns and handheld infantry Panzerfausts rather than against hundreds of tanks.

Also the mm weapon now had new A. The point about the new ammunition is the muzzle velocity is not so crucial to overall performance. Thus a gun with a short barrel firing low velocity ammunition still has a respectable A. E by about or more while the A. The gains in H. Thus a useful compromise and a powerful addition in close assault mode. First introduced in February , production of the mm 4. It was devised during the Italy campaign, to give added infantry support firepower with the advantage of a fully traversing turret.

The standard MA4 howitzer was modified and compacted for the task. All existing gun aiming and facilities for indirect fire were improved. The armor was slightly thinner than usual, ranging from 63 mm 2. The mantlet was 91 mm 3. The engine was the early radial Continental RC4, 9-cylinder 4-cycle, air cooled 15, cc and hp at 2, rpm , giving a range of km mi and a cruise speed of Produced from May to March with a total of machines. It had every improvement of the regular A3 series and thus was more successful.

It appeared quickly that the punch of a solid HE round was also more than adequate in many tank to tank engagements against German armor. More than were built and served in the European Theater of Operations.

The M10 GMC was armed with a 3 in gun Over were built. The M36 GMC was armed with a far more powerful 90 mm 3. The name came from the famous lighter. It was developed in after the terrible casualties at Saipan, and first served en masse at Iwo Jima and later at Okinawa. T34 Calliope : Famous rocket version, developed in and massively used against German positions in Fired up to 60 mm 4.

M4 Dozer : M4 fitted, in , with a hydraulic dozer blade from a Caterpillar D8. Widely used in many theaters of war to create airfields and base camps in wooden or jungle areas. First developed as a kit, but later on more turretless Shermans appeared with this equipment fixed permanently. It was largely used in the Normandy Bocage, later replaced by Shermans equipped with the Culin Cutter kit.

M4 Doozit : M4 dozer equipped with demolition charges on a wooden platform. Never used in combat, contrary to the T40 WhizBang. First introduced in Italy as a turretless Sherman equipped with a frame-supported assault bridge with a rear counterweight. M4 Mine-clearer : No less than 26 variants, some never operational, came to life between First operational ones appeared in Italy.

The US-versions T1-T6 Roller used two massive front rollers to explode the mines by ground pressure, while the British versions Sherman Crab T2-T3 and sub-variants used a frontal flail roller, similar to the Scorpion. There were also a serrated edged disc version, mine exploder versions equipped with a frame with small rollers or a steel plunger, several mortar versions, a remote-control demolition version and a plow version with depth control apparatus. It featured a flexible waterproof canvas skirt fixed on the mudguard, reinforced with a folding wooden and metal frame.

Several trials were performed with various tank models including the Valentine but later applied to the Sherman in the perspective of future amphibious landings. However, due to the bad weather, many were lost en route to the shore. They had more successes during operation Dragoon landing in southern France and when crossing the Rhine by early It consisted of four for each side boxy pressed-steel floats, called pontoons, which procured buoyancy, while the tracks provided some propulsion.

It was only used close to the shore. The equipment was then removed by the crews for the upcoming operations. Shermans with Deep Wading Gear : This apparatus consisted of two large ducts mounted on top of the engine ventilation hatch and exhaust. Thanks to this system, which caught air one meter above the tank, and well-sealed hatches, the Sherman could be deposited by large ships on the sea floor, at more than three meters depth.

This kit could also be used to ford large rivers. This was especially true compared to the Tigers and Panthers which had a high consumption, requiring careful maintenance and limited cross-bridges capabilities. German reports stated that the Sherman could climb slopes at angles thought impossible for any Panzer. Their narrow build also helped them cross narrow streets, bridges and forested areas as well, but most of all, helped transportation by rail, therefore improving their mobility.

Their high, bulky nose helped them crush thick vegetation easily, and they were found sturdy and powerful enough to go through any kind of house or wall, which helped them in many urban fights, especially in Italy. However, despite their moderate ground pressure, the narrow tracks were judged inadequate on soft terrain, especially mud and snow.

This feature was factory-born to help the M4A3E2 Jumbo reduce ground pressure. The standard VVSS suspension was also the object of some criticism, openly compared to the far more refined torsion arm system used by the Panther, which allowed a very smooth ride and more accurate fire on the move.

The basic system was not changed, but it secured a smoother ride and a better weight distribution, which helped to stabilize the tank. Large-scale production and a limited weight which never really exceeded 36 tons except for a few machines, the average weight being tons helped the large-scale transatlantic shipping of these, despite U-Boot losses. This allowed overall superiority in numbers on the battlefield. Training required few hours and M3 Lee veteran drivers and even gunners had no problems operating the Sherman, thanks to a high level of standardization.

For infantry support, the Sherman looked ideally suited. Dominating the terrain, the commander had an excellent view and the infantry, advancing behind, was well-protected.

Two cal. But the heavy cal. It could be also lethal, with some luck, against low-flying aircraft. Its downside was the completely exposed position of the machine gunner, as he had to sit on the rear deck of the tank to use it.

On every front, single tank-to-tank engagements against German tanks turned to be generally unfair, especially with the early versions. The hull, due to the high transmission required by the radial engine towered at nearly 3 meters 9. Post-war, the Sherman tank gained an unfounded reputation for catching fire easily which still endures.

For a tank which in later versions had wet ammo storage and extra protection for ammunition this reputation was meaningless, but nevertheless, it endures long after the Normandy campaign. In Normandy, many Shermans were also killed because of well-hidden and camouflaged AT guns and tanks, helped by the bocage configuration.

A partial solution was given by the use of a Culin hedgerow cutter fitted to the lead tank of a company, which was usually also the first one to be killed in action. The Sherman design evolution dictated by wartime experience called for a thickening of the glacis and side armor, from 76 to 89 mm 3 to 3. The Jumbos were usually used as leading tanks.

Shell-proof, they spotted the enemy and helped out-flanking maneuvers. The British and Canadian versions also camouflaged their long This was a form of early spaced armor. Armor issues led many crews to come up with some sort of impromptu protection made in the field of whatever available, namely sandbags, spare track links, concrete, wire mesh and wood, notably against shaped charge rounds Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck. General Patton ordered a study of the practice of adding loads of sandbags, ordering some systematic tests, which proved that only in a few particular angles the shaped charge of a Panzerfaust failed to penetrate the armor.

Therefore, as this practice both stressed the chassis and overheated the engine, it was soon forbidden. Such modifications were also highly common in the Pacific Theater, in order to protect from Japanese infantry attacks with grenades and mines. This could be found in the many improvements performed on its chassis, a testimony to its sturdiness and adaptability, and the huge supplies of spare parts available due to an early standardization and unrivaled, at least in the West, mass production.

M4 Sherman Crab, Normandy, June One of the rare Shermans actually painted sand beige in US Service. Early type M4, unknown unit, Normandy, summer Armored Division, Normandy, June Armored Division, Brittany, France, July Sherman Mk. M4 with side skirts, unknown unit, Operation Cobra, Normandy, July M4A1 mid-production vehicle, U. Russian M4A2 late production , with the degree slope and an added mm 4.

Northern Front, fall Around M4s were delivered at Arkhangelsk. Most were M4A2s, which were immediately put to use on the Northern Front. Panzerkampfwagen M a , captured Sherman in German service, from an unidentified unit in Italy, Due to their appearance and the fact that few disabled Shermans were left in a repairable condition, perhaps less than twenty Shermans of all versions were ever used in German service, although clear evidence shows this occurred in Tunisia, Italy and during the Battle of the Bulge.

M4A3 mid-production vehicle with late train type, 11th Armored Division, in support of the 30th U. Infantry Division, Ardennes, Belgium, January An up-armored M4A3 in the Ardennes, January Because of the lack of protection offered by the early versions, experienced crews took the matter into their own hands and usually applied improvised protective measures in the field. Wooden planks, beams, rails, steel plates, spare track links and improvised cofferdams made of wood and sandbags, like seen here, were some of the solutions found.

The engine could not keep up with the extra load, and, after an inquiry following an unusual rate of breakdowns and high consumption figures, Patton forbade tank crews from such practices. M4A3 late production vehicle with an improvised camouflage made of regular washable white paint and mud spots, South-Western Germany, March M4A3E8 in Korea, Building the Sherman Tank In , in the light of the successful use of panzers in the European war, the US Army decided to start a rapid tank-building programme.

The Sherman Crew The Sherman had a crew of five. This information appeared in issue 55 of Military History Monthly. You might be interested in. November 20, July 30, July 28, Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. The M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo was the most overall well-protected, with over 4 inches of armor protecting its body. This design had a inch slope, which resulted in that part of the tank having up to 8 inches of armor.

Because of the added weight, this model only had a max speed of 22 miles per hour. Research done on the M-4 Sherman tanks found that for every 1. Much of this could be attributed to ammunition fires. The Sherman tank series would be the only produced tanks to see each and every theater. The United States deployed the tanks everywhere and sold these tanks to other countries. Sherman tanks were given on lease to Britain, who received over 17, of the tanks, as well as France and the Soviet Union, who received tanks and 4, tanks, respectively.

Fifty-seven tanks were delivered to various other countries, with the remaining tanks being allocated to the United States military.

Sherman tanks were equipped with advanced equipment.